Shropshire Routes to Roots

The local infrastructure: Savin's Railway

Savin's railway link Larger image, in a new window [59kb] [Reproduced with kind permission of Gordon Hillier ] [OS map 1904]

Thomas Savin was a local mine owner who used the Morda tramway to transport his coal to the Gronwen Wharf like everyone else in the area. With the advent of the railways, he realized that he could transport more and quicker if he had his own railway to connect to the Cambrian Railway at Whitehaven. The track he built started at Coed-y-Go and joined the Main line near to Nuttree Bank Farm. Most of this track can still be traced today. This particular line is an excellent example of study by a modern researcher, in that investigation of the route threw up some surprising little quirks, one of which was the story of Brook House Bridge.

A tale of two bridges

The line started at the Coed-y-Go pit and travelled in a curve west, then south, to the bridge at Brook House. The old rail bridge at this point is still a fine monument to the line, and was high arched to take the tall stacks of the light locomotive used by Savin.

Brook House main bridge Larger image [53kb] (opens in a new window) [Reproduced with kind permission of Gordon Hillier]

Prometheus locomotive Larger image, in a new window [150kb] [Reproduced with kind permission of Gordon Hillier]

It was well known that there were two bridges at Brook House. The one above, and one that was believed to be a decorative "Garden" bridge. It was long thought of as a "Folly" because it only had pedestrian access up a small flight of steps.

The two bridges Larger image, in a new window [65kb] [Reproduced with kind permission of Gordon Hillier]

Plan of the Garden Bridge Larger image, in a new window [10kb] [Reproduced with kind permission of Gordon Hillier]

An investigation showed that the small walls across the ends of the "Garden Bridge" were a later addition to the original construction. A track could also be followed to the west of Brook House.

The shifting road Larger image, in a new window [75kb] [Reproduced with kind permission of Gordon Hillier]

It then became clear that what in fact had happened, was that the railway had been constructed alongside the brook and that the new bridge had been erected 50 metres to the east. The road was diverted to this new bridge, thus allowing the old road to fall into disrepair. In time, the existence of the old route simply disappeared from local memory.

This is just one example of how tracing old routes can reveal side issues that explain the sometimes strange positioning of bridges, hedges, trackways, etc. It is always worth remembering that nature rarely draws straight lines. Such a line on a map, whether of trees, of earth embankments or just a footpath, is often indicative of man's adaptation of nature to create some form of highway.