thank you hi yeah did we need it did you know right there's 6800 disused or abandoned stations
in this country or the UK I personally did because you know we've kind of maybe maybe
some of these people would do but you might not we've done nearly 500 or thereabouts
maybe we'll put the figures down here yeah where's my hat I don't know where's your hat
welcome to the welcome to the calm Branch line [Music]
now we're going filming um in the middle of nowhere it's a pair of shoes should I wear
right short bit of that driving before we can start walking along this calne
Branch line have you got what is extremely relevant to today's video two bacon wraps
now there's a reason why those bacon baps are relevant today's video we'll come to that very
shortly we'll also tell you why the taxi rank you then I don't understand it I'm really confused
the calne Branch line [Music]
first stop chipping because obviously this is where the branch line started don't want
to give too much away but the taxi rank in a moment looks like a platform Rebecca it does
that's curious where a reason we'll come to very shortly because it shouldn't be there [Music]
they're bright yeah so just back there is chipping him where we just were getting our
bacon uh baps very relevant tell you that in a minute so chipping with I think 1841 opened uh
gwr and it took another 20 years or so for them to realize actually what branch lines
are open up around the country and they could do this thing called a branch line
calm had a lot of industry in a point I think one point there was 16 mils there all probably
already being um served by the canal so a branch Railway was on the cards and in fact I believe
they had the largest uh bacon producing Factory in England at the time [Music] that needed a railway
so whilst Rebecca gets a shot of a screw to go on top of that bridge
get over Bridge which looks really rather delightful very old early masonry on it
[Music]
that's right quick stop before we crack on
to what was the sort of an old Viaduct across the river Avon
I'm taking the high road and he's taking the low road
very beautiful I'm trying to find some old pictures for you
um Rebecca's going to do the top part I'm gonna have a quick look at the structure from underneath
masonry abutments and they are greased bits where they've extended
um still here for everybody to see lots of additions to it I guess in the early stages
because there's a mix of brick masonry and then on top of course you've got
the uh the now cycle route so that's been reused and repurposed which is quite good
I'm on what was a Viaduct now it's a bit of a metal this is all going on oh I can support
steps
ERS of bacon in the country and you want to get your bacon to Market quick okay well you can't
use the canal right because that's going to take you a few days to get to wherever it's going to
go it's not very quick that's not quick at all I mean if you're gonna get a Bristol it's probably
about two or three day bars took at least two days plus maybe yep that's a problem that's a problem
so all of a sudden you know there's a railway at Chippenham and you think you know what I I could
use those as that Railway but it's still four or five miles away so late 1850s that's been around
for nearly 20 years the Harris family stump up are quite a significant sum of cash towards the
building of the branch line they come up with nearly 10 000 pounds in 1859 towards the quoted
twenty six thousand pounds to build this Railway it's a bit of touring and throwing construction
starts so ahead of us is a gorgeous Bridge again nearly entirely masonry path and that's your arch
itself which is four bricks deep and the other side of it is Stanley Holt now I think this was
built in 1905 so probably a um an addition by gwr who I think we're running the line by then I think
to stump up the numbers in terms of traffic because there's a little bit of a population here
um but I'm guessing because it was an old halt we're gonna see nothing [Music]
this doesn't work [Applause] so ahead of us look I don't know what I'm going to say that is what
it is big bunch of masonry and wood shoved in the corner then I wonder if that is a remnants of the
uh Stanley Holt it helps a bit much of a clinky dinky if it's not it is it's just a random Pile
in the middle of grasslands basically yeah so we're going to take this off and say we've done
this in 1905 to 1965 60 year long Hulk this was open for on the Calne Branch next up we've got a
little treat installed I'm talking too much you're well shut up let's get on the next shot let's go
[Music]
back on the cycle route 403 which is the entirety of this Branch line we love it when you can
um love it when you can do that you can actually walk along an Old Railway Natalie I think it's a
name of the contractor that is the employed by our James bed but book to um build the
Line This is what 27 Grand build it for you mate signed up job done but why there is a problem is
the contractor says hang on a minute I didn't quote you for the railway stations on the way
um so there's a big big dispute and he says right I'm off let's see you later mate so the contractor
disappears he's later tempted back by the um the the promise of 10 000 pounds worth of shares
and the range price of 26 Grand not to include stations I don't know who they got to build um
the the two stations another cool masonry entirely amazingly this one's interesting how they differ
perhaps there was um like repairs made but look at that that's all masonry lined in the Arches
masonry though that's really beautiful isn't it you don't expect this on a small Branch line built
for 28 grand no a really really beautiful butcher there look at it [Music] [Applause] [Music]
right so we're coming up to Black Dog halt which is originally built for this number I think it was
built as a private station come to that shortly when we get there but we're also coming up to
the loudest Road in history it is loud is it just mean it is loud it's quite a small Road
but easiest Road you've seen in your life I'm gonna come out to what it looks like a new but
rickety is that thing new and rickety suspension bridge again there'd have been an old bridge over
here at some point but looks um yeah I can concur confirm it feels wobbly oh my God that's really
weird look at the still being structures there and it feels as wobbly as you like
[Music]
Black Dog Hulk tick one more station to do on this line carry on going up the gradient here
there's a quite a steep grounds everything is worn in 60 at some point so anyway back to the story
1862 Board of Trade or late agency so I think the Board of Trade come to check out the line
um they said no for a few reasons number one I didn't put any provisions in engine shed
um good shed uh sidings that sort of thing no platform the start of the line this is
what I was saying about the taxi rank earlier they looked like there was a
spare platform perhaps they built that later in the in the time of the life of the Railway
so it turns out black dog hole isn't far away at all it's only just round that curve there
less than sort of 500 meters or so before we end up near car now I can just see some houses
in the distance but for the end of the line for this Railway and it's a sort of private running
was well I think at the start 1872 when gdpr said that sorry we're going to standard gauge
from broad gaze now and that'll cost the line 500 pounds very funky gate that costs around
500 pounds and of course they were losing money at this this stage being very profitable with all the
expected goods and the bacon um Rebecca's just spotted yeah he wants to lose the bacon no one
wants to lose their bacon it's some really funky Gates really wide it's it's old four gauge Railway
which we've often seen where they reuse the broad gauge track for fencing and bits but it's like an
old proper Gateway I wonder if this is actually a Crossing because we're nowhere near the station
yet or we are near so it's 200 meters or so I'm wondering if this is an Old Farm Crossing and I
bet yeah across the other way there look some more you've got some more so this is
an old I don't know a little level crossing but a Crossing because here we are again old broad gauge
um track and there's the other side there so it's nearly as I don't know if there's like
an agricultural Crossing it's just a bit prettier on that side they've got the like funky sides so
standard gauge with switch to and that cost as I say 500 pounds to the company and I carried on but
they were still losing money left right and center and eventually 1892 gwr uh purchased the line
and the running and everything about it pretty much for the original cost that the investors
the shareholders actually put in themselves they kind of got their money back really an investment
um as such as many Railways went and now here we go right this is so important because
so many times we see this at the end of the line right you can see if I come up here right
so we've just entered behind me there a housing estate new housing estate probably only within the
last decade and here you can see this embankment that we're on so you've got a slope off that
side you've got a slope off that side and this embankment sort of opens out into a triangle
now if you didn't know there was a railway here this would be the big giveaway because you've
got the the sort of the single track entrance there and this embankment widens as it goes on
and we've got now ahead of us a huge new housing estate called Station Road with lots of branches
off of it and it opened that it's a big old yard that calm was big sort of Telltale giveaway they
were there at the end of the line spin the camera around and there is a housing estate
um it grumbles for what it is because we all need somewhere to live of course
um but the end of this line isn't very dramatic compared to some that we've seen
a few good stops along the way this has been the very short calm Branch but we did want to
we didn't want to walk it because we knew you could walk it we knew you could cycle
it so if you're in this area come here come and do it come and cycle route 403
yeah and we hope you've enjoyed today's little uh canal and uh Railway walk that
we've done because we've done both with a sneaky top YouTube Tip film
two videos in one day we'll see you this time next week [Music]