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There are
two principal
Anglo-Scottish main lines in Britain
the East Coast Main Line out of London Kings Cross and the West Coast Main Line out of London Euston. The first to
reach the
capital was Robert Stephenson’s London & Birmingham Railway to
London
Euston. The West Coast Main Line is particularly famous for its
legendary
gradients of Shap and Beattock over the Cumbrian Fells and the
mountains of the
Scottish Borders.
The
original London Euston
station was built in 1837 and was the Gateway to the North. Its
crowning
glories were the mighty great Euston Arch flanked by its entrance
lodges and
the magnificent Great Hall. The station had a distinctive iron truss
pitch
roof. A statue of Robert Stephenson dominated the Great Hall. Sadly
this
original Euston station is now lost forever as it was swept away in the
massive
rebuild of the station that took place between 1963 and 1968
accompanying the
electrification of the West Coast Main Line. It was this rebuild that
controversially demolished the famous Euston Arch. The new rebuilt
London
Euston a station of sleek modern concrete and glass was opened by HM
Queen
Elizabeth II in 1968.
Today the
only remnants
surviving from the old Euston are the two entrance lodges on Euston Road
that once flanked the Euston
Arch and the statue of Robert Stephenson which now graces the Great
Hall of the National Railway Museum
in York.
The
Britannia emblem which used to
crown the doorway to the Boardroom in the Great Hall also now survives
at the National Railway Museum
in York.
London
Euston historically served the
West Coast Main Line to the West Midlands, North Wales, the North West and Scotland.
In its heyday London Euston was the starting point for such famous
expresses as
the Royal Scot, the Coronation Scot, the Mid-Day Scot, the Caledonian,
the
Irish Mail, the Mancunian and the Merseyside Express.
London Euston to Watford
Junction:
As is
usual with trains
departing London going north, trains
departing London Euston head through a series of
tunnels and cuttings through north London.
The train ascends Camden bank and at Camden Town
passes the historic
former Camden Roundhouse engine shed built in 1847 (now home to the
famous Roundhouse performing arts
venue and creative centre for young people) and the great
classical
portal of Primrose Hill tunnel dating from 1837. The train then heads
through London’s northern suburbs
passing South Hampstead, Kilburn
High Road, Queens Park, Kensal
Green with the D.C. lines on
the left. At Willesden Junction the line passes under the North London
Line and
the line from West London joins on
the left.
The train passes through Harlesden, Stonebridge Park, Wembley Central
and North Wembley.
Passing Wembley, the magnificent new Wembley
Stadium can be glimpsed to
the
right. Then the train passes through South
Kenton and Kenton.
Soon to the left we can see Harrow
and the
spire of the famous Harrow School Chapel and
the train passes through Harrow & Wealdstone. The
train
continues north past Headstone Lane, Hatch
End, Carpenders Park and Bushey
before arriving at Watford Junction
station. On this route on either side of the line can be seen the food
factories, with great names such as Heinz, McVitiie’s and Ovaltine.
From
Watford Junction there is a branch to the right to St
Albans.
Watford
Junction to Milton Keynes Central:
After
leaving Watford Junction station the line soon
passes into Watford Tunnel. When the railway was built there was
considerable opposition
from the influential landowners, who feared that the railway would
adversely
affect their properties. North of Watford the railway had to pass the
great
adjoining estates of the Earls of Essex and of Clarendon. To overcome
the
objections raised, the Watford Tunnel was designed to carry the railway
line
out of sight of the great parks, and although it involved the company
in heavy
expense it served its purpose and solved the problem of access from London to the
industrial
areas of the north-west.
Northwards
the railway
enters a pleasant rolling landscape in the Gade Valley near the
Chilterns and
follows the Grand Union Canal through Kings
Langley, a former royal town with the remains of a Dominican Friary
founded
in 1312, a 15th century church and an attractive main
street.
The Grand
Union Canal is a
major feature of the journey northwards at this point and its winding
route is
never far from the railway, with plenty of fine views of narrow boats,
locks
and the distinctive brick arched bridges. Apsley,
famous for its paper making, is followed by Hemel Hempstead, whose
pleasant High Street and fine Norman church are in marked contrast to
the
expanding acres of the postwar new town housing.
Leaving Hemel Hempstead there are good views on the left
westwards across the
canal and its locks towards a typically English landscape of rolling
fields
framed by hedges and copses. Just before reaching Berkhamsted
the remains of Berkhamsted
Castle
can be seen to the right south eastwards. The original castle was built
soon
after William the Conqueror accepted the English throne in 1066.
Destroyed in a
rebellion, it was rebuilt and many subsequent royal figures stayed
here,
including the Black Prince. With its Tudor school, large church and 18th
century buildings, Berkhamsted still has the atmosphere of the busy
market town
it once was.
Now for
some miles the line
climbs gradually up past the Chiltern Hills
and the summit is reached at Tring
station. From Tring to the right eastwards are the wooded hills behind
Aldbury.
Leaving Tring the train enters a long cutting, one of the major
engineering
works of Stephenson’s line, 2.5 miles long and 60ft deep in places.
This is
followed by a long elevated section through Cheddington
to Leighton
Buzzard, with enjoyable views on both sides.
This
attractive area was
popular with grand families in the 19th century, several of
whom,
notably the Rosebery’s and the Rothschilds, built their country houses
here such as Waddesden Manor and Mentmore Towers.
Mentmore can be briefly seen from the train to the left, while Ascott,
Tring
and Waddesden are not far away. Ascott, now owned by the National
Trust, is two
miles south west of Leighton Buzzard station, near the village
of Wing, which boasts one of
the best
Anglo-Saxon churches in Britain.
After Linslade tunnel, with its gothic portico, there is a fine view to
the
right of Linslade
Old Church,
set on a mound with the manor near by. It was near Linslade that, in
1963, the
Great Train Robbery took place. An armed gang held up the overnight
Royal Mail
train running from Glasgow to London and stole
mailbags worth over £2.5
million.
The train
now follows the
canal and the River Ouzel through an attractive landscape to Bletchley, where the line to Bedford branches off to
the right. To the left of Bletchley station is the once top secret site
of Bletchley Park
where
during the Second World War the
German armed forces' top secret codes were broken providing the Allies
with
vital information towards their war effort. One of the famous ciphers
broken
here was the Enigma code. The house is now a museum telling the story
of the
top secret code breakers during the Second World War and you can see
one of the
famous Enigma machines on display. Bletchley now spreads
indeterminately into
the modern new town of Milton Keynes
which was
built in the 1960s. Milton Keynes
Central station is well placed for the shopping centre. Once
Bletchley and Rugby stations were
important stations for this stretch
of the WCML but now Milton Keynes Central has usurped their place as
the most
important station in this area.
Milton
Keynes Central to Crewe:
On
departing Milton Keynes Central station the line
soon reaches Wolverton where there
is a new town of an earlier age built from 1838 to serve the railway
carriage
works here, whose history is painted as a long mural beside the canal.
The old
carriage works can be seen to the left just before the station. North
of
Wolverton the countryside returns, with good views to the left towards
Cosgrove, thanks to a long embankment and the high six arched brick
viaduct of
1838. Cuttings now limit the views, but the fine spire of Hanslope Church,
nearly 200 ft high, is hard to miss on the right. Shortly after passing
the village of Roade
at Hanslope junction the Northampton
line diverges off to the right. Then the village of Blisworth
is passed on the left. Then the village of Weddon
is passed.
After this for a few miles the railway is joined by the Grand Junction Canal
and the M1 motorway to the right. Here the line is in the Watford Gap
at the
northern end of the Chiltern Hills.
To the
right the tall broadcasting masts at Daventry can be seen. Then the
line
suddenly plunges into the famous Kilsby Tunnel which is over a mile
long. After
exiting Kilsby Tunnel the Northampton line rejoins the mainline from
the right
and beyond can be seen the cluster of radio masts that form the Rugby
Radio
Transmitting Station. This is one of the world’s most powerful radio
transmitting
stations.
This also forms the European end of the transatlantic telephone system.
Originally built in 1926, there were 12 radio masts but 8 of them
became obsolete in recent years and were demolished in 2004, now there
are just 4 radio masts. Soon
the train reaches the once important junction station at Rugby. Sadly now the
station is a shadow of its former self having lost its magnificent over
100
years old LNWR trainshed roof in 2000.
North of
Rugby the Birmingham
line diverges
off to the left by means of a flyover and the mainline continues
northwards.
The Oxford Canal
accompanies the line for a while to the left before eventually swinging
away to
the left before the railway passes under the M69 motorway near the village of Shilton. The line continues
through
pleasant landscape of the Trent
Valley with glimpses of
the industrial West Midlands away to
the west on the left. Just before Nuneaton station
the line from Coventry joins the
mainline from the left and the Leicester
line from the right. On leaving Nuneaton the
line to Birmingham
via Water Orton soon diverges off to the left. To the left extensive
former
gravel workings can be seen before the train passes Atherstone
station. Soon after crossing the River Anker which then
snakes round to the left the train reaches Polesworth station
and the Coventry
Canal
accompanies the
line to the left. Next the train reaches Tamworth
where there is an interchange with the Birmingham
to Derby
line
at Tamworth Low Level. Then Lichfield
Trent Valley station is reached. This station is also an
interchange with
the Stafford to Lichfield City and Birmingham
line shortly after a station a spur from the Stafford
line can be seen joining the mainline from the right. Lichfield
has many interesting associations, not the least among them being that
it was
the birthplace of Dr. Johnson, the great man of letters. Just before
reaching
Rugeley the massive towers of its power station can be seen to the left
of the
line. Then the line from Walsall and Birmingham
can be seen joining the main line from the left. Then the train passes Rugeley Trent Valley station. After
passing the village of Colwich to the right the main line swings
round to
the left and the line to Manchester
avoiding Stafford can be seen
diverging from the main line to the
right. The line then dives into a tunnel underneath the Shugborough
Hall
estate, home to the Earls of Lichfield. The mainline then swings round
with the
line from Wolverhampton joining to the left and enters Stafford station.
After
passing Stafford the
railway runs through the village
of Great Bridgeford.
Then Norton Bridge is passed soon after
which the line to Manchester
diverges off to the right. After climbing up a gradual gradient that is
Whitmore bank to the summit at Whitmore, the railway descends slowly to
the level
of the Cheshire Plain. To the right is a distant view of the Potteries,
and
three or four miles farther on, just before entering Crewe, are the
famous
Basford Hall goods sidings containing over 100 miles of track which can
be seen
to the left. Crewe South Carriage Shed is passed on the right hand
side. Just
after this vast array of sidings the Shrewsbury
line can be seen joining the mainline from the left, while to the right
joins
the line from Stoke on Trent.
Then the train enters the famous railway town and great junction
station of Crewe.
Crewe is famous as a railway town and is a busy
junction
station. To the right of Crewe station can be seen the Crewe Arms
Hotel, famous as being the first railway hotel in Britain. It is
also
home to the famous railway works which although it
doesn’t
build trains anymore is still comparatively busy as a repair works.
Although
sadly it has to be said the once mighty works is now a shadow of its
former
self. Crewe was home from 1946 to
2002 to the
Rolls-Royce motor car works. From the end of 2002 Rolls-Royce motor car
manufacture has now moved to a new factory in Chichester.
However the car factory continues to be the home of Bentley Motors and
now just
produces Bentley motor cars. Crewe did not come to prominence until the
late
1830s when the Grand Junction Railway chose it to be the site of its
new
locomotive works and Crewe railway
station.
Today Crewe is one of the largest
stations in
North West England and is a major station on the West Coast Main Line
and thus
remains a major railway centre.
Crewe
to Chester:
On
departing Crewe station the Chester
and North Wales line diverging off to the left, while the Manchester line
via Wilmslow diverges off to
the right. The mainline to Glasgow continues north past the old Crewe
North
signal box is passed in what has become Crewe Heritage
Centre (The
Railway Age
Crewe) and here on the left is the distinctive sight of retired ill
fated
British Rail experimental APT tilting train (arguably the forerunner of
today’s
Pendolino tilting trains operated by Virgin Trains) now on static
display in
the heritage centre. However our train to Holyhead diverges off the
mainline to
the left and heads past the Crewe Heritage Centre on the right. Soon Crewe train depot is passed on the left with the
famous
Crewe Works on the right, now run by the French based global transport
manufacturer Alstom S.A.. The line then heads
into the rolling Cheshire
countryside and crosses the River Weaver followed by the Shopshire & Union
Canal.
Soon this canal is following the railway on the right hand side. Then
the train
enters Chester
station, just before which the Warrington
line joins the mainline from the right.
The
historic city of Chester lies on the
River Dee and is the county town of Cheshire. It is one of
the best preserved walled cities in Britain. The city dates
back to
Roman times and is famous for Chester
Cathedral and the ruined Roman
amphitheatre.
Today a large amount of land in and around Chester
is owned by His Grace The Duke of Westminster whose country estate
Eaton Hall
is a few miles away near the village of Eccleston.
The city is
also for its unique ‘Rows’ on its shopping streets and its famous
Browns of
Chester department store was once known as ‘The Harrods of the North’.
Today
the store is part of the Debenhams chain. A bus link operates from the
railway
station into the city centre.
Chester to Bangor:
After
departing Chester the
Merseyrail Electrics line to Liverpool
curves
off to the right and the mainline curves round to the left heading
through a
series of tunnels and rock cuttings. As the line crosses the River Dee
the Chester Racecourse and
Castle can be seen to the left. Soon the Shrewsbury line
diverges off to the left. Hawarden
Airport can
be seen on the left while
the River Dee is to the right. Then on the far side of the river
Shotton
Steelworks comes into view on the right hand side and the line passes
under the
Bidston to Wrexham line and passes Shotton
station. The train then crosses into Wales.
The
estuary of the River Dee
then opens out to the right as the line passes through Flint
station. The line then starts its journey along the North Wales coast. Mostyn is passed with Mostyn
docks to the right. The
train then passes the seaside resort of Prestatyn
with its many caravan sites dotted along the coast. The next seaside
resort
passed is Rhyl. Shortly after Rhyl
the line crosses the River Clwyd as the line follows coastal towns and
caravan
sites long the magnificent North Wales
coast
with fine views out to sea. Abergele
is the next station passed. The A55 main road then accompanies the
railway to Colwyn Bay
after which the line turns inland slightly before reaching Llandudno
Junction. Just before the station the line to Blaenaeu
Ffestiniog can be seen joining the mainline from the left. After
leaving the
station the line to Llandudno diverges north from the mainline to the
right.
The train
then sweeps across
the River Conwy on the famous tubular Conwy Bridge
built by Robert Stephenson in 1849. This wrought iron tubular bridge is
similar
in construction to Robert Stephenson’s Britannia Tubular
Bridge
across the Menai
Straits which the train will cross later in its journey to Holyhead.
Sadly
following the destruction of the Britannia Bridge after a fire in 1970
and its
subsequent rebuilding, the Conwy Railway Bridge survives today as the
only
surviving example of Robert Stephenson’s tubular bridges. The Conwy Railway
Bridge runs in parallel
to the elegant Conwy
Suspension Bridge
designed by Thomas
Telford. These crossings resemble in miniature the two larger crossings
over
the Menai Straits. The line then cuts through the historic town walls
under the
foot of the historic Conwy
Castle and
past Conwy station. The A55 main road then
rejoins the railway and parallels it as they both continue along the
coast
through Penmaenawr and Llanfairfechan
with fine views out to
sea on the right. The line then crosses the River Ogwen and passes the
wooded
grounds of Penhryn
Castle to
the right. Next
the line plunges into a tunnel before emerging at Bangor
station. This is the station for the bus link to Caenarfon and the
revived Welsh Highland Railway
from Caenarfon to Porthmadog.
Bangor is one of the smallest cities in Britain
and its
historic Bangor Cathedral was founded in the early 6th
century AD. Bangor allegedly has the
longest High Street in Wales. Bangor
is largely contained to the south by Bangor Mountain.
Nearby is Port Penhryn which was once an important harbour for the
export of
slates in the 19th century. Bangor
also has a pier, which is the second longest in Wales
and also the 9th longest in the British Isles,
being 1,500 feet (or 472 metres). It's name is the Garth Pier, and was
almost
demolished in 1974 due to the poor condition it was in at the time.
However
local support for the pier ensured that survived and gained a Grade 2
listed
status, as it was considered one of the three finest surviving piers at
the
time. Restoration work began in 1982 and did not finish until 1988.
Bangor to Holyhead:
After
leaving Bangor
station the train plunges into another tunnel before emerging alongside
the
Menai Straits. To the right you can get glimpses of the Menai Straits
and
Thomas Telford’s famous Menai
Suspension Bridge
built
in 1826. This links the Welsh mainland with the Isle of Anglesey. It is
notable
as the world’s first modern suspension bridge. Soon the railway sweeps
round
and leaps across the Menai Straits on the famous Britannia Bridge.
It was originally a tubular bridge designed by Robert Stephenson and
opened in
1850. Sadly the bridge was rebuilt in 1970 after a fire to also carry
the main
A55 main road to Anglesey. As a
result the Britannia
Bridge of
today is a shadow of its
former self and now is a two tier steel box girder and arch bridge with
the
main road on the upper deck. As the train goes onto the bridge you may
notice
the monumental lions that guard each corner of the bridge. Down in the
valley
you may notice a section of the original wrought iron tubular bridge on
display
standing in front of the modern bridge.
After
crossing the famous Britannia
Bridge the
train passes through Llanfair
PG station also known more famously by its full name:
Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch
It
has the longest officially recognised place name in the UK and
is one
of the longest in the world, being 58 letters in length. The village was originally known as Llanfair Pwllgwyngyll and was renamed
in the 19th century in an attempt to develop the village as a
commercial and
tourist centre. Visitors often stop at the railway station to be
photographed
next to the famous station sign, visit the nearby Visitors Centre or
have
‘passports’ stamped at the local shop. Another tourist attraction is
the nearby
Marquess of Anglesey's Column, which at a height of 27 metres offers
views over
Anglesey and the Menai
Strait.
Designed by Thomas
Harrison, the monument celebrates the heroism of Henry Paget, 1st
Marquess of Anglesey at the Battle of Waterloo. Unfortunately the
village’s
name is not an authentic Welsh language name having been artificially
contrived
in the 1860s to bestow upon the station the honour of having the
longest name
of any railway station in the United Kingdom: an early
example of a publicity
stunt. According to Sir John Morris-Jones the name was created by a
local
tailor, whose name he does not give. A translation of the name into
English
would give:
"St Mary's church in the hollow of the white hazel near to the
rapid
whirlpool and the church
of St Tysilio of
the red
cave".
The
village’s community
website also is noted in the Guiness Book of Records as having the
longest
valid internet domain name in the world.
www.llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch.co.uk
As the
train continues
across the flat landscape of Anglesey
the
disused line to Amlwch diverges off to the right. The train then passes
Bodorgan station followed by Ty Croes
station. Just before Rhosneigr station Llyn Maelog is
passed
on the left with glimpses of the coast beyond. Now on the left the
railway
passes the RAF
Valley
military airfield. To the right
can be seen marshland and several lakes. The line then passes under the
A55
main road and passes Valley
station before heading across a causeway onto Holy Isle
with the
main road to the left and past the Aluminium Smelting Works on the
right and
into the curving platforms of Holyhead station.
Holyhead station is located right next to the harbour and ferry
terminal for Stena Line and Irish Ferries ferry services to
Dublin
and Dun Laoghaire in Ireland.
Holyhead
town centre is
built around St. Cybi's church, which is built inside one of Europe's
only
three-walled Roman forts (the fourth wall being the sea, which used to
come up
to the fort). The Romans also built a lighthouse on the top of Holyhead Mountain inside Mynydd y Twr, a
prehistoric fortress. Settlements in the area date from prehistoric
times, with
circular huts, burial chambers and standing stones featuring in the
highest
concentration in Britain.
The current lightouse is on South Stack on the other side of Holyhead Mountain
and is open to the public. The area is also popular with birdwatchers.
Holyhead is perhaps best known
for its busy ferryport
and freight harbour. There is archaeological evidence that people have
been
sailing between Holyhead and Ireland
for 4000 years. The post road built by Thomas Telford from London
strengthened Holyhead's position as the port from which the royal mail
was
dispatched to and from Dublin.
The A5 terminates at Admiralty Arch (1821), which was designed by
Thomas
Harrison to commemorate a visit by King George IV en route to Ireland
and
marks the zenith of Irish Mail coach operations. However, with the
opening of
the railway from London to Liverpool,
Holyhead
lost the London to Dublin Mail contract
in 1839
to the Port
of Liverpool.
Only after the completion of
the line to Holyhead in 1850 did the Irish Mail return to Holyhead.
Holyhead's
maritime importance was at its paramount in the 19th century
when
the two and a half mile (4 km) breakwater, widely acknowledged to be
one of Britain's
finest, was built, creating a safe
harbour for vessels caught in stormy waters on their way to Liverpool
and the industrial
ports of Lancashire. Holyhead's sea
heritage
is remembered in a maritime museum.
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