Lincolnshire loop line

The Lincolnshire loop line was a railway built by the Great Northern Railway, that linked Peterborough to Gainsborough via Spalding, Boston and Lincoln. It ran through the counties of Lincolnshire and Northamptonshire (then the Soke of Peterborough, now Cambridgeshire)

Lincolnshire loop line
Former station at Stixwould. The trackbed here is part of the Water Rail Way.
Overview
LocaleLincolnshire
Dates of operation1848–1963
PredecessorGreat Northern Railway
SuccessorLondon and North Eastern Railway
Technical
Track gauge4 ft 8+12 in (1,435 mm)
Length58 miles (93 km)
Route map

Wharf
Gainsborough Lea Road
Lea
Stow Park
Saxilby
Skellingthorpe
Pyewipe Junction
Boultham & West Holmes Jns
Lincoln St Marks
Lincoln
Sincil Junction
Washingborough Junction
Washingborough
Five Mile House
Bardney
Southrey
Stixwould
Woodhall Junction
Tattershall
Dogdyke
Langrick
Boston
Docks
Kirton
Algarkirk and Sutterton
Surfleet
Spalding
Littleworth
St James Deeping
Peakirk
Werrington Junction
Walton
Rhubarb Bridge
Wisbech Junction
Westwood Junction
Peterborough North
Peterborough Crescent

History

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The Lincolnshire loop line was authorised on 26 June 1846 as part of the London and York Railway bill.[1] The then renamed Great Northern Railway purchased the Witham Navigation and all navigation rights the same year and began construction of the new line, partly beside the river, in 1847.[2] The line opened in 1848 and was for a short period the main route to the north and Scotland until the line from Peterborough to Retford was opened in August 1852. Closure came in sections: the first was Woodhall Junction to Boston which closed to passengers and goods on 17 June 1963.[3][page needed] Followed by the section from Boston to Spalding and finally from Lincoln to Woodhall Junction as well as to Firsby and Horncastle.

Route

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The line from Lincoln to Boston was known as the Witham loop because it followed the course of the River Witham, passing through Washingborough, Five Mile House, Bardney, Southrey, Stixwould, Tattershall, Dogdyke, and Langrick. The line from Boston to Spalding passed through three intermediate stations, Kirton, Algarkirk and Sutterton, and Surfleet; much of this section is now under the A16 road. The final section to Peterborough also had three intermediate stations, Littleworth, St James Deeping, and Peakirk. This section is the only part of the line that remains in operation, although most of the stations have long been closed and disused.[3][page needed]

Six stations, Gainsborough Lea Road, Saxilby, Lincoln, Boston, Spalding and Peterborough North remain open, and are still part of the national network.[3][page needed]

List of railway stations

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Present day

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There is a variety of art along the cycle route. Much is whimsical sculpture, but this mosaic commemorates a Bronze Age Craft site archaeologists discovered on the South Delph

The line from Lincoln to Woodhall Junction now forms part of National Cycle Route 1, and is known as Water Rail Way. From Woodhall Junction to Boston, the entire line is private and has no permissive paths or access. From Boston to Spalding, the line is occupied by the A16. At Spalding, the line is still open to Peterborough.

References

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  1. ^ "Great Northern Railway Company: Records". The National Archives.
  2. ^ "Disused Stations". Subterranea Britannica.
  3. ^ a b c Ludlam, A.J. (July 1995). Lincolnshire Loop Line (GNR) and the River Witham. Locomotion Papers. The Oakwood Press. ISBN 978-0853614647.

53°08′33″N 0°14′31″W / 53.1424°N 0.2419°W / 53.1424; -0.2419