The Canals, Tramways and Railways of East Shropshire – The Lilleshall Company – Old Lodge Furnaces and Granville Colliery

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In the previous article in this series, we looked at the Humber Arm, the tramway which ran from Lubstree Wharf on the Arm to Old Lodge Furnaces and the later mineral railway which operated from 1870 which ran from Lubstree Wharf via the Midland Ironworks (Walkers) to Muxton Bridge Colliery. That article can be found on this link:

The Humber Arm Canal, Tramway and Railway – East Shropshire.

Bob Yate has written an excellent book about the railways and locomotives of the Lilleshall Company. [2] In that book, he provides a sketch map of the Lilleshall Company’s private railways, an extract from that sketch map is shown below. We covered the most northerly elements of these railways in the article above.

This article focuses on the immediate area of Old Lodge Furnaces and the later Granville Colliery. It shows a length of the Donnington Wood Canal alongside the tramways and mineral railways in the area. Other articles will follow the Lilleshall Company’s railway network further to the South.

Bob Yate provides a sketch of the whole of the Lilleshall Company’s network of railways. This extract from the sketch map shows the length of their railways covered in this and the previous article. The locations shown are those from Tate’s sketch map and its key. Those on this extract are: 3. Old Lodge Furnaces; 8. The Humber Arm Railway; 9. Lubstree Wharf; 10. The Donnington (LNWR) exchange sidings and the Midland Ironworks; 13. Lodge Trip; 19. Granville Colliery; 20. Barn Pits Colliery; 21. Waxhill Barracks Colliery; 22. Muxton Bridge Colliery; 23. Freehold Colliery; and 24. Shepherd Slag Crushing Plant. Yaye does not record Meadow Colliery which was close to the Donnington Wood Canal to the Southwest of Muxton Bridge Colliery and apparently tramway served until its closure. [2: p38]

First a general history of the Lilleshall Company before we then look at the two main industrial sites:

The Lilleshall Company

The Levenson-Gower family made their fortune serving the wool trade in Wolverhampton in the 15th and 16th centuries and purchased the Lilleshall estates from Henry VIII in 1539. These estates were once owned by Lilleshall Abbey. Yate tells us that:

“The 1st Baron Gower (1675-1709) and his son, the 1st Earl Gower (1694-1754), enlarged their properties through acquisition and marriage. Granville Leveson-Gower, the 2nd Earl Gower (1721-1803), continued this tradition in 1748 by marrying Lady Louisa Egerton, the daughter of the Duke of Bridgwater.

The 2nd Earl Gower was an astute businessman, always looking to make the best use of his considerable properties. Looking at the various new industries prospering nearby, it was a logical step to join these and to similarly profit by them. However, lacking the necessary technical knowledge and industrial experience, he wisely formed a partnership on 8th September 1764 with two brothers, John Gilbert and Thomas Gilbert, to develop the minerals on the Earl’s estate. John Gilbert had initially been apprenticed to Matthew Boulton before joining his father’s metalworking firm in Birmingham. However, he moved on to become agent to the Duke of Bridgwater and thus gained valuable knowledge of canal construction and operation. His brother Thomas had been educated more formally and qualified as a barrister. This partnership, trading as Earl Gower and Company … [and later] as Marquis of Stafford and Company, until 1802. During this 38 year period, the coal, iron and limestone deposits were developed, and canals built. … One of the earliest examples was the Donnington Wood Canal. …” [2: p7]

Yate goes on to relate how the 2nd Earl Gower passed the mantle to his eldest son who, eventually, became the Duke of Sutherland by marriage. Although it was actually his second son who became active in the business. He dissolved the original partnership and on 24th June 1802 formed the Lilleshall Company. A series of new partners joined the Company bringing with them their capital in the form of existing local mines and ironworks at Snedshill, Wrokwardine Wood and Donnington Wood. A further expansion in 1807 brought further Snedshill businesses into the Company and it soon became necessary to broaden the Company’s land rights to permit further mining and manufacturing work.

Yate continues to relate how the chairmanship of the Company passed down from the second son, (incidentally called Granville Leveson-Gower after his father) who became the 1st Earl Granville in 1833, to his son of the same name who became the 2nd Earl Granville in 1846 and to the 3rd Earl Granville in 1891. Yate gives some details of the various establishments associated with the Lilleshall Company: [2: p11-18]

Wrokwardine Wood Brickworks and Donnington Wood Brickworks: two early brickworks which were probably both out of use by 1850s when a new Donnington Wood Brickworks was opened.

Snedshill Brickworks: it is not clear when this opened but it certainly was active by 1850. It was the last of the Lilleshall brickworks to continue in production, closing in 1977.

Donnington Wood Brickworks: the new works opened in 1850 and closed in 1971.

Wrokwardine Wood Furnaces: Active from 1801 to 1824.

Donnington Wood Furnaces: three blast furnaces, two dated from 1783 and one from 1802. Two were blown out in 1843 and one in 1859.

Lodge Bank Coke Ovens: were opened at the Lodge Furnaces site in 1842 with 42 beehive ovens. 10 ovens were added in 1901. Coal came from Freehold, Muxton Bridge, Meadow and Cockshutts mines. Screening and washing was undertaken at the coke ovens site. The Coke ovens survived the closure of the Old Lodge Furnaces, closing themselves in 1908, although screening and washing of coal continued until 1910.

Old Yard (Donnington Wood): a general engineering works that built boats for canals. It closed in 1861.

Sndeshill Furnaces, Priorslee Furnaces, Priorslee Steelworks, New Yard Engineering Work (Phoenix Foundry) Snedshill Concrete Works, Priorslee Distillation Plant, and Priorslee Asphalt Plant are covered later in this series of articles.

Yate also covers the collieries that we have already encountered in this and the previous article: [2: p15-18]

Waxhill Barracks Colliery: Sinking of the shaft was begun in 1818 and eventually exceeded a depth of 300 yards, but the pit did not open until 1828, and was named after the nearby company housing scheme. In 1896, there were 40 underground and 25 surface workers. The pit closed in 1900, although pumping continued until 1930. [2: p16]

Freehold Colliery: Opened around 1840, there were two 7.5ft diameter shafts initially of 147 yards depth, that eventually reached 245 yards. In 1896 there were 29 underground and 11 surface workers. However, by 1905 this had increased to a total of 205 men, which by 1927 had further increased to 314 at which it remained steady until closure in 1928. [2: p16]

Meadow Colliery: Opened prior to 1840, the horse tramway system connected this pit to the Lodge Furnaces and to the Donnington Wood Canal. It was closed in 1894. [2: p16]

Muxton Bridge Colliery: The exact date of opening is not known, but it was in operation by 1837 and closed in 1912. In 1896, there were 68 underground and 30 surface workers. The remains of the former engine house (built in 1844), which once contained a horizontal steam winding engine, are extant in the Granville Country Park which now covers this site. [2: p16]

Granville Colliery: see the notes later in this article.

Other collieries covered by Yate will be addressed when they are encountered as we continue to follow the Lilleshall Company’s tramways and railways in later articles in this series.

A comprehensive account of the rise and consolidation of the Lilleshall Company was written by W.K.V Gale & C.R. Nicholls in 1979. [7]

Old Lodge Furnaces and their vicinity

An artist’s impression of what the Old Lodge Furnaces site would have looked like in its heyday. The view is from the Northeast. The canal arm which served the furnaces can be seen entering the sketch from the bottom-right (the North). The image is a little misleading as it shows narrow-boats on the canal when in fact tub-boats would have been used. The tub-boats would have been drawn by horses. The rails shown as a schematic representation of the rails on the site throughout its history and show an engine shed on the North end of the fun of furnaces. [My photograph, 27th July 2023]
This map extract is taken from the 25″ Ordnance Survey of 1881/1882. The canal arm enters from the top of the extract and railways/tramways are shown in preponderance, with the furnaces themselves in a row running North-South just above the centre of the extract. The line leaving the extract on the left ran towards Lubstree Wharf. [1]
This extract from RailMapOnline.com’s satellite imagery shows the area of the furnaces in the 21st century, a little more of the area immediately to the North than appears on the OS map extract above and less on the East-West axis. The turquoise lines are symbolic representations of the tramway network which preceded the mineral railway which is represented by the purple lines. The two tramway routes leading North out of this and the map extract served, from the left: Meadow Colliery (which appears in the first map extract below); Barn Colliery; Waxhill Barracks and Barracks Colliery; and Muxton Bridge Colliery. (That line, from Muxton Bridge Colliery to the site of Old Lodge Furnaces is illustrated on the map extracts which follow the one covering Meadow Colliery). [3]
This extract from the 1881/1882 25″ Ordnance Survey shows Meadow Colliery on the North side of the Donnington Wood Arm of the Shropshire Canal. The tramway from Old Furnaces was still in use at the time of the survey and bridged the canal as shown. It appears that by the time of this Ordnance Survey the canal arm running South from the Donnington Wood Arm of the canal is separated off from the main canal and no longer in use. [4]
A similar area to that shown on the map extract above, the line of the Donnington Wood Canal and that of the tramway are still visible in the landscape. [10]
Muxton Bridge Colliery and sidings with the Donnington Wood Canal shown passing under Muxton Bridge. The colliery sidings functioned as a revering point for traffic to and from Lubstree Wharf and the exchange sidings near to the Midland Ironworks. [4]
Modern satellite imagery shows roughly the same area as in the OS map extract immediately above. The site of Muxtonbridge Colliery is now a reasonably dense deciduous woodland. The trees extend across the line of the old canal. The curve of the Southeastern edge of the woodland approximates to the Southeast side of the old canal. [11]
This extract covers the length of the two mineral railway lines to the Southwest of Muxton Bridge Colliery. The canal is seen running immediately adjacent to the East of the railways. [4]
A similar area, once agian, to the OS Map extract directly above, the routes of the Canal and railway lines are now covered by deciduous trees. [12]
Waxhill Barracks Colliery and Methodist Chapel with the Donnington Wood Canal Arm and the Mineral Railway running in between. The Mineral Railway from Lubstree Wharf curves in and out of the top of this extract. The Mineral Railway/tramway running North from Old Lodge Furnaces crossed the canal at the location shown at the top of this extract. [4]
In the 2st century, the area covered by the map extract above is, again, heavily wooded. The alignment of each of the two railway lines is relatively easy to place. Curving away at the top of this extract from the ESRI satellite imagery provided by the National Library of Scotland the line heading for the exchange sidings at Donnington ran just inside the treeline adjacent to the modern housing estate. The line running South towards the location of the Old Lodge Furnaces is also under tree-cover but at the right side of this image. The line of the canal is much more difficult to envisage on the modern landscape. [13]
Waxhill Barracks with Donnington Wood Canal Arm immediately alongside and the Mineral Railway of 1870 running to its East. [4]
Again, a similar area to that covered by the map extract above. the line of the old canal runs between ‘A’ and ‘B’ along what appears to be a slight break in the tree cover. The Mineral Railway runs through the trees to the right of the satellite image between ‘C’ and ‘D’. [14]
Barn Colliery as shown on the 25″ Ordnance Survey of 1881/1882. [4]
A similar area to that covered by the map extract above, extending a little further to the West so that the line of the old canal can be shown easily (between ‘B’ and ‘E’). The railway and the sidings associated with Barn Colliery were between ‘D’ and ‘F’. Interestingly, the incline up onto Barn Colliery spoil heap is still clearly identified to the East of the Mineral Railway line. [15]
These two extracts from the 1881/1882 25″ Ordnance Survey are, together, an enlargement of the plan of the Old Lodge Furnaces towards the top of this article. Together, they give an enhanced view of the mapping of the area around the furnaces. In the lower of the two extracts the line running off the extract to the East heads towards Granville Colliery. The line running off the extract to the South runs to Dawes Bower and Grange Colliery. Of the lines exiting the extract to the West, one, running Northwest (at the top corner of the lower image) is the old tramway link to Lubstree Wharf. There are also two lines leaving the bottom-left corner of the lower image, the lower line runs towards collieries/shafts local to the furnaces and is probably a tramway at a higher level than the upper of the two lines which is in cutting and is the connection from Old Lodge Furnaces into the wider Mineral Railway network belonging to the Lilleshall Company. [1]
A view of Old Lodge Furnaces from the East. [4] (This image was first produced in the ‘London Trade Exchange’ of 2nd January 1875. Some of the tramways are visible, as are the coke ovens in the distance, and the engine house on the right, although the engraver has omitted the chimney beside the engine house.) [2: p11]

The Friends of Granville Country Park’s website provides a general introduction to the history of the Old Lodge Furnaces: … [6]

In 1824 the [Lilleshall] Company brought into blast two new furnaces near the site of the Old Lodge. They were named the Old Lodge furnaces because of their proximity to the site of an old hunting lodge which was demolished in 1820. In March 1825 the Lilleshall Company paid the Coalbrookdale Company £2392 for (presumably) a Blast Engine.  George Roden, a stonemason from the Nabb, was paid £425 in 1825 and £777 and 5 shillings in 1826 for erecting loading ramps and the retaining walls. In 1830 the Donnington Wood and the Old Lodge ironworks together produced 15,110 tons. A third furnace was added in 1846 and two more in 1859.

New blast beam engines, manufactured by the Lilleshall Company, were installed in 1862 and the height of the furnaces was increased from 50 to 71 feet at about the same time. Limestone came, via the canal, from the Lilleshall quarries and the coal (coke) and iron stone from the local pits via an extensive system of tramways, some of which, were later converted to standard gauge railways. The 1882 map show this series of transport plateways to transport the materials to the top of the furnace, and remove pig iron the furnace bottom.

The Old Lodge Furnaces produced cold-blast pig iron of the finest quality, but eventually it could not compete with cheaper iron made elsewhere and in 1888 the last of the Old Lodge furnaces was blown out 1888. The furnaces were demolished in 1905 by Thomas Molineaux Jnr, including a tall chimney 140 feet high by 13 feet diameter, known locally as “The Lodge Stack”. In 1956 the stone was reused for St Mathew’s Church. Thereafter the company concentrated all its iron and steel making at Priorslee. [6]

As we have already noted, the Lilleshall Company was formed in 1802. [7: p21] The world was catching up with the Company by the 1960s and 1970s. The Company’s railways were closed in 1959 and the Company itself was showing some signs of strain in the 1960s. [8] However, in 1979, it still seemed, to those involved with the Company, to be ‘soundly based’, “aware and proud of its distinguished past; … living and prospering in the present; … planning with confidence for the future.” [7: p118]

The closure of the Lilleshall Company in Shropshire occurred in the 1980s. The company still exists at a much smaller scale today in Newbury, manufacturing plastic building components. [9]

The Friends of Granville Country Park continue: “All that remains of the furnace after extensive dismantling and site restoration involving raising of the ground levels are parts of the brickwork of the first three furnaces. … The high walls behind the furnaces are the remains of the furnace loading ramps. On the right of the ramp walls hidden in the trees is a retaining wall in front which was the blowing house. Behind the loading ramps were calcining kilns which were added in 1870 to improve the quality of the iron ore.” [6]

Dr. Mike Nevill now works with the Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust, he also writes a blog about Industrial Archaeology. One of his relatively recent articles is entitled ‘Seasonal Archaeology: the Old Lodge Ironworks in the Snow‘ [16] and, in it, he highlights the remains of the Old Lodge Furnaces. They are a superb example of the way in which old industrial sites can become considerably more visible when the leaves are not on the trees. He writes:

“The large stone and brick ruins, in place 10m high, were the remains of the Old Lodge Furnaces on the north-eastern outskirts of modern Telford in Shropshire. These furnaces were built by the Lilleshall Company in 1825-8 and form part of a wider 18th and 19th century industrial landscape encompassing two collieries and accessed via a late 18th century canal. The complex now sits within Granville Country Park and is managed by the Shropshire Wildlife Trust. The park itself was designed as one of the green open spaces for the new town of Telford in the mid- to late 20th century. Now, this industrial landscape has reverted to semi-natural woodland and parkland, the industrial archaeology of the area appearing suddenly out of the overgrowth.” [16]

Nevill wrote this article on 19th December 2022. He goes on to say:

“In the 21st century, the circular brick bases of three of the five furnaces run in front of the high stone walls, this stone terracing, which formed the furnace loading ramps, framing these features. Standing within the ruins of a once hot and noisy furnace complex on one of the coldest mornings of the year had a certain irony. Instead of the sound of men working the furnaces and tapping the pig iron, sweating in the heat, there was only the chirp of robins defending their woodland territory and the crunch of frozen snow under foot.” [16]

The surviving remains of Old Lodge Furnaces in December 2022, © Mike Nevill. [16]

Granville Colliery

Yate tells us that the sinking of the main shaft started in 1860, to a depth of 409 yards. By 1950, this had reached 444 yards. It was linked to Grange Colliery underground in 1952 and finally closed in 1979. He continues: “The most prolific of the collieries, [Granville Colliery] supplied the LNWR, GWR and Cambrian Railways with locomotive coal, and latterly also to Ironbridge ‘B’ Power Station. In 1896, there were 177 underground and 67 surface workers. Later the pit had a fairly consistent workforce of around 300 men, but after the closure of the nearby Kemberton colliery in 1967, this grew to 900 men, but shrank again to around 600 in the early 1970s. Meanwhile, the annual output had grown from around 300-350,000 tons to 600,000 tons in the late 1960s.” [2: p16]

This extract from the 25″ Ordnance Survey of 1881/1882 shows the full length of the Mineral Railway branch from the East side of the map extracts above which show Old Lodge Furnaces. It is worth noting the loop which allowed locomotives to run round their trains just to the West of the Colliery site. [1]
An extract from the ERSI satellite imagery provided by the National Library of Scotland. The two lanes which appear on the map extract above can easily be seen on this satellite image. The line of the old Mineral Railway is also easy to make out. Nothing remains of the old colliery building. [17]
This much enlarged extract shows the immediate vicinity of the Granville Colliery in 1881/1882. [1]
A similar extract from the 25″ Ordnance Survey of 1901/1902. In 20 years some changes have occurred. The more southerly of the two colliery buildings has been enlarged and the new tramway/tramroad has been provided onto the spoil heap North of the standard-gauge mineral railway terminus, [18]
This map extract comes from the 1925/1927 edition of the 25″ Ordnance Survey. [19]
The Colliery site on the 1:10,000 Ordnance Survey published in 1954. [20]
The colliery site on the 1:10,000 Ordnance Survey published in 1967. [21]
This extract from the same Ordnance Survey sheet of 1967 shows the wider area close to Granville Colliery and the rationalisation which had by then taken place. The line North off this extract heads for the site of Muxtonbridge Colliery where trains to the Donnington Sidings would reverse. The line leaving the extract to the West runs on to the rest of the Lilleshall Company’s network. [21]
By 1970, this was the layout of the lines between the mainline at Donnington and the Colliery. This hand-drawn image appears in Bob Yate’s book. [2: p119]

Having looked at maps showing the Granville Colliery site at different points in its history, some photographs will help us better to envisage the site.

The Colliery’s sign close to the A5. This image is a still taken from a B&R Video, “The Jim Clemens Collection No. 2 – Steaming Through Shropshire Part 1.” Grange Lane is on the right side of the image with the A5 behind the camera, © Michael Clemens, and used here with his kind permission. [22]
This photograph shows ‘The Colonel’, an 0-6-0ST, running down to the Sidings at Donnington. The image was shared on the Telford Memories Facebook Group by Clive Sanbrook on 27th March 2020. [27]
This image, again a still from the Jim Clemens video/cine-film “The Jim Clemens Collection No. 2 – Steaming Through Shropshire Part 1,” appears to be taken looking North toward the Sidings at Donnington. It shows Locomotive No. 8 in NCB days, presumably in charge of a rake of empty wagons heading back towards the Colliery, © Michael Clemens, and used here with his kind permission. [22]
An 0-6-0ST locomotive pulls is train of hopper wagons up the more direct route from Coal Wharf (Donnington) to Granville Pit (not going via the location of Muxton Bridge Pit) .This image was shared on the Granville Colliery Facebook Group on 10th March 2020 by John Wood. [43]
Granville Colliery’s Diesel Loco (NCB No. 2D?) hauling a rake of empty coal hopper wagons up to the sidings to the West of the colliery. This photo was shared on the Telford Memories Facebook Group by Carole Anne Huselbee on 5th October 2014. [29]
The same loco crossing the road a little to the South of the picture immediately above. This image was shared on the Telford Memories Facebook Group by Carole Anne Huselbee on 15th September 2014. [30]
This view from a location on the spoil heap to the South of the last image shows the later engine shed, built by the NCB, and two locomotives in steam marshalling wagons. The wagons closest to the camera appear to be empties which will probably be pushed towards the colliery screens which are a distance off to the right of this image. The photograph was shared on the Telford Memories Facebook Group by Paul Wheeler on 25th May 2018. [23]
The earlier engine shed. This building was demolished and the NCB built a replacement some distance away. It looks in a poor condition. The loco on the left looks like the 0-6-0 Barclay tank No 11 or one of the large ex Taff Vale locos. The one on the right is an unidentified Saddle Tank. This image was sent to me by David Clarke the author of a book about Telford’s railways. [49]
A view of the NCB-built engine shed noted in the image above. After the NCB took over the collieries owned by the Company Granville Colliery supplied coal to Buildwas Power Station and the coal trains were worked by a range of locos down the 1.5 miles to Donnington. Granville Colliery had a decent sized shed and in later years used Austerity 0-6-0 tanks but in Lilleshall Company days the bigger engines were the ex-TVR and Barry railway engines. This image and the accompanying text were shared by Marcus Keane on the Telford Memories Facebook Group on 15th September 2015. [24]
Another photograph of the NCB engine shed with No. 5 and No. 8 on shed. This image was also sent to me by David Clarke, © A.J.B. Dodd. [49]
No.8 sits outside the engine shed. This image was shared by John Wood on the Granville Colliery Facebook Group on 27th June 2017. [44]
Towards the end of steam, this loc is bringing its train South from the Depot towards the location of the engine shed which is off the picture to the left beyond the stored coal. The locomotive is ‘Granville No. 5‘. This image was shared on the Telford Memories Facebook Group on 15th February 2017 by Lin Keska. [25]
This image, again a still from the Jim Clemens video/cine-film “The Jim Clemens Collection No. 2 – Steaming Through Shropshire Part 1,” appears to be taken looking East toward the Colliery from a location at around the third-point from the left side of the last map extract above The locomotive is ‘The Colonel‘, an 0-6-0ST loco © Michael Clemens, and used here with his kind permission. [22]
This image, again a still from the Jim Clemens video/cine-film “The Jim Clemens Collection No. 2 – Steaming Through Shropshire Part 1,” appears to be taken looking East toward the Colliery from a location at around the third-point from the left side of the last map extract above. The locomotive is ‘Granville No. 5‘, a Hunslet of 1952 (Works No. 3771). it is equipped with an oblong Giesl ejector chimney. The line behind the wagon(s) at the right of the image is, most likely, the line serving the Colliery. The photograph was taken on 14th October 1966 by Jim Clemens, © Michael Clemens, and used here with his kind permission. [22]
‘The Colonel‘ is seen close to the locomotive shed shown above. ‘The Colonel‘ was named after Colonel Harrison, Chairman of Harrison’s Grove Colliery. He was also Chairman of Cannock & Rugeley Colliery.
After a spell at Area Central Workshops – May 1960 to June 1961, ‘The Colonel‘ went back to Grove Colliery then to Coppice Colliery at Heath Hayes for a few months in 1963 before transfer to Granville Colliery in November 1963. This image was shared on the Telford memories Facebook Group by Metsa Vaim EdOrg on 24th October 2020. [26]
This photograph was taken at a similar location to those above. At the centre of the image is the weighbridge. Granville Colliery itself can be made out on the horizon. The image was shared by John Wood on the Granville Colliery Facebook Group on 30th January 2015. [42]
An early photograph of Granvelle Colliery, taken looking East from the railway serving the colliery. This image was shared on the Telford Memories Facebook Group on 2nd May 2017 by Lin Keska. [28]
Granville Colliery in 1944, No 2 winder to the left No 1 winder to the right, back to back steam winders. The building to the left of frame is the old beam engine pumping house, this picture depicts its removal. Both shaft head gears were wood. This image was shared on the Telford Memories Facebook Group on 13th May 2016 by Marcus Keane. [31]
At the screens at Granville Colliery, is ‘Holly Bank No. 3‘. This locomotive was built by Hunslet in 1924 (Works No. 1451). This image is a still taken from a B&R Video, “The Jim Clemens Collection No. 2 – Steaming Through Shropshire Part 1,” © Michael Clemens, and used here with his kind permission. [22]
The same location as shown in the image immediately above. By the time this photograph was taken the screens were no longer rail-served and the colliery closed. This image was shared on the Granville Colliery Facebook Group by Linda Howard on 9th March 2014. [32]
A view of the screens from behind. This image was shared on the Granville Colliery Facebook Group by John Wood on 30th January 2015. [39]
The Colliery Head gear. Paul Wheeler comments: “To left, the upcast shaft and coal lifting cage. To right, man riding head gear and cage, used predominantly for personnel. Extreme right, is the winding engine house (electric) . The offices, baths and engineering workshops are off the photo to right.” Cliff Hewitt, responding to the Facebook posts says: “Left hand shaft was No 1 shaft always used as down cast shaft, man riding, coal & materials. Right hand shaft was upcast shaft & water shaft till the link underground to the Grange colliery 1952, the Grange then becoming the upcast for the Granville. This photo shows Granville after modernisation the No 2 shaft (on the right of picture) then wound men & materials the No 1 shaft became man riding shaft for men going in & out of the pit during shift time when the No 2 shaft was winding coal or materials. In 1967 a 2300hp winder was installed in the No 2 winder (ex Hampstead winder) then the cages in No 2 shaft had double deck cages & wound at a greater speed. Attached is the painting from the surveyors office [below) left hand No 2 shaft showing the beam engine pump all before modernisation.” This image was shared on the Telford Memories Facebook Group on 1st October 2017 by Paul Wheeler. [35]
The picture referred to by Cliff Hewitt in his notes above. The image was shared by Cliff Hewitt on the Telford Memories Facebook Group on 1st October 2017. [36]
The Granville Colliery site in the 1980s. This image was shared on the Telford Memories Facebook Group on 20th April 2014 by Nick Nandan. [33]
Also taken in the 1980s, this image was shared on the Granville Colliery Facebook Group on 9th March 2014 by Linda Howard. [34]

The colliery had its own narrow-gauge railway/tramway system under ground and close to the main shafts. Some pictures of this system. The first four are above ground.

Under the head gear at Granville Colliery. Coal was lifted up the shaft and run off to left to what appears to be a tippler. Form there the coal went down to the screens. This image was shared on the Granville Colliery Facebook Group on 1st March 2014 by Marcus Keane. [37]
The same lines seen form the opposite direction and from above. This image was shared on the Granville Colliery Facebook Group on 1st March 2014 by Marcus Keane. [38]
The Tippleris featured in this image which was shared by John Wood on the Granville Colliery Facebook Group on 30th January 2015. [41]
Two of the tubs/wagons used underground are seen in this image which was shared by John Wood on the Granville Colliery Facebook Group on 30th January 2015. [40]

Underground, there was an extensive network of lines which were initially served by horse power but which were later to see a number of dedicated locomotives in use.

Cliff Hewitt shared this image on the Granville Colliery Facebook Page on 11th September 2015. He comments: “Old loco road, loco on the full run, looking inbye.” [45]
The underground workshop/garage at Granville Colliery in 1958. Granville had three English Electric battery locos and the garage had battery charging benches on either side of the rails. This image was shared by Cliff Hewitt on 22nd November 2015 on the Granville Colliery Facebook Group. [46]
Granville Colliery had English Electric battery locos, picture is of the loco garage with the 3.3kv battery chargers to the left of frame switchgear to the right & a loco in the background ready for a battery change. This image was shared by Cliff Hewitt as a comment under a post by Ray Pascal, dated 18th November 2015, on the Granville Colliery Facebook Group. [47]
A loco battery changeout. This image was shared on the Granville Colliery Facebook Group on 18th November 2015 by Cliff Hewitt. [48]

The next article in this series will continue West from the area of Granville Colliery, taking in Grange Colliery and the area around Oakengates.

References

  1. https://maps.nls.uk/view/121150280, accessed on 24th July 2023.
  2. Bob Yate; The Railways and Locomotives of the Lilleshall Company; Irwell Press, Clophill, Bedfordshire, 2008.
  3. https://www.railmaponline.com/UKIEMap.php, accessed on 21st July 2023.
  4. https://maps.nls.uk/view/121150244, accessed on 7th August 2023.
  5. https://friendsofgranvillecountrypark.com/lodge-furnaces, accessed on 29th July 2023.
  6. https://friendsofgranvillecountrypark.com/industrial-history, accessed on 30th July 2023.
  7. W.K.V. Gale & C.R. Nicholls; The Lilleshall Company Limited: a history 1764-1964; Moorland, Ashbourne, Derbyshire, 1979.
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  22. B & R Video Productions produce a series of DVDs which have primarily been created by converting cine-film. One part of their library is the Jim Clemens Collection. These stills from the video are shared here with permission from Michael Clemens who holds the copyright on his father’s work. Michael is an author in his own right and maintains a website: https://www.michaelclemensrailways.co.uk. On that website there are details of all of the books he as published together with quite a bit of downloadable material including working timetables. His most relevant publication to this current article is: Michael Clemens; The Last Years of Steam in Shropshire and the Severn Valley; Fonthill Media Ltd, Stroud, Gloucestershire, 2017. That book contains two photographs which are similar to two of the images shown above (p67).
  23. https://scontent.fbhx4-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.6435-9/33498907_2064140837243249_3582868989702832128_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=825194&_nc_ohc=wSw5EVKxUyMAX8qskYR&_nc_ht=scontent.fbhx4-2.fna&oh=00_AfCSF31tNH6WIKLxXWfvuVw838LfrhemIIyqBXv-DanmNg&oe=65040196, accessed on 16th August 2023.
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  49. David Clarke; The Railways of Telford; Crowood Press, Ramsbury, Wlitshire, 2016.

6 thoughts on “The Canals, Tramways and Railways of East Shropshire – The Lilleshall Company – Old Lodge Furnaces and Granville Colliery”

  1. Tony Jervis.

    Hullo, Roger, I must study this article much more closely than usual because I explored the area west of Donnington about 50 years ago and the railway layout on the ground did not fit well with my 1-inch OS map, which was similar to that shown in your first map, by Bob Yate. I’ll see if I can find the photos I took at the time though I ran out of time before I reached Granville Colliery.

    Reply ↓
      1. Clive Bennett

        Thanks very much, yes the railway was mine just a temporary set up to show two models of the company locos 0 4 0 Peckett and ex GWR Pannier Tank with some company wagons. I may build something more akin to the company railway (part of not the whole system) with some company buildings and film in the future.

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