This article follows on from five other articles which covered the Wellington to Severn Junction Railway and this line from Buildwas to Presthope. The first three articles can be found on these links:
Much Wenlock to Presthope and on towards Craven Arms
From the commencement of the building of the line between Buildwas and Much Wenlock, the directors hoped that the line could be extended to Craven Arms via Presthope on Wenlock Edge (linking with the limestone quarries/works at that location).
The directors of the Wellington & Severn Junction Railway were, however, fully occupied with the line from Wellington to Buildwas. Another company was set up to build the ‘Wenlock & Craven Arms and Coalbrookdale Extension Railway‘. The bill went through the parliamentary process unopposed and authorised the ‘Wenlock Railway Company‘ to construct the line. Work started on 23rd October 1861.
By 5th December 1864, the line was open from Much Wenlock to Presthope. (That length is covered in the last online article listed above.) At this time, because it was a freight-only line, the Board of Trade saw no need for an inspection of the line. It had already been agreed at a meeting held on 4th December 1863 not to proceed with the line from Presthope to Craven Arms for the time being. It was to be three years after the line reached Presthope before the connection to the Shrewsbury & Hereford Railway close to Craven Arms was completed. It was finally opened on 16th December 1867.
Presthope to Longville
We begin this article at Presthope Railway Station and travel towards Craven Arms, as far as the village of Longville in the Dale. …….
Ken Jones comments: “On arrival at Presthope station … its complete isolation is striking, the only sign of habitation being the station master’s house standing on a ridge above the station. Although isolated, its importance is magnified by the number of sidings (a mini-marshalling yard on a branch line), because of the extensive quarrying formerly carried out by the Lilleshall Company in this area. A siding [1.5] miles long ran from the station sidings into the Lilleshall quarries. Prior to World War I a special train left Presthope each day for the Lilleshall Company’s furnaces at Priors Lee. However, by the early 1920s the company had ceased quarrying operations in the Presthope.” [1: p97]
The limestone quarry on Moses Benson’s land was the prime reason for the railway reaching Presthope. It was “developed by the Lilleshall Company, the line being opened to this point in 1864 solely for mineral traffic.” [15: p134]
Knowles comments: “The Wenlock Railway Bill stipulated that ‘The Company at their own expense shall make a proper and convenient siding at Presthope at the eastern end of the proposed tunnel, and at their own expense maintain this siding for the exclusive use of Moses George Benson.’ … The Benson family owned the Lutwyche Estate which included much of the land south west of Much Wenlock over which the Craven Arms extension would pass. Extensive limestone quarrying was carried out in the area and the Bensons had accrued wealth by leasing land for limestone extraction. The new railway would facilitate transport of the stone, a benefit to Moses Benson who became a strong advocate of the railway. In 1862 he leased the site of the limestone quarry at Presthope to the Earl of Granville who was acting on behalf of the Lilleshall Company. … The Wenlock Railway duly installed a 50-yard siding which was soon extended right into the quarry by the Lilleshall Company, ready for the start of mineral traffic from Presthope over the Wenlock Railway in 1864.” [15: p53]
The Lilleshall Company Mineral Railway at Presthope
The limestone found on Wenlock Edge is a relatively hard and resistant rock, grey/blue in colour. Its thickness varies from around 35 metres to more than 135 metres. It “has been used from the earliest days as a building stone locally as can be seen in the remaining Priory Walls and the Corn Exchange in Wenlock Town. More significantly, the limestone was used for lime mortar, especially as can be seen in the Roman City of Viriconium, Wroxeter.” [16: p229-230] Historically it was also used as a fertiliser, as a flux in blast furnaces, as a road stone, as bricks and slabs and in the manufacture of artificial stone.
This versatility made the limestone from Wenlock Edge a valuable resource and so very attractive to the Lilleshall Company. It was its use in their industrial processes which made it so important.
As we have already noted, the first 50 yards of the Mineral Railway were built by the railway company under the provisions of the Wenlock Railway Bill. Knowles comments that, “this was then continued by the Lilleshall Company for almost a mile and a half, linking to a network of moveable tramways which extended into the far reaches of the quarry.” [15: p134-135]
Prior to the construction of the Wenlock Branch and the Lilleshall Company Mineral Railway there was a quarry close to what became the tunnel mouth of the extension towards Craven Arms. Associated with that limestone quarry we’re Limekilns which can be seen on the OS map extract above – a series of four circles on the South side of the main line close to the tunnel portal.
The Lilleshall Company worked their quarry until just before WW1. When no longer needed the mineral railway was closed and lifted. “Knowle Lime Works took over part of the site and reopened [the] older working almost adjacent to Presthope Tunnel.” [15: p135]
The 50 yard length of siding provided by the railway company was still in place and Knowle Lime Works provided their own tramway and wharf alongside the original siding for the transhipment of goods for onward transport.
This is an extract from the modern OS Explorer Map as reproduced in the Much Wenlock Neighbourhood Plan with the area of the Lilleshall Company quarries shaded lilac. [19]
The next three extracts from the 25″ Ordnance Survey of 1883 show the length of the Lilleshall Company line from the Inn to their quarries.
Two extracts from the 25″ Ordnance Survey Sheet Shropshire L. 14 of 1883. [17]This map extract comes from the Ordnance Survey Sheet immediately to the South of Shropshire L. 14, Shropshire LVII.2 of 1883. [18]The quarry area and its internal tramways as recorded on the 25″ Ordnance Survey of 1902. [20]The two lines (Quarry Railway and Much Wenlock Branch) continued in Southwesterly directions across this next satellite image, the mineral railway is the more southerly of the two lines shown. The railmaponline.com satellite imagery shows the end of the quarry branch (in the bottom-left of the image), while the line to Craven Arms continues on the Northwest side of Wenlock Edge heading down a relatively gentle incline by following the line of the Edge. [3]Looking Northeast towards Presthope along the line of the Mineral Railway. [Google Streetview, May 2011]Looking Southwest into the site of the Lilleshall Company quarry. [Google Streetview, May 2011]
Presthope Tunnel and the line to the West
Ken Jones comments: “Leaving Presthope Station, to the left of the train was a large outcrop of limestone rock on which were three limekilns, this outcrop with its kilns forming a most dramatic entrance to the 207 yds-long Presthope tunnel driven through the limestone rock.” [1: p97]
Ken Jones says: “On emergence from the tunnel the passenger is rewarded with a panoramic view of the beautiful Ape Dale with its irregular field patterns and isolated farms with the gently rising backcloth of the Stretton Hills in the distance. A sight never to be forgotten on a winter’s morning with the snowcapped hills dominating the Vale.” [1: p97]
The views which Ken Jones mentions above are, in the 21st century, hidden first by the embankment walls close to the tunnel mouth and then by the dense woodland which surrounds the old railway.
We were able to walk the length of the formation of the old railway between Presthope tunnel and Easthope Halt on 24th May 2024. The length walked is covered by the next three extracts from the 1901 25″ Ordnance Survey
This next extract from the 1901 25″ Ordnance Survey covers the bottom-left quarter of the railmaponline.com image above. [22]A further length of the line as it appears on the 1901 25″ Ordnance Survey. Together with the extract below, the length of the line shown on the railmaponline.com extract below is covered. [23]The next length of the line. Easthope Halt was sited just to the West of the lane which passed under the line in the bottom-left corner of this extract. [24]The same length of the line as covered on the two map extracts immediately above. Easthope Halt was located tight into the bottom-left corner of this image, just to the West of the lane which passed under the railway. [3]
These next images come from our walk on 24th May 2024. They show the formation of the old railway at regular intervals. It is now primarily in use as a logging road by the National Trust. There is about 250 metres between each image.
Easthope Halt. This image was shared on the Much Wenlock History Facebook Group by Judith Goodman on 9th December 2020. It looks Northeast towards Presthope Tunnel.The Halt was opened on 4th April 1936 and closed on 31st December 1951. [12]
Ken Jones; The Wenlock Branch; The Oakwood Press, Usk, Monmouthshire, 1998.
The photographs of the pre-contract drawings for the line were taken by myself and show extracts from the construction plans held in the Shropshire Archive. There is a standard charge of £10 per visit for taking photographs of their records.
The photographs of the pre-contract drawings for the line were taken by myself and show extracts from the construction plans held in the Shropshire Archive. There is a standard charge of £10 per visit for taking photographs of their records.
Roger Farnworth 
