Historic England research records

Historic England Research Records

Gatebeck Tramway
Hob Uid: 1516560
Location : Cumbria South Lakeland Preston Patrick, Preston Richard, Heversham, Milnthorpe
Grid Ref : SD5282683320
Summary : Course of Gatebeck Tramway connecting the two Gatebeck Gunpowder Works (Low and High: 1086908 and 1450452) to the Wakefield company's wharf (1516636) on the Lancaster Canal at Crooklands and to Milnthorpe Railway Station. Built 1875, opened 1876 and closed in 1936 when the gunpowder works closed. The gauge was 3' 6" and it was horse-drawn throughout. The overall length was circa 6.5km. It extended south from the High Works, through the Low Works along the banks of the Peasey Beck and across fields to Crooklands where a short spur entered Wakefield's Wharf; it then continued along public roads to the station. Short branches also ran to Crooklands bobbin mill and to the Wigan Co Coal Yards on the Canal. The course of the tramway survives in places as slight earthworks and engineering structures such as bridge abutments, but is mostly known from documentary evidence. The primary course of the tramway within the gunpowder works and 1km to the south is visible as earthworks on air photographs and was mapped as part of the National Archaeological Identification Survey: Upland Pilot. Much of this appears to be no longer extant on the latest 2011 vertical photography, though areas are under dense tree cover and or are preserved in the alignment of modern roads within a caravan park.
More information : SD 530 836 (FCE). Course of Gatebeck Tramway connecting the two Gatebeck Gunpowder Works (Low and High: SD 58 NW 34 and 85) to the Wakefield company's wharf (SD 58 SW 54) on the Lancaster Canal at Crooklands and to Milnthorpe Railway Station. It was planned in 1874, built in 1875, opened in January 1876 and closed in 1936 when the gunpowder works closed. The gauge was 3' 6" and it was horse-drawn throughout. It ran south from the Low Works along the banks of the Peasey Beck and through fields to Crooklands where a short spur entered Wakefield's Wharf; it then continued along public roads to the station - a distance of c6.5km. The tramway survives in places as slight earthworks and engineering structures such as bridge abutments, but its course is mostly known from documentary evidence. Not surveyed, but recorded from documentary evidence as part of the EH: Gatebeck Low Gunpowder Works Survey. See report (1a) and archive in the NMR for full details. (1) Short branches also ran to Crooklands bobbin mill and to the Wigan Co Coal Yards on the Canal. (2) (SD 5188 8272, SD 5410 8441) Gatebeck Tramway (NAT) (twice). (3) The primary course of the tramway within the gunpowder works and 1km to the south is visible as earthworks on air photographs, centred at SD 5431 8502. The tramway branches out within the two gunpowder works, serving a number of buildings. Much of this appears to be no longer extant on the latest 2011 vertical photography, though areas are under dense tree cover and or are preserved in the alignment of modern roads within a caravan park. (4)

Sources :

Source Number : 1
Source :
Source details : Marcus Jecock/14-JUN-2006/EH: Cumbrian Gunpowder Industry Project
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Source Number : 1A
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Source details : M Jecock, C Dunn, A Hunt, P Sinton, N Archer, M Bentley, T Berry, I Goodall, A Menuge and S Taylor 2009, Gatebeck Low Gunpowder Works and the Workers' Settlements of Endmoor and Gatebeck (RDRS 63-2009), 15 and 128-32
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Source Number : 2
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Source details : Tyler, I, 2002, The Gunpowder Mills of Cumbria, 64-6
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Source Number : 3
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Source details : OS 1:10560 1919
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Source Number : 4
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Source details : RAF/106G/LA/195 1058 24-MAR-1945
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Monument Types:

Monument Period Name : Post Medieval
Display Date : Post Medieval
Monument End Date : 1936
Monument Start Date : 1876
Monument Type : Tramway
Evidence : Earthwork, Documentary Evidence, Levelled Earthwork

Components and Objects:

Related Records from other datasets:

External Cross Reference Source : SMR Number (Cumbria)
External Cross Reference Number : 14003
External Cross Reference Notes :

External Cross Reference Source : National Monuments Record Number
External Cross Reference Number : SD 58 SW 53
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Related Warden Records :

Associated Monuments :
Relationship type : General association

Related Activities :

Associated Activities :
Activity type : MEASURED SURVEY
Start Date : 2006-02-20
End Date : 2006-06-14

Associated Activities :
Activity type : AERIAL PHOTOGRAPH INTERPRETATION
Start Date : 2013-02-25
End Date : 2015-12-11

Historic England Research Records

Gatebeck Tramway