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Tramway from Dove Holes to Townsend. Walked on the 6th July 2004

 
MVC-210F.JPG (179351 bytes) .

Looking towards Dove Holes. The A6 road is on the left, in the middle defined by the stone walls eitherside is the tramway heading under the A6 in the distance. The railway to Buxton is on the left. John Marchington of Halsteads farm in 1793 sold land to the Peak forest canal Co., no doubt for this Tramway section. I guess this land was the piece in the picture before the building of the railway and road.
MVC-211F.JPG (181970 bytes) .

Looking in the opposite direction. The roundabout at Barmoor clough. The tramway is between the railway and road and follows the road around the bend.
MVC-213F.JPG (172947 bytes) . Around the bend from the roundabout looking at the tramway from the opposite side of the A6 it follows the line of the trees hugging the hill  moving to the right of the picture, you can make out an old quarry just above the embankment. The section before this was very overgrow due to summer growth and as such was inaccessible, hence why I took the picture from an advantage point. 
MVC-215F.JPG (329448 bytes) . Having walk 50 yards down the A6. I climbed the embankment near a retaining wall and managed to get on the Tramway at this point to which there was a rough path on it, doesn't look it on the photo but there is. This path must have started at the section where the railway goes through the second tunnel where there is a little yard and the Tramway starts to go around the clough side. So access may be gained at this point.
MVC-216F.JPG (386652 bytes) . The dog had no trouble managing the undergrowth. Both sides of the Tramway are still lined with stone walls in relatively good condition along its way. The soil undergrowth is deep so no cobbles or sleeper-stones are visible but I guess their still there.
MVC-217F.JPG (372961 bytes) . Coming around the clough we are now at the section where it turns left around the hill heading towards the Top of the Plane.
MVC-218F.JPG (254632 bytes) . In the distance behind the trees is the Smithy at the Top of the Plane as it continues turning left.
MVC-219F.JPG (230873 bytes) . Same view, but you can see in the distance the stone wall heading down the hill at  90 degrees to the left, being the Inclineplane.

At the end of these trees just pass the pylon, the Tramway enters a private garden belonging to the  converted Smithy now a house, as such there is a footpath though a gate to the left leading onto Ashborune lane. This private garden belongs to the present owner of the old Smithy building now converted into a house.
MVC-221F.JPG (205941 bytes) . Where the Tramway went into the Smithy garden in the previous picture, this is the garden, looking towards where it comes into the garden.

The garden path is actually the Tramway cobbles and sleepers and in the background are the trees and pylon.

The present owner gave me a mini tour of their property they couldn't understand why things wouldn't grow to well and on investigation found it was full of cobbles,  they dug out the path exposed the cobbles and made a path of it. According to them the previous owners may have put top soil over the garden, as they had horses on it.
MVC-222F.JPG (365860 bytes) . Close up of the cobbles and one sleeper.
MVC-223F.JPG (374612 bytes) . Another close up.
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 . In the garden, looking at the Smithy, which in an older photo contains Joseph Marchington. Joseph was born in 1882, so the old photo taken outside the Smithy featuring him could indicate that it was taken circa 1910–1920. In 1901, Joseph lived at Higher Halstead's Farm with his father, and both were listed as waggoners at the limestone quarry. At this point in time, the Marchingtons bred horses at Halstead's and operated teams of horses for the tramway. They were ideally placed, with the tramway running at the bottom of the farm. They would later go on to form haulage companies. Across from the Smithy is where the brake hut was situated, as shown in the following picture.
MVC-226F.JPG (265020 bytes) . Where the trees are are the foundations of the Brake hut are clearly visible. The picture is a bit blurry due to my dog pulling on the lead.

Philip Marchington operated the Brake house c1891.
MVC-224F.JPG (277505 bytes) .  Present owners found a wheel in the garden and placed it in the wall, they borrowed a metal detector to look for other bits but it wouldn't stop bleeping! know wonder!
MVC-225F.JPG (250633 bytes) . Picture from the smithy looking at the Top of the Plane house. Philip Marchington was living here in the 1871 census return and is stated as a Railway labourer. In 1881 he's stated as a Booking Clark on the Railways, in 1891 a Tramway Clerk and finally in 1901 at the age of  86 he's stated as: Breaksman At Inclined Plane. Currently the house has just been sold and the current owners intend to remove the rendering.
MVC-231F.JPG (175989 bytes) . At the top of the beginning of the Incline looking down towards Townsend, Chapel.
MVC-230F.JPG (201821 bytes) . Getting towards the bottom beyond the trees the tramway crosses a Bungalows driveway onto Ashborne lane from this point the pathway is inaccessible and has been built on as it goes under Market street into the the present Council yard at Townsend.
 

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One of the old surviving waggons. Its currently in the National Rail Museum in York. Its  tucked out of sight in a far corner of the museum, if the Tramway ever has a local museum in Chapel it should be returned so it can be place in context and given a proper display.

 
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Some of the old surviving trackway from the tramway. On display in the National Rail Museum in York, however its tucked out of sight and is not displayed but you can ask to look...

 

Pictures taken on the 6th July 2004 by Robert P Marchington.