The Micklehurst Loop (UK)

[rogerfarnworth]

In the last two weeks of January 2021 my wife and I followed the length of the Micklehurst Loop from Stalybridge to Diggle. We had been looking for new local walks to undertake in the spirit of lockdown. The route proved to be a gem. Each day that we walked we travelled along part of the Loop line and then crossed to the neighbouring Huddersfield Narrow Canal for the return journey. Everything was enhanced by the presence of a number of cafes providing take-away drinks, cakes and some more substantial food. Each day we walked around 5 miles, there and back.

This is the first of a number of posts covering the Loop line. ................

The Micklehurst Loop – Part 1

During January 2021, my wife and I walked the majority of the length of the Micklehurst Loop from Stalybridge to Diggle. This was the goods relieving line for the main Stalybridge to Huddersfield r…

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[rogerfarnworth]

This is a short addendum to my first article about the Micklehurst Loop, promoted by a few emails from an online acquaintance, Tony Jervis. ....

The Micklehurst Loop – Part 1A

Just after I posted my first article about the Micklehurst Loop, I was sent a series of photographs by an online acquaintance, Tony Jervis. In February 1981, he visited the same length of the Mickl…

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[rogerfarnworth]

A second addendum to my first post about the Micklehurst Loop.

Just a few days after I completed addendum 1A about the first length of The Micklehurst Loop and particularly about Staley and Millbrook Station and Goods Yard, I heard from James Ward who recollected some photographs taken by his father of the demolition of the Spring Grove Viaduct.

He also pointed out a series of photographs on the 'Timepix' website. These are predominantly photographs of the Greater Manchester Revision Point Collection undertaken by/on-behalf-of the Ordnance Survey in the early 1950s and are held by Manchester Libraries. The introduction to the 'Timepix' website makes it clear that all of their watermarked images are free to download and share.

http://rogerfarnworth.com/2021/02/15/the-micklehurst-loop-part-1b

 

[rogerfarnworth]

Another addendum to my post on the first length of the Micklehurst Loop which includes, among other things, the two CEGB locomotives which served the coal facilities at the Staley and Millbrook Goods Yard

The Micklehurst Loop – Part 1C – Including Hartshead Power Station

Just a few days after I completed addendum 1B about the first length of The Micklehurst Loop and particularly about Staley and Millbrook Station and Goods Yard, I came across some photographs of th…

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[rogerfarnworth]

This is the second length of the Micklehurst Loop. It covers the length between Staley and Millbrook Goods Yard and Micklehurst Passenger Station building. ....

The Micklehurst Loop – Part 2

During January 2021, my wife and I walked the majority of the length of the Micklehurst Loop from Stalybridge to Diggle. This was the goods relieving line for the main Stalybridge to Huddersfield r…

rogerfarnworth.com

 

[rogerfarnworth]

The third length of the Micklehurst Loop takes us from Micklehurst Passenger Station House to Chew Valley Road Bridge in Greenfield. ......

The Micklehurst Loop – Part 3

During January 2021, my wife and I walked the majority of the length of the Micklehurst Loop from Stalybridge to Diggle. This was the goods relieving line for the main Stalybridge to Huddersfield r…

rogerfarnworth.com

 

[rogerfarnworth]

Since publishing the first three articles about the Micklehurst Loop. I have had a trickle feed of comments, particularly about the Staley and Millbrook Goods Yard. This short addendum to the first article seeks to bring those items together in one place. It is the fourth addendum to that first post.

The Micklehurst Loop – Part 1D – Some Miscellaneous Items relating to the area around the Staley and Millbrook Goods Yard.

Since publishing the first three articles about the Micklehurst Loop. I have had a trickle feed of comments, particularly about the Staley and Millbrook Goods Yard. This short addendum to the first…

rogerfarnworth.com

 

[rogerfarnworth]

An addendum to the post about the third length of the Micklehurst Loop which covers a 1963 image contributed by Keith Norgrove and some further information about Mossley Gas Works and its sidings. .....

The Micklehurst Loop – Part 3A

The Canal Lock adjacent to Woodend Mills While I was writing the second article about the Micklehurst Loop I was contacted by Keith Norgrove. He sent me two pictures which came from a cycle ride al…

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[rogerfarnworth]

This last post on the Micklehurst Loop completes the journey to Diggle and takes us to the mouths of the Standedge tunnels and Diggle Station.

We completed our walk in January but returned in April to take a few pictures at the site of what was once Diggle Station. ....

The Micklehurst Loop – Part 4

During January 2021, my wife and I walked the majority of the length of the Micklehurst Loop from Stalybridge to Diggle. This was the goods relieving line for the main Stalybridge to Huddersfield r…

rogerfarnworth.com

 

[rogerfarnworth]

An addendum to earlier posts about this short line. .....

http://rogerfarnworth.com/2021/09/09/the-micklehurst-loop-once-more

While on holiday in September 2021, I was reading older copies of the magazine BackTrack from the turn of the millennium, from, at that time, Atlantic Publishers. (More recent editions are published by Pendragon Publishing.)

Volume 14 No. 3, March 2000 included an article by Jeffrey Wells [1] about the Micklehurst Loop (p142ff)

Since then I have, over the past 18 months, kept my eye open for interesting shots of the line. This is a selection of these that I have permission to share .... A big thank you to copyright holders/photographers. Their details appear with each image.

http://rogerfarnworth.com/2023/03/01/the-micklehurst-loop-once-more-2