12 replies to this topic

[Sebastian-Smythe]

I was wondering if anyone had memories of Otley's connection with the railway other than the memorial on Kirkgate?

[redgenie]

The research archive of Otley Museum at present based in the Civic Centre holds a collection of photographs and documents concerning the railway. These can be viewed on Mon, Tues and Frid. mornings 10-12.30 and the first Saturday each month 10-12.30. Please ring 01943 461052 for an appointment or visit the website at otleymuseum.org

[Sebastian-Smythe]

Thanks. I'll make a point of visiting next time I'm down there.

What a pity we didn't have a canal in Wharfedale. Saltaire would not have been built where it is otherwise.

[nipper]

do you mean the river Aire & not the Leeds LIverpool canal?

[faithhevans]

Otley is one of my favourite films and combined with my love of London location spotting I thought I'd start an Otley location thread. Otley is small market town situated 11 miles NW of Leeds and situated on the river Wharfe. As well as the contest you can enjoy a pleasant walk by the river or through the Chevin country park.

[Sebastian-Smythe]

nipper, on 01 February 2010 - 10:38 PM, said:

do you mean the river Aire & not the Leeds LIverpool canal?

No!

Few realise when Titus Salt approached John Dacre, cordwainer and tax collecter to the King, for somewhere to biuld his mill and village he would have prefered Wharfedale. However while it has the third fastest flowing river in England and the railway was making headway through the Dale, there wasn't a canal. So it was in the next valley Dacre found a suitable site. For his trouble Salt gave Dacre £400 towards the biulding of what we now know as Christchurch on The Grove.

[villiageyouth]

hi I am not from otley but did go to school there I was wondering if there where any plans of putting the station back in use I think it would be good and would make otley more accessible for the other local area's

[Sebastian-Smythe]

villiageyouth, on 14 July 2011 - 03:46 PM, said:

hi I am not from otley but did go to school there I was wondering if there where any plans of putting the station back in use I think it would be good and would make otley more accessible for the other local area's

Would be rather difficult to put it back where it used to be as the by-pass takes up most of the route.
As for where it could be put could be a bit of a problem seeing as the route so I believe has been built on
to the east of the town. Forward thinking wasn't a big thing just after Beeching axed the lines. I'm not
saying it's impossible, just need more planning than most folk realise. Also would it be provide for the
town like it used to if it was out of town. Perhaps it is a debate which should be re-opened once more.

[steve219]

Sebastian-Smythe, on 08 September 2011 - 09:36 PM, said:

Would be rather difficult to put it back where it used to be as the by-pass takes up most of the route.
As for where it could be put could be a bit of a problem seeing as the route so I believe has been built on
to the east of the town. Forward thinking wasn't a big thing just after Beeching axed the lines. I'm not
saying it's impossible, just need more planning than most folk realise. Also would it be provide for the
town like it used to if it was out of town. Perhaps it is a debate which should be re-opened once more.

There was a considerable push to have this idea moved forward maybe 5 years ago and the town council voted in favour of the idea... but as you say it would be very difficult, and extremely expensive, and while towns with railways prosper more than those without, it would bring little benefit to Otley... peripheral issues would be capacity between the junction east of Manston and Leeds, and at Leeds itself. The line, like many, was very useful when it was there, but, while I'd be anong the first to say "yes, let's have it back", it really is off the agenda.

SB

[Sebastian-Smythe]

Much the same as the folk who would like a rail link to the airport. Methinks they would be better teaching pigs to fly.

Happy New Year btw....

[catbazza]

I still have memories of seeing Garnetts paper mill steam tractor towing trailers laden with pulp paper & belching steam in every direction as it chugged down from Otley Station & along Kirkgate to the riverside mill.

[Sebastian-Smythe]

I wonder if anyone took photographs of them?

[Pongo]

I used to live and work in Otley some years ago and I agreed to help a guy who wanted to build a model of Otley Railway Station. He had some fascinating photos taken around 1900. They were taken from the top of station road and showed the station very busy with trains carrying cattle and paper products. The amazing thing was that looking towards the Chevin you could see the buildings that are now on Birdcage Walk at the bottom of the track up the Chevin and the tall poplar trees that are there now looked exactly the same.

We walked the ground and he showed me where the 'Coal Drops' would have been where tenders were filled with coal. This was about where the garage compound is now. Looking around the area we delved around in the long grass and found some actual pieces of coal from those days!

The story going around at the time was that the Station was built so far out of the town was because rich landowners like the Fawkes family at Denton and the Vavasours at Arthington Hall refused to have the railway along the valley bottom near the river.