Peak Forest Tramway, Charley Lane – Chinley, UK - UK Historical Markers on Waymarking.com

Peak Forest Canal and Tramway
The 18th Century had seen the development of the canal network in the UK to carry heavy goods, and led to towns such as Manchester become the first large industrial towns.

There was a demand for limestone and grit stone from the nearby quarries to be transported to Manchester and beyond and so the Peak Forest Canal was built with a connection to the Ashton Canal at Ashton-Under-Lyne.

The canal had a series of 16 locks to lift the canal a height of 209 feet from Ashton-Under-Lyne to this point, but the final rise to the quarries was too high for a canal. So a horse drawn tramway was built to form a connection between the canal junction and the quarries themselves.

The canal and tramway operated between 1796 until the 1920s. The canal and this basin was closed down and allowed to become derelict. However in the 1960s and 1970s leisure boating became popular and many canals were renovated and re-opened for leisure purposes.

A stretch of the tramway has also been converted into a walking trail, known as the Peak Forest Tramway Trail. The sign has a map of the trail and is at the current end of the trail. There are plans to expand the trail, but at various points the original tramway has been built over.

The text of the sign

Peak Forest Tramway
Charley Lane

Over a hundred years ago, the quiet footpath in
front of you was a tramway track. A railway with
a difference - here there was no hissing of
steam! Instead, imagine the sound of horses'
hooves and the rattle of wagons bring pulled
along a track known as The Peak Forest Tramway.

The tramway led to where		As the proposed next stage of
Bugsworth Basin, where		the Tramway Trail cannot follow
limestone from local quarries		the exact route of the tramway.
was either burnt in kilns or		options for using public
transported onwards by canal.		footways and unused land are
		being explored.
Behind you the original route is
currently used by Federal Mogul		Until the next stage of the Trail
(Ferodo) as a test track for its		is completed, please use one of
brake products.		the following routes:
		Route to Bugsworth Basin
		Follow the tramway route to the
		canal basin. Alternatively, walk a
		short way down the lane (away
		from the by-pass) and watch out
		for the small stone bridge on the
		left. Climb over this and follow
		the public footpath along. You
		will join back up with the Trail
:		near the Forge Mill pond.
		Please note this route runs by a
		river and may not be suitable
for young children. It is also not		across the fields towards the
accessible for wheelchair users.		twin viaducts at Chapel
		Milton. The path leads under
Route on to Chapel-en-le-Frith		the viaducts to the main road.
Walk a short way down the
lane (away from the by-pass);		Turn right and walk up the hill
past the small stone bridge on		to Chapel-en-le-Frith. Here you
your left. The public footpath		will find shops, cafes,
passes through Bridgeholm		restaurants and buses to
Green Mill yard on your right,		Whaley Bridge, Chinley and
just past the bridge. Continue		Buxworth.
Discover one of Britain's		The Trail from Bugsworth Basin
rarest native trees.		to Charley Lane is open to enjoy.
		Future plans include the
The Black Poplar		upgrading of the surface while
grows next to the		retaining the original features
Black Brook,		and developing a route to
towards Chapel		Chapel-en-le-Frith
Milton.

" Hello! In case you
haven't met me
down the track at
Bugsworth Basin.
I'm Harry the 'nipper'!

I help the gang working the
line with my team of horses.
After delivering the limestone
to the basin, we use five horses
to haul the empty wagons back
up the line and for delivering
coal. Two horses are used for
lighter work, like deliveries of
corn, salt and tools.

I need to get the blacksmith
down at Crist Quarry to look at
old Toddy, my lead horse - he's
walking a bit lame. We couldn't
do the work without the
horses, so they really need
looking after. There's soft earth
between the lines and beautiful
valleys to walk through, so they
have a good life.
”

Type of Historic Marker: Information board about the nearby historic tramway. Related Website: [Web Link] Give your Rating: Historical Marker Issuing Authority: Not listed Age/Event Date: Not listed

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