by Darrell Clark

The Brampton branch of the Midland Railway not only served the businesses along Goytside, but also served the old gasworks.

 A unique historical detail has been preserved near the road crossing on the Chatsworth Road, and on land across the road from Matalan,  between the Salvation Army charity shop and  the Bingo hall. 

To halt the traffic on Chatsworth Road  chains were used as a safety mechanism for trains, and instead of standard crossing gates, chains were manually pulled across the road to halt traffic when a train needed to pass.  You can still see worn holes in the walls today where these chains were pulled through, and I always wonder, are the chains you still see on the metal arch the original ones?

On the 1911 survey done by P. McCallom, Estate Agent of Derby, you can see the juxtaposition of gasworks, River Hipper and Chatsworth Road. The survey shows that the land was still owned then by the Midland Railway.

Perhaps more importantly, today we can see as we pass that this historic arch, which tells a most important story from our  local heritage, the arch and brick abutments would welcome a little tender-loving-care.

Who owns it now ?      Who is responsible for it ? …., Who could do the repointing and maintenance so sorely needed?

(You can learn more about the Brampton Branch Line on the You Tube video by “Wobbly-Runner” in the series Chesterfield’s Lost Railways – Brampton Branch Line)