Following the old branch to Denby

The Beeching Report led to the closure of many branch railways during the 1960s. But for many years stubs of these lines remained open to provide access for good trains to industrial sites.

One such was the branch from Little Eaton Junction on the Midland main line a couple of miles north of Derby station to a coal-washing plant at Denby.

It is still marked in my 1978 Rail Atlas of Britain and was to survive until 1999. In fact the track was not lifted until 2011.

This branch represented the greater part of the former line from Little Eaton Junction to Ripley, which opened in 1855 and was primarily used for goods traffic. The passenger stations on the line closed in 1930.

This video follows as much of the trackbed as is walkable today, starting after Little Eaton and finishing short of Denby. As ever, it is remarkable how quickly nature reclaims its own.

You can see the site of Denby and Little Eaton stations in another video.