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Railways of Little Thetford in the 19th Century

Railways in Little Thetford in the 19th Century

Researched by John Drewry for the St. George’s Church Flower Festival May 2009

Following the Industrial Revolution the railways were the next thing that changed the face of Great Britain, bringing changes to all walks of life. There were two railway lines passing through Little Theford.

The Mine Line from Cambridge To Ely

This was opened in 1845 and the first station in the area was opened in Ely on 30th July 1845, when the Eastern Counties Rail Company extended the line to Brandon,At the end of our village, at the current railway gates, there used to be a signal box, known as West River, and a Gatekeeper’s cottage.

There were refuse sidings here, both up and down from 1898 due to increased traffic. This was extra to the one at Stretham Fen in 1876.

A Branch Line From St. Ives to Ely

The first section was from Ely to Sutton (approximately 7 miles) which was opened in 1866 and backed by two local landowners, who were anxious to find a more efficient outlet for their produce. The only routes available at the time were somewhat primitive slow tracks and roads.The line was fully opened in 1878 when it was extended from Sutton to Needingworth Junction joining the line from March to Cambridge via St. Ives and was known as the Ely to St. Ives Railway. It was brought out by the Great Eastern Railway in 1898.

The line ran from Needingworth via Earith, Sutton, Haddenham, Wilburton, Stretham, then passing through Little Thetford, crossing the A10 and joining the main line to Ely, just north of Braham Farm.

However the line was never a very lucrative project and closed to passengers on 2nd Feburary 1931 and to goods on the 5th October 1964.

Crossing on the A10 at Little Thetford. What traffic chaos would it cause today

Gatekeepers Cottage on the A10 at Little Thetford

Reference : ‘Eastern Mine Lines – Cambridge to Ely – including St. Ives to Ely’. Middleton Press. October 2005.

Reminder of old times. The Steam Train Oliver Cromwell speeding through Little Thetford March 2010

#1 | Written by treveeee about 14 years ago.

there are some beautiful railways in little thetford i just sometimes wish they were still here… you know,i mean sometimes when im walking through the beautiful sites of little thetford and i see a field and wish just wish that they were still here i woulg go railway spotting everyday. Aernt you just so proud of little thetford i centainly am.
Please join me in singing of the little thetford theme song
OH LITTTLE THETFORD I LOVE LITTLE THETFORD ITS THE BEST VILLAGE IN ENGLAND !
#2 | Written by Alec Goy about 14 years ago.

I lived in the Gatekeepers cottage (pictured,that is me at the age of 13/14 with my dog) from 1932 until 1950. I remember a train travelling from Ely to St.Ives ran through the gates and stopped outside my bedroom window with the gate still attached to the front of the engine.
On another occasion a lorry crashed through the gates and my Mother recieved a £50 reward for stopping an oncoming train by running along the tracks waving a red flag.
Many other memories too numerous to mention.
#3 | Written by bob young about 14 years ago.

Lets have more of your stories.
#4 | Written by Alec Goy about 14 years ago.

I will never forget the memorial service held in the church in May 1939 in memory of my Brother who lost his life at sea.I am sure that nearly all the villagers attended and the church couldn’t accomodate all of them.
On a lighter note,it was about 1940 when some friends and I emptied the bales of hay from a cart and set fire to them. It was of course November 5th. When the farmer,a Mr.Taylor I believe,found out who the culprits were,he didn’t reprimand us but praised us for not setting fire to his cart. Whew! what a relief.
#5 | Written by Peter Cockerton about 14 years ago.

I wonder if the reaction would be the same today! I remember the Goy’s looking after the crossing
at the corner. I can also remember a young airman being killed as he tried to negotiate the corner with a suitcase on the petrol tank of his motorcycle. My father who worked at the Walbro was cycling with me when we witnessed the unfortunate tragedy. The young airman had no crash helmet and his head hit the railway crossing gatepost. I wonder if anyone else has any information about the accident.
Peter
#6 | Written by bob young about 14 years ago.

Dave Fletcher’s father, Alfred, was on the last train to use the track, because he loaded the tracks up on his train. He was a guard for the British Rail.

Pers. Com.
#7 | Written by John about 14 years ago.

Not lucrative indeed. The line was never popular due to the high cost of travel. In 1866 for example, the 7.5 miles (12.1 km) return journey from Ely to Sutton cost 2s 0d.* That would equate to a cost of £59.60 (US$110.26) at 2008 values.

*Leslie Oppitz (1989) East Anglia railways remembered. Countryside Books, Newbury, Berkshire. pp. 58–59.
#8 | Written by Alec Goy about 14 years ago.

I also remember the occasional Sunday train that ran from Sutton to Hunstanton during the summer months full of excited passengers, leaning out of the carriage windows as it went past our gate house.
And who remembers my brother Ken walking on stilts so high that he could look into the top deck of the double decker busses and needed the railway gates to climb onto them.He to,worked at the Walbro,I wonder if it was at the same time as Peter Cockerton’s father
#9 | Written by bob young about 14 years ago.

In the Church there is a bad copy of a photo of three men operating a manual rail cart. Bert Russell has identified Joe Goy and his father Robert Russell on the photo. The picture is not of a good quality. Does any body know where the original of this photo is
#10 | Written by Carol Trigg about 14 years ago.

I am researching the Walbro shop in Ely and your web site came up because of Peter Cockerton`s addition when he mentions that his father worked at the Walbro . I was very interested in seeing the old cottage on the corner of Little Thetford as I remember it well and the crossing, where as a child when walking from Ely to Little Thetford to visit Janet Taylor`s family , I often climbed on the railway gate . Your site is very interesting.
#11 | Written by John Parish about 14 years ago.

I also have fond memories of the Gruntyfen Express, in particular Sunday School outings to Hunstanton from Stretham Station. These were specials of three or four carriages which I think also picked up groups of children and their parents from other villages. This would have been in the late 50’s. I also used to go with my father and all the farms workers to load rail trucks with sugar beet (by hand) to be taken to the sugar factory at Ely. At that time the factory was also recieving beet from river barges.The beet would have been taken over the river bank by horse and cart and again loaded by hand. I have not been able to locate any pictures of this happening at Little Thetford
#12 | Written by Alec Goy about 11 years ago.

I seem to remember that at sometime during the war a german bomber released his bombs near the main line running through Little Thetford. The only casualties I believe were a number of cows, but none were kiilled. Does anyone else know anything about this and have I got my facts right?
#13 | Written by billylaunt@yahoo.com about 10 years ago.

in 1995 i threw a motor byke in the river at little thetford I DID NOT realize that a very large policeman thinking someone might have been on it would slip on the muddy bank at nearly midnite into the river he was very wet and angry when he found out that the byke was stripped of its parts the village was still talking about 4 years later when i stayed at the old inn

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Railways of Little Thetford in the 19th Century

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