Peascliffe Tunnel

[Iron Duke]

Favourite haunts in my youth............

Can anyone throw any light on the origins of the name "Peascliffe" Tunnel north of Grantham?

Also "Stoke" Tunnel & "Stoke" Bank south of Grantham?

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[cambois]

Seems an easy question but Peasecliff - no idea.

Stoke probably from the adjacent Stoke Rochford with its "Hall" and quite close to the line is Stoke Park Wood

[BHornsey]

A quick look on Google Maps shows that the tunnel passes under Peascliffe Farm.
Whether the tunnel was named after the farm or vice versa I cannot say.

[grantham8]

http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/maps/ ... load=false


Don't know if this helps / or the link works OS map around Grantham predating the Railways .

The Peas Cliff hill is now mostly within Belton Woods hotel but i think that there is a public footpath across it .

[Iron Duke]

Thanks for this Grantham8, looks like a very interesting site..

[strang steel]

Yes, I was always under the impression that the tunnel was named after the hill that the railway passed under. Who told me that I have no idea, but it must have been when I was a small boy.

There are some unusual names in that area, such as Jericho Woods - which cannot have much association with Jericho.

I was also told (but never really believed 100%) that Hambleton Hill to the east of the junctions at Barkston, was created from tipping the spoil dug from the tunnel.

[Iron Duke]

As young lads, we used to walk from Barkston Junction through Jericho Woods to Peascliffe Tunnel.
We would stop awhile at the northern portal, watch a few trains, then off over the top to the southern portal.
From this vantage point (Gonerby bridge) we could see traffic in the far distance going to Nottingham and in the other direction see a train come into view through the tunnel at the Barkston end, then burst out a few minutes later into the Gonerby cutting. The road bridge at this time allowed a clear view in both directions.

Barkston always seemed a bit spooky to us !!

[strang steel]

I used to like Barkston. The fact that the Colwick-Whitemoor goods services would appear over the road bridge in the distance was an added bonus. I remember running down the road from the old station site, and virtually collapsing out of breath as a WD came into view from the Allington Junc end, only to realise to my horror that the loco was so filthy that I still could not read the cabside number.

Some of those goods trains would have a 350hp diesel shunter in the consist which increased the excitement. These were a feature of both lines' goods trains in that era, and have given me a few headaches trying to justify having seen an obscure shunter without ever having visited the area where they worked.

I liked any location where there were lots of signals visible, in order to be able to build up the anticipation of what might be about to appear.

[Iron Duke]

Yes, we liked Barkston too and sometimes did the same sprint...!

The visits to this area were mostly by bicycle and these would be hidden in Jericho Wood prior to rambles up and down the line. We had been told a few tales by gangers that the old station site was "haunted", probably a ruse to keep us away.

After this we always left before dusk for some reason, although we told each other that it was because it was "no longer possible to make out the cabside numbers".

Another memory is hearing the low drone of the Deltics in the early days.
From miles away a low persistent throb would ebb and flow across the open countryside for minutes on end from both directions. We convinced ourselves that we could hear them pull away from Grantham and then the sound was muted when entering Peascliffe, this then increased as they entered the long straight cutting, finally arriving from around the bend at Barkston in a deafening doppler roar............ and away to Newark and the north.

[manna]

G'Day Gents

Wonderful memories,, to us kids in 'Norf Lundun' we'd never heard of any of those places, I was 13 before I saw a wild rabbit, and it was dead, Hadley Wood was the wildest place we got to

manna

[strang steel]

Another memory is hearing the low drone of the Deltics in the early days.
From miles away a low persistent throb would ebb and flow across the open countryside for minutes on end from both directions. We convinced ourselves that we could hear them pull away from Grantham and then the sound was muted when entering Peascliffe, this then increased as they entered the long straight cutting, finally arriving from around the bend at Barkston in a deafening doppler roar............ and away to Newark and the north.

I have been there a couple of times when the wind must have been in the North, because we could hear them for ages in the direction of Newark, but from the south they would burst out from the cutting with hardly any warning at all, which could be a bit of a shock if we were sitting chatting during the quieter spells. A regular glance at the colour light junction signal was a necessity on those occasions, not easy to see if the sun was shining into it.

The other problem which prevented us from hearing what was approaching from the south, was the RAF when they were using Barkston Heath airfield for pilot training purposes. Jet Provosts were not the largest of military aircraft, but they could make an irritating loud noise, especially when going around continually doing "circuits and bumps".

We used to try and "collect" as many Pullman car numbers and names as we could - not easy when the train is doing 85-95 mph. It was amazing that even with maybe three of us, we would always get the same ones between us. There seemed to be about half a dozen Hadrian Bars, judging by the frequency it seemed to turn up.

[grantham8]

I also used to bike out to Barkston and Peascliff in the late 50s---you wouldn't let your kids do it now .

Still use Peascliff as a good viewpoint for down trains ---you can stand on the hillside and be above the palisade fencing .

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nvSzb5E95XI took the second scene with two cameras---left one on tripod filming above the tunnel and I am stood legally at the side fencing for the tunnel entrance

[giner]

Thanks, grantham8. Very nice vantage points along there. It's funny how we add phrases like "stood legally" these days. Those lovely days of hopping over the four-bar wooden fence were much better weren't they?

[Iron Duke]

Hello Grantham8,

Thanks for the video of Peascliffe, enjoyed it very much.
How the place has changed though, the fencing makes everything look very cluttered and urban.
More like a military establishment than a once idylic spot.
The tunnel portal looks a tad neglected too..............
I have some super 8 film of this location taken by my Father circa early 1960's.
If I can find it I will get it digitised and post a short bit for comparision.
Do you know if the fencing extends from the northern portal to Barkston?

ID

[strang steel]

Wow, Iron Duke, I will look forward to the cine footage from the 60s.

Will bring back some memories I am sure.