Mansfield and Pinxton Railway

Mansfield and Pinxton Railway

Company type	Private company
Industry	Railway transport
Founded	1817
Fate	Acquired by Midland Railway in 1848
Headquarters	Mansfield , United Kingdom
Products	Coal transport, mineral freight, passenger services (historical)

The Mansfield and Pinxton Railway represents one of the earliest horse-operated railways in the United Kingdom, finalized in 1819 to connect Mansfield with the Cromford Canal at Pinxton. Its main function was to bring coal into Mansfield, where local seams were too deep for cost-effective mining at that period; additionally, minerals, malt, and manufactured products were shipped outward. Over time, coal mines emerged along the railway’s path.

Beginning in 1847, the Midland Railway broadened its network around Mansfield by acquiring the M&PR, adapting it for steam locomotive operation, and incorporating it into its broader system.

During the late 20th century, passenger and general freight services in Mansfield decreased significantly, leaving only limited coal transportation from Codnor Park starting in 1970. The Nottingham to Mansfield passenger route was reinstated as The Robin Hood Line in 1995, utilizing a portion of the original M&PR alignment that had been altered by the Midland Railway between Kirkby and Mansfield. Mineral freight continues to be carried from Codnor Park.

Conception

In the era dominated by canals, Mansfield did not possess direct canal access; the closest point was the Pinxton basin on a branch of the Cromford Canal, situated approximately eight miles away. Mansfield’s local industries included malting as well as stocking and glove production, supported by nearby limestone and sand resources important for cast iron molding. The lack of affordable transport options restricted market reach. Coal deposits near Pinxton were accessible at reasonable depths, necessitating coal shipments into Mansfield.

Local business interests in Mansfield advocated for a railway connecting the Pinxton basin on the Cromford Canal to Mansfield. The Mansfield and Pinxton Railway Act 1817 (57 Geo. 3. c. xxxvii) received authorization on 16 June 1817. Unlike many tramway extensions serving canals, this railway was independently sanctioned to carry heavy minerals—mainly coal, lead, and limestone—to and from Pinxton basin. The challenging hilly landscape restricted canal development. Capital authorized amounted to £22,800; a proprietors’ meeting held immediately after approval confirmed committed financing without resorting to public subscription.

The project was engineered by Josias Jessop. Construction advanced swiftly but incurred costs beyond initial estimates; by December 1818 an extra £7,600 was necessary to complete the line.

Opening and early operation

Operations commenced on 13 April 1819 with a notable local celebration when "the first load of coals was brought in to the Company's wharf [at Mansfield]" and exhibited at the marketplace. A crowd gathered as ten wagons filled with coal from Pinxton colliery arrived accompanied by a band performing "God Save the King." Nearly three hundred workers involved in construction were honored with a banquet hosted by the proprietors.

The terminus at Mansfield was Portland Wharf near White Bear Lane. Initially powered by bullocks, horses later replaced them for moving wagons. The railway operated as a toll road with fixed tonnage charges; neighboring landowners were responsible for building wharfs along the route unless the company intervened.

The double-track railway extended for miles. From Mansfield up to the summit involved an elevation gain of 89 feet followed by a descent of 181 feet down to Pinxton. The line featured fish-bellied cast iron edge rails laid on stone block sleepers. Although edge rails—unlike plate rails which permitted wagons to be moved off-track—were debated during planning stages, they were chosen due to their suitability for heavier loads drawn by horses.

The track gauge measured 4 ft . A Board of Trade inspection in 1849 incorrectly noted it as being 4 ft 4 in.

Financial trends

During the inaugural proprietors' meeting held in April 1820, it was revealed that constructing the railway had incurred costs totaling £35,000, leaving both the Company and its investors in a state of indebtedness. The toll revenue collected reached £1,350, enabling the declaration of a 3% dividend.

In the fiscal year 1833-34, the railway's gross earnings amounted to £1,966 3s 9d, with expenditures at £485 13s 2d, which supported a dividend distribution of 9%. Freight traffic was predominantly composed of coal and coke shipments. Maintenance expenses for the rails were significant; for instance, repairs during 1824-25 cost £204 18s. By 1834, the company had ordered new wrought iron rails, each at least 12 feet in length, necessitating larger stone blocks for sleepers. The initial procurement included 200 yards of rail, with an additional order of 160 rails placed by 1836.

Although originally designed to serve as an extension of the Cromford Canal, the canal company exhibited minimal enthusiasm and rejected offers for reduced rates. The bulk of transported goods consisted of coal extracted from pits adjacent to the line destined for Mansfield’s industrial and residential consumers. Stone shipments fell short of expectations due to canal-related expenses. A notable example includes limestone utilized in the mid-1830s reconstruction of the Palace of Westminster, which was conveyed via the Pinxton line. Mansfield exported moulding sand to nearby ironworks and imported metals required for foundry operations. Other freight comprised bricks, lime, timber, slate, and agricultural products; however, coal volumes surpassed all other commodities by a ratio of seven to one.

Passenger operation

Beginning in 1832, William Epperstone provided passenger services departing weekly from Portland Wharf, alongside daily goods wagons dispatched to Pinxton for further distribution across Britain.

Takeover

The Midland Railway was established in May 1844 and obtained rights over the Erewash Valley Railway, which it opened in September 1847. To establish a connection to Mansfield, two companies—the Boston, Newark & Sheffield Railway and Nottingham, Mansfield & Midlands Junction Railway—jointly acquired the Mansfield & Pinxton company in 1848. The Midland Railway intended to construct a Nottingham-Mansfield route incorporating segments of the Pinxton Railway; this plan received parliamentary approval through the Midland Railway (Nottingham and Mansfield) Act of 1846.

On July 9, 1847, the Midland Railway secured authorization via the Midland Railway (Mansfield and Pinxton Branch) Act to purchase the tramway and integrate it into a line extending from Codnor Park to Mansfield. Ownership complications were resolved on February 15, 1848, when the Mansfield & Pinxton Railway merged with the Midland Railway and was formally dissolved. The acquisition price was £21,066 13s. 4d., regarded as reasonable by contemporary standards.

Conversion and reopening

The Midland Railway acquired two routes leading to Mansfield: one newly constructed line from near Nottingham passing through the Leen Valley, and another along the Erewash Valley via Codnor Park. Since the original tramway-style tracks of the Mansfield and Pinxton Railway featured tight curves and were designed for low speeds, they required complete reconstruction. Progress on this work was swift; a contractor’s locomotive reached Mansfield on August 24, 1849, attracting local interest. Directors of the Midland Railway conducted a special train visit on September 17, followed by an inspection from the Board of Trade on September 25. While the segment between Kirkby and Mansfield met approval, parts of the Codnor Park line were incomplete due to missing crossing gates and short sections of track.

Mineral traffic commenced on the Codnor Park line first, followed by passenger services running between Mansfield and Nottingham starting October 9, 1849. Four daily trips covered this route in approximately 55 minutes. Trains departing Nottingham followed the River Leen through Radford and Hucknall before ascending a four-mile stretch at a gradient of 1 in 79 past Linby and Newstead to reach Kirkby Tunnel (199 yards). From Kirkby, trains continued along what had been part of the Pinxton railway route past Sutton-in-Ashfield and across King's Mill viaduct en route to Mansfield. The distance between Nottingham and Mansfield was roughly 17 miles. Mansfield’s new station was situated adjacent to the original warehouse used by the Mansfield and Pinxton company. The line from Codnor Park to Mansfield climbed gently up the Erewash Valley before connecting with the former tramway just east of Pinxton basin.

Extended colliery working

The Mansfield route served as a foundation for expansion northward and eastward into regions abundant with coal. In 1872, Mansfield station was adapted to enable through services, which commenced operations in 1875. Towards the end of the nineteenth century, a multitude of collieries were established along the former Mansfield and Pinxton line, driven by technological progress that allowed access to deeper coal seams. This period saw the addition of numerous branch lines, alongside rival railway networks.

The twentieth century

Coal mining development persisted into the twentieth century. Following the Railways Act 1921, the Midland Railway was incorporated into the London, Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS) in 1923, which was subsequently nationalized as British Railways in 1948.

By this time, competition from road transport caused a reduction in both local passenger and freight traffic. Passenger services between Mansfield and Codnor Park and Pye Bridge were withdrawn on 10 September 1951; meanwhile, a workmen’s train service running from Kirkby to Nottingham continued until 6 September 1965. Passenger trains on the Leen Valley line connecting Nottingham and Mansfield ceased operations on 12 October 1964. All freight services at Mansfield were terminated in June 1975, leaving coal transport as the only remaining rail-dependent activity. The Leen Valley line was cut between Kirkby in Ashfield and Annesley on 11 October 1970.

Passenger trains reinstated

Growing advocacy for restoring passenger services along the Leen Valley to Mansfield culminated in the British Railways Act 1990, which authorized reopening the Newstead-Kirkby connection on 26 July 1990; this route became known as the Robin Hood Line. Passenger operations between Nottingham and Newstead commenced on 17 May 1993. Restoration work on the Kirkby tunnel link began in 1994, with services extending from Nottingham to Mansfield Woodhouse starting on 20 November 1995, and later reaching Worksop.

Current train services run along the alignment originally laid by the Mansfield and Pinxton Railway and later modified by the Midland Railway between Kirkby and Mansfield. The Codnor Park branch continues to be used for mineral traffic, following the M&PR path from Pinxton.

Bi-centennial celebration

In 2019, Mansfield commemorated two centuries since the railway’s inauguration with a town centre parade featuring around ninety participants dressed in historical attire. The celebration was partially funded through a Heritage Fund grant.

Further reading

• Hughes, A: A dissertation on the Mansfield and Pinxton Railway - accessible at libraries in Sutton-in-Ashfield, Mansfield, and Melbourne
• Riden, P. (1990) The Butterley Company 1790-1830, Chesterfield: Derbyshire Record Society, 16, second edition

External links

• Extract from Mansfield and Pinxton Railway - J Vanags
• Mansfield and Pinxton Railway bicentenary project. Includes footage recorded at Kirkby Retrieved 10 March 2019.
• Photographs of the original 1819 terminus building at Mansfield