Monument record 15739/2 - Mow Cop to Kent Green Wharf Tramway - Gravity Inclines and Tramway

<1> Historic England & Archaeological Research Services, 2015, Staffordshire National Mapping Programme and Lidar Mapping Project: Gnosall, Kidsgrove and Talke, 1592852 (Digital Archive). SCH9202.

A post medieval tramway extending between Towerhill Colliery (UID 1481524), Stone Trough Colliery (UID 1592668) and a third colliery (UID 1592852) to the Macclesfield canal is visible as earthworks on air photographs (see 2 & 3) and 1 metre resolution lidar centred at SJ 8577 5699 (see 4). The extent of the tramway was mapped as part of the Staffordshire National Mapping Programme Project. The path of the tramway can also be seen on historic Ordnance Survey mapping (see 5) and extends over 3 kilometres in length. Much of the tramway can be seen as extant earthworks on the latest 2010 vertical photography (see 3).

<2> Royal Air Force, 1944-1947, 1940s RAF Aerial Photographs from Operation Review, RAF/CPE/UK/1935 FS 2415, 17/01/1947 (Aerial Photograph). SCH8041.

<3> Next Perspectives, 2010, Aerial Photography for Great Britain, Next Perspectives APGB Imagery (2010), 11/10/2010 (Aerial Photograph). SCH8173.

<4> Environment Agency, 2003-2020, Environment Agency LiDAR Surveys, Unpecified (Digital Archive). SCH7819.

<5> See map for surveyor, c.1837-51, Cheshire Tithe Maps and Awards, EDT 309/2, 1838 (Maps and Plans). SCH3266.

Not depicted on this map.

<6> Ordnance Survey, 1871-1882, Ordnance Survey County Series (Epoch 1) 25 inch to 1 mile - Cheshire, SJ8457 & SJ8557, 1873-1888 (Maps and Plans). SCH2462.

This map depicts the incline associated with the tramway. From the tunnel three rails are depicted. After c.210 metres, the rails run over an embankment for c.130m. After the embankment the tramway splits into four rails. The tramway runs in a cutting for a further c.240 metres before running beneath a lane (now Mount Pleasant Road). The rails divide into four at this location and turn slightly to the north-west. The incline continues as two rails for c.215 metres before crossing the road now known as Spring Bank and The Bank. To the immediate north-west the tramway splits to three rails. Associated is a short spur of two rails. The tramway then runs for c.375 metres over and through a series of cuttings and embankments before crossing beneath the railway line. Approximately half way along this section the tramway goes from three rails, to four and then to two, similar to the upper section. The incline ends adjacent to Station Road, where the tramways subdivide into a number of short sidings and two lines which enter the canal wharf.

<7> Ordnance Survey, 1896-1898, Ordnance Survey First Revision County Series (Epoch 2) 25 inch to 1 mile - Cheshire, SJ8457 & SJ8557, 1898-1899 (Maps and Plans). SCH3848.

The incline is no longer extant and only the section between the tunnel entrance and the road now known as Spring Bank and The Bank is depicted, though no rails or tramway (or the tunnel entrance) are shown.

<8> Environment Agency, 2003-2020, Environment Agency LiDAR Surveys, Composite DSM 1m 2020 (Digital Archive). SCH7819.

The cutting to the tunnel entrance and the embankment to the west are clearly visible as earthworks. Between Spring Bank and The Bank a c.150 metre length of embankment survives as an earthwork. Between the road and this earthwork, the course of the incline survives as a slight earthwork.

<9> Unknown, Various, Mow Cop Interactive, http://www.mowcop.info/htm/industry/coal.htm (Web Site). SCH7739.

Agreement to construct the tramway was reached in 1838 and took six years to construct. The waggons were pulled by horse in groups of six. Two self-acting brake inclines 400 yards long were constructed and linked by a short track called the Brake Level. The pits were closed and the tramway tracks lifted in 1887.

<10> Kirkham, L, 2002, The Mow Cop Tunnel and Tramways of the North Staffordshires - Cheshire Border (Article in Journal). SCH8980.

A replacement for the horse drawn tramway dating from 1803 to facilitate further expansion of the market for coal from the Tower Hill and Stonetrough Collieries in Biddulph. This tramway, built in 1832, connected the mines to a wharf on the newly constructed Macclesfield Canal at Kent Green. The new tramway incorporated a tunnel through the summit of Mow Cop and a gravity brake incline between Mow Cop and the wharf at Kent Green. Tower Hill and Stonetrough Collieries closed circa 1880 and it is likely that the tramway went out of use at this time.

The incline utilised gravity to haul empty wagons up the incline as the loaded wagons descended. Above the halfway point, when the empty and loaded wagons passed each other, the incline utilised a three rail system to prevent the descending wagons fouling the rope pulling the ascending wagons. A section of this part of the tramway below the brow of the incline was investigated and stone blocks (in rows of three) to which the rails were affixed were found to survive. The rails were found to have a gauge of 4 feet and eight inches. On every fifth row of blocks was a cast iron 'chair type joint' which indicated a rolled wrought iron edge type rail. Elsewhere the rails were attached to the blocks by nails driven into wooden plugs.