At the viewpoint overlooking the Pektron roundabout, the original railway ballast has now been exposed,leaving again a wide grass verge alongside the fence where our lone seat is sited. Photo above shows view looking South from there towards Derby with houses on Elmwood Drive to the left and Racecourse Siding ahead.
The deep depression in Croft Wood has been filled in, not only reducing the gradients, but raising the lowest part which was deep mud even in the "dry" season.
Next week, the contractors will no doubt be levelling off the path down to the South entrance at the Paddock PH. Remaining to be done then is final smoothing of the slopes, rolling and surfacing the whole length and an enormous amount of fencing and installation of gates to be done. There are many steep embankments alongside the path and these will all have to be fenced.
Repeating what I have said before, I think that on completion, (when Mother Nature has had time to dress the route with grass and flowers), this will be one of the nicest Greenways in Derbyshire, if not in the Country. With it's many curves and gradients, only the remains of the platforms at Breadsall Station and Racecourse Siding will remind us of it's railway heritage.
3 comments:
Is there a plan to erect a noticeboard which could remind people of the railway heritage?
I am hoping that a softly softly approach will be made initially to test the water re vandalism, graffiti etc before too much is done in the way of writing tablets for the skribes who will no doubt show their writng skills, as will the vandal section who will be having a go at the fences etc. As Les says, mother nature will help as time passes. There things to be discovered on this route yet. I found some white violets on Saturday 28th March.
JohnS
Yes, there are plans to put up Interpretation Boards eventually, but as John says best to let thigs settle down for a while. The worst time for vandalism is immediately after something new appears.
There is some interesting history of the railway days. For instance two railwaymen were killed by a passing train at Railway Siding one foggy day in 1934.
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