HWW Heckmondwike West Yorkshire 1st January 2020

No, it's not some long-lost Byzantine or Roman ruins in the middle of the former West Riding but the architecture is almost as impressive in my opinion.

It is, in fact, a masterpiece of Victorian engineering, the Heckmondwike - and what a great Yorkshire name that is - railway Cutting on the former LNWR Leeds New Line opened in 1900. Three of the 6 bridges over the deep stone-walled cutting are in this view.

The route was also referred to as the Spen Line. Despite the expenditure and effort, after the 1923 Grouping & nationalisation it was considered as an unnecessary duplicate of the LYR/LNWR line to Leeds. Passenger services ceased in the 1950s with full closure in stages between 1960 and 1990.

Today it is a cycle and footpath known as the Spen Valley Ringway. The houses just in view through the last bridge were built on the site of Heckmondwike Spen station which closed in 1953.

HWW to everyone. Have a great day.