I walked up through the woods beside the Shipley Glen Tramway one recent Sunday, when the tramway was in operation. All was quiet and then suddenly there was a rushing, clanking sort of noise as the cable mechanism started to roll. There are two cars, one going up and one coming down, passing halfway along the track. It took me slightly by surprise but I did manage to snap a photo.
The Glen Tramway has been in existence since 1895, and is now run by volunteers through a charitable trust. It operates at weekends, taking people from Saltaire up to the top of Shipley Glen. In Victorian/ Edwardian times there were many fairground attractions up there. Nowadays it is just a pleasant, open area of rocks and heathland, with paths through the woods leading down into the valley and access routes to the higher moorland above.
The photo below (taken at a different time) shows the bottom terminus, where there is a ticket office and a small museum full of old photos, artefacts and information.
Very noble of you to walk when you could have ridden in style! I love the film too, I see that no one went "baht 'at" in those days.
ReplyDeleteI loved the film! Like time travel. And I was amused to see one young man wearing his flat cap backwards -- much like teens today.
ReplyDeleteIt is great that it still runs!
ReplyDeleteI imagine the tramway is quite useful for those who might not be able to go up themselves. From their look, they're unobtrusive in the woods.
ReplyDeleteWe lived at the top of Peasehill, Rawdon. The local joiner replaced the wooden guttering around our bungalow. I had great plans to build a tramway up Peasehill using the guttering as rails. I was eight at the time and Shipley Glen tramway had really inspired me!
ReplyDeleteHi Jenny - looks to be a fun trip to take, or even better a fun journey to watch as it trundles its way up and down, while you walk through those lovely woods - cheers Hilary
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