Nocton Estate Light Railway

Local history

I have already visited this topic in my blog some while ago - on 29 May 2007 and more recently 31 Jan 2017.

A Simplex 20HP engine, originally from Nocton Estate

[now operating on the Lincolnshire Coast Light Railway, Skegness]

My research into the standpipe situated on the bridleway between Nocton and Dunston has prompted me to provide more information about the innovative use of narrow-gauge track on the Nocton Estate.

In 1920, W. Dennis & Sons built four miles of 1ft eleven and half inch gauge rail at Nocton on the heavy fenland east of Wasp's Nest. Trucks were originally pulled by horses or pushed by hand. The line was greatly extended after 1926 to connect the fen to the railhead at the centre of operations, close to the standard gauge railway between Lincoln-Sleaford (now the MAC Ltd facility). A small stone quarry was also connected by a line. In total the Nocton Estate Light Railway (NELR) extended to almost 23 miles of track.

In the 1930's a further extension was planned to be laid northwards through Nocton to Manor Farm, but this was refused permission by the County Council, so the line ended at Wray's Yard. The NELR was to become the largest and longest lived agricultural narrow gauge in the county, if not the country.

The NELR served every aspect of the farming operation, by transporting a variety of produce (mainly potatoes, grain and sugar beet). It also carried muck for spreading, coal for the pumping engine on the fen, food and water for the livestock and provided a regular water supply to the many farms and cottages remote from the villages (the water was loaded into large water tanks mounted on converted wagons). It even delivered the post in the guard vans.

There was even a special passenger coach (called the Queen Mary) provided exclusively for the shooting parties. Staff were also regularly carried in the wagons. Gangs of potato pickers were collected from the main train line and transported into the fields for work.

A couple of steam engines were purchased to pull the loads, one was a Fowler 0-6-0 tank engine, but the other has not been able to be identified. Built in 1926, the Fowler 0-6-0 was built new for the NELR. For the enthusiasts, its works number was 16991.

The Fowler 0-6-0 had a greater shunting capacity over the smaller Simplex engines and was purchased to run the 'main line' of the Nocton Estate. The petrol-fuelled Simplex engines acted in support, operating down the many spur lines into the fields. Unfortunately, the Fowler proved too heavy for the track and she was sold after just 4 years of service to George Cohen and Sons - a scrap metal merchant. I understand this tank engine was offered for sale again in 1937, but with no offers she was sadly scrapped at Burnhope, Co Durham in 1938.

Of course, all steam engines require a water supply to operate efficiently. In addition to the two steam tank engines, there were steam traction engines and ploughing sets operating in the fields, and there was a wider requirement for a supply of water around the estate, as mentioned earlier.

To avoid having to return to the centre of operations at the railhead to obtain water, a series of  standpipes were provided in various locations around the estate. We have now identified one such standpipe, located on the bridleway between Nocton and Dunston - and there was another on Nocton Fen, but its exact location is now unknown.

In later years, as tractors started to take over from the steam engines, there was a new requirement for the NELR, as fuel had to be transported around the estate. This was done in specially converted wagons, so that the tractors could be filled up locally.

In 1955, the NELR was still operating, carrying around 17,000 tons of produce per annum. However, work to improve the estate roads started in earnest to enable lorries to access the fields directly, so by the end of the 1960's, much of the light railway had closed.

There are very few physical reminders of the NELR remaining on the estate. When the author wrote his book 'The Lincolnshire Potato Railways', there were still some remains of track at the railhead both inside and outside the grain mill on the MAC Ltd site, along with some old water tanks removed from the wagons. There was also some track over a culvert running towards the old pump station on the fen.

Although, many of the items above may no longer be in situ, we can report that one of the standpipes is still in its rightful place - the one on the Nocton to Dunston bridleway.

Accreditations

I can recommend viewing the many fascinating photographs and images of the Nocton Estate Light Railway on the 'Lincolnshire Coast Light Railway - History' web-link.

Much of the equipment found on the LCLR owes its survival to being utilised on the Nocton Estate. The oldest locomotive is one of the Simplex 20HP bow-framed units (Motor Rail No. 1935 dated 1920), however the original Dorman petrol engine has been replaced by a diesel. As can be seen from the photograph above, the name plate on the unit commemorates 'Nocton' as its place of work.

You may also like to know a Nocton Estate Light Railway inspired model (4mm scale - 9mm gauge track, representing the narrow gauge) was built for the Staffordshire 'Tracks to the Trenches 2014' Great War Centenary event.

There is a video on YouTube that gives you an idea of what these narrow gauge railways were like

I have managed to locate a website (Rail Map Online) that shows the route of the Nocton Estate Light Railway overlaid onto a map so we can see its exact route over the topography of the area.

View focused on railhead

The full route of Nocton Estate Light Railway

Main extracts from:

• 'The Lincolnshire Potato Railways by Stewart. E. Squires - ISBN 0 85361 352 4]

Minor extracts are from:

• A Lincolnshire Lad Looks Back by Len Woodhead [ISBN 0954 02229 7]
• Nocton - The Last Years of an Estate Village - Vol 1 by Sheila Redshaw and Sue Morris [ISBN 9781 87325 7807]
• John Fowler and Co
• Fowler's Century of Locomotive Building

Nocton Estate - railway

Lincolnshire Potato Railways

If you are new to the village, you may not be aware that Nocton used to have its own narrow gauge railway to help transport goods around the farming estate.

An excellent publication, 'The Lincolnshire Potato Railways' has been written by Stewart E Squires, and an extract can be found in my blog from 2007.

Loco No 5 - Nocton Estate Light Railway [Redshaw Collection]

The light railway was later removed and some twenty miles of estate roadway laid, thereby enabling potatoes to be transported direct from field to factory.

Albion lorry - Smith's Potato Estates Ltd [Redshaw Collection]

There is also a Wikipedia entry about the Lincolnshire Potato Railways which can be located here.

As to the current whereabouts of the rolling stock and track, you can see some examples of this at the 'Lincolnshire Coast Light Railway' - I have just had some recent correspondence from Peter Balderston [Interpretation Co-ordinator for the Trust]. The following link contains the email content.

Poster courtesy of Peter Balderston

Nocton Estates Light Railway

Photos taken in the 1930`s of the Smith`s Potato Crisp suppliers railway near Lincoln.

Photos taken inside the old potato warehouse, now owned by MAC Ltd.

A delightful report about how the Light Railway was used for the 'shoots' on the Nocton Estate.

Happy New Year

2014

• The Year of the Horse
• The centenary of the start of the First World War
• The year of the XX Commonwealth Games
• The year of the Sochi Winter Olympics
• The year that will see a Scottish Independence referendum

But what will it bring for Nocton I wonder?

Local properties should continue to change hands, bringing new arrivals to the village, with others moving away.

Nocton Parish Council still has a number of items to materialise before the financial year end. The installation of a new 'Finger Post' in the village and repairs to the Village Hall floor slab are two such examples.

Nocton Village Hall has a new Constitution in place, which will provide a modern professional framework for managing the valued community asset in the future. This may create more opportunity for volunteers to get involved serving on the Village Hall Management Committee, building on the continued success of Nocton Club's Committee.

Nocton Cricket Club are determined to make progress in Division 3 of the McKinnells Lincoln & District Cricket League. The Club is on the look out to add further strength to the team.

The new Caravan Club site located at Kelkherd House, Main Street may see its first arrivals.

Beeswax Farming Ltd may decide to organise a Farm Open Day, so that local residents can learn more about the progress on improving the Nocton Estate land.

A detailed model railway [4mm Scale - 9mm gauge track representing 60cm narrow gauge], inspired by the Nocton Estates Light Railway (which was constructed with First World War surplus materials), has been created especially for the Staffordshire 'Tracks to the Trenches - 2014' Great War Centenary Event.

The Lincolnshire Coast Light Railway is planning to hold an open day during June 2014 (date to be announced shortly), when its WW1 trench railway stock and Nocton potato railway vehicles will be demonstrated on the running lines, hauled by LCLR Simplex diesels. Supervised access will be possible to the WHOLE of the lineside, including that at the south of the line not normally accessible to the public, upon payment of a supplement. Admission to lineside will be limited and we advise prebooking for this by email.

The second stage of consultation for plans for a wind farm on Nocton Fen by Vattenfall should take place... which will include an update on the research and development and provide an initial site layout for debate.

We may even see Nocton Hall used as a film set again in 2014.

There never seems to be a dull moment in Nocton - have a good year!

Personal Stories (Part 2)

From Horses to Computers – In 50 years, What Next?

by Mr Len Woodhead (Employed as a Foreman for Nocton Farms)

“I was born at Todd’s Farm, Nocton Fen (TD8) in 1937. At that time there were two cottages in the corner of the field which is now known as TD8. My father had come into Nocton Fen at the age of 18 as a second chap (2nd Waggoner) to a chap called George Reeve (later we saw his name on lorries).

This was at the Partridge Farm where he lodged until he married. There were eight horses at the Partridge. George looked after and worked four, and father the other four. At the time Dennis’s owned the estate.

The job was a seven day one, up at 5.30am to fetch in the horses and give them food ready for work by 6.30am. Sunday of course, was not worked, other than stable work unless it was a difficult harvest. The days in the fields working the horses would start at 6.30am with a half-hour break at 11.00am. Work would continue until 2.30pm (called Lowsing Time) when the horses would be brought back home. They would be groomed, fed and the stables cleaned out. The crew yards would be bedded with clean straw and only then would the Waggoners go in for dinner.

At about 5.30pm father would then come out again and ‘supper up’ (or feed) the horses. In the Summer he would be taking them into a grass field for the night – in the Winter they would stay in the Crew Yard.

In March 1932 Dad met and married my Mum and they moved to Todd’s. There he looked after and worked four horses, Bonnie, Captain, Star and Daisy. He used to do most of the drilling and potato ridging down on that section of the Fen and although he only had one eye he could plough and ridge or drill as straight as anybody.

I have the furniture bill from when they were married and it goes like this:
· Bedroom suite £10
· Settee suite £10.5s
· 4 rugs @3/6d each = 14s.0ds
· Table £2.2s
· 4 leather chairs @ 7/6d = £1.10s
· Armchair £1.2s.6d
· 1 ladies cane chair £1.2s.6d
· Oak sideboard £4.10s
· Mirror 5/11d
· Wringer £2
· Dolly Tub 5/11d
· Pegs 3/6d
· Clothes basket 2/6d
· Fire Kerb 12/6d
· Cloth horse 16/-
· 2 bedsteads @ £1.16s = £3.12s
· 2 spring mattresses @ £1.15s = £3.10s
· 2 wool mattresses @ £1.15s =£3.10s
· 2 feather beds @ 1/1d = £2.2s.0d

Total £49.1s.3d (all from Neale Bros in, High St, Lincoln).

The 3,000 acres in Nocton Fen was then in four sections, which each had a Foreman and about 40 permanent staff, plus about sixteen Irish labourers in season for hoeing/lifting and topping beet, picking potatoes and bringing in the harvest. Labourer’s wives would make up a potato picking gang during August and September.

The men on the lower part of the Fen mostly came from Bardney or over the Ferry from Southrey. At that time there were 28 houses inhabited in Nocton Fen, but they were occupied by Waggoners, Foremen and Stockmen etc. There were two blacksmith’s shops in the Fen – one near the Cathole Bridge, Todd’s Road and one at Lark Farm.

Apart from horses, of which there were between 70 and 80 in the Fen, there were also two sets of Ruston Ploughing engines or cultivators, and of course the Light Railway which joined all the farm yards from the rail head at Dunston to all parts of the estate.

The farm roads were only dirt roads so everything was moved by rail. No water was laid on, so all drinking and washing water was brought by rail – each house had old water tanks by the side of the railway line, with a piece of zinc covering them to keep out birds and soil.

Rations for the horses, pigs and beast were all brought by rail. Coal for the steam engines and Irishman’s fires were also brought by rail. Produce (potatoes, corn and peas) were taken by rail to Dunston. Sugar beet was also hauled by rail (Bardney factory was built in 1928), but it was taken down the Fen and emptied with forks into a pit on the Fen side of the river. The large iron bridge which you can still see today, carried a grab which carried the beet over the river and dropped it into railway trucks, where it was shunted around to the east side of the factory, before being emptied by forks again.

If you needed the Doctor he would bike from Bardney and leave his bike near the Fen road, put on his wellies and walk down to the farm yards. The houses were in fair condition, a coal fire in every room. The toilet was down the bottom of the garden, sometimes with two seats so you wouldn’t be lonely or frightened. You could take a candle with you and read the latest news on the toilet paper (Lincolnshire Chronicle).

Mum would have a large old wash-house with a steel copper, which of course was heated with coal. Out in the farm-yard would be ducks, cockerils and hens, a couple of pigs in the sty at the bottom of the garden and a few rabbits as well, so you didn’t need the butcher.

The butcher would come around, once in December and once in January to kill the pigs. That was always a busy day, up at 5.00am to get the copper going, as it had to be full of scalding hot water by 8am. The butcher would kill the pig after which we placed it on the cratch (a two wheeled trolley).

Scalding water would be thrown over the pig until the whiskers came off easily with scrapers. When that was done, the pig would be hung up in a shed or apple tree and cut open. The intestines would be taken out and the pig left to hang for about 4 hours.

The butcher would go into the house for a fried breakfast and to collect his money, and he would go on to the next farm. All in all in a Saturday morning he would probably kill about four pigs and by dinner time he had to start his afternoon visits to cut the pigs up into chines, flitchers and harris etc. These would then be salted, laid out in the floor of the pantry or in a salt box, and left for a month to cure, before being hung up on the kitchen ceiling until you wanted it for joints.

Mum would be busy all week making up fries to take round to friends around the Fen farm-yards and also making sausage, pork pie, brown and haslet, so you could guarantee if was pork for at least three weeks until the pork pies had gone.

We didn’t have a radio or wireless, so by the fireside at night under the paraffin lamp we would play cards, dominoes or help mum cut snips to make the rugs. We always had a dog and at least one cat – there being plenty of rats and mice you needed them around the farm. If it snowed too heavy in the wintertime, mum used to carry water from the delf and boil it for household use, because it didn’t need much snow to stop the Light Railway operating.

Footnote
In 1931, the Estate covered 7,000 acres. This was the time when 26 farms were thrown into one (making Mr JH Dennis’s farming enterprise). 7,000 acres, 7 miles long and three miles wide. 1,500 acres potatoes, 1,000 acres wheat, 500 acres of oats, 500 acres of barley, 280 acres peas. There was also sugar beet, beans and clover. There were 3,000 sheep, 2,000 pigs and 500 head of cattle.

There was 23% more labour employed than when it was previously divided into 26 farms. 10,000 to 15,000 tons of potatoes were produced annually, 50,000 bushels of wheat. As many as 260 tons of potatoes could be loaded per day for Newcastle – Sheffield – Cardiff – London.

Four threshing machines harvested all the peas, wheat and barley. The beet factory was built on part of the Estate, even though it was over the river.

Nocton Estate - The Lincolnshire Potato Railways

Nocton Estate Light Railway

This extract has been taken from 'The Lincolnshire Potato Railways' - by Stewart E Squires
Oakwood Press - ISBN 0 85361 352 4

The most prominent potato producer and the greatest user of railway line were W. Dennis and Sons who owned large estates at Nocton (8,000 acres), Deeping St Nicholas (2,000 acres) and Kirton (2,000 acres). W Dennis and Sons established their Nocton Estate in 1919 – the annual production in the 1950’s being some 17,000 tons of food, consisting primarily of potatoes.

The Estate Manager (a Major Webber) inspired the purchase of the narrow gauge line from an Army Surplus Depot in Arras, France. The track had been used as a resupply line during the First World War.

Initially just 4 miles of the one foot eleven and a half inch gauge was established at Nocton... on the heavy fenland east of Wasp's Nest. After 1926, the narrow gauge line was greatly extended in order that it could be connected to the railhead on the Lincoln to Sleaford mainline. The weight of the line at Nocton, because of the intensive use of locomotives, was 20lb per yard.

In the end, the route amounted to almost 23 miles of single track (on the Nocton Estate alone). Eventually they were to operate over 30 miles of line in total. Almost every field on the large estates was reached so that produce could be harvested straight onto trucks.

The railhead (located near the old Dunston/Nocton Station) consisted of Estate workshops, a mill, greenhouse and engine shed. There was a 'dock' for offloading produce into lorries or the standard gauge railway waggons (located in a siding - a loop of the Lincoln/Sleaford main line).

At the mill was a large green baize covered board with an Estate field plan and the railway route marked on it. Each field was numbered and each wagon number was attached to a pin. Every wagon movement was noted by a traffic controller.

In 1927 the Bardney Beet Factory was built. Sugar beet from the Nocton Estate was transported to the factory by a mechanical grab running along a gantry over the River Witham, where it was picked up from a dump, from rail trucks dispersing their load.

The Estate's main customer was Smith's Potato Crisps and it was this company that finally bought the land from W. Dennis & Sons in 1936. At its peak, Nocton estate was using 220 working horses, had 1,000 cattle, up to 3,000 pigs and 2,000 sheep (their food was also transported by the narrow gauge railway from the mill).

Tractors were introduced in 1948 (24) and increased in number in 1951 (32). In 1955 the Estate was still producing some 17,000 tons annually - however since World War 2 and the growth of road transport, the rural roads had improved allowing articulated lorries to gain access to each farmstead. By 1960 almost all fields were accessible by road, thius sounding the death knell for the light railway. It was finally closed in July 1969.

The engines and rolling stock from Nocton have survived to this current day and can be seen at the Lincolnshire Coast Light Railway.

Nocton Hall - era of Hodgson and Dennis & Sons

Hodgson

John Hodgson created a lake in the Park (which was later filled in by the Air Ministry). After Mr Hodgson’s death, the Estate was kept on by his family, being managed by Mr Norman Hodgson until 1919, when it was purchased by Messrs WH Dennis and Sons of Kirton.

Dennis & Sons

Up to this date all the farms on the estate had been let to tenants, but from now onwards Messrs Dennis commenced to get possession of the farms (except Nocton Rise) and within a few years they were farming the estate as a whole. They erected the concrete corn mill for storing and grinding corn, and making up cattle rations.

It was Messrs Dennis who laid a two foot gauge light railway, extending to about 30 miles over the Estate – principally on the Fens – and connected this to the mill at Railhead with a siding for loading into railway trucks. They also built the Maintenance Sheds, Engine Shed and Bag Store, and engaged maintenance staff for repairing implements and shoeing horses. In those days over 200 horses were used on the Estate.

Messrs Dennis and Sons finally sold the estate in 1926 to a Mr J Herbert Dennis, who farmed it until 1936 when it was purchased by the Estates Company.