The Hull and Holderness Railway was a
branch line
A branch line is a phrase used in railway terminology to denote a secondary railway line which branches off a more important through route, usually a main line. A very short branch line may be called a spur line.
Industrial spur
An indust ...
in the
East Riding of Yorkshire
The East Riding of Yorkshire, or simply East Riding or East Yorkshire, is a ceremonial county and unitary authority area in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England. It borders North Yorkshire to the north and west, South Yorkshire to ...
,
England that connected the city of
Kingston upon Hull
Kingston upon Hull, usually abbreviated to Hull, is a port city and unitary authority in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England.
It lies upon the River Hull at its confluence with the Humber Estuary, inland from the North Sea and south-eas ...
with the seaside resort of
Withernsea
Withernsea is a seaside resort and civil parish in Holderness, East Riding of Yorkshire, England. Its white inland lighthouse, rising around above Hull Road, now houses a museum to 1950s actress Kay Kendall, who was born in the town.
The ...
via the town of
Hedon
Hedon is a town and civil parish in Holderness in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It is situated approximately east of Hull city centre. It lies to the north of the A1033 road at the crossroads of the B1240 and B1362 roads.
It is p ...
and the villages of
Keyingham
Keyingham is a village and civil parish in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. The village is situated approximately east of Kingston upon Hull city centre and lies on the A1033 road.
History
A possible Iron Age or Roman enclosure was no ...
and
Patrington
Patrington is a village and civil parish in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England, in an area known as Holderness, south-east of Hedon, south-east of Kingston upon Hull and south-west of Withernsea on the A1033. Along with Winestead, it ...
.
History
Background
An early proposal for a railway eastwards from Hull into Holderness was made in 1845 by the
York and North Midland Railway for a line from a junction on a line to the east Dock (
Victoria Dock) at
Drypool to
Patrington
Patrington is a village and civil parish in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England, in an area known as Holderness, south-east of Hedon, south-east of Kingston upon Hull and south-west of Withernsea on the A1033. Along with Winestead, it ...
via
Hedon
Hedon is a town and civil parish in Holderness in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It is situated approximately east of Hull city centre. It lies to the north of the A1033 road at the crossroads of the B1240 and B1362 roads.
It is p ...
;
the Patrington line was not included in the resultant acts of 1846.
A second attempt at a line was promoted by
Hull
Hull may refer to:
Structures
* Chassis, of an armored fighting vehicle
* Fuselage, of an aircraft
* Hull (botany), the outer covering of seeds
* Hull (watercraft), the body or frame of a ship
* Submarine hull
Mathematics
* Affine hull, in affi ...
businessman
Anthony Bannister, with the intention of linking Hull with the rich agricultural area of South
Holderness, and the development of a coastal village (
Withernsea
Withernsea is a seaside resort and civil parish in Holderness, East Riding of Yorkshire, England. Its white inland lighthouse, rising around above Hull Road, now houses a museum to 1950s actress Kay Kendall, who was born in the town.
The ...
) into a new seaside resort. The silting up of
Patrington
Patrington is a village and civil parish in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England, in an area known as Holderness, south-east of Hedon, south-east of Kingston upon Hull and south-west of Withernsea on the A1033. Along with Winestead, it ...
and
Hedon
Hedon is a town and civil parish in Holderness in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It is situated approximately east of Hull city centre. It lies to the north of the A1033 road at the crossroads of the B1240 and B1362 roads.
It is p ...
Havens was another incentive for the construction of a line, since it could no longer be used for transportation by water.
A prospectus was issued in 1852, and the "Hull and Holderness Railway Act" passed 1853.
Construction of the line in the flat and open Holderness plain was rapid and the line of about was opened on 24 June 1854.
[The date of opening was somewhere between 24 and 27 June depending on source.]
Description and operations
The line was originally built as a single track line, except sections at
Hedon
Hedon is a town and civil parish in Holderness in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It is situated approximately east of Hull city centre. It lies to the north of the A1033 road at the crossroads of the B1240 and B1362 roads.
It is p ...
and near
Ryehill. At Withernsea (which in 1851 had a population of only 109) a hotel, the "Station Hotel" (later called "Queen's Hotel") was built.
The line began at the
York and North Midland Railway's
Victoria Dock station and ran east, passing
Hedon
Hedon is a town and civil parish in Holderness in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It is situated approximately east of Hull city centre. It lies to the north of the A1033 road at the crossroads of the B1240 and B1362 roads.
It is p ...
to the north; it then turned south-east, passing
Burstwick
Burstwick is a village and civil parish in the Holderness region of the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It is situated about east of Hull city centre. It lies on the B1362 road.
History
Burstwick is described as a ''caput'', or principal ...
to the south, halfway between
Ottringham
Ottringham is a village and civil parish in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England, in an area known as Holderness. It is situated approximately to the east of Hull city centre and south-west of Withernsea. It lies on the A1033 road from Hull ...
and Ryehill, then the line passed
Keyingham
Keyingham is a village and civil parish in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. The village is situated approximately east of Kingston upon Hull city centre and lies on the A1033 road.
History
A possible Iron Age or Roman enclosure was no ...
to the north and then east and south to
Patrington
Patrington is a village and civil parish in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England, in an area known as Holderness, south-east of Hedon, south-east of Kingston upon Hull and south-west of Withernsea on the A1033. Along with Winestead, it ...
, before entering Withernsea, which was to the north-east, and in which the line terminated.
Up till 1859 the Hull and Holderness Railway operated its own trains,
but from 1860 the line was operated by the
North Eastern Railway on lease rental, and in 1862 the same company acquired the line; a short connecting chord was built that allowed trains to run through onto the dock branch,
and, from 1864, services ran to
Paragon station in the city centre via the
Victoria Dock Branch Line.
Closure
Passenger service ended following the
Beeching Report Beeching is an English surname. Either a derivative of the old English ''bece'', ''bæce'' "stream", hence "dweller by the stream" or of the old English ''bece'' "beech-tree" hence "dweller by the beech tree".''Oxford Dictionary of English Surnames' ...
. The last passenger train ran on 19 October 1964. Goods traffic continued to use the whole line until 3 May 1965, after which it only operated between Hull and
Hedon railway station
Hedon railway station is a disused railway station on the North Eastern Railway's Hull and Holderness Railway on the northern edge of Hedon in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It was opened by the Hull and Holderness Railway
The Hul ...
. This service continued until 3 June 1968, the goods service to
Marfleet
Marfleet is an area of Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, England, in the east of the city, near King George Dock.
Marfleet was until the late 20th century a small village outside the urban area of Hull – developments includi ...
lasting until 1972.
Line post closure
Most of the trackbed remains, and parts of it have become a footpath. The Queen's Hotel in Withernsea became a convalescence home.
Most of the station buildings have become private residences,
[
][
] with the exception of Withernsea station
and Hollym Gate
[
] which have been demolished.
See also
*
Hull and Hornsea Railway
The Hull and Hornsea Railway was a branch line which connected the city of Kingston upon Hull with the seaside town of Hornsea in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England.
History
Early proposals and construction
A proposal for a railway line t ...
Notes
References
Sources
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External links
* Cab ride video
{{Railway lines in Yorkshire and the Humber
Closed railway lines in Yorkshire and the Humber
Rail transport in the East Riding of Yorkshire
Beeching closures in England
Rail transport in Kingston upon Hull
Railway companies established in 1853
Railway lines opened in 1854
Railway companies disestablished in 1862
1853 establishments in England
British companies disestablished in 1862
British companies established in 1853