Tuesday, May 24, 2005

Clifton Rocks Railway Preservation Project

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I used to wonder what that was, the lower station facade, when I walked or cycled past the derelict facade on the Portway Bristol.

About Us:

A major part of Bristol's Victorian heritage has fallen into disrepair and disorder, remaining hidden from the people of Bristol, the South West and further afield.

The Clifton Rocks Railway was a major engineering achievement in the 1890s and operated for 30 years, transporting people from Hotwells Road to Clifton in passenger cars running in a tunnel in the Avon gorge on steeply inclined tracks.

A special interest group has now been formed to establish a company limited by guarantee as a charity to raise the £120,000 needed for feasibility studies and the �10-15 million required for the restoration thereafter.


This will be a major project to restore and operate the Clifton Rocks Railway as a sustainable visitor attraction and transport system, which is fully integrated with other visitor attractions, transport systems and the Victorian heritage in the area. We need the help of local people, local businesses and others if this amazing Victorian endeavor is to be brought back to life."

Bridgnorth Cliff Railway Homepage
That railway opened on 7th July 1892. The ceremony was performed by the Mayor, and in celebration the local townspeople enjoyed a public holiday.


















Between July and September 1892 over 50,000 passengers used the railway. The railway ran continuously for the next 41 years, until April 1933.















In May 1934 it was reopened by new shareholders.

and I discovered it when I used to work as a perpatetic music teacher in Wolverhampton - I can still see it clearly in my minds eye.