Quarry Lane

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• Alan Curtis, I totally agree with you. The same goes for the demolition of the viaduct down Pleasley Vale in the sixties. Only a year before BR engineers had declared the viaduct good for the next 50 years but as it wasn’t in use, it may as well come down. What a sad loss. With Pleasley Pit now a mining museum and heritage railways now big business, a heritage railway could have been set up from Woodhouse through to Teversal, but with the viaduct gone there’s no chance of that. It’s not only local, look at the demolition of Nottingham Victoria, how on earth did they get away with that.

  By John Allcock (14/01/2015)

• I have very fond memories of the riverside path on Quarry Lane in the 1950s and early 60s my dad used to refer to part of it as Fattymans Bank. I had an aunt and uncle that lived in one of the stone cottages on Quarry Lane and I can remember going to the old Lord Byron with my dad and uncle I would have been about 7 years old it would have been 1954 or thereabouts, as I recall it was a lovely spot right at the side of the river. We used to fish in the river when we were kids and paddle under the Sheepbridge Lane bridge, childhood was a lot simpler in those days, the most high tec toy that kids had for christmas was an electric train set, if they were lucky. If the Lord Byron was still there today it would be a gold mine with peoples liking nowadays for quaint old pubs.

   

  By Peter Bowler (14/01/2015)

• These are very fascinating photo’s Malcolm & Pauline. I know where the Quarry Lane viaduct stood, but I was only five in 1970 and I can’t remember it.

  However I realy am pleased they decided to keep the other Drury Viaduct . Both were masterpieces. There is actually still a small part of the old viaduct remaining today; a small part of one of the viaduct piers that forms part of the stone walling on Quarry Lane roadside just before where the road narrows.

  Also on the East side of the viaduct site, some very large copings from the end abutments can be seen up the banking when walking around the Maun.

   

  By Simon Leivers (12/01/2015)

• Looking at the above pictures, I could weep. I think it was a criminal decision to  demolish this beautiful area of what was my, and many other peoples’  childhood memories. The sweat and toil of our forefathers that went into the building of what was a place of historical interest to all of us.

  I also feel that keeping the old Byron Yard would have been of historical interest and a money earner of the olden days. We do appear to have thrown away our old history of the town and it’s Mills. Whilst I know we have to move on, I cannot see any reason the two could not have lived side by side, Even our old railway station has not gone unscathed.

  However we must move on and see what we can benefit from the pictures.

  Picture 1 – If you look behind what the men are preparing we can see the old stone terraced houses which must be close to 100 years old. To the rear we see at the bottom of their small yards, the outside toilets which also housed their coalhouses, dustbin rubbish areas, and what looks like a wash house that would have housed a copper boiler.  The dustbins were made of metal to eliminate the risk of fire from any hot ashes that may be tipped in. People back in those days would go to bed at night leaving their fire to die down by itself. These stone cottages had the most wonderful views over the river.

  Picture 4 -This picture show the old step over stone, onto the old steps that were there ever since I can remember. They must have been close on 100 years old, for they were all worn down pretty low in the centre. These old steps were used by the allotment gardeners of which there were many, and football supporters going to the Mansfield Town ground, and folk cutting the corner going to Portland Street.

  Picture 6 -I wondered what they had done here because of the river – the river takes a right turn here passing under the unmade road. I never did know the name of this part of the road. It leads to The Quarry, The Byron Yard, and Matlock Avenue.

  Pictures 7.8.9. -I used to often drive a Lander’s Van along this road, and never had any trouble.

  Picture 11.- To me, this bridge will always be known as the bridge that William Boyd used to stand to catch his breath. Bill was an ex First World War 1 soldier who was gassed on the Battlefields in France.  Alas, along with the Old Byron Yard, poor Bill has also gone.

  The rest of the pictures are lovely, just waiting for nature to take it’s course.

   

  By alan curtis (11/01/2015)