Burton dasset Iron ore bucket rope way to the SMJ

[Richard Keyte]

Hi, I am new to the society, born in Northend and grew up there.

I used to play on the line, one of the chaps I went to school with still drives the MOD munition trains on the bit of line to Fenny Compton.

Anyway when I was about 8 or 9 ( a long time ago) I dug up in the hedge on what is now Burton Dasset hills (was private land then)  2 cast iron wheels from the over-head bucket rope way that used to take iron ore from the quarry on top of the hills to the SMJ siding.

My father (unfortunately long dead) showed me where the steam engine used to sit that powered the rope way, the wheels although a long way down the hill were below where the engine sat buried in the middle of the  hedge.

I was looking for a secret tunnel to the manor house, as you do when you are 8 or 9 and at first was convinced I had found one. However it turned out to be these 2 wheels approximately 2ft6" in diameter, one has deep grooves where the steel cable has worn into it.

Would anybody be interested in seeing one if I can make it on the 12th June?

Unfortunately I am at the TT until late early Saturday morning so cannot promise to make it, but there may be other occassions, anyway.

 

I will attach some pictures sometine shortly

 

[Andy Thompson]

Richard
I'd be very interested as well as hearing all (and I mean all)that you can remember about the site. I did hear a story of one man who got stuck in a bucket whilst (illegally ) riding up from the railway when the lunch time hooter went off and the pulley system was halted!!

Andy

[Richard Keyte]

Hi Andy my dad told me that he and his brother had ridden in the buckets as well. they were cut loose as youngsters and left to their own devices after their mother died (my gradmother) I can show you some of the features still on Burton Dasset.
Drayton manor, springs to mind.
regards Richard

Andy Thompson said:

Richard
I'd be very interested as well as hearing all (and I mean all)that you can remember about the site. I did hear a story of one man who got stuck in a bucket whilst (illegally ) riding up from the railway when the lunch time hooter went off and the pulley system was halted!!

Andy

[Tony Newman]

This is exactly the kind of fragile snippet of history that one hopes would resurface in a forum like this. It is an integral part of the bigger picture but a part that is unlikely to have ever found its way into any archive or official history.
Terrific!