When Spen had trains
THIS week we're stepping back to the time when Spen had trains.
Since the closure of both lines - now the Greenway and Ringway - the Spen Valley has become the "Missing Link" having the dubious honour of being the only major area in Kirklees not to be served by rail.
These photographs were kindly loaned to us by reader and train enthusiast Ian Bolton who took them in the 1960s, 70s and 80s.
The first was taken in 1965 from Whitcliffe Road. It shows the yard still took in a certain amount of goods and still had a locomotive available for shunting purposes, though Ian does not believe it was a steam loco at this time.
The second was taken in 1980 and from the same vantage point. It shows clearly the transformation from railway to supermarket - but with the track still in place.
Most of the track remained until the opening of the Greenway in 2000. The route was sold by previous owners Transperience to Sustrans who turned it into the cycle/walkway to prevent it being sold piecemeal to developers.
The picture shows that the supermarket was Hillards, which was started in Cleckheaton as the Lion Stores and which eventually had 40 shops throughout the north of England.
In 1987 it was the subject of a hostile takeover by Tesco which bought it for 220m.
This scene will change again soon as Tesco will be building a brand new supermarket on the site.
Ian's final picture was taken in the 1970s and shows the shunting loco of the time. The view is towards Bradford and was taken from his parents' house in Tennyson Place.
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Weather for Cleckheaton
Sunday 27 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 10 C to 24 C
Wind Speed: 15 mph
Wind direction: East
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 11 C to 24 C
Wind Speed: 9 mph
Wind direction: South west
