As 2022 has been designated Scotland's Year of Stories, we thought that we would share with you some 'stories' of Annan. This is one of a series of blogs of our ambles around the streets of Annan, looking for unusual sights, old shop signage, benchmarks etc.
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We begin our railway ramble at St Columba's church on Scott's street. What is now the scrap yard between St Columba's and Tesco's used to be Shawhill Station, one of two stations in Annan. It was opened by the Solway Junction Railway in the late 19th century but closed to passengers in 1931 and to goods traffic in 1955. Shawhill had only a single passenger platform but three freight sidings with a large goods shed and signal box.
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| © 2022 P Russell |
The station building was made of local stone and although passenger numbers were low the goods yard was busy with coal and livestock. Most of the track has now been replaced by a pipeline from Chapelcross Power Station.
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| © 2022 P Russell |
In 1864 the Solway Junction Railway company raised the money to build a line linking the Caledonian Railway near Kirtlebridge in Scotland, to the Maryport and Carlisle Railway in Cumberland, by crossing the Solway Firth. Alex Brogden director of the company employed James Brunlees, to be the engineer and design the viaduct across the Firth. In 1865 William Ewart, MP, was presented with the silver spade by Brogden to cut the first sod. The structure was made of wrought and cast iron and was almost 2000 yards long. Each of the 193 cast iron piers was made up of 5 individual columns. There were embankments on each side of the firth – enlarged because of the threat of the tides – and it is quite likely that the red sandstone used for both came from Corsehill Quarry near Annan.
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| RoM 2016 |
Although the SJRailway re-opened it was soon obvious that the route was no longer commercially viable. By May 1921 there was only one mixed (passenger and freight) train across the Moss and the viaduct on Tuesdays and Saturdays. In August, it became apparent that more repairs were needed – and on Wednesday 31st August 1921, the viaduct was closed. Eight years later, in 1934, the decision was taken to dismantle both the viaduct and the railway track. Dismantling the iron work was a massive task and steam barges with cranes were brought in to remove the pillars and piles from the water but by November 1935 the dismantling of the viaduct was complete. Six cast-iron pillars remain on the Bowness side as a memorial to the attempt to join Scotland with England across the Solway Firth and during a very low tide the tops of some of the piles that are close to the Bowness embankment are just visible.
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| Geograph © James TM Towhill |
Continuing past Tesco, and along Watchhall Road, we soon head downhill with a view of the Solway Firth in the distance. We cross a railway bridge that goes over the main line from Carlisle. Follow the road as it turns a corner and then turn right at the junction - back towards Annan. The next railway bridge, by the saw mill, is a disused bridge - disused by the railway but not by walkers! Can you find the benchmark on this bridge? A set of steps just past the bridge will take you up onto the now disused line where we meet again the pipeline from Chapelcross and have the ability to walk down the line towards the shore, where the viaduct would have been .The sawmill was where a loop joined the Solway Junction Railway to the main line.
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| Map: National Library of Scotland |
Continuing along Hecklegirth we come to another railway bridge on the line to Annan. Looking over the bridge on your left you can see the green footbridge we will be using shortly .Soon after we find two houses dated 1900 on the right and the track to the allotments on the left. The track will take us to the footbridge over the mainline railway.
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| © 2022 P Russell |
Turning right into Annerley Road, right into Summergate and right again onto St John's Road will bring us to the railway bridge over the mainline at Annan Station. There is another benchmark on this bridge. Annan station is on the Glasgow South Western line running between Carlisle and Glasgow Central, via Kilmarnock. The station was used for delivering goods, such as fresh fish, right up until the 1980's when the goods yard closed.
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| © 2022 P Russell |
Walking along Elmvale cut, to the left of the bridge, you can see more of the station. Annan had a goods yard here and also an Auction Mart, where Elmvale School now is.
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| 1931 Map: National Library of Scotland |
Continue through the cut, turn right to follow the road and footpaths through the houses. Coming out you see another railway bridge (Number 345) on the opposite side of the track. If you turn right it will take you up to the gate of the current Annan Signal Box. Turning left will bring you out onto Port Street, opposite a garage which is situated right next to the railway bridge and its arches.
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| © 2022 P Russell |
Passing under bridge Number 344 will bring you to Douglas Place and a left turn towards the Riverside Walk. Cross the pedestrian bridge over the river but note the viaduct to your left that takes the railway out towards the west. Follow the loop after the bridge and head towards the viaduct. Bridge number 343 has a benchmark on it if you can find it!
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| © 2022 P Russell |
Newbie Junction, between 1898 and 1904, had a railway line that used to head south to Cochrane's boiler works and the brick & tile works at Newbie. Trains were for workers/goods only. If you choose to walk further along the footpath towards Newbie, with the River Annan on your left, you will eventually come to a stone bridge. Looking across the field here you can see the remains of the railway.
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| © 2022 P Russell |
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| 1900 and 1957 Maps: National Library of Scotland |
Further along the line at Cummertrees there also used to be a two platform station, that closed in 1965. The station building was on the westbound platform but it also had a goods yard and a signal box and from a siding opposite the goods yard there was a tramway that ran to Kelhead Lime Works. This closed in 1925.
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| 1925 Map: National Library of Scotland |
From bridge 343 you can return to Annan by crossing the bridge again and walking back along the riverside walk or not cross the bridge and walk along the other side of the river and go up the steps by the road bridge. Either way they will bring you back to the road bridge and then the High Street.
The following line wasn't built
This extract is taken from Slater's Directory 1886 and is part of the description of the town and it mentions plans for a railway down to Waterfoot where steamers left for Liverpool.
The port or harbour of Annan is free, and vessels of 250 tons can come within half a mile of the town, but vessels of much larger burthen can enter the river at its confluence with the Solway, distant little more than a mile from the town; at this place are wooden wharves or jetties. It is in contemplation to make a dock at the waterfoot, and also to give the railway companies power to extend their lines to the dock when finished. If these improvements are carried out it will add greatly to the importance of the surrounding district, but more particularly to the port of Annan. Vessels generally make the passage between Annan and Liverpool within 12 hours, that is, in one tide only, from harbour to harbour; and a vessel belonging to each company makes, at least, one trip to and from weekly. The convenience afforded by this rapidity of communication with Liverpool, has greatly increased the trade, and a considerable quantity of bacon, grain, livestock and other commodities are thus weekly conveyed to the Liverpool market.
Old maps show a Public House nearby and rumours of a hotel to cater for the visitors.
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| 1859 Map: National Library of Scotland |
