Near Seaton Sluice

I published a post on 24 July, to which Neil Morgan replied that there had been a Newcomen engine & waggonways south west of Seaton Sluice.   I took a short walk in the area today.

Walking up stairs on the west side of Holywell Dene, I hadn't expected this scene.

This large embankment was obviously a former important waggonway - but it finished abruptly high up on the side of the dene, which isn't navigable.

Half a mile further. an information board mentioned the waggonway, & that it crossed the dene on a bridge.   However, in the 1700s the waggonway is more likely to have been originally wooden & then iron before steel.

The info board shows a red footpath running along the waggonway SW to NE past the castle

I didn't get as far as the site of the Newcomen engine.   Does anyone have any photos or info?

Moving forward a couple of centuries, this bridge abutment is on the Hartley to Earsdon road

The abutment & the embankment leading to it are remains of the NER Collywell Bay Branch which led from the Avenue Branch to Seaton Sluice, aiming to serve housing development & take day trippers to the coast, completed before WWI but never used.   The foregoing links to the Disused Stations website give the interesting history, with photos.