Blodwell Quarry branchline - a Cambrian outpost remembered

Looking south towards the end of the line and the bridge carrying the A465 road. This is the new loop laid in 1985 to aid safer operations and dispense with the marshalling of wagons by gravity. The loading facility is behind me off the spur in the foreground. All photos taken 3rd July 1990.

A recent visit to Oswestry and the Cambrian Heritage Railways prompted me to look back over some photos I took back on 3rd July 1990. Whilst exploring railways and industrial heritage sites with my friend Spencer we stumbled across this backwater of a freight branch, a line that left the Shrewsbury to Wrexham line at Gobowen and ran for roughly 8 miles to Blodwell, or Llanddu, Quarry.



Originally running to a quarry at Nantmawr, after that closed in 1971 the track remained until it was finally lifted around 1977 and the line was curtailed slightly to the Blodwell/Llanddu Quarry site. Thereafter the remaining line continued to operate and host stone trains until these ceased in 1989 and the line closed for good. Interestingly, to aid operations, a loop was installed in 1985 to eradicate gravity working with unfitted wagons. As part of the work the line was actually extended slightly back towards Nantmawr, stopping short of the bridge carrying the A465 road bridge, which, as can be seen, was given extra strengthening by the crude, but effective, method of pillars built underneath to carry the burden!



Buffer stop marking the end of the line, which until 1977 continued on to Nantmawr.

By the time we had reached this location trains had ended about a year before, annoying as it would have been nice to have seen at least one final freight. I had to satisfy my curiously with a set of photos of the redundant loading facilities and the trackwork, which, given the recent instalment of the loop, look in fine fettle and well-ballasted. It certainly didn't seem like a line that was closed and despite the rust on the rails could have easily have welcomed another train.



Looking back up the loop from the A465 bridge.

Of course, the Cambrian Heritage Railways have since arrived and they currently have two lines to operate, both of which are located on the branch and will hopefully one day be joined as one. The section of line between Oswestry and Weston Wharf was visited by in August 2025 and a few photos can be seen here: https://steve56121.photium.com/oswestry

The other section of the line that has been preserved is between Llynclys and Pennygareg Lane close to the end of the goods line. I couldn't easily reach that due to local road closures so I had to abandon visiting here for now. The plan is to connect both lines and have an 8 mile heritage railway, reviving the route once again. I hope they do it, it's a lovely area and I intend to return.



The disused loading faculties.

There are some very interesting photos and further information on this website: http://www.disused-stations.org.uk/b/blodwell_junction/index2.shtml