Bigrigg - Whitehaven, Cleator and Egremont Railway, The Bigrigg Branch & Iron Ore Mines

From the introduction: Looking at the village of Bigrigg it today, you might think it an ordinary farming hamlet astride the main road. Then you might notice the large blacksmith's works at the south end, and a row of terraced cottages more associated with mining communities. Then you might start to wonder why the main road, which is straight coming up the hill and straight along the main street has a large kink between the two. Maybe, there is a little more to this village than at first appears.

Within an area of little more than one square mile, just to the north of the ancient market town of Egremont, there have been some 40 iron ore mines. All but the earliest have had a rail connection, even if only a siding and run-around loop. These were mostly between Moor Row, Woodend and Bigrigg, with some on the western side of the A595 towards St Bees. Very little has been written about these mines and their associated railway connections, and what has been recorded has been ambiguous. Confusion seems to stem from the way the mining companies named their workings. Most mines consisted of numerous shafts, and at some, a shaft or 'Pit' might be given a different name from that of the surface mine. There was a Wyndham mine at Egremont and one at Bigrigg, completely separate mines some miles apart. Additionally, if a mine was sold, the new owners would in some cases change the name of the mine whilst keeping the shaft names as before. Some of the horizontal ore bodies were so large that they were worked from a number of mines and numerous shafts. For example, Crossgill, Parkside, Frizington Parks, Goose Green and High House mines worked the same body of ore which extended laterally over 16 hectares. In later years, Beckermet, Florence and Haile Moor mines were worked as one mine.

To add to the confusion, it is possible to have up to four 'owners' involved. The land on the surface may be owned by one family or firm, however, the rights to the minerals under the ground are often owned by a completely different person or company. Yet another person or company may then take out a lease to mine the said minerals - and to further the complication, it was far from unknown for them to sub­lease the mine or pit to yet another person or company.

The trigger forthe research, which led to this publication, came from a simply query: "Does anyone know where the Bigrigg Goods Depot is/was?" This originated from "Jowett's Railway Atlas" which, on page 36, shows the West Cumbrian lines. Between Moor Row and Woodend, Jowett shows "Bigrigg Junction", with a branch to the west ending at "Bigrigg Goods (Depot)". Various theories abounded as to the location of this goods depot, which no-one knew anything about. Searches of records, archives and maps started, together with examination of relics on the ground; this publication being the outcome. This publication is an attempt to record that history, specifically the railway history, most traces of which have now disappeared. The area covered is that served by the Bigrigg Branch of the Whitehaven, Cleator and Egremont Railway (WCER), which I joined the main WCER line, between Moor Row and Egremont, at Bigrigg Junction. Whilst Moor Row is outside the direct scope , of this publication, it is referred to as it was the source of the main line locomotive provision and traffic control off the branch. Sections include:

Introduction
The Whitehaven, Cleator & Egremont Railway
Bigrigg Main Branch
Back Shunt
Croft Pit Sub-branch
Moss Bay Sub-branch
Pallaflat Sub-branch
Railway Operation and Signalling
Appendix 1 - Geology
Appendix 2 - Bigrigg Goods Yard, Recollections of Neil Hodgson