Bottom of Slater's Incline.
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This waggonway is closed. It ran from Plashetts station, on the Border Counties Railway, up Slater's Incline to Plashetts Colliery and Far Colliery. |
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This waggonway ran through hilly moorland to the remote Plashetts Colliery. The valley floor, from which the waggonway started, is now flooded by the Kielder Water reservoir. If you wish to stay in the area I'd recommend the self catering cabins at Leaplish Waterside Park.
From Plashetts station to Plashetts Colliery.
The waggonway met the railway to the immediate east of Plashetts station at a west facing junction. There were railway served brickworks, coke ovens, workshops and screens here.
The site of the station and works is now under the waters of the Kielder Water reservoir. A low part of the incline is now tarmac'ed and concreted and used as a pier for the ferry service operating on the reservoir.
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Near the bottom of Slater's Incline. Normally this area is underwater. |
 View down the incline. |
 Looking up Slater's Incline. Normally this area is underwater. The Screen were out of the view to the left. |
To the east of Plashetts station the line run up Slater's Incline. The Plashetts Colliery was located above the valley floor in the hilly moorland. The incline was laid in both standard and narrow gauge. The narrow gauge line split from the main gauge before the bottom of the incline and ran to screens and coal staithes. At the top of the incline there was a slight bend.
The incline is now a tarmac'ed road from Plashetts Pier to the higher level forestry.
Plashetts Colliery Village / Bank Top
 Shop row, looking towards the former chapel and incline top. |
 Wood Row looking east. Wagon buffer lying on ground to left. |
 A "Plashetts" brick by Wood Row. |
There were a number of miner's rows and a church at the top of the incline. The village was known as 'Bank Top' but is about 1/4 of a mile from the top of the incline. The village consisted of a chapel, Chapel Row, Shop Row, Stable Row, a school, and Wood Row. The line run between the rows before turning north to run to the Far Colliery. There were further cottages at a lower level below the railway embankment. There may have been a siding in the village running east by Wood Row.
Today the village is abandoned and derelict. The base of the rows can seen, just no more. The lower rows are now within close packed trees except at one end.
 Looking north towards the colliery. The staiths were on the left. The photograph is taken from the former narrow gauge line. A coal tip can be seen in the middle distance. The mine buildings were just beyond. |
 Remains of winding engine (?) at Far Colliery. |
 Lying in Belling Burn by the former colliery is this structure made of standard gauge rails. |
 Length of narrow gauge track lying in Belling Burn. |
 There were a number of mines in the area, including Falstone Mine. These tubs are by this former mine. |
The Far Colliery was at the end of the line. This replaced the earlier 'Seldom Seen' mine. The mine was in the valley of the Belling Burn. This was served by a narrow gauge track which ran south, over the burn, to a tip and to staithes on the standard gauge line from Plashetts. The narrow gauge line continued south to a disposal tip approximately where the Far Colliery Village was established. The standard gauge line ran south from the staithes, crossed the Belling Burn on a long viaduct run south, and then turned west as it reached the Plashetts Colliery Village.
Very little remains of buildings at the colliery. A small brick wall remains near the staithes. The narrow gauge tip line can be followed throughout as can the standard gauge line. In the Belling burn lengths of narrow gauge and standard gauge rail can be found. The line crossed the burn on a bridge, now missing, to the north of the forestry commision bridge over the burn.