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The Lost Railways of Essex
19-Jun-2023 @ 19:30 - 22:30
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This will be a ‘Double Header’ presentation with contributions from both Tony Crosby and Tim Murphy.
Tony Crosby will examine the history, archaeology and heritage of the three main branch lines of the north-west of the county – the Bishop’s Stortford, Dunmow and Braintree Branch, the Saffron Walden Branch and the Elsenham & Thaxted Light Railway. He will also look at some of the present structures at risk on both closed lines and on some of the currently operational lines. There may be time to also feature a lost miniature railway!
Tony’s first career was in local authority social services, towards the end of which time he studied Industrial Archaeology at the Ironbridge Institute. Since graduating he has undertaken historic surveys of industries and individual buildings on industrial sites in Hertfordshire and Essex, including two railway lines in Essex. He has published a number of articles in Industrial Archaeology Review, other history journals and has contributed to four books. He is a Council member of the Association for Industrial Archaeology, having been a former Chairman of the AIA, and is Chairman of the Essex Industrial Archaeology Group. He retired from the Heritage Lottery Fund in 2013 where he was a policy advisor on industrial, maritime and transport heritage.
Tim Murphy will outline the history of three branch lines and the existing remnants which survive. The first is a line which was never actually fully realised-the Mistley, Thorpe and Walton Railway. The second and third are the former Maldon branch lines from Witham and South Woodham. Tim will also examine some of the challenges of preserving and reusing some of this historic infrastructure today.
Tim is an archaeologist and historic building consultant. He manages the Built Heritage and Archaeology Team at Essex County Council. Prior to this he worked in the private sector as a heritage consultant across the UK and Ireland during which time he was involved in the regeneration of many industrial heritage assets. Tim has an interest in railway heritage and his work involves the management of change to assets on existing and former rail infrastructure.