What if I told you a railway line once snaked through this very valley, clinging precariously to the banks of the River North Esk? This is the tale of the Hawthornden Junction to Penicuik Branch. The Hawthornden Junction to Penicuik Branch, a mere 4.5 miles long, was a marvel of engineering. Opened in 1872, it wasn’t meant for grand journeys, but for the lifeblood of local industry. The Hawthornden Junction, where our story begins, connected this branch to the Peebles Railway. Imagine the steam engines chugging along, hauling vital supplies. This line served not royalty or tourists, but the paper mills of Dalmore, Eskmills, and Valleyfield. These mills, essential to the local economy, relied on the railway to transport esparto grass, the raw material for their paper production. The Hawthornden Junction to Penicuik Branch wasn’t just about industry. It also carried passengers, particularly Edinburgh professionals who found this area an attractive place to live. The line’s construction was a feat in itself. It crossed the North Esk seven times in just 2.5 miles. It boasted a ten-arch viaduct and two tunnels. One of these tunnels, near Rosslyn, was a metal tube built to protect a nearby gunpowder factory from sparks from the steam engines. A unique solution to a specific challenge. The Hawthornden Junction to Penicuik Branch became part of the North British Railway in 1876. The promise was to maintain an efficient passenger service, a lifeline for the growing communities along the line. But progress has a way of changing things. With the rise of buses and cars, the railway’s fortunes declined. Passenger services ended in 1951. Goods traffic limped on until 1967, when landslides dealt the final blow. Today, the tracks are gone. But the spirit of the Hawthornden Junction to Penicuik Branch lives on. Part of the line now forms a section of National Cycle Route 73, a path for walkers and cyclists to retrace the route of those industrious steam engines.
Центральный дом работников искусств
Step through the grand wooden doors of the Central House of the Workers of Art, and you’ll be transported to