Springwell
Public Entrance

This page is still under construction.

Photograph of public entrance to go here.

This is not the first public entrance the railway has had during preservation. In the early days the public entrance was via what has now become the staff entrance, with the public car park on the grassed area outside the site boundary behind the electricity sub station. Road access to this area was always difficult, and with increased traffic was proving to be dangerous, so a new car park was required.

The present location, once part of the colliery spoil heaps was partially graded to provide a car park and access from the road. With its large lumps of red clinker, some of which were bigger than the cars that parked in this area, it looked like a lunar landscape and was far from acceptable. The City of Sunderland provided the present car park as part of Government grant aided reclamation work at Springwell, the army having to blast some to the larger clinker pieces. A number of modern pit tubs were placed here to provide raised beds for various plants.

As part of the reclamation the Bowes Railway Footpath and Cycle way skirts the edge of the area. The Countryside Commission placed a round metal plaque on a stone plinth next to the path, providing some basic information about the railway. The inscription on this plaque faces the path and is therefore missed by most visitors to the site.

Although initially a Car and Coach parking and picnic area, it has seen some unusual items parked on it, including vintage vehicles, and helicopters.

This page last updated 30 November 2002