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Coxgreen Road, HOUGHTON LE SPRING, DH4 7AX

The Leamside Line is the mothballed railway which runs parallel to the East Coast Main Line between Ferryhill and Newcastle. The trackbed and ballast has been preserved against possible re-opening although the track has been removed (some of it stolen as on this section).

This railway line, (the Leamside Line) running from Wardley in the North to join the main London - Scotland line south of Durham, was finally closed in the early 1990s but has largely been left 'as was'. In 2003 an enterprising criminal took up about 2 miles of track with the intention of selling it (he was caught, but by then the track was gone). The results of his actions are seen in this picture. Further info: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/3044669.stm

View of the north east corner of Penshaw village.

Opened in 1841 by the Durham Junction Railway on the line from Washington to Rainton Meadows, local services initially ran to Gateshead. From 1844, the Newcastle and Darlington Junction Railway via Leamside connected to this line just south of Fencehouses, and so it became part of the East Coast Main Line from London to Newcastle (until 1872 when the current main line via Durham was opened). View north towards Washington and Newcastle. The station initially had two parallel platforms north east of station road. The station, which was also known as "Pensher" at this time (and "Painshaw" on OS maps) was relocated to 200m behind the camera position in 1881. The track through here was in situ until 2012. No trace of either station apparently remains. For more information, see http://www.disused-stations.org.uk/p/penshaw_first/index.shtml

The Leamside Line is the mothballed railway which runs parallel to the East Coast Main Line between Ferryhill and Newcastle. The trackbed and ballast has been preserved against possible re-opening although the track has been removed (some of it stolen as on this section).

Site of Penshaw railway station.

Quite a bottleneck on Station Road where it passes under the Leamside Line. The Leamside Line is the mothballed railway which runs parallel to the East Coast Main Line between Ferryhill and Newcastle. The trackbed has been preserved against possible re-opening although the track has been removed.

Showing position of Postbox No. DH4 199. See Image] for postbox.

Postbox No. DH4 199. See Image] for close up. See Image] for context.

Postbox No. DH4 199. See Image] for wider view.