The Willington Waggonway Discovery
The discovery of the 17th century Willington Waggonway in 2013 was a remarkable find in British industrial history.
Credit: The Archaeological Practice Ltd
It’s the most complete and best-preserved section of early wooden railway to have been found anywhere in the world.
Buried beneath coal waste at the site of the former Neptune Yard in Walker, Newcastle, archaeologists uncovered well-preserved wooden tracks.
These tracks were part of a horse-drawn waggonway system, a precursor to modern railways, which was used to transport coal from inland mines to coastal ports for shipment.
Credit: The Archaeological Practice Ltd
More specifically, it was originally used by horse-drawn carts to transport coal from Willington colliery to the River Tyne, the city council confirmed.
What made the excavation even more fascinating was the discovery that many of the timbers used to construct the waggonway were repurposed from old ships.
This highlights a practice common at the time: recycling materials to save costs.
The waggonway's timbers, still intact after centuries underground, were buried under layers of coal waste that had accumulated as the Neptune Yard was active in the shipbuilding industry during the 19th and 20th centuries.
In the 18th century, the North East became a hub for mining technology, gaining international recognition due to the expertise of its engineers and miners.
The site is deemed of global importance for its archaeological record regarding the evolution of railway technology.
Credit: The Archaeological Practice Ltd
Prior to this, only one other wooden waggonway had been professionally excavated and documented in Tyne and Wear: the one at Fencehouses on Wearside in 1995.
However, the remains from that excavation were not recovered, leaving their condition and extent uncertain.
The recent discovery of a segment of the Willington Waggonway offers a unique opportunity to examine the substantial and well-preserved remains of one of Tyneside’s wooden waggonways.
What was a Waggonway?
A waggonway was an early form of railway system, primarily used in the mining and industrial sectors during the 17th to 19th centuries.
It consisted of wooden or metal tracks laid on the ground, along which wooden wagons were pulled by horses or gravity.
These tracks were typically built to transport coal, minerals, and other heavy materials from mines to rivers, canals, or other transport hubs.
The design of wagonways was relatively simple.
The wagons, often constructed from wood, had metal wheels that would run along the rails. In many cases, the wagons were fitted with flanged wheels to help them stay on the tracks.
The use of wagonways significantly improved the efficiency of transporting goods, as they reduced friction and allowed for the movement of larger loads over longer distances than traditional horse-drawn carts on unpaved roads.
Wagonways were particularly prevalent in regions rich in coal, such as Northeast England, where they played a crucial role in the Industrial Revolution.
They enabled the rapid transport of coal to ports and industrial centres, helping to fuel the growing demand for energy during this period.
Over time, many wagonways evolved into more sophisticated rail systems, paving the way for the development of the modern railway network.
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