Loughborough and Lincoln, England Week 43 21st February 2012
                 
Loughborough, to visit Ailsa and Andy.
 
A day out at the Great Central Railway.

Loughborough station is somewhat isolated from the rest of the British rail system but has become a centre for steam restoration.

This is of course a diesel shunter!

 
Loughborough station.

"Waiting for a train" - the station that is, not us.

The disabled toilet is of course working, its a toilet for disabled people. I don't think they (such loos) existed originally but it seems to have made it into the restoration!

 
A fairly standard 4-6-0 steam loco.

Raring to go.

 
All the old railway furniture.

A diesel electric and a steam engine ready to move.

 
The line to the north crosses a canal.

Then stops.

One day the hope is to recover a bit of the land, rebuild the embankment, and connect to the main line system with just a couple of miles of track.

 
There is some serious restoration work occurring.

Each loco takes a few years to restore. And has to meet all the steam safety regulations.

 
The signal box.

Still running cables, rods, safety interlocks, and semaphores.

 
The smoke is from a steam loco waiting in the station with the carriages on the right.

The semaphores in the foreground show which way the points are pointing - so the signalman and driver can know that the lever pulled had the desired effect.

 
Ailsa and Ali.

Not waiting for a train.

8624 - The Elizabethan. Pulling a string of Pullman (first class) cars.

 
The Elizabethan from the overpass.
 
If Brickworks Lane leads to a brickworks then ...

We couldn't imagine Flesh Hovel Lane leading other than to a dead end.

 

 
For some a Sunday spent opening and closing lock gates.
 
We left Loughborough headed back towards Spilsby.

Stopped at Car Coslston. A small village, with a big church.

 
Just strolling around we happened upon this whipping post.

How times have changed (we hope).

Not sure why this particular one has been preserved though! No explanatory signs.

 
The small village had a pub with a campsite out the back.
 
Lincoln Cathedral.
 
Lots of "fiddly bits".
 
The castle is just a hop skip and a jump away.
 
We weren't allowed to photograph the real Magna Carta so settled for a photo of the pub.

Originals of he Charter of the Forest and the Magna Carta are held in Lincoln Castle.

Recollections from school history are that these documents, written around 1215, after King John had failed to regain Normandy from the French. The Barons revolted and forced the signing of the Magna Carta at Runnymede. Then Pope Innocent III got involved to release King John from his oath and declare the document null and void forever.

So they all had a civil war (though I can't imagine anything civil about war!).

Something special about an 800 year old bit of paper - even if it was written in Latin.

It contains the origins of due process of law, habaeus corpus, the right to a fair trial, and taxation only by consent of parliament. 

 
One of the gates to the castle.
 
The innards of the cathedral.

There were roof tours available but our one hour parking limit was running out. Tower tours were closed for winter.

 
The sun through the stained glass windows onto the stone floor brought the cathedral to colourful life.
 
Inside the castle the courts are still in use.

I suppose they have to be somewhere and the dress of the barristers (and the behaviour) add to the atmosphere.

 
The cathedral and old town from the castle observation tower.
 
There's a lot of work needed to make all the fiddly bits!

Must have kept the stonemasons employed for years.

And everyone else poor.

 
Spilsby, Lincolnshire Week 43 27th February 2012
 
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