Railway to Greenway

York Greenways has recently received a Heritage Lottery Fund Grant for the Railway to Greenway project which is based on the cycle/walking path that goes through Bishopthorpe and follows the route of the old East Coast mainline. This section was closed and re-routed in the 1980s to allow development of the Selby coalfield, which has itself subsequently closed.

When the line was still in operation.

Many of the people who remember or worked on the railway, the coal mine or on building the greenway will still be living in the area, and the project is keen to record oral history interviews to preserve their memories for posterity. The project has already been launched with 60 children from the Junior School, and York Greenways are hoping to work with individuals, youth groups and older peoples groups and residential homes in the area to gather as much information as possible about the changes from industry to nature along the route.

If you or a friend or relative have memories you are willing to share, Greenways would love to hear from you.
Contact Peter Huxford on 07979611763 or on peter.huxford@btinernet.com

You can view more information about the project by following this link : Railway to Greenway

 

The Lost Men of Bishopthorpe: First World War

As we proceed through the years 2014 to 2018, I intend to publish the names of the fallen from Bishopthorpe in both Link and Bishopthorpe dot net in the month which marked the centenary of their deaths.

A hundred years ago, the Battle of Passchendaele had been in progress for less than a week. Two Bishopthorpe men had died on the first day of the battle, but another well-known man from the village was to pay the ultimate price on the 5th August, 1917.

As well as spending a few moments thinking of this man and his family, I hope that you find the details of some interest.

WATSON, Arthur Toward

Major, 21st Battalion, King’s Royal Rifle Corps.
Died of wounds, on 5 August, 1917, aged 47, near Ypres, Belgium.
Buried at La Clytte Military Cemetery, west of Ypres, Grave No. II. B. 1.

Remember him.

Ken Haywood