IT is now 50 years since the last railway freight services were officially withdrawn on the Lakeside branch line from Ulverston to the shores of Windermere.

You can still ride a small section of the line on steam and diesel trains run by the Lakeside and Haverthwaite Railway but the rest of the line is overgrown, dug up or forms part of the A590.

The end of this very traditional country railway link, via Greenodd, was recorded in the Evening Mail on March 17 in 1967 which confirmed the closure date.

It noted: “British Railways announced today the complete withdrawal of trains from the Lakeside line.

“The closure will come into effect on April 24.

“Since September 1965 when the last passenger train ran along the line a goods service has been maintained, mainly to serve the Backbarrow Ironworks.

“A British Railways spokesman said in Preston today the ironworks had a contract for a private siding and under that contract could not be terminated without giving 12 months’ notice.

“He said traffic was only light and had decreased recently.

“In future the goods service to the area, which at present is served by the Plumpton Junction to the Lakeside line, will be handled by road transport from the Ulverston depot.

“A spokesman for the ironworks said trade had been slack recently and in future loads would be taken by road to Ulverston and trans-shipped to the railway.

“Before the passenger line closure, thousands of holiday-makers travelled along the line each year to connect with the Windermere steamer service.

“So far no plans have been announced for pulling up the line.”

Work to build the line from Plumpton Junction, near Ulverston, to the lake at Newby Bridge was started on November 22 in 1866 when Barrow’s first mayor Sir James Ramsden cut the first sod on behalf of the Furness Railway.

The eight-mile line was opened to passengers on June 1 in 1869 – but it wasn’t built for them.

Investment in the line was based on likely freight profits from serving the needs of Backbarrow Ironworks and gunpowder factories at Lowwood and Black Beck.

There was also coal wagons to take to the Windermere steamers at Lakeside.

The final British Railways train to visit Lakeside was a group of brake vans filled with railway enthusiasts on a special charter on September 2 in 1967.

A three-and-a-half mile section of the line from Haverthwaite to Lakeside opened as a visitor attraction on May 2 in 1973.