Tracing Lost Railways

A short guide to the intriguing structures and artifacts that can be found along the routes of disused railways.

As towns and cities rose and fell in dominance and road transport became a heavy contender, many railway lines were closed during the twentieth century. Though much of their architecture is lost, countless clues to our railway past still remain, in the form of embankments, cuttings, tunnels, converted wayside buildings, and old railway furniture such as signal posts. Ghosts of the disused routes are preserved in the form of cycle tracks and footpaths.

This colorfully illustrated book helps you decipher these features and understand their original functions, revealing the hidden history of railways written across the landscape. It demonstrates how old routes can be traced on maps, their effect on the landscape, and the history which can be revealed by tracing their often apparently obscure remains on the ground, helping you to follow the tracks of our railway past.