Northumbrian Railways

The Alnwick to Cornhill Branch

Single track line of 35.5 miles with some of the finest station buildings ever provided on a rural branch line.

• 19/05/1882 NER authorised by Alnwick & Cornhill Railway Act to build line.
• 12/01/1884 Construction of line begins at Alnwick.
• 02/05/1887 Line opens to goods between Cornhill and Wooperton.
• 05/09/1887 Line opens throughout to passenger and goods services.
• 22/09/1930 Passenger services withdrawn.
• 12/08/1948 Floods wash out bridge south of Mindrum. Line operated in 2 sections, Alnwick to Kirknewton and Coldstream to Mindrum.
• 26/10/1949 Floods wash out another bridge between Wooler and Ilderton, and the decision taken to repair the Mindrum bridge, and operate the line in 2 sections, Alnwick to Ilderton and Coldstream to Wooler.
• 02/03/1953 Alnwick to Ilderton section closed.
• 29/03/1965 Coldstream to Wooler section closed.

Guard re-boarding train after attending to the gates at Hagg Crossing (NT859354) 1.5km
north of Mindrum. Oxford University Railway Society Easter Tour 1964. (Robert Goundry)