Windhill station GNR and Shipley Midland

Once again I am grateful to Peter Thorpe for his 

magnificent archive of photographs around Shipley

The Great Northern station can be seen behind the 

signals. The train of parcel vans is on the Midland 

main line into Shipley station and on the Bradford

side. The two bridges it is crossing are, farthest the

road bridge crossing Leeds Rd and the nearest is 

across the Bradford beck where it winds it's way

out and a little later enters the River Aire. Windhill

in my childhood was a warren of terraced homes

and the mills and factories in which the people 

worked.

here a train heads in the opposite direction towards

the Leeds/Baildon or maybe the Great Northern

Junction. This time an 8F is in charge. The old 

Bradford canal which was of course put out of

business by the railway, followed the same route

into Bradford and passed under Leeds Rd vie the 

bridge which can be seen just to the right of the 

8F's chimney. A hundred or so yards to the

north of that bridge was the first set of locks

on the way from the Leeds to Liverpool main

canal into the City of Bradford. Much of

Bradford's eminence in woolen textiles

been generated by this canal. Of course

the Bradford to Leeds railway soon took

precedence for the transport of goods to

and from the city. 

As always many thanks to Peter Thorpe