History of the Green Line
The Green Line was part of the old Midland railway running from St Pancras, London to Nottingham Midland station via Lady Bay bridge. It was opened in 1879 as a faster route than the original line via Leicester and was also used by the prestigious Anglo Scottish Express. A brickworks (now the Ludlow Hill Industrial Estate) was served by a short spur from the main line. Although there was no station in West Bridgford, one was provided at Edwalton. This was closed to passengers in 1949 but remained open for horse boxes, cows, furniture and pigeons until 1965. The line was finally closed by Dr. Beeching in 1969.
Many of the artifacts of the line remain, the most important being the skew arch design Devonshire Road Bridge. "Skew" is the term used by builders to describe how the bricks under the arch are placed at an angle. Why not have a look and see for yourself? The Devonshire Road Bridge is the last remaining railway bridge over a road in West Bridgford.
After the closing of the railway, various options for its use were considered. Although parts were proposed for housing, in 1988 it was decided that the section between Melton and Boundary Roads should be retained as an open space.. Against a background of growing national interest in urban wildlife, the Green Line was opened in 1989 for use by the local community. The Friends of the Green Line now maintain the site with help from the Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust on behalf of Rushcliffe Borough Council.