Welcome to the Waggonway* Research Circle Website
(Site content last updated 27 January 2017)
This web Site has been created to cover the Industrial Archaeology surrounding the development of the early British waggonway (or wagonway)*. These waggonways were originally made of wood, later evolving into iron L plate tramways or what we today regard as a railway with iron rails.
Some additional material relating to early railways in general is also included including a page relating to the Early Railways Conferences
Due to the interests of the circle members the Site has a particular bias at present to the history of the World's first recorded cross-country overland waggonway, (the Wollaton waggonway of 1604) and Huntingdon Beaumont the man who built it. Additional material relating to other waggonway (wagonway) and plateway (plate way) history will be added over time.
Notes
(1) *We decided to spell waggonway with the double g as used the North East of England but it can also be spelt with the single g as wagonway if you prefer.
(2) Original fsnet hosted version of the website. That site became unsustainable for live updating as the ISP (Orange) insisted it could only be updated using 56K modem connections. It was therefore closed by us and has subsequently been deleted by Orange, (John New - WRC Web-coordinator)
(3) European Directive about use of tracking cookies - As from 26th May 2012 all websites are obliged by European Union Directive to inform you as a user of the Site if tracking cookies are being used. No tracking cookies have been installed on this Site by the Site's designer. Webmaster.
Sponsorship
This website. is currently fully sponsored by Island-Publishing
The WRC also thank Strelley Systems Business Centres for their previous sponsorship of WRC activities.