Louth to Bardney Line

The latter had been authorised by Parliament to the East Lincolnshire Railway company, but immediately leased to the GNR, which constructed it and operated it.

Huge reserves of ironstone were believed to exist at Apley and Donington on Bain, on the line of route.

Already in April 1867 the Directors applied to the Board of Trade to abandon the project, saying that problems with land purchase, and the junction at Five Mile House, were insuperable.

[5] Frederick Appleby, a Manchester civil engineer, acquired the company and altered the design, arranging for the branch to join the loop line at Bardney instead, and with the access reversed so that trains ran into a bay and would have to reverse to join the loop line.

[4] The Great Northern Railway agreed to work the line, but the GNR directors were not willing to commit their own resources to the project, and they refused direct financial aid.

[4] Goods traffic was started between Bardney and South Willingham on 9 November 1874, and it was extended to Donington on 27 September 1875.

The entire line was opened throughout to Louth (Wragby Junction) on 26 June 1876 for goods, and on 1 December for passengers.

Captain Tyler of the Board of Trade had inspected it on 31 October but, owing to the incomplete state of works, withheld approval for passenger operation.

Receipts were poor; eventually, a receiver was appointed and efforts were soon made to sell the undertaking to the GNR.

During World War II many bomber airfields were established in Lincolnshire; in January 1943 a Maintenance Unit, No 233, was formed in the area to store and supply bombs and other equipment.