LEAVING Radcliffe, one route ran between the A58 and Elton Reservoir before curving east to cross the River Irwell and the Manchester-to-Bury Canal via an impressive five-arched viaduct. This line then met the now-disappeared station which stood opposite Bury Town Hall in Knowsley Street.

The route then continued through Heap Bridge, Hopwood and Heywood and eventually joined the Manchester-to-Rochdale line near Castleton.

At North Junction, near Radcliffe Central Station, this line diverted away from the Bury-to-Manchester line in a south-westerly direction.

It traversed the land upon which Coney Green School playing fields now stand and then passed beneath the Radcliffe-to-Bolton line.

The remains of stone bridge supports can still be seen here. The line headed south towards Spring Lane across land now built on with houses. It passed beneath Spring Lane and rang alongside Darbyshire Street in a cutting now filled in and landscaped. The stone wall overlooking this former cutting is still present and runs the full length of Darbyshire Street.

Passing under Blackburn Street, the route ran alongside School Street for a short distance, then headed towards Green Street and on land now occupied by Radcliffe baths’ car park and then past where Asda was first built, and where Dunelm now stands. The route went above Sion Street via a single-arched bridge which is still standing. Radcliffe Bridge Station used to be just before the bridge at the end of Railway Street, but not a trace of it exists now. The area is now largely taken up by the new Radcliffe bypass, Pilkington Way. Now, the embankment made for the River Irwell, crossing it via a beautiful five-arched viaduct constructed of brick and stone. Happily, the viaduct still stands and now carries a walking footpath — the Outwood Trail.

Between here and Ringley Road, the line crossed the valley side via an embankment and a cutting. The now-vanished Outwood Sidings used to stand on the westward side of the line. Just before going beneath Ringley Road, the cutting ran alongside Wood Street with its near single row of terraced houses and an old street lamp. A railway station used to be situated a little way before Ringley Road bridge on the Wood Street side, but only some odds and ends of brickwork remain now.

The route now headed due south out of Radcliffe and towards Clifton Junction, eventually to join the Manchester-to-Liverpool line at Eccles.

The site of North Junction can be seen from the Manchester-to-Bury Metrolink line. Just after leaving Radcliffe Station heading for Bury, looking out of the left-hand window, Coney Green School stands below. Look beyond, towards the edge of the playing fields and a railway embankment will be clearly seen. This gradually coverges with the line we are travelling on. Traces of old railway line can still be seen where North Junction once stood.

North Junction is part of a triangle where three lines meet — the line from Manchester; the lie to Bury through Radcliffe from Outwood; the short linking line which eventually joined the Bolton line just after crossing the canal, at West Junction.

Near North Junction, there was a goods yard where lines of goods wagons, as well as various warehouses and stock sheds could once be seen.