Railway 'islands': areas accessible by public roads but only by level crossings.

[Mcr Warrior]

Quite possibly. Probably a fair number of relatively isolated farm complexes, rather than small villages.

 

[Roverebbw]

The houses in Harbour Road and Lothing Street in Oulton broad that are only accessible by a level crossing

 

[Western 52]

There are a number of small areas accessible only via a level crossing along the west Wales line between Kidwelly and Ferryside, including Kidwelly Quay and Carmarthen Bay Holiday Park.

Also Ferryside yacht club and sea front car park of course.

 

[vlad]

The quay / riverside / Tide Mill area in Woodbridge, Suffolk. You can walk there along the riverside path but all vehicular access is via level crossings.

Last time I was there they were all ungated - I understand barriers have now been put in.

 

[InOban]

There are several miles of the North bank of the Tay estuary which are separated from the main route A90 by the railway. There are bridges at either end but a whole series of LCs in between.

And at Connel Ferry the houses on the South side of the line have road access through a bridge with no more than 3m clearance. Vehicles such as the refuse truck have to use the UWC to the East.

 

[Pinus contorta]

The beach/car park area at Hest Bank... also the only place the West Coast Main Line actually lives up to its name!

I've been musing about this 'West Coast' question for over half my life now. My conclusion is that the River Lune at Lancaster is tidal and the River Esk at Rockliffe north of Carlisle is tidal. Both of which the line crosses over.

 

[notlob.divad]

I've been musing about this 'West Coast' question for over half my life now. My conclusion is that the River Lune at Lancaster is tidal and the River Esk at Rockliffe north of Carlisle is tidal. Both of which the line crosses over.

The Mersey is also tidal until Howley Weir in Warrington, which is East of the point the WCML crosses the Mersey. It is also the reason the government used to make the new Mersey Gateway crossing and the old Silver Jubilie Bridge road bridges toll crossings, (conveniently ignored when it comes to the new bridges in the middle of Warrington.

Anyway back on topic, the businesses on Quay Fold in Warrington are only accesible for vehicles via level crossings over the Ditton goods line. However the adjacent Lavender Gardens housing estate is only accesable via a bridge at Barnard Street.

 

[ForTheLoveOf]

It is also the reason the government used to make the new Mersey Gateway crossing and the old Silver Jubilie Bridge road bridges toll crossings, (conveniently ignored when it comes to the new bridges in the middle of Warrington.

It's also something the government conveniently managed to overlook when deciding to make both Severn bridges toll-free (there having previously been a toll on the old bridge since its opening), despite that being a tidal crossing that is much longer.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

I've been musing about this 'West Coast' question for over half my life now. My conclusion is that the River Lune at Lancaster is tidal and the River Esk at Rockliffe north of Carlisle is tidal. Both of which the line crosses over.

The Thames is tidal to Teddington, but nobody would try to claim that Waterloo or Cannon Street were "by the seaside"

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Looks like the small coastal communities of Ardmore and Seabank Cottage (Cardross) on the north side of the Firth of Clyde, between Cardross station and Craigendoran Junction, are accessible by LC only.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

And another possible one. New Holland Pier and the immediate area on the banks of the River Humber looks to be only LC accessible. Another location with a former (now closed) railway station.

 

[OxtedL]

Don't think Linford/East Tilbury has been mentioned yet?

 

[Crossover]

Although not an LC, the access to Fryston Village (outskirts of Leeds) is via a (narrow) bridge over the railway line, with the River Aire at the other side, making it something of an island!

 

[Mcr Warrior]

It got me wondering - are there areas where every access requires a level crossing, or with a higher proportion of level crossings than the example above? I am thinking of places accessible to the public.

Although not an LC, the access to Fryston Village (outskirts of Leeds) is via a (narrow) bridge over the railway line, with the River Aire at the other side, making it something of an island!

Good shout, but disallowed, as per the OP's original criteria!

 

[Crossover]

Good shout, but disallowed, as per the OP's original criteria!

Indeed so - just thought it was worth mentioning as an aside

 

[richard1976]

Fairbourne. Cant see a way of accessing most of it without crossing either the Cambrian coast line or the narrow gauge Fairbourne Railway

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Fairbourne. Cant see a way of accessing most of it without crossing either the Cambrian coast line or the narrow gauge Fairbourne Railway

Inclined to agree. Looks like the Southern part of Fairbourne can be accessed off Penrhyn Road South via a narrow railway under bridge after leaving the A493 coastal road, otherwise you have to cross one of the LCs for much of the rest of the town.

 

[GlitterUnicorn]

Playing rather loose with the rules but the entirety of Wester Ross could be considered a level crossing island.

The level crossing at Garve covers the main route in, Google Streetview shows a route around it but I think they're cheating because they use an unsurfaced forestry road. Approaching Wester Ross from the East access is blocked by the crossing at Strathcarron. To avoid crossing these you'd have to take a long, circuitous route via Invershin, while of course avoiding half a dozen other level crossings on route. Or do some off-roading.

So, technically not a level crossing island but to avoid them demands a ridiculously long diversion that could end up being over 200 miles longer. Add in a couple of roads closed due to snow in the winter and you have a true island.

 

[Tracked]

There's a little bit of road near me, Ings Road in Bentley, that's between the Leeds and York lines, nothing in it though

Lindisfarne (Holy Island), Goswick and Beal, cut off by the ECML.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Further north in Northumberland there’s Holy Island (Lindisfarne)?

And finally on the Northumberland Coast, Goswick (just North of the LC crossing for Lindisfarne) and Fenham le Moor (just South) both need their own LC crossings.

Looking at the map (Landranger 75) I see that not only is Mcr correct, but also that Beal (excluding Beal West Mains) and the whole of Holy Island is LC-accessible only, as said earlier by swt_passenger.

Thank you all for your fascinating responses.

Lindisfarne (Holy Island), Goswick and Beal, cut off by the ECML.

Thanks Tracked but already mentioned.

 

[InOban]

Playing rather loose with the rules but the entirety of Wester Ross could be considered a level crossing island.

The level crossing at Garve covers the main route in, Google Streetview shows a route around it but I think they're cheating because they use an unsurfaced forestry road. Approaching Wester Ross from the East access is blocked by the crossing at Strathcarron. To avoid crossing these you'd have to take a long, circuitous route via Invershin, while of course avoiding half a dozen other level crossings on route. Or do some off-roading.

So, technically not a level crossing island but to avoid them demands a ridiculously long diversion that could end up being over 200 miles longer. Add in a couple of roads closed due to snow in the winter and you have a true island.

In the days before the Kessock bridge, I think that the whole of the North Highlands was accessed across an LC at Muir of Ord. Could be bypassed by a ferry.

 

[norbitonflyer]

In the days before the Kessock bridge, I think that the whole of the North Highlands was accessed across an LC at Muir of Ord. Could be bypassed by a ferry.

 

[norbitonflyer]

Until the closure of St Marks station and the associated level crossings in 1985, a large area of Lincoln's city centre was only accessible by one of four level crossings (two on the High Street, one on Beevor Street and one on Brayford Wharf East. Even today, an area to the east of the city centre (including Stagecoach's bus maintenance depot, on what used to be the site of the dmu depot) appears to be accessible only by way of the level crossing on Great Northern Terrace or through a private car park

 

[topydre]

The Anglican church in Borth (St Matthews) is only accessible to vehicles via a level crossing. IIRC The vicar was not amused when Network Rail when Network Rail locked the gate out of use a while back; I think they've come to an arrangement now, for Sundays at least.

 

[apinnard]

Holme Fen Nature Reserve (via Holme Lode crossing?)

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Numerous farm properties on the three mile cul-de-sac that is the Long Drove, to the North North East of Waterbeach in Cambridgeshire, look only to be accessible by LC crossing(s) of the Fen Line.

 

[181]

Holme Fen Nature Reserve (via Holme Lode crossing?)

Not quite -- the road forms a loop whose other end joins the B-road to/from Ramsey. (Parts of it are very rough, but that applies to the direct route too).

I think part of the port of Fishguard can only be reached via a level crossing, but I don't know whether it meets the OP's criterion of being accessible to the public.

 

[DimTim]

Steel Street scrap yards over Holmes Junc. level crossing Rotherham.

 

[JN114]

Didcot Railway Centre.

Plasser's works at West Ealing.

Didcot Railway Centre has no road access whatsoever

 

[billio]

These houses at Church Fenton are sandwiched between the line to Micklefield and that to Sherburn. Access is only possible through a level crossing over the Micklefield line. At one time I was thinking of buying a house there: it would have been quite an interesting location from a train spotting point of view but possibly rather noisy.