The "Essex Gates" at Lydney Town level crossing (General)

by peteressex , Thursday, August 25, 2011, 12:03 (4843 days ago)

Lydney councillor William Frank Essex, my grandfather, campaigned for the reinstatement of pedestrian wicket gates at the level crossing in Hill Street, Lydney. The original wickets had been taken out of use and replaced by palisade fencing shortly after the station footbridge was erected in 1904.

Between 1959 and 1962, as their minutes show, the parish council arranged for such reinstatement, and the new wickets carried plaques reading "Essex Gates" in memory of my grandfather, who died in February 1961. Through other local enquiries, I have received two photographs from the 1960s showing the plaques, and some other reminiscences of the wickets and of my "Grampy", but I wondered if any other members of this forum remember the gates and/or have a photograph that they would allow me to use in my family history compilation.

Although they were still there in the late sixties, the plaques may have been painted over or removed by about 1974. The wickets themselves were dismantled during winter 1986-7 and, it seems, cannot now be found.