Jack Singleton, creator of the Wight Wanderer channel, published a new video this week examining the possible routes and locations of this overlooked fragment of Island history.
Walking the Atherfield coast
The walk began at Chale, at a former gunnery range shelter – an isolated brick structure sitting to the west of Whale Chine.
From there, Jack followed the clifftop westward, reaching a point beyond Cowlease Chine.
Aerial photographs taken during the 1940s support the theory that a pebble extraction facility once occupied that stretch of cliffside, making it one of the stronger candidate sites for the lost tramway.
Finds along the way
On the beach below, Jack found physical evidence of the pebble extraction operation, with material having fallen from the cliff over the years.
The coastal ground also yielded two standard gauge rails sitting embedded in the surface – items of historical interest, but ones Jack identifies as unconnected to the tramway.
The most telling discovery came at sea level at the mouth of Shepherd’s Chine, where Jack found a single rail that appears to match the type used for the lost line.
An unexpected lead
That find carries particular weight because investigators had not previously put Shepherd’s Chine forward as a candidate location for the tramway.
The origins of the line remain unanswered for now, though much of this coastline once sat within Ministry of Defence land – raising the possibility that those involved in the tramway’s construction had reasons to keep it out of public record.
Calling for local knowledge
Jack credits Island railway historians with providing crucial help during his early research. He said,
“I have had some crucial help so far from Island railway historians and I am looking for more information, perhaps from residents who may have a memory of the area.”
Anyone with personal or family recollections of the Atherfield coastline could help fill the gaps that archive sources and coastal surveys have so far left open.
Jack added,
“I will continue digging for clues and information over the coming months.”
