Unusual Modes Of Transport Found Around The British Isles

  

Found below is a list of modes of transportation found in and around the British Isles which, although are common place in other parts of the world, are considered very unusual and even rare here in the United Kingdom.

AERIAL LIFTS 

Although common place all over the world aerial lifts, which are known as cable cars in the United Kingdom, are something of a rarity here in Britain with only six having been built here.

Five of these cable cars are located at the tourist attractions of Alton Towers and Drayton Manor theme parks in Staffordshire, the Great Orme in Llandudno, north Wales, Ben Nevis in Fort William in Scotland and the Heights of Abraham in Derbyshire in England. 

The country’s only cable car which is used as a mode of public transport is the Emirates Air Line Cable Car which spans the River Thames in London between Greenwich and the Royal Victoria Docks. 

GONDOLA LIFTS / TRANSPORTER BRIDGES 

A gondola lift is a metal cage which is attached to a runner situated on the underside of a bridge. 

Gondola lifts, which are also known as transporter bridges, were generally built on bridges that spanned navigable waterways, where there was the need for room for a ship to pass below.

There have been less than twenty five of these types of bridges built worldwide with only seven still remaining in use today. 

Five of these transporter bridges were built in the United Kingdom three of which are still in use today, they are; 

The 645 foot long, Grade I listed, Newport Transporter Bridge, which links the B4237 road in Newport, south Wales across the River Usk, and was opened in 1906.

The 851 foot long, Grade II listed, Middlesbrough Transporter Bridge, which links the A178 road in Middlesbrough, Tyne and Wear across the River Tees and was opened in 1911.

The 418 foot long Royal Victoria Docks Bridge in London, a foot passenger only transporter bridge which spans the River Thames between London’s dockland’s Eastern Quay and Royal Docks, which was opened in 1998.

   

HORSE DRAWN BARGES

Britain’s barges were built exclusively for use upon the country’s three thousand miles of canals and were originally powered by horses. 

Seven canals around the country still use this old method of transportation, although they are used only as tourist attractions and then only during the Summer months. 

These horse drawn barges can be found on the Tiverton Canal in Devon, The Llangollen Canal in north Wales, the Kennet and Avon Canal located between Bristol and Bath, the Foxton Canal in Leicestershire, the Godalming Canal in Surrey, the Peak Forest Canal in Ashton – under – Lyne and the Newbury Canal in Berkshire.  

HORSE DRAWN TAXIS

The oldest type of taxi in the world is the horse drawn taxi, where they are known as Hackney cabs in the United Kingdom, the same name that London’s black cabs go by, as they too were once horse drawn.

In Britain today horse drawn taxis are still a regular mode of transport in the village of Polperro in Cornwall and the two Devon villages of Cockington and Clovelly. This is due to the very steep inclines on which these three seaside villages are located. 

HORSE DRAWN TRAMS

A hundred years ago a horse drawn tram upon the streets of any city in the world was quite commonplace, today however they are a rare sight indeed with only a few remaining worldwide.

Today within the British Isles there is only one city which uses horse drawn trams and that is Douglas, the capital city of the Isle of Man.

The Douglas Bay Horse Tramway has been in continuous use since May of 1876, making it the oldest, continuously used, horse drawn tram service in the world.  

FUNICULAR RAILWAYS

A funicular railway is a rail track situated on a steep incline which is powered by two cars which counterbalance one another as they make their way up and down the side of a mountain or cliff. The two cars are are attached to one another by rope or steel and have wheels which run on rails.

Originally funicular railways were  powered by water, by way of a water tank fitted to the underside of each car which would fill or empty in order to give the respective car balance.

All but one of Britain’s remaining funicular railways were built on the coast, leading to their common name of cliff lifts. 

Today Britain is home to thirty funicular railways, the four most interesting of which are;

The Grade II listed, Leas Cliff Lift in Folkestone in Kent, which is one of the few in the country still powered by water.

The Saltburn Cliff Lift situated at Saltburn – on – Sea near Cleveland, which was built in 1884 making it the oldest of it’s type in the country.

The Aberystwyth Cliff Railway, which runs to the summit of Constitution Hill in Aberystwyth, in north Wales. The railway is  778 feet high, making it the country’s highest funicular railway.

The Bridgenorth Cliff Railway which is situated in Bridgegnorth in Shropshire. This railway travels for 111 feet at a gradient of 64%, making it the country’s shortest, steepest and the only one to be positioned inland.  

REACTION FERRIES

A reaction ferry is a cable ferry which is propelled by the reaction of a river’s current. These types of ferries are used on fast flowing rivers all over the world and are generally made up of a single hull which is tethered to a guide rope situated on either side of the river.

Just one of these type of ferry exists in Britain today however and that is the four hundred year old Hampton Loade Ferry situated on the River Severn at Hampton Loade in Shropshire. This reaction ferry is unique as it is steered by way of a punting pole, unlike other types of reaction ferries which are generally steered by way of a rudder or bridle cable.   

SEA TRACTORS

Sea tractors are a very rare sight today but there are at least two in the United Kingdom which have stood the test of time and are still in regular use.

They are the South Sands to Salcombe and the Bigbury - on - Sea to Burgh Island sea tractors, both of which are situated on Devon’s south coast and both of which make journeys of just a few hundred yards. These sea tractors have remained popular at these four sites as non of these small seaside villages have regular quaysides or jetties.