went to visit the in laws and looked at this place
it is very overgrown but we found some boilers, crushers and graders and old buildings but no trucks


boilers above the loading bay cutting


think its a crusher, in the loading bay cutting


and again


old boiler?


old boiler


the grader


the grader with me in!


sat on the grader


think it might be a small crusher?


a ruin


inside the ruin


inside a cottage - the managers house?


looking out!


the crusher from the other side


remains of a loading dock by the cutting


past its best


inside


iron post in the station yard with fancy brick floor - what is it/was it?


chaved wall - all thats left of the station?

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Good find! I'd guess that iron post is the base for a small crane if it's in a railway yard.

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mother in law says there are plans to build houses on this site so if you want a look sooner rather than later...
Could well be a crane related thing - looks like a pivot on top

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defo a crane base, pic on m-e shows it in use
also some pics of the site in use - the grader was on top of a great big tower like building
people think this was a roadstone tarmac plant using stuff from the limestone quary but f-in-law says they used slag from the furnaces for this

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NGR would be nice 😉 cheers

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http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Thrapston,+Kettering&sll=53.800651,-4.064941&sspn=11.852959,27.641602&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Thrapston,+Kettering,+United+Kingdom&ll=52.390084,-0.537948&spn=0.000373,0.001355&t=h&z=20 
havent got a map but this should br the crane thing with the grader to thr rhs in the trees
its the thing being a sundial!

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That'll do nicely so many thanks.... daft part is I have driven by it a dozen times as my boss lives near there :lol:

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The iron post was the centre-post for a train turntable, a constant irritation throughout the yard's use after the railway finished as it proved immovable!

Nope its def a standard Midland Railway yard crane post from what I can see.... Turntables for locos and wagons were in pits and the centre post below ground level.....

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Of course! That makes sense. Couldn't run a train over it. Thanks for that, I'll tell the owner of the site (Frank Key). Just a bit of background: I used to work out of the site up until 1997. The owner was running an Agricultural Sprayer Spares operation from there until 2002. At that time the house was used as offices and there was a large engine shed at the rear of the site abutting the tree-line which we used as a workshop. I think it was 1994 that McAlpine came and carted off a Signal Box from the corner of the site next to what is now the A14. I also believe from what Nigel Key the ownr's son told me that the grading equipment had something to do with the fields behind the site, possibly gravel. Those fields are owned by Reddens of Wellingborough.
I'm looking for any information on the Furnace Site at Islip if anyone out there can help. In the meantime, congratulations on a really interesting forum.
regards
Homeguard

I'll see what I have on Islip, send me a PM with your email and I will see what I have. You are correct re the signal box, he still has it at Fawley I believe. The engine shed you mention was actually a goods shed. Shame it was pulled down.
The Thrapston Quarries as you say where at the back of the site and were connected by a MR built standard gauge siding . The pits here were on the edge of workable deposits but the ore was poor I am told and the venture having opened in 1873 was closed in 1881 (wound up 15/06/1883). The working was owned by Thomas Whitehouse of the Thrapston Iron Ore Co Ltd.
The site was sold to the Glendon Iron Co but was worked only for Limestone up to 1900 when it again closed and all plant and railways (gauge unknown but thought to have been Horse drawn) were dismantled. It re-opened again in 1933 for Limestone and a 1ft 11.5in line was laid. Again the quarries proved of little value and after various attempts to work had closed by 1939. The site was abandoned intact complete with Asphalt plant, stone graders and even locos.... the loco were scrapped in the 50s but most of the rest of the stuff survived and much of it can still be seen today as you know. There are limestone faces still to be seen and it is possible Ganister faces but virtually no trace of Ironstone!!!!

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As I understand it, the site behind the station that has the grader was for Limestone, not Ironstone as is often said. I have an ariel photo that shows the extent of the workings, whch are mostly situated to the south of the A14. Lurking in the undergrowh you can still see rails, trucks and quarry faces. I'll try and find some time to get some photos online.

There's a lot of information about the Islip Furnaces in Eric Tonk's Book "Ironstone Quarries of the Midlands", vol 5. When I last checked Moore Books had a copy, (handy link to the right of where I'm typing right now!). Just checked and he has a copy.

Yep you are right... the plant was left was from the limestone workings as I understand it too.

Got the Tonks books and they are some of the best written.

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I have uploaded 3 photos, 2 of a tipper wagon to be found in the quarry south of the A14. The other is of a Midland Road station building. There are lots of tipper wagons abandoned in the quarry. Perhaps they have been there since 1939. I think I remember as a child that one of them could be pushed a short way along its tracks. I've got more photos of these wagons.

ICLOK I tried to reply to your PM but my PM is not working. The tipper trucks are to the south of the A14 and about as far east as you can go while still being in the quarry. I can send you map and latitude/longitude if you want.

Cheers as down again soon so would appreciate that... :thumbsup:

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http://www.flashearth.com/?lat=52.386721&lon=-0.529603&z=17.2&r=0&src=msa