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In
1938 the residents of Dundonald took on the Belfast & County Down Railway
Company in a dispute over the right of way across “Quarry Lane Stile”.
 The
map left shows the crossing in 1902. (The station is about 500 ft the right
of the quarry).
Quarry
Lane Crossing was an ordinary farm accommodation crossing. It was originally
built in 1850 for the owner of the land severed by the railway as it wended
its way from Knock to Dundonald. The crossing was known at the time as
“McKenzie’s accommodation crossing”. The landowner had a legal right of way
across the railway and held keys for the gates at the crossing.
The
crossing was situated at the end of a laneway which ran from a farm on the Old
Dundonald Road to a Quarry and some
Workmen’s cottages near the Railway. On the other side of the railway a
footpath ran down to the Comber Road, and then up to the school, churches and
centre of Dundonald village.
The
crossing itself consisted of two farm gates, one on either side of the
tracks. The gates were in the distinctive rising sun design used by the
Company. Beside the gates were two stone stiles, one on either side of the
line.
During
the years between the wars, the population of Dundonald doubled. Many of the newcomers were ‘townies’ from the ever expanding city of Belfast. By
1937 the population numbered 1,664. Many new houses were built to accommodate
the rising demand. The railway encouraged growth in the south of the parish.
Middle-class villas were built along the Old Dundonald and Comber Roads,
whilst less grand dwellings of tin and wood sprang up on Quarry
Lane and the Gransha
Road. The areas locally becoming
known as ‘Tin Town’
and ‘Timber Town’
respectively.
At
this time a new development of
villas was built around a road centred on the old path from Quarry
Lane crossing to the Comber
Road. This was named ‘Grand Prix Park’ in
honour of the annual T.T. race, of which the Comber
Road formed part of the course.
For
people living south of the Railway there were two routes for crossing the
railway lines to get to the village. The first was to go via the road bridge
at the station. The second and more direct route for many was to go down Quarry
Lane, across the tracks and down
Grand Prix Park. As more and more people used the crossing the Railway
Company began to take notice.
On 1st June 1938,
the General Manager, Mr. W. F. Minnis reported to the Board:
“Quite
recently a new road named Grand Prix Park, has been constructed from the main
Comber Road up to the Railway Crossing on which quite a number of villas have
been erected, with the result that the accommodation crossing is now being
used by a number of residents on both sides of the line.”
The
Board ever mindful of the risk of legal action arising from an accident
agreed that the stiles at the crossing should be removed “in order to
counteract any suggestion that their being there was an invitation to the
public to make use of the Crossing.” This was in accordance with legal advice
given to the Company in 1923 that all such stiles should be removed.
The
fact of the matter however was that the route down Quarry Lane and Grand Prix
Park offered a substantial short cut for many living south of the railway, if
they wished to go to the village (a short cut which is still used by locals
to this day). We must remember that motor cars were not in such abundance as
today and most people had to walk to attend school, to visit the shops or to
worship at their church.
The
Company Engineer arranged for the stiles to be built up. If necessary, keys
for the gates would be supplied to the residents of the workmen’s cottages
adjacent to the crossing, though only if they could prove they had right of
way to cross the railway. The local residents didn’t take this move lying
down! No sooner had the stiles been blocked up than some firebrand residents
knocked the work down again. The company blocked them up again, and again the
work was knocked down. This continued for four consecutive days from the 22nd
June to 25th June.
This
photograph reproduced from the Weekly Northern Whig Newspaper June 1938 shows
the crossing from the Quarry Lane
side looking across the railway towards Grand Prix Park and
Dundonald Village.
The rubble from the demolished attempt to block up the stile can be seen
strewn about the ground.
The
final demolition occurred on the 25th June prior to a protest
meeting which was attended by over 100 people. They assembled on either side
of the line where they were separated by the stone and earth walls built up
by the Company. Using a plank of wood as a battering ram, some of the men in
the crowd knocked down the walls. With the way cleared, the crowd merged for
the meeting at the top of Grand Prix Park.
 Stanley
Wright the principal of Dundonald Public Elementary
School addressed the crowd. He stated
that 65 school children used the crossing everyday and that since the way had
been barred school attendance had been affected. Perhaps it was more a case
of any excuse for a day off school! The photograph to the right shows the ‘new
school’ built in 1923. A path led to the school from the Comber
Road directly opposite grand
Prix Park.
The
police also attended the scene but did not interfere, seeing the matter as
one for resolution by the residents and the Railway Company. A petition to
Mr. Andrews, Minister of Finance, M.P. for the area and BCDR Director, was
signed on behalf of the local Presbyterian Church, Church of
Ireland, Methodist Church and
by the people of the district.
The
result was that the place was left quite open and the Company felt obliged to
post Watchmen until the matter could be resolved. At first they turned to the
Police. They, however, were completely uninterested in getting involved,
stating it was a matter for agreement between the residents and the Company.
Perhaps it was that the local constabulary had some sympathy for the
residents’ case. Not to be deterred, the Company turned to the law. The
Company’s solicitors Messrs. E & R. D. Bates advised application for an
Interlocutory injunction to restrain the local inhabitants from “further
interference with the Company’s property”. This was to be pursued against the
six men who the Company believed had done the damage.
The
residents of Dundonald responded with a deputation to the General Manager.
This consisted of the Rev. James McQuitty (Presbyterian), Rev. John Cotter
(Church of Ireland), Messrs. Bossence, Fullerton (Methodist minister), J. W.
Porter and Stanley Wright (Primary school principal). These gentlemen were
anxious that something be done to provide a footbridge. The Company, however,
continued to pursue its legal action.
 The case came before Mr Justice
Megaw at the Chancery Court of the Royal Courts of Justice at 11 a.m. on Wednesday 22nd
March 1939. (Picture courtesy
of St. Andrews University Library). The Company’s injunction was not defended
as the six men in question had no means of meeting the legal expenses. The
Courts granted the Company’s injunction and awarded costs against the
defendants, William Jamison, labourer, Old Dundonald Road; William Collins,
labourer, Wilmar, Quarry Lane; Andrew Walsh, electric welder, Quarry Lane;
William McGuffin, electrician, Quarry Lane; Ernest Martin, labourer, Hill
Crest, Old Dundonald Road, and Thomas Moore Sen., labourer, Quarry Lane,
Ballybeen, Dundonald. No compensation was applied for or allowed. The Company
decided not to pursue the matter of costs as the defendants were all working
men and there appeared to be no prospect of their being able to pay. Mr.
Justice Megaw said the crossing had been used by a great many members of the
public by reason of the non-interference of the Company. It was, no doubt, a
great convenience. Overhead or underground accommodation would be of value,
but the Company did not feel justified in incurring the expenditure. The
stiles were again built up and the Watchmen withdrawn from the area.
After
the court case the Board considered closing all stiles at accommodation
crossings to avoid any further trouble like that which had taken place at
Dundonald. In 1939, it was estimated
that there were approximately 104 stiles at level crossings on the system. It
seems, however, that this action was not acted upon, the Board preferring to
deal with these matters on a case by case basis.
The
residents formed the “Dundonald Right of Way Association” and continued to
lobby for passage across the railway tracks at Quarry
Lane. They asked the Company if
they would be prepared to dispose of the metal Footbridge at Tillysburn and
move it to Quarry Lane.
This Halt had been closed since 1931 and the bridge was unused. This,
however, never came to pass and it can only be assumed the costs involved
proved to be too high and the matter was abandoned. Soon the nation was to be
plunged into war and minds no doubt were occupied by more important matters.
Wartime
traffic saw the re-opening of Tillysburn in 1941 until its final closure in
1945. The bridge was eventually moved, not to Dundonald but to Mount Halt on
the Larne Line by the UTA. The residents of Dundonald would have to wait
until 1950 and the closure of the County Down railway before free passage was
once again available down Quarry
Lane onto Grand Prix Park.
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