Waddesdon Manor

In 1876 Ferdinand de Rothschild began work on Waddesdon Manor, a short distance south of the Tramway's station at Waddesdon (later renamed Waddesdon Road).[70] The top of Lodge Hill, a landmark, was levelled to provide a site and sloping drives were cut into the hill to provide access to the construction site.[70] Transport of materials was by horse, but the contractors had to get enormous stone blocks up the hill.[70] Rothschild's contractors built a line, known as the Winchendon Branch, which turned off the Tramway between Waddesdon and Westcott stations and ran south to the foot of Lodge Hill. From there a cable tram ran on narrow gauge rails up the hill to a gully close to the building site.[70][note 6] Materials were hauled along the cable tramway in tubs by a steam powered winch.[71] The Winchendon Branch was hastily and cheaply built; after one of the Tramway's locomotives derailed there on 5 July 1876 Jones refused to allow his engines on it, and from then on materials were hauled along the branch by horses.[70]


equity release
retail countertop display