Jessop’s Tramway 1794 – Coleorton Spur
The horse drawn tramway went from the Boultbee and Bursulem coal mines near the George Inn on the Loughborough Road, Coleorton to the western terminus of the Charnwood Forest canal at Thringstone wharf near the George and Dragon public house.
The Coleorton spur merged with the Swannington spur to the north of Thringstone Water Mill (the site is part of current day Mill Farm).
A 10 ton shipment of coal from Bursulem’s mine travelled along the tramway, Charnwood Forest canal and Nanpantan tramway to Loughborough in February 1794 on its way down the Soar navigation to Leicester. This delivery enabled the Soar navigation from Loughborough to be used by the Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire mines.
The tramway and canal were not a success and closed after a few years. The Coleorton coal mines closed or had limited operation until the arrival of the Leicester and Swannington Railway in 1833 and the Coleorton Railway a horse drawn tramway.
From the George Inn car park the undulating ground is evidence of coal mining in the area.