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Location notes
Sutton Bonington is on the Leicestershire/Nottinghamshire border, on the Midland Main Line between Loughborough and Long Eaton. Near to Kegworth and Ratcliffe Power Station.
Railway type and traffic
The usual MML traffic, with HSTs, Meridians, and the odd unit sharing the Fast lines.
Freight is usually hourly, and the same types of freight that can be seen at locations such as Barrow On Soar and Cossington, also pass Sutton Bonington.
Freight is usually hourly, and the same types of freight that can be seen at locations such as Barrow On Soar and Cossington, also pass Sutton Bonington.
Environment
This is a quiet spot, located in a village, next to a small graveyard. Typical village environment, good abundance of wildlife, friendly people about, and a fairly large amount of trees surround the area.
Road directions
From the A563, heading out of Leicester, towards Birstall. Take the turning for the A6, and head up to Birstall. Shortly after Birstall is a village called Thurcaston, turn right towards Syston here. Continue on this road until you reach a turning for the A563 again, and go left here. Continue along here, and turn left when you come to the A46. Go straight up the A46 until you come to a turning for the A606 (the Old Dalby test track passes over you just before this junction), go left here, then left again.
Continue on through the village of Widmerpool, and head to East Leake (should be sign posted from Widmerpool). You should pass through Wysall on your way to East Leake.
There is a junction just before East Leake, for the A60. Go straight on here, through East Leake (there is a nearby Gypsum siding at East Leake, which usually has a GBRf 66 / EWS 66 / EWS 60 stood in it with Gypsum wagons, and this siding is also part of the Great Central Railway Northern) continue on this road through West Leake.
At the edge of West Leake, go left, then right at the next turning, then left after that. Continue down this road, until you come to a right-hand turning. Go straight on here, and the location is the bridge that you will come to literally seconds after the turning.
Click here to set up your location for directions to this location
Sutton Bonnington map co-ordinates
Continue on through the village of Widmerpool, and head to East Leake (should be sign posted from Widmerpool). You should pass through Wysall on your way to East Leake.
There is a junction just before East Leake, for the A60. Go straight on here, through East Leake (there is a nearby Gypsum siding at East Leake, which usually has a GBRf 66 / EWS 66 / EWS 60 stood in it with Gypsum wagons, and this siding is also part of the Great Central Railway Northern) continue on this road through West Leake.
At the edge of West Leake, go left, then right at the next turning, then left after that. Continue down this road, until you come to a right-hand turning. Go straight on here, and the location is the bridge that you will come to literally seconds after the turning.
Click here to set up your location for directions to this location
Sutton Bonnington map co-ordinates
Parking
You can park your car in one of the streets after the bridge, and walk the short trip up to the bridge, or you can park on the grass verge next to the graveyard aligning the bridge.
Public transport
Midland Mainline and Central Trains services call at nearby Loughborough station, and bus services operate to and from Loughborough.
Bus services also operate from Leicester to Loughborough railway station, and MML train services from Leicester-Loughborough, then a bus route from Loughborough to a nearby bus stop at this location.
Click here to set up your location for directions to this location
Bus services also operate from Leicester to Loughborough railway station, and MML train services from Leicester-Loughborough, then a bus route from Loughborough to a nearby bus stop at this location.
Click here to set up your location for directions to this location
Amenities
There is a pub and a good amount of shops nearby.
Accommodation
There are many hotels in nearby Loughborough, and one hotel in the village of this location.
Sun Compass
Sun Compass using Suncalc by brought to you by Vladimir Agafonkin:
It might be necessary to adjust the time to suit your visit, this link should open with the current day.
Sutton Bonnington
Streetmap links
Sutton Bonnington general view map
Sutton Bonnington close up map
Windows Local Live Link - image quality may vary
Sutton Bonnington
It might be necessary to adjust the time to suit your visit, this link should open with the current day.
Sutton Bonnington
Googly map
Sutton Bonnington general view map
Sutton Bonnington close up map
Windows Local Live Link - image quality may vary
Sutton Bonnington
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Photographic notes
You can get sun on the nose between 09:30-14:45 for trains on the up lines, but the up fast line shot is a bit tight, and from 14.45 until sunset for trains on the down lines, again the down fast shot is a bit tight. However, the sun never reaches the nose between mid-winter and mid-spring for trains on the down lines.
Also between mid-winter and mid-spring, the fast lines and part of the slow lines get 'shadowed up', which some people might consider a ruined shot factor.
The sun is straight down the track between late April-late August between 11.30-13.00.
Also between mid-winter and mid-spring, the fast lines and part of the slow lines get 'shadowed up', which some people might consider a ruined shot factor.
The sun is straight down the track between late April-late August between 11.30-13.00.
General views - All photographs © Ben Wheeler unless otherwise stated
Fig 1 - Looking north west
Fig 2 - Looking south east
Disclaimer
All information contained within this is site is © Trainspots. The images used on this site remain the property of the original photographer, as credited at the top of the page, and are used with their kind permission.
The information on these pages is supplied for the benefit of railway enthusiasts who carry out a harmless hobby, and through the medium of photography and video, actually promote the railway industry. Railway enthusiasts can also act as eyes and ears against railway vandalism, and as such should surely be encouraged to do so by the supply of adequate information such as is found on this website.
This site has been created to assist railway photographers in their travels around the country. It is based on the personal knowledge and experience. No liability can be held against the web site or its contributions for incorrect information. Trainspots will endeavour to check all information and corrections will be accepted and posted accordingly.
Advice as to the locations general environment is given as a guide on each page. This information is a GUIDE only. ALWAYS be careful with your equipment, Trainspots can not be held responsible for your personal security. Avoid leaving your property on display for all to see, be aware of your surroundings at all times. There are, sadly, people who will not think twice about trying to steal your equipment.
Trainspots DOES NOT condone trespass and none of the information on this site should be taken as a right to trespass on either railway or private land. To the best of our knowledge all locations are publicly accessible areas, where they are not contact information will be given to the appropriate authority for permission to be obtained.
The content of this site is created and intended for all age ranges but the content of sites linked from this site are not subject to the same intentions. Trainspots will attempt to check links for validity but as time passes and the site grows this will not always be possible. Broken, or indeed updates to, links should be submitted to the editor for inclusion in the updates. All links external to the Trainspots site are opened in a new browser window. Trainspots has been running now for over 10 years and there are imitation sites and guides to railfotspots. But we are a free site and we continue on the path we started out on over a decade ago to provide a useful guide to UK Railway Photographic Locations.
The information on these pages is supplied for the benefit of railway enthusiasts who carry out a harmless hobby, and through the medium of photography and video, actually promote the railway industry. Railway enthusiasts can also act as eyes and ears against railway vandalism, and as such should surely be encouraged to do so by the supply of adequate information such as is found on this website.
This site has been created to assist railway photographers in their travels around the country. It is based on the personal knowledge and experience. No liability can be held against the web site or its contributions for incorrect information. Trainspots will endeavour to check all information and corrections will be accepted and posted accordingly.
Advice as to the locations general environment is given as a guide on each page. This information is a GUIDE only. ALWAYS be careful with your equipment, Trainspots can not be held responsible for your personal security. Avoid leaving your property on display for all to see, be aware of your surroundings at all times. There are, sadly, people who will not think twice about trying to steal your equipment.
Trainspots DOES NOT condone trespass and none of the information on this site should be taken as a right to trespass on either railway or private land. To the best of our knowledge all locations are publicly accessible areas, where they are not contact information will be given to the appropriate authority for permission to be obtained.
The content of this site is created and intended for all age ranges but the content of sites linked from this site are not subject to the same intentions. Trainspots will attempt to check links for validity but as time passes and the site grows this will not always be possible. Broken, or indeed updates to, links should be submitted to the editor for inclusion in the updates. All links external to the Trainspots site are opened in a new browser window. Trainspots has been running now for over 10 years and there are imitation sites and guides to railfotspots. But we are a free site and we continue on the path we started out on over a decade ago to provide a useful guide to UK Railway Photographic Locations.
