Wollaton Wagonway

The Wollaton Wagonway (or Waggonway), built between October 1603 and 1604 in the East Midlands of England by Huntingdon Beaumont in partnership with Sir Percival Willoughby, is commonly credited as the world's first overground wagonway and is therefore regarded as a significant step in the development of railways. Nevertheless, its primacy has been recently questioned, it being suggested that a wagonway at Broseley in Shropshire was earlier, though not referred to until slightly later.

The wagonway was the earliest form of railway. Although modern historians are uncertain as to whether it evolved or was invented, it is known that, between the Autumn of 1603 and 1 October 1604, a waggonway (wagonway) had been built near Nottingham, by Huntingdon Beaumont who was the partner of Sir Percival Willoughby, the local land-owner and owner of Wollaton Hall. It ran for approximately two miles (3 km) from Strelley to Wollaton to assist the haulage of coal. The actual track gauge is unknown, some websites state it was 4 ft 6 in (1,372 mm) however no documentary evidence exists to support such statements although Lewis' work (1970) on early wooden railways, and the practicalities of horse haulage, suggest a gauge close to that dimension is plausible. Earlier waggonways may have been built, but the Wollaton Wagonway is the earliest surface-level waggonway on record anywhere in the world, and therefore remains credited as the first.

The above is from Sir Percival Willoughby's agreement with Huntingdon Beaumont dated 1 October 1604. Sir Percival was Lord of the Manor of Wollaton and Huntingdon Beaumont was the lessee of the Strelley coal pits. They worked the Strelley mines in an equal partnership.

...
Wikipedia