Running between the spa town of Bath
and the coastal resort of Bournemouth, as well as traversing the Somerset
levels to Glastonbury, Wells, Bridgwater and Burnham there was once the
Somerset & Dorset Joint Railway. Over half a century since its closure, the legacy of this
railway is still to be found in its bridges, its tunnels, its trackbeds... ...buildings... ...or viaducts. And whether it was the variety of
traction which ran over its rails... ...the customs peculiar to this friendly line... ...or simply the beauty of the
landscapes through which it passed ...the S&D has had more books written
about it than any other railway in Britain, going some way to legitimizing the claim that
this is England's best-loved lost railway. Acting as a gateway by rail to the
city of Bath is Bath Spa station, 106 miles and 71 chains from London Paddington. Built by Brunel as part of the
construction of his Great Western Railway, the station reflects the elegant
architecture of this world famous city. But for many years, Bath Spa was not the only
major railway station to serve passengers... ...between 1870 and 1966, Bath Queen
Square (or as it was latterly known, Bath Green Park) also saw
the arrival and departure of trains for the Somerset and Dorset
railway along its main line to Bournemouth. Running for 71 miles over the Mendip Hills and
shadowing the course of the River Stour for much of its journey through Dorset, the main line
to Bournemouth opened to passengers in 1874. Perhaps its most famous
charge was the Pines Express, which ran daily between Manchester and
Bournemouth with double-headed engines required to traverse the precipitous gradients
of the S&D's route. In the summer months these trains wouldbe packed with day trippers
and holidaymakers bound for the coast. Today the station building remains in good order. The trains and passengers may have gone,
but beneath the station's delightful canopy we today find the building home
to shops, visitors and events... ...with part of a track bed now home to a car park It is heartening that this
structure remains in place, when so many similar buildings
succumbed to demolition. So our journey to explore what remains
of the Somerset & Dorset Railway begins by crossing the River Avon. The fine
iron latticework of this railway bridge remains, although the mode of transport
it carries has changed. Here was once Bath Junction, where
trains for Bournemouth took the curve away from the metals of the Midland
Railway and onto the rails of the S&D proper. The course of the railway at this
point has benefited from an afterlife of sort,s as the Two Tunnels Greenway which runs
for a number of miles hence. The steep gradient out of the station demanded that many
trains be banked all the way to the summit. Whilst many of the bridges along this
stretch of route have been replaced, this original structure on Hiscocks Drive remains. So trains would pass into the
small bore of Devonshire Tunnel. With funnels billowing exhaust, they would
emerge 447 yards later and into Lyncombe Vale. Soon afterwards, trains would
enter Coombe Down Tunnel, once the UK's longest without
intermediate ventilation. The smoke-filled conditions in the tunnel were
notorious among engine men and, on one occasion, had fatal consequences. On the 20th of November
1929, overcome by fumes as they ascended through Coombe Down Tunnel towards Bath, Driver Jennings
and Fireman Pearce collapsed at the controls of type 2-8-0 locomotive no.89. Careering down
Lyncombe Vale and into Bath Yard at up to 60mph, the runaway derailed and slammed into
the railway clearing house building. The debris struck and killed Railway Inspector
Norman, who was on duty at the time, and Mr J Loader, a clerk and employee of the railway
who was making his way home through the yard. Driver Jennings survived the crash but
succumbed to his injuries on route to hospital; both Firemen Pearce and Guard Wagner escaped
with serious injuries. Although this was the only accident on the S&D to be caused by
the intoxicating conditions of the tunnel, it was not the only accident to
which the railway bore witness. On the 19th of August 1949, on the branch
to Highbridge between Ashcott and Shapwick, a passenger train collided with a narrow
gauge diesel locomotive belonging to a local peat works. The passenger train careered
off the tracks and into the canal; fortunately the accident claimed no lives and it is reported
that, rather than remove the stricken locomotive, it was cut up on site by a breakdown crew. Not
so fortunate were the 15 lives claimed by the head-on collision of two 0-6-0 locomotives on the
outskirts of Radstock on the 7th of August 1876. A combination of signaller error, inadequate
training and communication, together with a number of other factors saw to it that this
would be the worst accident in the S&D's history. We exit Coombe Down Tunnel after 1829 yards and
into Horsecombe Vale and a 1 in 55 down gradient. Almost immediately trains crossed
the impressive Tucking Mill Viaduct. Some four miles since the glazed
canopy of Bath Green Park, we arrive at our first station: Midford. Closed to the traffic of goods
in 1963 and passengers in 1966, the platform remains in situ,
but gone are the waiting room, booking office and signal box which
once populated this neat rural station. We depart and, in so doing, cross Midford Viaduct upon which the single track railway became
a double track for a number of miles hence. With eight arches each with a span
of 50 feet, the railway crossed road, river, canal and the closed
Bristol and North Somerset Railway. Shadowing Wellow Brook for this part of its
course, the greenway reaches its conclusion... ...but not so the track bed, which
carried trains beneath this bridge... ...and through what is now stables... ...crossing the splendid Ford Road
Viaduct but a few moments later. Thus we reach the fine village of
Wellow and its station of the same name. Opened on the 20th of July 1874, the station
was well used as, even into the 20th century, buses reached the village only once a week. Now a private dwelling, the weathervane is a
reminder of the purpose this building once served and those with a keen eye will spot the station
canopy, which now shelters the house's residents. Littleton Lane presents one with a view of the
railway's course just identifiable as the darker horizontal line crossing this wheat field
from right to left at the picture's centre. And the bridge under which trains subsequently
passed. They would find their onward journey somewhat difficult now but the path of the railway
having been backfilled in the years since closure. We reach what is the first halt on the line
and also the last station on the S&D to open: Shoscombe and Single Hill Halt. Opened on the 23rd of September 1923,
the station did not match the homely style of other stations on the route.
Instead the cast concrete structure is suggestive of the economies railways
of this sort were obliged to make. Shoscombe and Single Hill Halt
is gone with an information board commemorating the station's presence... ...and only these bridge abutments
to speak of the railway's crossing. To the west of Shoscombe village we encounter
perhaps the most surprising and innovative use of one of the railway's former structures with a home
now tucked beneath the arches of this viaduct. The leafy vales which have
been our companions hitherto give way now to the urban as we
enter Radstock from the east. A vital mining town in the
North Somerset coalfields, Radstock may have had two stations,
but it had many more collieries. The Somerset & Dorset Railway opened
Radstock North on the 20th of July 1874 about a year after the GWR opened
their competing station in the town. Waterloo road car park represents
the station's eastern end. Hereabouts was a shed for banking engines which
would assist goods trains up the following seven and a half miles to Masbury summit
and its punishing 1 in 50 gradient. Having departed Radstock, S&D
locomotives would proceed over the appropriately named Five Arches Viaduct,
which carried trains over the GWR's metals. A little while later, trains
would reach the next station. Opened as Midsomer Norton until 1898,
the station went through a number of varying names when it closed in
1966 as Midsomer Norton South. Today, the station is home to the
Somerset and Dorset Railway Heritage Trust and the first of three railways
which occupy the S&D's trackbed. For the next mile visitors can ride the S&D's
rails and relive the railway's days of glory. Continuing our journey, we
encounter Chilcompton Tunnel. Originally a single bore tunnel
(the down tunnel on the right), the up tunnel was constructed to
facilitate the widening of the line. Continuing our journey, this is the track fair atop the embankment
which carried trains into Chilcompton... ..where they crossed this bridge on Fry's Well, before passing beneath another
bridge on Baker's Lane. Trains would then arrive at
Chilcompton railway station. Like other stations on the line, Chilcompton
was home to a small goods yard and also housed a water tower, which was used by banking
engines as they returned to Radstock. Today, some brickwork can be found, but
otherwise the station has been altogether lost. We travel onward towards our next station. Situated 17 miles from Green
Park station is Binegar. The station handled traffic and goods from nearby
quarries and stoneworks and, like other stations on the route, betrayed its rural character with
the presence of a cattle pen and loading dock. Today the site is occupied by a private residence with all traces of the station
having been swept away. Having ascended the gradient from Radstock,
trains would reach the summit of the line a little over 800ft. above sea
level. Banking engines would see their charge over the summit before
themselves returning to Radstock. So we arrive at Masbury. Picturesque though it may be, the
truth is that the station never saw heavy passenger footfall. Indeed,
from the 26th of September 1938, the station was downgraded and lived the
rest of its life as an unstaffed halt. Taken from bridge no.70, this is approximately the
same view today. Now a private residence, steps are being taken to restore the property to its
former glory; the building nearest the picture was the booking office and waiting room, followed by
the stone foundations of the 20-lever signal box. In the miles between Masbury
and our next point of call, some of the railway's most extraordinary
structures are still to be found. Among them the stately Ham Wood Viaduct,
which crosses this deep wooded ravine itself home to the Ham Wood and Winsor Hill
quarries from which stone was transported by rail. A quarter of a mile later we face the
south portal of Winsor Hill old tunnel. Cut through solid rock, it is 239 yards in
length and still makes for an impressive sight. It is called the 'old tunnel' because the new
tunnel, opened in 1892, can also be found. Standing here at the south portal of the
new tunnel, one can appreciate the ominous if not outright imposing scale of its construction
in what would have been a remote part of the line. Having crossed Forum Lane,
we stand on the trackbed. But the architectural wonders
of the railway continue... ...for half a mile later, one can still
witness the glory of Bath Road Viaduct. A Grade II listed structure, it is 75 feet high
and 118 yards long, comprising six 50 foot spans. Notice the two different materials of
stone and brick used in its construction; once again reflecting the efforts
undertaken to widen this stretch of line. Now fenced off, we stand on the
viaduct's southern end, facing north. The trackbed on the northern margin of Shepton Mallet hardly prepares one for the
S&D's most breathtaking structure: Charlton Viaduct. The sight of the warehouses brings
us to our next point of call: Shepton Mallet, Charlton Road. The 'Charlton
Road' appellation was present to distinguish the station from the GWR's Shepton
Mallet High Street to the west. The main station buildings
were on the up platform, with a 26 lever signal box on the down platform
overseeing access to the copious goods yards, stoneworks and line works on
the extensive station site. After the viaducts and tunnels we have seen,
it is disheartening to find no trace of the station today. The area is now home
to warehouses and industrial units. A mile to the south on Woodstone Lane
,the parapets of a filled-in bridge under which trains passed... ...and the onward journey
betraying no sign of the railway. Occupying a delightful position
was once Prestleigh Viaduct. After being deemed unsafe,
it was demolished in 1993. Three miles since departing Shepton Mallet,
trains would arrive at Evercreech New. Originally 'Evercreech Village', its name
changed months after opening in 1874. One of the smaller stations on the Bath to
Bournemouth line, it was notable for handling considerable milk traffic in addition to lime
from the Evercreech Lime and Stone Company. Today nothing of the station is to be found. Here lie the mortal remains
of Pecking Mill Viaduct, today obscured by a verdant tree and undergrowth. The steel span has been removed to accommodate the
many HGVs which speed through on this busy road. Slowing to 25 mph to account for
a sharp south-easterly curve, trains would arrive at Evercreech Junction. A junction because, from here, one could alight
for trains west to Glastonbury, Wells, Bridgwater, Highbridge and Burnham-on-Sea. Known as 'The
Branch', we shall return to explore it later on. Preceding entry to Evercreech Junction,
trains would pass through extensive sidings before stopping outside
the main station buildings, including the station master's
house sat on the down platform... ...and to some extent they
can still be seen today. No doubt today's drivers do not
miss the level crossing which once brought traffic here to a grinding halt. Two miles later, we find
this bridge across Wyke Lane. The same bridge is enshrouded
in the trees and, equally, evidence of the railway at this point has
been concealed by the intervening years. But a quarter of a mile later
on this deep warren-like lane, we find these bridge abutments... ...the bridge carried trains into this field... ...and subsequently across the Reading to Taunton
line, where further abutments to be found. Trains continued their southerly
curve across this embankment and a viaduct which has long since gone... ...though it can be seen in this fine picture. Thus trains reached the next station, Cole. Happily the main station building still
stands and is in private ownership. Only ever a small station, Cole is noteworthy
because it was here that the lines of the Somerset Central and the Dorset Central railways met in
1862, ultimately forming the Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway. The Somerset Central Railway opened
on the 28th of August 1854 from Glastonbury to Highbridge Wharf, with the Dorset Central Railway
opening between Wimborne and Blandford in 1860. Realizing that potentially lucrative financial
opportunities could arise from an alliance, the Dorset Central Railway and the Somerset
Central Railway extended each of their lines to the village of Cole, opening these
extensions on the 3rd of February 1862. Seven months later, on the first of September,
the two railways were amalgamated by an Act of Parliament to form the Somerset and Dorset
Joint Railway. The new company was quick to realize that they may profit by extending
towards Bath, which saw the construction of what would become the main line we explore
today. This was opened on the 20th of July 1874. Between Cole and the next station, the
rural charm of this line is still evident and one can imagine how pleasant
the journey by train must have been. We bid farewell to the countryside as
we arrive in the town of Wincanton, where once the S&D had a station. The station building behind the locomotive was
not dissimilar to that which we saw at Cole. Famous for its race course
it is little wonder that the station was equipped to handle a
great deal of horsebox traffic. However, unlike Cole, the station no longer
stands. It is now the site of housing. Here we see the trackbed to the south of Wincanton
and the site of Marsh Lane level crossing... ...journeying only a little
further, we reach Templecombe. At approximately halfway between
Bath and Bournemouth, this was one of the most important stations on the route. Here, the Somerset and Dorset Railway
had an extensive goods yard and sidings. The station itself was neither
owned nor operated by the S&D; it belonged instead to the London and South
Western Railway. With its large canopies and striking art deco style signal box, the station
had all the trappings of a vital interchange. Extensively remodelled in
the years that have passed, only the platform upon which
we stand is now in service. S&D trains were permitted to use the station,
but the process was less than straightforward... We see the course of the Somerset
and Dorset Railway on this map, with Bath to the north and
Bournemouth to the south. Running perpendicular to the line,
the London and South Western Railway, the so-called West of England Main
Line, which is still in operation. Situated to the west of Templecombe
itself we find the station. At the centre, we see bridge
152 carrying Throop Road, upon which we now stand facing north towards Bath. Before passing beneath the bridge, southbound
through trains climbed an embankment, the course of which is now occupied by a road. Entering Templecombe station, Somerset and
Dorset trains would occupy the north side of the island platform, where the trees
now grow behind the old signal box. Once ready for departure, a pilot engine would
be attached to the rear of the southbound train and hauled out of the station back onto
the Somerset and Dorset Railway's main line. So we returned to bridge 152 and we imagine our train facing us head-on,
ready to continue its journey beneath us. There was, in fact, a small platform, Templecombe
Lower, squeezed in between bridge 152 and bridge 153, but so short was this platform that
it could barely accommodate a carriage. Instead it was used for crew
changeovers, or else trains were held at the platform for passengers who
had arrived late on the upper platform. Today, the site of Templecombe Lower is
overgrown and the view of bridge 153 obscured. South of Templecombe, rails of another
kind now occupy the course of the S&D. Here we find the Gartell Light Railway, a narrow gauge railway running
for three quarters of a mile, it has four stations. As can be seen, there are a
great many signals operated from two signal boxes. Thus we reach the light
railway's southern terminus. From thence, it was just under
a mile to the next station. The smallest station on the line, Henstridge had a platform 150 feet in
length with a small siding on the up line. Today, it is all gone. However, on Station Road, we find these
rather ornate crossing posts and gates, long since fastened shut. With Henstridge behind us, we leave Somerset and begin our journey through
Hardy's county, Dorset... ...and it is not long before
we reach our next station. Opened on the 31st of August 1863, Stalbridge
housed its cluster of station buildings on the up platform; here, too, was a passing loop
upon this single track stretch of line. Approximately the same view. Nothing
of the station remains today, where now a factory occupies the site. For the next three miles after Stalbridge, the railway passed through
some fine Dorset countryside... ...whereupon it made its first
crossing of the River Stour. So we reach our next point of call. Sturminster Newton was one of the
line's more substantial stations This delightful photograph shows the
characteristic charm of the platforms, with the wooden shelter on the down line and
the signal box at the southern end of the up platform. Not shown in this instance were these
sizable sidings and goods yards, with cattle pens, cattle loading dock, seven ton hand crane
a milk loading stage, goods shed and more. We stand at the station's southern end. Whilst there is nothing obvious here to
denote the presence of the railway, just north of the station, efforts have
been made to commemorate its role... Beginning here and occupying the S&D's
trackbed for the next 14 miles is the North Dorset Trailway, allowing cyclists and walkers
to journey through the countryside at leisure... ...and indeed, after three
miles, we find the next station. For many Shillingstone typifies the
attractive rural station of a bygone era... ...and happily all is not lost,
for the station has been restored and a track laid to recreate
the halcyon days of the railway. So we depart... Facing north towards Shillingtone,
we see the curve of the tree line towards the bottom of the picture
denoting the railway's course. The journey onward continues as the
Somerset & Dorset Railway passed through some of the finest scenery on the route. Running to the east of the idyllic village
of Stourpaine, we return to ground level and mark the presence of the railway
embankment and the site of the next station... Opened on the 9th of July 1928,
Stourpaine and Durweston Halt was a late comer to the railway and similar
in style to Shoscombe and Single Hill Halt with its simple concrete structure
and meagre platform shelter. Today, the station lies on private
land, but from the adjacent footpath part of the skeletal concrete
structure is still visible. Meandering by the River Stour
for the next two and a half miles we track the railway into the next station. Thus we arrive at Blandford. Having been a single line from
tTemplecombe, the line became double tracked once more upon reaching this station
and remained so for the next eight miles. Viewed from bridge 194, we face south and see
the station has, by this point, seen better days. The goods yard was of a fair
size and south of the station there was a spur of line to an army camp,
but the spur had only an ephemeral existence. "No more will I go to Blandford Forum". We stand on the same bridge and face the same
direction, but the view is altogether different. Rails from the days of the S&D can still be
found embedded in what is now a car park. From the left of the picture, we see
the tree line curve down towards us. Carrying the railway out of
Blandford was a viaduct which cut through where there is now a supermarket... ...and here is a picture of it in
place after the line's closure. Sadly it was not to last and much of
the viaduct was demolished in 1978. All that remains of the viaduct
today can be found on the riverbank; the lattice girder bridge, which connected with
similar brick arches on the south, are both gone. Thus the S&D crossed the
River Stour for the final time and with the line speed of up to 70 mph at this
point, trains could easily make up for lost time. Today the track bed is flanked by luscious
tree growth as we approach the next station... Much of Charlton Marshall Halt's
passenger footfall came from the pupils of a local girls school at
the beginning and end of each term... ...according to some accounts, drivers
found it difficult to find this station owing to poor lighting on the platform. The steps to each platform are
still present and the structure is in altogether good condition
given that it was closed in 1956. We see bridge 203 from the down platform, where one can also find the concrete posts
which held the station's running board. Our arrival at the next station is
heralded by bridge number 215... ...and next to it steps
leading up to the platform. Opened in 1860, Spetisbury
became an unstaffed halt in 1934. Facilities were basic, with no electricity or gas and it is thought water had
to be delivered in churns. Whilst rails have not returned
to Spetisbury, steps have been taken to take care of the station's
remains and to enhance the environment. Among these efforts the erection of
a replica disc and crossbar signal. We bid farewell to Spetisbury
and journey along the trackbed for a little over two and a half miles
before arriving at the next station. Situated in the village of Sturminster Marshall,
the station was originally given this name, but this was changed in 1863 to Bailey Gate so as (it is speculated) to avoid confusion
with Sturminster Newton several miles north. Viewed from the long since demolished
bridge above the station, we see the main cluster of station buildings on the
down platform and, to the left of this, the United Dairies sidings, which
handled milk deliveries to London. All of this is gone, with Bailey Gate
Industrial Estate now in its place. Here, on the estate's southern perimeter,
we trace the railways southbound journey. So we arrive at the crossing house on
KnollLlane with its target gates intact and lengths of rail embedded
in what is now the driveway. We reached the site of Corfe Mullen Junction. Though unidentifiable in the undergrowth,
the railway split at this point with trains for Bournemouth diverging to the
right and services for Wimborne bearing left. We will briefly see what
remains of the line to Wimborne. The only noteworthy feature on route is the
so-called 'Lady Wimborne Bridge' whose unique, ornate style can be accounted for by the fact that the railway was obliged to pass
over land belonging to Canford Manor. So trains from the Somerset and Dorset
Railway would arrive at Wimborne. Opened in 1847 and closed altogether in 1977, it is as if the station (which
was located here) never existed We return to the site of Corfe
Mullen Junction and begin our final leg of the journey
south towards Bournemouth. Having taken the points to Broadstone trains
would arrive at Corfe Mullen Halt a mile later. Resembling Charlton Marshal Halt, the residents
of Corfe Mullen had long lobbied for a station; it arrived in 1928, sitting in the shadow
of bridge 235 before closing in 1956. The cutting, which the platform inhabited,
has since been filled in and the bridge demolished. It is hard to believe there
was ever a station here on Wimborne Road. After a further mile and a half
we arrive at Broadstone Junction. Innocuous though it may be, it was here
that the S&D's rails came to an end. We face north towards the junction
which enters from the left At this point the S&D's rails merged with the
metals of the London and South Western railway, all the way to Bournemouth. Approximately the same position
today on what is now Wentworth Drive. So we arrive at the next station. Broadstone was a busy junction station, handling as it did traffic for the S&D
and the London and Southwestern Railway. Viewed from the south from bridge 79,
Broadstone had four platform facings; there was the usual array of associated
buildings, but very little by way of protection from the elements for those
passengers waiting for their train. The same view today reveals that much
of the site is now a leisure centre... ...the main body of the station was
situated here on the tennis courts. Overlooking the site, the former
railway hotel still stands with its enduring characteristic Victorian architecture. As mentioned, the next seven miles
saw trains using London and South Western's rails and calling at
the same company's stations... After Branksome, S&D trains would
take the points at Branksome Junction and pass through what is now
Bournemouth Train Care Depot. Passing through the yard trains would
reach their final port of call... Opened in 1871 and operational for 91 years,
Bournemouth West was the terminus for S&D trains, but it was also the terminus for services from
Waterloo. Viewed eastward towards the buffer stops, this photograph was taken two years
before closure finally occurred in 1965... ...the same view today. The station site is now a car and coach park. The station was temporarily closed during
the electrification of the London Waterloo to Bournemouth line, with the closure
becoming permanent not long after. Here is the view from the corner of Queen's Road
and Norwich Avenue of the station frontage... ...with an altogether different view today. Here, 71 miles since departing
Bath Green Park station, we reached the end of our journey along the
main line, but our journey to explore what remains of the Somerset and Dorset
Joint Railway is far from over... ...We leave Bournemouth and the
southern terminus of the S&D Returning north, we see the route
of the S&D's main line from Bath... ...but the oldest part of the line ran between
Evercreech Junction and Highbridge, with later extensions to wells Bridgwater and Burnham. The
company intended to capitalize upon the transport of coal to and from south Wales, as well as what
they hoped would be lucrative passenger traffic, which would see holiday makers travel by
rail from Burnham to Bournemouth and beyond. Only partially realized, such expectations
were not exceeded, so that 'The Branch' (as it was known) lived much of its life as
a quintessentially rural and remote line. We return to Evercreech Junction and so
begin our exploration of this lost railway... "Forget motor cars, get rid of anxiety,
and hear to the rhythm of the Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway, dream again that ambitious
Victorian dream which caused this long railway still to be running through deepest, quietest,
flattest, remotest, least spoiled Somerset." Located on the A37 we reach Pylle, our
first stop on the journey to Burnham. After it had become a halt, John Betjeman
remarked that "I doubt there is a quieter, sadder sight in Somerset than Pylle when the
train has left and it sinks back into silence." Closed to goods in 1953 and passengers in 1966 the station buildings have since been restored
and converted into a private dwelling. We find ourselves in some deep
warren-like lanes now and a remote posting for the crossing keeper
who was posted here on Cockmill Lane. Remnants of the crossing gates are
still to be found among the undergrowth. And yet for all the apparent seclusion, this
barrier reminds us that we are, in fact, on the perimeter of the Glastonbury Festival
site through which the railway once passed. Emerging on the other side of the
festival site one and a half miles later, we see that the trackbed at this point has
become a beautifully framed sylvan scene. We arrive at our next station: West Pennard. Like Pylle, the buildings are now in private
ownership with the station master's house to the left of the picture and the main
station building off-centre to the right. Departing West Pennard, trains
began a four-mile journey which ran as straight as a die until it
reached the outskirts of Glastonbury. Upon reaching Glastonbury, the railway
then took a dramatic southerly curve. Today the track is home to the A39 which
runs along the town's western margin. And so we reach Glastonbury & Street,
which was once the biggest station on the branch between Evercreech and Burnham.
The station boasted substantial facilities for the handling of goods and was
quite ornate in its construction. Sadly, along with the rest of the railway
these buildings are now long gone... ...save for the crossing gates which
still stand over Dye House Lane. At this point in our journey we diverge from the
line to Burnham and explore the line to Wells, which originated from Glastonbury. In so doing, we briefly retrace our course along the A39 but continue north instead of
bearing east for Evercreech Junction. Looking south, this is the view of
the track bed from Chasey's Drove... ...and here, the view north. After a mile we reach the site of Polsham station. The only intermediary stop on the Wells
branch, Polsham closed in October 1951. The station had a 200 foot long
platform and a single siding. We face north towards Wells where the track bed
is now a garden belonging to the former station. From the top of Burcott Lane bridge,
we take in the railway's course. Between Burcott Lane bridge and Wells,
access to the track bed is limited and remains of the railway slight. So it
is that we reach the branch's terminus. Wells Priory Road was one of three
stations serving this small cathedral city and here we see the station
after closure to passengers. Not the finest shot of the site today, but the
builder's merchants sits on the location of the former goods shed with the site of the station
itself now demolished and overbuilt by road. The branch to Wells represented the first
major closure for the Somerset and Dorset Railway in 1951, beginning an unfortunate and
protracted decline for the railway at large. With Glastonbury Tor on the horizon, we find
ourselves on the branch to Highbridge and Burnham once more, where we encounter this fine
relic of the line in the form of bridge 268. For the next several miles the
landscape changes significantly as the railway entered the Somerset Levels,
characterized by its peat bogs and willow growth. Here the trackbed survives as a
path through the Avalon Marshes... ...and remnants of the
railway are still to be found. We reach our next station Originally Ashcott and Meare, the latter part
of the name was dropped in 1876. The station was equipped with a 10 lever ground frame controlling
the adjacent crossing and goods siding. The wooden platform was located
to the left of the picture. All that stands of the station today
is this level crossing gate post. And so our journey continues
across the Somerset Levels where the railway shadowed
the course of South Drain. We reach Shapwick station, some four
and a half miles from Glastonbury. Closed on the 7th of March 1966,
the station comprised two platforms with a passing loop and a wooden station building. Every vestige of the station
has long since been swept away. Edington Junction (originally Edington
Road and later Edington Burtle) represents a brief departure from our journey
to Burnham, as it was the point at which, until 1952, one could alight for
services on the branch to Bridgwater. Today, all that remains of the
station is the station master's house, where we begin our brief
southwesterly excursion to Bridgwater. Trains for Bridgwater turned
south and crossed a bridge demolished in the years since the line's closure. For the next two miles,
like elsewhere on the route, the track bed is now overgrown or else filled in. One can just imagine a near empty passenger
train steaming and clanking gently along this line on a summer's day, meandering
unhurriedly towards the next station. And so it is we arrive at Cossington,
some four miles north-east of Bridgwater. The attractive station house looks much as it did
when it first opened on the 21st of July 1890. Our train continued its south westerly
journey along what is now a footpath. Opened in 1923, we reach Bawdrip Halt. Situated in the centre of this delightful village,
the station had a relatively brief 31 year life, closing on the 1st of December 1952. We stand facing the direction
of travel with the temporary barriers roughly marking out the
situation of the single platform. Departure from the stations, our train immediately
crossed bridge number 306 over Bawdrip Lane. With bridge 306 at the centre of the picture, we can clearly see the alignment
from this satellite view. Traveling south-west trains would cross bridge
number 307 over King's Sedgemoor Drain... ...then beneath bridge 308,
under what is now the A39... ...crossing over Horsey Lane on the level... ...we then find the trackbed bisected by the
M5 which heralds her entry into Bridgwater. The M5 can be seen and heard in the background as
we view the railway's course from King's Drive... ...facing west from the same spot, part
of the railway's route into the town is now a footpath, but beyond this all
signs of the railway have been lost. And so we reached the site of Bridgwater North. This picture of the station was taken in 1963. The station, of an island design, struck north
to the right of the picture beyond the building, where one would also find sidings serving the
substantial brickworks and the wharfs beyond. In its place now a supermarket serves
customers rather than passengers We return to Edington Junction, beginning our
final leg of the journey to Burnham on Sea. Opened in 1856, Bason Bridge was made up of a
single platform and limited platform buildings, with the station master's house
offset at the station's western end. Its principal revenue was the transportation
of milk, owing to the presence of the United Dairies factory located opposite
the station on its eastern end. The station closed to goods traffic
in 1963 and passengers in 1966, however, the line between here and
Highbridge remained open until 1972, allowing the transportation of milk from the
factory to reach the main line and beyond. Named Highbridge East to distinguish it from
the existing Bristol to Taunton line platform, which is still operational, it became a
passenger terminus of the line in 1951 after the closure of Burnham to passengers. We face west in this picture, but behind us
there was once the vast Highbridge Works, the headquarters for the joint railway's maintenance
and repair of its locomotives and rolling stock. The works closed in 1930 losing
300 employees their jobs. The same view today. Gone are the
five platforms and all traces of the railway's substantial presence, from
its sifings, to its works, to its wharves. The final part of our journey, now, and here
S&D trains crossed the main line on the level for goods access to Highbridge wharf and,
until 1951, passenger traffic for Burnham. The track bed into Burnham proper
is now a footway and cycle path. As mentioned, the plan had
been that steam ships from Wales would deliver passengers across
the Bristol Channel to Burnham on Sea; from thence they would continue their journey
across the Levels and down the S&D's main line to Bournemouth where they could enjoy
England's shores, or else make way for France. When the poet John Betjeman visited the
Highbridge branch line in the summer of 1962 he found this "sad road to the
sea" was in a state of decline. In the film documenting his journey,
he addresses the people of Burnham whose seaside station had not seen
regular passenger traffic since 1951: "When the roads are so full," he remarks "you'll
be grateful to still have a railway to your town. Don't let Dr Beeching take it away from you." But the wheels were already in motion. Notwithstanding the removal of express passenger
trains on the railway's Bath to Bournemouth line, in 1963 Dr Richard Beeching had, at
the request of the then government, issued his report entitled 'The Reshaping
of British Railways', which recommended the closure of nearly two and a half thousand
stations and five thousand miles of line. Though a campaign to save the Somerset
and Dorset Railway was mounted, it was no match for transport secretary Barbara
Castle who decreed that, in accordance with Dr Beeching's report, the railway (like so many
others up and down the country) would close. Despite small sections of the line remaining
open for a further few years to serve local goods traffic, the railway at large ceased operations
and came to an end on the 7th of March 1966. Burnham on Sea station saw
seasonal passenger excursions after its 1951 closure until
these, too, concluded in 1963. By this point the Somerset and Dorset Railway
had but three years of life left in it. "Your hopes have died, they flow
like driftwood down the tide, out out into the open sea,
oh sad forgotten S and D." I hope you enjoyed this film. Please
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