Cotswold Line
Encyclopedia
The Cotswold Line is an 86+1/2 mi railway line between and in England
.
routes:
Other sections are double track.
Significant civil engineering
structures on the line include Campden Tunnel (875 yards or 800.1 m), Colwall New Tunnel (1567 yards or 1,432.9 m), Ledbury Tunnel (1323 yards or 1,209.8 m) and viaducts at Worcester and Ledbury.
completed the redoubling 20 miles (32.2 km) of track from just east of to , and from to about 1 miles (1.6 km) west of Evesham on 22 August 2011. This should improve reliability, enable non-stop operations and allow an hourly off peak service to run on the line. The Office of Rail Regulation
approved the work in June 2008, although the planned work was over-budget and had to await final approval. In December 2008 vegetation was cleared. A six-week closure of all or part of the line between Oxford and Worcester for preparatory works took place in July and August 2009. Further weekend work planned for February 2010 was postponed by Network Rail
. Initial work began in autumn of 2010, with the majority of the second track being relaid between December 2010 and May 2011 when the line was closed at 21.30 from Monday to Thursday. In March 2011 construction works were started on additional structures and signalling equipment that the new line needed, including three new platforms at Charlbury, Ascott-under-Wychwood and . Footbridges at Charlbury and Honeybourne as well as preparation for the upgrade of six Level Crossings. The new double track section between Charlbury and Ascott re-opened on 6 June 2011; the line between Oxford and Moreton-in-Marsh having been closed during the previous nine days. The section between Moreton and Evesham reopened as double track on 22 August 2011 with the line closed for the preceding two weeks.
There are proposals for new stations at Rushwick
, Withington
and Chipping Campden
. A long-standing proposal for a new station at where the line crosses the Birmingham and Bristol Railway
has made little progress.
During peak hours, both Oxford fast trains are extended to Worcester, giving a half-hourly service.
Overall, about half the trains continue to Great Malvern and five trains per day continue to and from Hereford.
There is also an additional commuter service to and from Oxford in the morning and evening, which additionally calls at the halts (their "Parliamentary" service, preventing their closure).
The historic problem of some trains having to wait at passing loops, extending journey times, has been eliminated by the redoubling.
Due to short platforms, passengers alighting at stations except Shrub Hill, Oxford and Hereford should listen to onboard announcements telling them from which coaches they should alight. Normally this is from the 2–5 coaches at the country end of the train (further from the ticket barrier at ).
and opened in 1851 as part of the Oxford, Worcester and Wolverhampton Railway
.
The Act required the line to be built to Isambard Kingdom Brunel
's 7 foot broad gauge
but delays, disputes and increasing costs led to its being completed as standard gauge
.
The first stage of the Worcester and Hereford Railway opened between Henwick
and Malvern Link on 25 July 1859. The bridge over the River Severn
was approved for traffic the following year, and trains started running through from Malvern Link to Worcester Shrub Hill station on 17 May 1860. A short extension from Malvern Link to opened on 25 May 1860.
On 1 July 1860 the Oxford, Worcester and Wolverhampton Railway absorbed both the Worcester & Hereford Railway and the Newport, Abergavenny & Hereford Railway to form the West Midland Railway.
On 13 September 1861 the final stage of the railway opened between Malvern Wells and Shelwick Junction. This junction is just north of Hereford station on the line between Hereford and Shrewsbury, and it finally created a through route between Worcester and Hereford.
The Great Western Railway
took over the West Midland Railway in 1863.
The original tunnel through the ridge of the Malvern Hills
, Colwall Tunnel, was completed in July 1860. However, the tunnel was unstable, and it was closed for short periods in 1861 and again in 1907 following rock falls. Eventually the GWR decided to build a new tunnel to the south of the existing one. This opened for traffic on 2 August 1926. The old tunnel was abandoned, and during the Second World War
it was used to store torpedoes.
Following serious floods, which washed parts of embankments away, the line was closed for about a fortnight during July and August 2007 for repairs.
In 2007 some trains in the morning rush hour started at but this was discontinued from December 2008.
and Pershore Station, or A Liverish Journey First Class by Sir John Betjeman
.
to Banbury
. About 220 yards (201.2 m) north of the station, the line crosses the Sheepwash Channel which links the Oxford Canal
to the River Thames
. Immediately east of the current line is a swing bridge over the channel which used to carry the London and North Western Railway
's Buckinghamshire Railway
line to its . The swing bridge is a listed building. The Rweley Road station building has been dismantled and re-erected at Buckinghamshire Railway Centre
. The built up area east of the railway, visible across the Oxford Canal, is Jericho
, a district which originated as lodgings outside the city walls where travellers could rest if they arrived after the gates were locked. The Eagle Ironworks
of William Lucy & Co. was near the first road bridge over the track on Walton Well Road
.
After the bridge, the open area to the left is Port Meadow
, a water meadow bordering the Thames with a Bronze Age
round barrow
. The former LNWR Buckinghamshire Railway branches away to the north east. Proposals exist for re-opening the whole line and are included in the Draft Milton Keynes & South Midlands Sub-Regional Strategy, but there are many planning and funding matters to be resolved.
The line passes through Wolvercote
. To the west, Lower Wolvercote was a centre for paper making, mainly for the Oxford University Press
from the 17th century until 1998 and is the site of Godstow abbey
, a Benedictine
convent founded in the 12th century. The line passes under the viaduct carrying the A34 Oxford Western Bypass and 100 yards (91.4 m) further under the A40 road
linking London
and Fishguard
.
The line now turns west; here the former Buckinghamshire Junction Railway
link with the Buckinghamshire Railway used to converge from the east. About 4 miles (6.4 km) after Oxford station, station was in the short stretch between here and where the Witney Railway diverged to the south-west. So far, the line has been close to the River Thames but the river now swings away to the south through a landscape dotted with gravel pits. The line now climbs the valley of the River Evenlode
repeatedly crossing and re-crossing the river. station serves the villages of Long Hanborough
, Church Hanborough
, Freeland
and Bladon
. The Oxford Bus Museum
is next to Hanborough station.
From Hanborough the line enters the Cotswold Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and 1 miles (1.6 km) beyond Hanborough is station. Building the line through Combe was difficult with several deep cuttings, four crossings of the Evenlode, and the diversion of a length of the river. To the south, just after the third river crossing are the remains of North Leigh Roman Villa
. About 1 miles (1.6 km) beyond the villa the line crosses the course of Akeman Street
Roman road
. The Oxfordshire Way
long-distance footpath follows Akeman Street from the north east to a point about 0.6 mile (0.965604 km) north of the railway before turning to run through Stonesfield
and meet the line at Charlbury station. The next station is . Between Finstock and Charlbury the deer park
to the west of the line is Cornbury Park
, venue for the Cornbury Music Festival. The woodlands south west of the park are the remains of Wychwood Forest named after the Hwicce
, one of the Anglo-Saxon
peoples of Britain. Charlbury station is the start of the redoubled track and is first stop for faster trains over the line and retains its original Oxford, Worcester and Wolverhampton Railway clapperboard building. Sir Peter Parker
lived nearby at Minster Lovell
and was a regular user of Charlbury station while chairman of the British Railways Board
(1976 to 1983). The patronage of the head of the organisation may have helped to save the line at a time when the Serpell Report was calling for more rail closures.
is to the north-west as the train enters Ascott-under-Wychwood
. Few trains call at station, but there is a signal box
controlling the level crossing
and the points
that were formerly the end of the single track section from Wolvercot Junction. 1.2 miles (1.9 km) beyond Ascott is station which serves the villages of Shipton-under-Wychwood
, Milton-under-Wychwood
and Fifield
.
Still following the Evenlode, the line now turns north-west. There is another level crossing near Bruern Abbey. The next junction on the line was at from where the Banbury and Cheltenham Direct Railway
went west to Cheltenham
via and east to near . Kingham
village is north of the station. The village west of the station is Bledington
. The Oxfordshire Way which has been close to the railway since Akeman Street now turns west to Bourton-on-the-Water
but it is replaced by another long distance footpath, the Diamond Way. At Moreton-in-Marsh the line crosses the course of another major Roman road, the Fosse Way
which linked Isca Dumnoniorum
(Exeter
) and Lindum Colonia
(Lincoln
). Moreton-in-Marsh was the headquarters of the railway spot-hire company Cotswold Rail
until the company moved to Gloucester.
About 28 miles (45.1 km) after Oxford is Moreton-in-Marsh. This was once the southern end of the Stratford and Moreton Tramway
. The line then passes the corner of the Roman town of Dorn. The Cotswold Line leaves the Evenlode which drains into the Thames and enters the catchment
of the River Severn
. The first level crossing appears. The building west of the crossing is a brick works and the neighbouring pits were the site of Jurassic
clay extraction for the works. The village to the north is Paxford. The large country house to the west is Northwick Park
, former home of Edward Spencer-Churchill and site of a United States Army
hospital during World War II
and afterwards a centre for Polish refugees. The line the passes the site of station, about 1 miles (1.6 km) east of Chipping Campden
itself. From here the line goes into cutting, then the 887 yards (811.1 m) Campden Tunnel under the Cotswold escarpment
. In 1851 unrest among the navvies building the tunnel resulted in a riot — the 'Battle of Campden Tunnel'.
The next station is Honeybourne. From 1905 until 1977 this was the junction with the GWR line between and . The track to the north remains as a link to the large former military depot at Long Marston
. The large compound to the north with high walls, chapel, and floodlights is Long Lartin prison
. There is another level crossing, where station used to be. The line crosses the River Avon
into Evesham. Opposite Evesham's Cotswold Line station is the former Midland Railway
station, once on the Ashchurch & Barnt Green line. The line becomes single track again about 1 miles (1.6 km) west of Evesham and then crosses the River Avon again and follows it towards .
The line crosses over the Cross Country Route and then passes through Norton Junction where there was formerly a station. The junction links the line to the Cross Country Route. Here double track starts. Where the two routes cross is where the proposed Worcester (Norton Parkway station would be built.
About 57 miles (91.7 km) after Oxford is Worcester Shrub Hill station. Here are connections to commuter lines going to . If Worcester (Norton) Parkway is built Shrub Hill station will be closed. Worcester Foregate Street station gives connections to the city centre and other lines to Birmingham. 6 miles (10 km) later the line reaches Malvern Link station. Great Malvern station follows, and 2 miles (3 km) later is the site of the former Malvern Wells station. After Malvern Wells the line enters the 1584 yards (1,448.4 m) long Colwall New Tunnel. This is the second Colwall tunnel; the entrance to the original tunnel can be seen to the north. When the tunnel is below the ridge of the Malvern Hills, the line crosses the boundary between Worcestershire
and Herefordshire
. The line reaches station, where The Coca-Cola Company
plant next to the station bottles Malvern Water
, a local mineral water
. Next to the bridge carrying the B4218 road over the railway is an unusual five-sided cottage. When the railway was built one corner had to be demolished and replaced by a plain wall. After the plant, Ledbury station is passed and Hereford station ends the journey on the line.
|}
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
Route
The line comprises all or part of the following Network RailNetwork Rail
Network Rail is the government-created owner and operator of most of the rail infrastructure in Great Britain .; it is not responsible for railway infrastructure in Northern Ireland...
routes:
- GW 200 from Oxford
- GW 310 from Wolvercot Junction
- GW 300 from Norton Junction
- GW 340 from Worcester Shrub Hill
- GW 730 from Shelwick Junction to Hereford
Infrastructure
The line is single track between the following places.- Wolvercot Junction, (about 3 miles or 5 km north of Oxford) and . west of and Norton Junction (3 miles or 4.8 km south east of )
- Worcester Shrub Hill and .
- Malvern Wells, (1 miles or 1.6 km south of ) and Hereford with a crossing place at .
Other sections are double track.
Significant civil engineering
Civil engineering
Civil engineering is a professional engineering discipline that deals with the design, construction, and maintenance of the physical and naturally built environment, including works like roads, bridges, canals, dams, and buildings...
structures on the line include Campden Tunnel (875 yards or 800.1 m), Colwall New Tunnel (1567 yards or 1,432.9 m), Ledbury Tunnel (1323 yards or 1,209.8 m) and viaducts at Worcester and Ledbury.
Improvement Works 2008-2011
Network RailNetwork Rail
Network Rail is the government-created owner and operator of most of the rail infrastructure in Great Britain .; it is not responsible for railway infrastructure in Northern Ireland...
completed the redoubling 20 miles (32.2 km) of track from just east of to , and from to about 1 miles (1.6 km) west of Evesham on 22 August 2011. This should improve reliability, enable non-stop operations and allow an hourly off peak service to run on the line. The Office of Rail Regulation
Office of Rail Regulation
The Office of Rail Regulation is a statutory board which is the combined economic and safety regulatory authority for Great Britain's railway network. It was established on 5 July 2004 by the Railways and Transport Safety Act 2003, replacing the Rail Regulator...
approved the work in June 2008, although the planned work was over-budget and had to await final approval. In December 2008 vegetation was cleared. A six-week closure of all or part of the line between Oxford and Worcester for preparatory works took place in July and August 2009. Further weekend work planned for February 2010 was postponed by Network Rail
Network Rail
Network Rail is the government-created owner and operator of most of the rail infrastructure in Great Britain .; it is not responsible for railway infrastructure in Northern Ireland...
. Initial work began in autumn of 2010, with the majority of the second track being relaid between December 2010 and May 2011 when the line was closed at 21.30 from Monday to Thursday. In March 2011 construction works were started on additional structures and signalling equipment that the new line needed, including three new platforms at Charlbury, Ascott-under-Wychwood and . Footbridges at Charlbury and Honeybourne as well as preparation for the upgrade of six Level Crossings. The new double track section between Charlbury and Ascott re-opened on 6 June 2011; the line between Oxford and Moreton-in-Marsh having been closed during the previous nine days. The section between Moreton and Evesham reopened as double track on 22 August 2011 with the line closed for the preceding two weeks.
There are proposals for new stations at Rushwick
Rushwick
Rushwick is a village and civil parish in the Malvern Hills District in the county of Worcestershire, England.Situated to the west of the city of Worcester, Rushwick Parish comprises the four villages and hamlets of Broadmore Green, Crown East, Rushwick village and Upper Wick.Rushwick village has...
, Withington
Withington, Herefordshire
Withington is a village and civil parish in Herefordshire, England, about north-east of Hereford at .-History:One of the historical features of Withington is the Roman mile post situated on the Worcester road...
and Chipping Campden
Chipping Campden
Chipping Campden is a small market town within the Cotswold district of Gloucestershire, England. It is notable for its elegant terraced High Street, dating from the 14th century to the 17th century...
. A long-standing proposal for a new station at where the line crosses the Birmingham and Bristol Railway
Birmingham and Bristol Railway
The Birmingham and Bristol Railway was a short-lived railway company, formed in 1845 by the merger of the Birmingham and Gloucester Railway and the Bristol and Gloucester Railway.-Origin:...
has made little progress.
Services
, the previous off peak service continues: roughly an hourly service between London and Worcester. Due to constraints of the former single track, there are some two hour gaps. These services are extensions of the half-hourly Oxford fast trains.During peak hours, both Oxford fast trains are extended to Worcester, giving a half-hourly service.
Overall, about half the trains continue to Great Malvern and five trains per day continue to and from Hereford.
There is also an additional commuter service to and from Oxford in the morning and evening, which additionally calls at the halts (their "Parliamentary" service, preventing their closure).
The historic problem of some trains having to wait at passing loops, extending journey times, has been eliminated by the redoubling.
Due to short platforms, passengers alighting at stations except Shrub Hill, Oxford and Hereford should listen to onboard announcements telling them from which coaches they should alight. Normally this is from the 2–5 coaches at the country end of the train (further from the ticket barrier at ).
History
The line between Oxford and Worcester was built under an 1845 Act of ParliamentAct of Parliament
An Act of Parliament is a statute enacted as primary legislation by a national or sub-national parliament. In the Republic of Ireland the term Act of the Oireachtas is used, and in the United States the term Act of Congress is used.In Commonwealth countries, the term is used both in a narrow...
and opened in 1851 as part of the Oxford, Worcester and Wolverhampton Railway
Oxford, Worcester and Wolverhampton Railway
The Oxford, Worcester and Wolverhampton railway was a company authorised on 4 August 1845 to construct a railway line from the Oxford and Rugby Railway at Wolvercot Junction to Worcester, Stourbridge, Dudley, and Wolverhampton, with a branch to the Grand Junction Railway at Bushbury...
.
The Act required the line to be built to Isambard Kingdom Brunel
Isambard Kingdom Brunel
Isambard Kingdom Brunel, FRS , was a British civil engineer who built bridges and dockyards including the construction of the first major British railway, the Great Western Railway; a series of steamships, including the first propeller-driven transatlantic steamship; and numerous important bridges...
's 7 foot broad gauge
Broad gauge
Broad-gauge railways use a track gauge greater than the standard gauge of .- List :For list see: List of broad gauges, by gauge and country- History :...
but delays, disputes and increasing costs led to its being completed as standard gauge
Standard gauge
The standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
.
The first stage of the Worcester and Hereford Railway opened between Henwick
Henwick
Henwick is a village in Worcestershire, England....
and Malvern Link on 25 July 1859. The bridge over the River Severn
River Severn
The River Severn is the longest river in Great Britain, at about , but the second longest on the British Isles, behind the River Shannon. It rises at an altitude of on Plynlimon, Ceredigion near Llanidloes, Powys, in the Cambrian Mountains of mid Wales...
was approved for traffic the following year, and trains started running through from Malvern Link to Worcester Shrub Hill station on 17 May 1860. A short extension from Malvern Link to opened on 25 May 1860.
On 1 July 1860 the Oxford, Worcester and Wolverhampton Railway absorbed both the Worcester & Hereford Railway and the Newport, Abergavenny & Hereford Railway to form the West Midland Railway.
On 13 September 1861 the final stage of the railway opened between Malvern Wells and Shelwick Junction. This junction is just north of Hereford station on the line between Hereford and Shrewsbury, and it finally created a through route between Worcester and Hereford.
The Great Western Railway
Great Western Railway
The Great Western Railway was a British railway company that linked London with the south-west and west of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament in 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838...
took over the West Midland Railway in 1863.
The original tunnel through the ridge of the Malvern Hills
Malvern Hills
The Malvern Hills are a range of hills in the English counties of Worcestershire, Herefordshire and a small area of northern Gloucestershire, dominating the surrounding countryside and the towns and villages of the district of Malvern...
, Colwall Tunnel, was completed in July 1860. However, the tunnel was unstable, and it was closed for short periods in 1861 and again in 1907 following rock falls. Eventually the GWR decided to build a new tunnel to the south of the existing one. This opened for traffic on 2 August 1926. The old tunnel was abandoned, and during the Second World War
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
it was used to store torpedoes.
Following serious floods, which washed parts of embankments away, the line was closed for about a fortnight during July and August 2007 for repairs.
In 2007 some trains in the morning rush hour started at but this was discontinued from December 2008.
Poetry
The line features in two notable poems: Adlestrop by Edward ThomasEdward Thomas (poet)
Philip Edward Thomas was an Anglo-Welsh writer of prose and poetry. He is commonly considered a war poet, although few of his poems deal directly with his war experiences. Already an accomplished writer, Thomas turned to poetry only in 1914...
and Pershore Station, or A Liverish Journey First Class by Sir John Betjeman
John Betjeman
Sir John Betjeman, CBE was an English poet, writer and broadcaster who described himself in Who's Who as a "poet and hack".He was a founding member of the Victorian Society and a passionate defender of Victorian architecture...
.
Oxford to Charlbury
After departing Oxford station, the Cotswold Line shares track with the Cherwell Valley LineCherwell Valley Line
The Cherwell Valley Line is the railway line between Didcot and Banbury via Oxford. It links the Great Western Main Line and the south to the Chiltern Main Line and the Midlands...
to Banbury
Banbury
Banbury is a market town and civil parish on the River Cherwell in the Cherwell District of Oxfordshire. It is northwest of London, southeast of Birmingham, south of Coventry and north northwest of the county town of Oxford...
. About 220 yards (201.2 m) north of the station, the line crosses the Sheepwash Channel which links the Oxford Canal
Oxford Canal
The Oxford Canal is a narrow canal in central England linking Oxford with Coventry via Banbury and Rugby. It connects with the River Thames at Oxford, to the Grand Union Canal at the villages of Braunston and Napton-on-the-Hill, and to the Coventry Canal at Hawkesbury Junction in Bedworth just...
to the River Thames
River Thames
The River Thames flows through southern England. It is the longest river entirely in England and the second longest in the United Kingdom. While it is best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows alongside several other towns and cities, including Oxford,...
. Immediately east of the current line is a swing bridge over the channel which used to carry the London and North Western Railway
London and North Western Railway
The London and North Western Railway was a British railway company between 1846 and 1922. It was created by the merger of three companies – the Grand Junction Railway, the London and Birmingham Railway and the Manchester and Birmingham Railway...
's Buckinghamshire Railway
Buckinghamshire Railway
The Buckinghamshire Railway was a railway company in Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire, England that constructed railway lines connecting Bletchley, Banbury and Oxford...
line to its . The swing bridge is a listed building. The Rweley Road station building has been dismantled and re-erected at Buckinghamshire Railway Centre
Buckinghamshire Railway Centre
Buckinghamshire Railway Centre is a railway museum operated by the Quainton Railway Society Ltd. at Quainton Road railway station, in the far depths of "Metro-land", about 5 miles west of Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire. The site is divided into two halves which are joined by two foot-bridges, one of...
. The built up area east of the railway, visible across the Oxford Canal, is Jericho
Jericho, Oxford
Jericho is a historic suburb of the English city of Oxford. It consists of the streets bounded by the Oxford Canal, Worcester College, Walton Street and Walton Well Road. Located outside the old city wall, it was originally a place for travellers to rest if they had reached the city after the...
, a district which originated as lodgings outside the city walls where travellers could rest if they arrived after the gates were locked. The Eagle Ironworks
Eagle Ironworks, Oxford
The Eagle Ironworks was an ironworks owned by Lucy's on the Oxford Canal in Jericho, Oxford, England. The ironworks was on Walton Well Road at the northern end of Walton Street and backed onto St Sepulchre's Cemetery...
of William Lucy & Co. was near the first road bridge over the track on Walton Well Road
Walton Well Road
Walton Well Road is a road in central north Oxford, England. It provides the main link from central Oxford to Port Meadow and beyond.- Location :...
.
After the bridge, the open area to the left is Port Meadow
Port Meadow, Oxford
Port Meadow is a large area of common land beside the River Thames to the north and west of Oxford, England.The meadow is an ancient area of grazing land, still used for horses and cattle, and has never been ploughed...
, a water meadow bordering the Thames with a Bronze Age
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
round barrow
Round barrow
Round barrows are one of the most common types of archaeological monuments. Although concentrated in Europe they are found in many parts of the world because of their simple construction and universal purpose....
. The former LNWR Buckinghamshire Railway branches away to the north east. Proposals exist for re-opening the whole line and are included in the Draft Milton Keynes & South Midlands Sub-Regional Strategy, but there are many planning and funding matters to be resolved.
The line passes through Wolvercote
Wolvercote
Wolvercote is a village that is part of the City of Oxford, England, though still retaining its own identity. It is about northwest of the centre of Oxford, on the northern edge of Wolvercote Common, which is itself north of Port Meadow.-History:The village is listed in the Domesday Book as...
. To the west, Lower Wolvercote was a centre for paper making, mainly for the Oxford University Press
Oxford University Press
Oxford University Press is the largest university press in the world. It is a department of the University of Oxford and is governed by a group of 15 academics appointed by the Vice-Chancellor known as the Delegates of the Press. They are headed by the Secretary to the Delegates, who serves as...
from the 17th century until 1998 and is the site of Godstow abbey
Godstow
Godstow is a hamlet on the River Thames about northwest of the centre of Oxford. The ruins of Godstow Abbey, or Godstow Nunnery, are here.-The Abbey:...
, a Benedictine
Order of Saint Benedict
The Order of Saint Benedict is a Roman Catholic religious order of independent monastic communities that observe the Rule of St. Benedict. Within the order, each individual community maintains its own autonomy, while the organization as a whole exists to represent their mutual interests...
convent founded in the 12th century. The line passes under the viaduct carrying the A34 Oxford Western Bypass and 100 yards (91.4 m) further under the A40 road
A40 road
The A40 is a major trunk road connecting London to Fishguard, Wales and officially called The London to Fishguard Trunk Road in all legal documents and Acts...
linking London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and Fishguard
Fishguard
Fishguard is a coastal town in Pembrokeshire, south-west Wales, with a population of 3,300 . The community of Fishguard and Goodwick had a population of 5043 at the 2001 census....
.
The line now turns west; here the former Buckinghamshire Junction Railway
Buckinghamshire Junction Railway
The Buckinghamshire Junction Railway was a standard gauge railway between Buckingham Junction on the Oxford, Worcester and Wolverhampton Railway and Oxford Road Junction on the Buckinghamshire Railway...
link with the Buckinghamshire Railway used to converge from the east. About 4 miles (6.4 km) after Oxford station, station was in the short stretch between here and where the Witney Railway diverged to the south-west. So far, the line has been close to the River Thames but the river now swings away to the south through a landscape dotted with gravel pits. The line now climbs the valley of the River Evenlode
River Evenlode
The River Evenlode is a river in England which is a tributary of the Thames in Oxfordshire. It rises near Moreton-in-Marsh, Gloucestershire in the Cotswold Hills and flows south-east passing near Stow-on-the-Wold, Charlbury, Bladon, and Cassington, and its valley provides the route of the southern...
repeatedly crossing and re-crossing the river. station serves the villages of Long Hanborough
Long Hanborough
Long Hanborough is a village in Hanborough civil parish, about northeast of Witney in West Oxfordshire, England.-History:The Church of England parish church was built in 1893...
, Church Hanborough
Church Hanborough
Church Hanborough is a village in Hanborough civil parish about northeast of Witney in Oxfordshire.The Domesday Book of 1086 records the village as Haneberge.The Church of England parish church is dedicated to Saints Peter and Paul....
, Freeland
Freeland, Oxfordshire
Freeland is a village and civil parish about northeast of Witney in Oxfordshire.-History:Freeland village began as part of the parish of Eynsham. Its toponym is derived from the common Old English word fyrth, meaning a wood. In 1150 the Abbot of Eynsham granted land called terra de Frithe to one...
and Bladon
Bladon
Bladon is a village and civil parish on the River Glyme about northwest of Oxford, Oxfordshire, England.-Churches:The Parish Church of Saint Martin was originally 11th or 12th century, but was rebuilt twice in the 19th century: firstly in 1804, and then by the architect A.W...
. The Oxford Bus Museum
Oxford Bus Museum
The Oxford Bus Museum, of buses and other road transport associated with Oxfordshire, England, is in Long Hanborough, near Oxford.The museum collection was established by the Oxford Bus Preservation Syndicate, who acquired a 1949 semi-coach in 1967...
is next to Hanborough station.
From Hanborough the line enters the Cotswold Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and 1 miles (1.6 km) beyond Hanborough is station. Building the line through Combe was difficult with several deep cuttings, four crossings of the Evenlode, and the diversion of a length of the river. To the south, just after the third river crossing are the remains of North Leigh Roman Villa
North Leigh Roman Villa
North Leigh Roman Villa was a Roman courtyard villa in the Evenlode Valley about north of the hamlet of East End in North Leigh civil parish in Oxfordshire. It is in the care of English Heritage and is open to the public.-Excavations:...
. About 1 miles (1.6 km) beyond the villa the line crosses the course of Akeman Street
Akeman Street
Akeman Street was a major Roman road in England that linked Watling Street with the Fosse Way. Its junction with Watling Steet was just north of Verulamium and that with the Fosse Way was at Corinium Dobunnorum...
Roman road
Roman road
The Roman roads were a vital part of the development of the Roman state, from about 500 BC through the expansion during the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire. Roman roads enabled the Romans to move armies and trade goods and to communicate. The Roman road system spanned more than 400,000 km...
. The Oxfordshire Way
Oxfordshire Way
The Oxfordshire Way is a long-distance walk in Oxfordshire, England, with 6 miles in Gloucestershire and very short sections in Buckinghamshire. The path links with the Heart of England Way and the Thames Path....
long-distance footpath follows Akeman Street from the north east to a point about 0.6 mile (0.965604 km) north of the railway before turning to run through Stonesfield
Stonesfield
Stonesfield is a village and civil parish about north of Witney in Oxfordshire.The village is on the crest of an escarpment. The parish extends mostly north and north-east of the village, in which directions the land rises gently and then descends to the Glyme at Glympton and Wootton about to the...
and meet the line at Charlbury station. The next station is . Between Finstock and Charlbury the deer park
Medieval deer park
A medieval deer park was an enclosed area containing deer. It was bounded by a ditch and bank with a wooden park pale on top of the bank. The ditch was typically on the inside, thus allowing deer to enter the park but preventing them from leaving.-History:...
to the west of the line is Cornbury Park
Cornbury Park
Cornbury Park was a former Royal estate used for hunting. It is located near the Wychwood forest in Oxfordshire. A two story, eleven bay 17th century house stands in the grounds.-History:...
, venue for the Cornbury Music Festival. The woodlands south west of the park are the remains of Wychwood Forest named after the Hwicce
Hwicce
The Hwicce were one of the peoples of Anglo-Saxon England. The exact boundaries of their kingdom are uncertain, though it is likely that they coincided with those of the old Diocese of Worcester, founded in 679–80, the early bishops of which bore the title Episcopus Hwicciorum...
, one of the Anglo-Saxon
Anglo-Saxons
Anglo-Saxon is a term used by historians to designate the Germanic tribes who invaded and settled the south and east of Great Britain beginning in the early 5th century AD, and the period from their creation of the English nation to the Norman conquest. The Anglo-Saxon Era denotes the period of...
peoples of Britain. Charlbury station is the start of the redoubled track and is first stop for faster trains over the line and retains its original Oxford, Worcester and Wolverhampton Railway clapperboard building. Sir Peter Parker
Peter Parker (British businessman)
Sir Peter Parker KBE LVO was a British businessman, best known as chairman of the British Railways Board from 1976 to 1983.-Early life:...
lived nearby at Minster Lovell
Minster Lovell
Minster Lovell is a village and civil parish on the River Windrush about west of Witney in Oxfordshire.Minster Lovell village has three parts: Old Minster, Little Minster and New Minster. Old Minster includes St. Kenelm's Parish Church, Minster Lovell Hall and the Old Swan Inn and Minster Mill Hotel...
and was a regular user of Charlbury station while chairman of the British Railways Board
British Railways Board
The British Railways Board was a nationalised industry in the United Kingdom that existed from 1962 to 2001. From its foundation until 1997, it was responsible for most railway services in Great Britain, trading under the brand names British Railways and, from 1965, British Rail...
(1976 to 1983). The patronage of the head of the organisation may have helped to save the line at a time when the Serpell Report was calling for more rail closures.
Charlbury to Moreton-in-Marsh
The line is now heading south-west and the site of Ascot d'Oilly CastleAscot d'Oilly Castle
Ascot d'Oilly Castle is situated north of the village of Ascott-under-Wychwood, Oxfordshire. It is a scheduled ancient monument. A fragment of the castle remains and is a Grade II listed building...
is to the north-west as the train enters Ascott-under-Wychwood
Ascott-under-Wychwood
Ascott-under-Wychwood is a village and civil parish in the Evenlode valley about south of Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire.-History:The village is one of several named after the historic forest of Wychwood; the others being Shipton-under-Wychwood and Milton-under-Wychwood.Ascot d'Oilly Castle was...
. Few trains call at station, but there is a signal box
Signal box
On a rail transport system, signalling control is the process by which control is exercised over train movements by way of railway signals and block systems to ensure that trains operate safely, over the correct route and to the proper timetable...
controlling the level crossing
Level crossing
A level crossing occurs where a railway line is intersected by a road or path onone level, without recourse to a bridge or tunnel. It is a type of at-grade intersection. The term also applies when a light rail line with separate right-of-way or reserved track crosses a road in the same fashion...
and the points
Railroad switch
A railroad switch, turnout or [set of] points is a mechanical installation enabling railway trains to be guided from one track to another at a railway junction....
that were formerly the end of the single track section from Wolvercot Junction. 1.2 miles (1.9 km) beyond Ascott is station which serves the villages of Shipton-under-Wychwood
Shipton-under-Wychwood
Shipton under Wychwood is a village and civil parish in the Evenlode valley about north of Burford, Oxfordshire. The village is one of several named after the ancient forest of Wychwood. The others are Milton-under-Wychwood immediately to the west of the village and Ascott-under-Wychwood about to...
, Milton-under-Wychwood
Milton-under-Wychwood
Milton-under-Wychwood is a village and civil parish about north of Burford, Oxfordshire, just off the A361 road between Burford and Chipping Norton.-History:The village is one of three named after the ancient forest of Wychwood...
and Fifield
Fifield, Oxfordshire
Fifield is a village and civil parish about north of Burford in Oxfordshire.-History:The toponymy is probably a transliteration of its Old English name of Fifhides....
.
Still following the Evenlode, the line now turns north-west. There is another level crossing near Bruern Abbey. The next junction on the line was at from where the Banbury and Cheltenham Direct Railway
Banbury and Cheltenham Direct Railway
The Banbury and Cheltenham Direct Railway is a former railway in the Cotswold Hills in Gloucestershire and Oxfordshire, England.-Origins and development:...
went west to Cheltenham
Cheltenham Spa St. James railway station
-History:The first station was opened by the Cheltenham and Great Western Union Railway on 23 October 1847, as Cheltenham. It was the terminus of the final section of that company's line from a junction with the Great Western Railway at , which had opened in stages: to on 31 May 1841; to on 12...
via and east to near . Kingham
Kingham
Kingham is a village and civil parish in the Cotswolds about southwest of Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire.-History:The Church of England parish church of Saint Andrew has a 15th century Perpendicular Gothic west tower. The remainder of the church was rebuilt in 1852-1853...
village is north of the station. The village west of the station is Bledington
Bledington
Bledington is a village and civil parish in the Cotswold district of Gloucestershire, England, located about four miles south-east of Stow-on-the-Wold and six miles south-west of Chipping Norton...
. The Oxfordshire Way which has been close to the railway since Akeman Street now turns west to Bourton-on-the-Water
Bourton-on-the-Water
Bourton-on-the-Water is a village and civil parish in Gloucestershire, England that lies on a wide flat vale within the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty...
but it is replaced by another long distance footpath, the Diamond Way. At Moreton-in-Marsh the line crosses the course of another major Roman road, the Fosse Way
Fosse Way
The Fosse Way was a Roman road in England that linked Exeter in South West England to Lincoln in Lincolnshire, via Ilchester , Bath , Cirencester and Leicester .It joined Akeman Street and Ermin Way at Cirencester, crossed Watling Street at Venonis south...
which linked Isca Dumnoniorum
Isca Dumnoniorum
Isca Dumnoniorum was a town in the Roman province of Britannia and the capital of Dumnonia in the sub-Roman period. Today it is known as Exeter, located in the English county of Devon.-Fortress:...
(Exeter
Exeter
Exeter is a historic city in Devon, England. It lies within the ceremonial county of Devon, of which it is the county town as well as the home of Devon County Council. Currently the administrative area has the status of a non-metropolitan district, and is therefore under the administration of the...
) and Lindum Colonia
Lindum Colonia
Lindum Colonia was a town in the Roman province of Britannia. Today it is called Lincoln, in the English county of Lincolnshire.-Fort and name:...
(Lincoln
Lincoln, Lincolnshire
Lincoln is a cathedral city and county town of Lincolnshire, England.The non-metropolitan district of Lincoln has a population of 85,595; the 2001 census gave the entire area of Lincoln a population of 120,779....
). Moreton-in-Marsh was the headquarters of the railway spot-hire company Cotswold Rail
Cotswold Rail
thumb|right|[[British Rail Class 47|Class 47]], no. 47316 'Cam Peak', at [[Doncaster railway works|Doncaster Works]] open day on 27th July 2003. This locomotive had recently been returned to traffic after a period in store...
until the company moved to Gloucester.
Moreton-in-Marsh to Hereford
Stratford and Moreton Tramway
The Stratford and Moreton Tramway was a 16-mile long horse-drawn wagonway from the canal basin at Stratford-upon-Avon in Warwickshire to Moreton-in-Marsh in Gloucestershire, with a branch to Shipston-on-Stour....
. The line then passes the corner of the Roman town of Dorn. The Cotswold Line leaves the Evenlode which drains into the Thames and enters the catchment
Drainage basin
A drainage basin is an extent or an area of land where surface water from rain and melting snow or ice converges to a single point, usually the exit of the basin, where the waters join another waterbody, such as a river, lake, reservoir, estuary, wetland, sea, or ocean...
of the River Severn
River Severn
The River Severn is the longest river in Great Britain, at about , but the second longest on the British Isles, behind the River Shannon. It rises at an altitude of on Plynlimon, Ceredigion near Llanidloes, Powys, in the Cambrian Mountains of mid Wales...
. The first level crossing appears. The building west of the crossing is a brick works and the neighbouring pits were the site of Jurassic
Jurassic
The Jurassic is a geologic period and system that extends from about Mya to Mya, that is, from the end of the Triassic to the beginning of the Cretaceous. The Jurassic constitutes the middle period of the Mesozoic era, also known as the age of reptiles. The start of the period is marked by...
clay extraction for the works. The village to the north is Paxford. The large country house to the west is Northwick Park
Northwick Park, Gloucestershire
Northwick Park is a residential estate and business centre near Blockley in Gloucestershire, built in the grounds of the former family seat of the Rushout family, the Barons Northwick. The Northwick Park mansion, now divided into residential accommodation, is a Grade 1 listed building...
, former home of Edward Spencer-Churchill and site of a United States Army
Medical Corps (United States Army)
The Medical Corps of the U.S. Army is a staff corps of the U.S. Army Medical Department consisting of commissioned medical officers – physicians with either an MD or a DO degree, at least one year of post-graduate clinical training, and a state medical license.The MC traces its earliest origins...
hospital during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and afterwards a centre for Polish refugees. The line the passes the site of station, about 1 miles (1.6 km) east of Chipping Campden
Chipping Campden
Chipping Campden is a small market town within the Cotswold district of Gloucestershire, England. It is notable for its elegant terraced High Street, dating from the 14th century to the 17th century...
itself. From here the line goes into cutting, then the 887 yards (811.1 m) Campden Tunnel under the Cotswold escarpment
Escarpment
An escarpment is a steep slope or long cliff that occurs from erosion or faulting and separates two relatively level areas of differing elevations.-Description and variants:...
. In 1851 unrest among the navvies building the tunnel resulted in a riot — the 'Battle of Campden Tunnel'.
The next station is Honeybourne. From 1905 until 1977 this was the junction with the GWR line between and . The track to the north remains as a link to the large former military depot at Long Marston
Long Marston, Warwickshire
Long Marston is a village about southwest of Stratford-upon-Avon in Warwickshire, England. The southern and western boundaries of the parish also form part of the county boundary with Worcestershire.-History:...
. The large compound to the north with high walls, chapel, and floodlights is Long Lartin prison
Long Lartin (HM Prison)
HM Prison Long Lartin is a Category A men's prison, located in the village of South Littleton in Worcestershire, England. Long Lartin Prison is operated by Her Majesty's Prison Service.-History:...
. There is another level crossing, where station used to be. The line crosses the River Avon
River Avon, Warwickshire
The River Avon or Avon is a river in or adjoining the counties of Leicestershire, Northamptonshire, Warwickshire, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire in the Midlands of England...
into Evesham. Opposite Evesham's Cotswold Line station is the former Midland Railway
Midland Railway
The Midland Railway was a railway company in the United Kingdom from 1844 to 1922, when it became part of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway....
station, once on the Ashchurch & Barnt Green line. The line becomes single track again about 1 miles (1.6 km) west of Evesham and then crosses the River Avon again and follows it towards .
About 57 miles (91.7 km) after Oxford is Worcester Shrub Hill station. Here are connections to commuter lines going to . If Worcester (Norton) Parkway is built Shrub Hill station will be closed. Worcester Foregate Street station gives connections to the city centre and other lines to Birmingham. 6 miles (10 km) later the line reaches Malvern Link station. Great Malvern station follows, and 2 miles (3 km) later is the site of the former Malvern Wells station. After Malvern Wells the line enters the 1584 yards (1,448.4 m) long Colwall New Tunnel. This is the second Colwall tunnel; the entrance to the original tunnel can be seen to the north. When the tunnel is below the ridge of the Malvern Hills, the line crosses the boundary between Worcestershire
Worcestershire
Worcestershire is a non-metropolitan county, established in antiquity, located in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire" NUTS 2 region...
and Herefordshire
Herefordshire
Herefordshire is a historic and ceremonial county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire" NUTS 2 region. It also forms a unitary district known as the...
. The line reaches station, where The Coca-Cola Company
The Coca-Cola Company
The Coca-Cola Company is an American multinational beverage corporation and manufacturer, retailer and marketer of non-alcoholic beverage concentrates and syrups. The company is best known for its flagship product Coca-Cola, invented in 1886 by pharmacist John Stith Pemberton in Columbus, Georgia...
plant next to the station bottles Malvern Water
Malvern Water (bottled water)
Malvern Water is a brand of bottled drinking water obtained from a spring in the range of Malvern Hills that marks the border between the counties of Herefordshire and Worcestershire in England...
, a local mineral water
Mineral water
Mineral water is water containing minerals or other dissolved substances that alter its taste or give it therapeutic value, generally obtained from a naturally occurring mineral spring or source. Dissolved substances in the water may include various salts and sulfur compounds...
. Next to the bridge carrying the B4218 road over the railway is an unusual five-sided cottage. When the railway was built one corner had to be demolished and replaced by a plain wall. After the plant, Ledbury station is passed and Hereford station ends the journey on the line.
Usage
The busiest stations on this line are the city stations at Oxford, Worcester and Hereford, all of which are showing strong growth. Strong growth is also showing at intermediate stations between Worcester and Hereford whilst those between Worcester and Oxford are mainly in decline.|}
External links
- The Cotswold Line Promotion Group is a voluntary organisation with the aim of safeguarding and promoting improvements to rail and bus feeder services along the line.
- HansardHansardHansard is the name of the printed transcripts of parliamentary debates in the Westminster system of government. It is named after Thomas Curson Hansard, an early printer and publisher of these transcripts.-Origins:...
for 3 March 2004 — Record of House of CommonsBritish House of CommonsThe House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
adjournment debateAdjournment debateIn the Westminster system, an adjournment debate is a debate on the motion, "That this House do now adjourn." In practice, this is a way of enabling the House to have a debate on a subject without considering a substantive motion.- Types of debate :...
on the Cotswold Line. - The Cotswold Line Railbus bus routes, with revenue support from Oxfordshire County Council, link the Wychwood villages (Milton, Shipton and Ascott), Leafield and Finstock to Charlbury station (routes C1/T1) and Chipping Norton, Churchill, Kingham, Foscot, Idbury, Fifield, and the Wychwoods to Kingham station (route X8). Since February 2009 there has also been a Sunday service on route 233 between Chipping Norton, Kingham station, the Wychwoods, Burford, and Witney.