Hay-on-Wye railway station
Encyclopedia
Hay had one of the earliest railway stations in the country, being part of a horse-drawn tramway.
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The Hay Railway
opened from the Brecon & Abergavenny Canal
at Brecon
to Hay
on 7 May 1816. The line was opened from Hay to Clifford Castle
on 30 July 1817. The line was not completed between The Lakes at Clifford
and Eardisley
until 1 December 1818 because of the problem of the river crossing at Whitney-on-Wye
. The Hay Railway was sold in 1860 to the Hereford, Hay and Brecon Railway
(HH&BR) which made use of parts of its route.
The HH&BR was a struggling local line, much of it built by Thomas Savin
, contractor and builder of many Welsh lines. It was completed in 1864. Like most local lines it was eventually rescued by a larger company – not the Great Western Railway
, in whose territory it might be thought to lie – but the Midland Railway
, which used it and other lines which it acquired or had running powers over, to put together a through route from Birmingham
to Swansea
via Hereford, Brecon, the Neath and Brecon Railway
and the Swansea Vale Railway
.
The Golden Valley Railway
, which had its northern junction at Hay and ran through the Golden Valley to Pontrilas
, was built between 1876 and 1889, was closed down in 1898, and then rescued by the Great Western Railway in 1901. It survived as a passenger line until 1951 and goods until the 1950s.
The whole of the Hereford to Brecon lines including Hay were completely dismantled in 1963 under Dr Beeching's axing
of most of Britain's branch lines.
Railway Lines from Hay Station
Hay Railway
The Hay Railway was an early Welsh narrow gauge horse tramwaythat connected Eardisley Hay-on-Wye with Watton Wharf on the Brecknock and Abergavenny Canal.-Parliamentary authorisation, construction and opening:...
opened from the Brecon & Abergavenny Canal
Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal
The Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal is a small network of canals in South Wales. For most of its length it runs through the Brecon Beacons National Park, and its present rural character and tranquillity belies its original purpose as an industrial corridor for coal and iron, which were brought to...
at Brecon
Brecon
Brecon is a long-established market town and community in southern Powys, Mid Wales, with a population of 7,901. It was the county town of the historic county of Brecknockshire; although its role as such was eclipsed with the formation of Powys, it remains an important local centre...
to Hay
Hay
Hay is grass, legumes or other herbaceous plants that have been cut, dried, and stored for use as animal fodder, particularly for grazing livestock such as cattle, horses, goats, and sheep. Hay is also fed to pets such as rabbits and guinea pigs...
on 7 May 1816. The line was opened from Hay to Clifford Castle
Clifford Castle
Clifford Castle is a castle in the village of Clifford which lies four miles to the north of Hay-on-Wye in the Wye Valley in Herefordshire, England .-Early Norman castle and planned settlement:...
on 30 July 1817. The line was not completed between The Lakes at Clifford
Clifford, Herefordshire
Clifford is a village and civil parish in Herefordshire, England, four miles to the north of Hay-on-Wye. It lies on the south bank of the River Wye, which here forms the border between Wales and England....
and Eardisley
Eardisley
Eardisley is a village and civil parish in Herefordshire about south of the centre of Kington. Eardisley is in the Wye valley in the northwest of the county, close to the border with Wales....
until 1 December 1818 because of the problem of the river crossing at Whitney-on-Wye
Whitney-on-Wye
Whitney-on-Wye is a village and civil parish in Herefordshire, England, very close to the border with Wales. It is on the A438 road, and on the River Wye. The village is west of Hereford. The church is dedicated to the Saints Peter and Paul.-History:...
. The Hay Railway was sold in 1860 to the Hereford, Hay and Brecon Railway
Hereford, Hay and Brecon Railway
The Hereford, Hay and Brecon Railway was an early railway linking Hereford in England with Brecon in Wales.-Incorporation and early history:...
(HH&BR) which made use of parts of its route.
The HH&BR was a struggling local line, much of it built by Thomas Savin
Thomas Savin
Thomas Savin was a British railway engineer who was the contractor who built many railways in Wales and the Welsh borders from 1857 to 1866. He also in some cases was an investor in such schemes.- Railway contractor :...
, contractor and builder of many Welsh lines. It was completed in 1864. Like most local lines it was eventually rescued by a larger company – not 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...
, in whose territory it might be thought to lie – but the 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....
, which used it and other lines which it acquired or had running powers over, to put together a through route from Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
to Swansea
Swansea
Swansea is a coastal city and county in Wales. Swansea is in the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan. Situated on the sandy South West Wales coast, the county area includes the Gower Peninsula and the Lliw uplands...
via Hereford, Brecon, the Neath and Brecon Railway
Neath and Brecon Railway
The Neath and Brecon Railway linked the Vale of Neath Railway at Neath with the Brecon and Merthyr Railway at Brecon and also via a connection from Colbren Junction, it linked to the Swansea Vale Railway at Ynysygeinon Junction ....
and the Swansea Vale Railway
Swansea Vale Railway
|-|colspan="2" width="320"|-History:First opened in 1816 as a tramroad for conveying coal from Scott's Pit, near Birchgrove, to wharves on the River Tawe nearly four miles to the south, the Swansea Vale route grew to become a feeder railway for several mines and metal-working industries in the...
.
The Golden Valley Railway
Golden Valley Railway
The Golden Valley Railway was a 19-mile-long single-track branch railway line that ran along the valley of the River Dore from in Herefordshire, England, to Hay on Wye in Brecknockshire, Wales , via six intermediate stations at Abbey Dore, Vowchurch, Peterchurch, Dorstone, Westbrook, and...
, which had its northern junction at Hay and ran through the Golden Valley to Pontrilas
Pontrilas
Pontrilas is a village in south Herefordshire, England, half a mile from the border with Wales. It is in the parish of Kentchurch and lies midway between Hereford and Abergavenny....
, was built between 1876 and 1889, was closed down in 1898, and then rescued by the Great Western Railway in 1901. It survived as a passenger line until 1951 and goods until the 1950s.
The whole of the Hereford to Brecon lines including Hay were completely dismantled in 1963 under Dr Beeching's axing
Beeching Axe
The Beeching Axe or the Beeching Cuts are informal names for the British Government's attempt in the 1960s to reduce the cost of running British Railways, the nationalised railway system in the United Kingdom. The name is that of the main author of The Reshaping of British Railways, Dr Richard...
of most of Britain's branch lines.