Thornbury railway station
Encyclopedia
Thornbury railway station served the town of Thornbury
in Gloucestershire
. The station was the terminus of a short 7.5-mile (12 km) branch
from Yate
on the Midland Railway
's line between Bristol and Gloucester.
The station at Thornbury opened in 1872 with two trains in each direction a day, both connecting at Yate with trains on the mainline. Later trains appear to have run through to and from Bristol Temple Meads, though the service was never frequent. In 1910, there were four trains in each direction on week-days.
Thornbury station appears to have been badly affected by the rise of industrial development in the Patchway
and Filton
areas that were not accessible from the railway, but could be reached using cheaper road services to Patchway railway station
and Great Western Railway
trains from there.
The station at Thornbury had a large double-roomed terminus building. The single platform was on the north side and there was a run-round loop. Sidings occupied the land opposite the platform, and there were goods facilities for handling livestock beyond the platforms towards the terminal buffers. The station had a basic wooden engine shed and a substantial station master's house.
Thornbury station was an early casualty to rail closure, and passenger services ceased in 1944, though passengers to and from the US military hospital at Leyhill
, now a prison, continued later. It remained open for goods traffic until 1966 and was used extensively in the construction of the first Severn road bridge
and the Oldbury Power Station. Even after Thornbury closed, a section of the branch remained open for quarry traffic to Tytherington Quarry
. At Thornbury, the station buildings were demolished and are now the site of a Tesco
supermarket.
Thornbury, South Gloucestershire
Thornbury is a market town in South Gloucestershire, England, approximately 12 miles north of the city of Bristol, with a population of 12,342 at the 2001 UK census. The town hosts South Gloucestershire Council headquarters and is twinned with Bockenem in Germany. Thornbury is a Britain in Bloom...
in Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn, and the entire Forest of Dean....
. The station was the terminus of a short 7.5-mile (12 km) branch
Thornbury Branch Line
The Thornbury Branchline is a railway line from Yate to Thornbury. It is now closed to passengers, and only remains to serve a quarry at Tytherington....
from Yate
Yate railway station
Yate railway station serves the town of Yate in South Gloucestershire, in south west England. The station is located on the main Bristol to Birmingham line between Bristol Parkway and Cam & Dursley, and is operated by First Great Western....
on 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....
's line between Bristol and Gloucester.
The station at Thornbury opened in 1872 with two trains in each direction a day, both connecting at Yate with trains on the mainline. Later trains appear to have run through to and from Bristol Temple Meads, though the service was never frequent. In 1910, there were four trains in each direction on week-days.
Thornbury station appears to have been badly affected by the rise of industrial development in the Patchway
Patchway
Patchway is a town in South Gloucestershire, England, situated northwest of central Bristol. The town is a housing overflow for Bristol being contiguous to Bristol's urban area, and is often regarded as a large outer suburb. Nearby are the other Bristol satellite towns of Filton and Bradley Stoke....
and Filton
Filton
Filton is a town in South Gloucestershire, England, situated on the northern outskirts of the city of Bristol, about from the city centre. Filton lies in Bristol postcode areas BS7 and BS34. The town centres upon Filton Church, which dates back to the 12th century and is a grade II listed building...
areas that were not accessible from the railway, but could be reached using cheaper road services to Patchway railway station
Patchway railway station
Patchway railway station is a minor railway station located at street level of Station Road in Little Stoke village near the town of Patchway, South Gloucestershire, England...
and 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...
trains from there.
The station at Thornbury had a large double-roomed terminus building. The single platform was on the north side and there was a run-round loop. Sidings occupied the land opposite the platform, and there were goods facilities for handling livestock beyond the platforms towards the terminal buffers. The station had a basic wooden engine shed and a substantial station master's house.
Thornbury station was an early casualty to rail closure, and passenger services ceased in 1944, though passengers to and from the US military hospital at Leyhill
Leyhill Prison
HM Prison Leyhill is a Category D men's prison, located in the parish of Tortworth in Gloucestershire, England. Leyhill Prison is operated by Her Majesty's Prison Service.-History:...
, now a prison, continued later. It remained open for goods traffic until 1966 and was used extensively in the construction of the first Severn road bridge
Severn Bridge
The Severn Bridge is a suspension bridge spanning the River Severn between South Gloucestershire, just north of Bristol, England, and Monmouthshire in South Wales, via Beachley, a peninsula between the River Severn and River Wye estuary. It is the original Severn road crossing between England and...
and the Oldbury Power Station. Even after Thornbury closed, a section of the branch remained open for quarry traffic to Tytherington Quarry
Tytherington Quarry
Tytherington Quarry is a 0.9 hectare geological Site of Special Scientific Interest near the village of Tytherington, South Gloucestershire, notified in 1989.-Source:*...
. At Thornbury, the station buildings were demolished and are now the site of a Tesco
Tesco
Tesco plc is a global grocery and general merchandise retailer headquartered in Cheshunt, United Kingdom. It is the third-largest retailer in the world measured by revenues and the second-largest measured by profits...
supermarket.