Weston, Clevedon and Portishead Railway
Encyclopedia
The Weston, Clevedon and Portishead Light Railway (WCPR) was conceived and built initially as a tram
way to link the three small North Somerset
coastal towns of Weston-super-Mare
, Clevedon
and Portishead
in the 1880s.
light railway
which operated on a shoestring. It was 13.8 miles (22.2 km) long with 19 stations or halts most of which had a small shelter and no platform. The line ran through sparsly-populated and level countryside. Most of the locomotives and rolling stock were bought second-hand from various sources, making a varied collection.
The section from Weston-super-Mare
to Clevedon
opened in 1897, and the extension to Portishead
in 1907. The railway was built with economy in mind and there were no major station buildings or bridges. After years of financial struggle, the line closed on 8 May 1940.
tramway in 1884 by the Weston-Super-Mare, Clevedon & Portishead Tramways Company to link the three small coastal towns. The line was planned to run on the street along the Boulevard in Weston-super-Mare
and from there off-road apart from numerous road crossings all of which were to be on the level. An Act of Parliament
to authorise the construction of the railway was passed on 6 August 1885.
Building of the Weston-super-Mare
to Clevedon
section of the railway began in 1887 but due to various legal and financial problems, progress was very slow, and the time limit of the Act expired requiring further Acts to be passed on 25 July 1890 and December 1891. Due to these delays some of the track had to be re-laid before the line opened because sleepers had rotted. The track along the Boulevard in Weston-super-Mare was taken up before the line opened due to complaints from the council. The section finally opened on 1 December 1897. Two years after the opening, the tramway was designated a light rail
way and the name was changed to the Weston, Clevedon & Portishead Light Railway Company.
had been planned from the beginning, but financial constraints delayed its construction. It required another Act of Parliament
, which was passed in August 1899, There were many objections to the proposed extension, one of which was that the line was to run through the streets in Clevedon
. These objections were overcome, but a man with a flag had to lead trains across the street at 4 mph. The extension to Portishead was built as a light railway and opened on 7 August 1907.
were provided at Clevedon
and Portishead
, and in 1915 a short branch to a wharf
at Wick St. Lawrence
on the River Yeo
was built. Sidings served three stone quarries in the Gordano Valley
.
in 1909 and was in decline up to the outbreak of World War II
, not helped by the increase in road traffic. It had relied on the transport of stone from the Black Rock quarries and the decline in this business made things worse. The railway spent 31 of its 43 years in the hands of receivers.
took over the running of the WC&PR in 1911. He was known as the ‘Light Railway King’ because he ran a number of similar railways, and though he got the costs under control, the financial situation remained poor. After his death in 1931 W. H. Austen
followed him as manager until the railway closed.
to close the line and the last train ran on 8 May 1940. The Great Western Railway
purchased the line (but not the land) to use it for storage, and for a short time up to 200 coal wagons were stored on the line. It was decided to remove the track for use in the war effort, and it was cleared between October 1942 and late 1943. The legality of the ownership of the land was a long-running issue that was never properly resolved.
in Portishead
, the remains of a bridge over the River Yeo
, and the wharf
. Much of the route of the track bed survives, a small part of which can be walked on Weston Moor reserve
in the Gordano Valley
. There are plans to convert some of the track bed to a cycle path
as part of the National Cycle Network
.
Tram
A tram is a passenger rail vehicle which runs on tracks along public urban streets and also sometimes on separate rights of way. It may also run between cities and/or towns , and/or partially grade separated even in the cities...
way to link the three small North Somerset
North Somerset
North Somerset is a unitary authority in England. Its area covers part of the ceremonial county of Somerset but it is administered independently of the non-metropolitan county. Its administrative headquarters is in the town hall in Weston-super-Mare....
coastal towns of Weston-super-Mare
Weston-super-Mare
Weston-super-Mare is a seaside resort, town and civil parish in the unitary authority of North Somerset, which is within the ceremonial county of Somerset, England. It is located on the Bristol Channel coast, south west of Bristol, spanning the coast between the bounding high ground of Worlebury...
, Clevedon
Clevedon
Clevedon is a town and civil parish in the unitary authority of North Somerset, which covers part of the ceremonial county of Somerset, England...
and Portishead
Portishead, Somerset
Portishead is a coastal town on the Severn Estuary within the unitary authority of North Somerset, which falls within the ceremonial county of Somerset England. It has a population of 22,000, an increase of over 3,000 since the 2001 census, with a growth rate of 40 per cent, considerably in excess...
in the 1880s.
Overview
It was a standard gaugeStandard gauge
The standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
light railway
Light railway
Light railway refers to a railway built at lower costs and to lower standards than typical "heavy rail". This usually means the railway uses lighter weight track, and is more steeply graded and tightly curved to avoid civil engineering costs...
which operated on a shoestring. It was 13.8 miles (22.2 km) long with 19 stations or halts most of which had a small shelter and no platform. The line ran through sparsly-populated and level countryside. Most of the locomotives and rolling stock were bought second-hand from various sources, making a varied collection.
The section from Weston-super-Mare
Weston-super-Mare
Weston-super-Mare is a seaside resort, town and civil parish in the unitary authority of North Somerset, which is within the ceremonial county of Somerset, England. It is located on the Bristol Channel coast, south west of Bristol, spanning the coast between the bounding high ground of Worlebury...
to Clevedon
Clevedon
Clevedon is a town and civil parish in the unitary authority of North Somerset, which covers part of the ceremonial county of Somerset, England...
opened in 1897, and the extension to Portishead
Portishead, Somerset
Portishead is a coastal town on the Severn Estuary within the unitary authority of North Somerset, which falls within the ceremonial county of Somerset England. It has a population of 22,000, an increase of over 3,000 since the 2001 census, with a growth rate of 40 per cent, considerably in excess...
in 1907. The railway was built with economy in mind and there were no major station buildings or bridges. After years of financial struggle, the line closed on 8 May 1940.
Early history
The WC&PR was originally proposed as a standard gaugeStandard gauge
The standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
tramway in 1884 by the Weston-Super-Mare, Clevedon & Portishead Tramways Company to link the three small coastal towns. The line was planned to run on the street along the Boulevard in Weston-super-Mare
Weston-super-Mare
Weston-super-Mare is a seaside resort, town and civil parish in the unitary authority of North Somerset, which is within the ceremonial county of Somerset, England. It is located on the Bristol Channel coast, south west of Bristol, spanning the coast between the bounding high ground of Worlebury...
and from there off-road apart from numerous road crossings all of which were to be on the level. An Act of Parliament
Act 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...
to authorise the construction of the railway was passed on 6 August 1885.
Building of the Weston-super-Mare
Weston-super-Mare
Weston-super-Mare is a seaside resort, town and civil parish in the unitary authority of North Somerset, which is within the ceremonial county of Somerset, England. It is located on the Bristol Channel coast, south west of Bristol, spanning the coast between the bounding high ground of Worlebury...
to Clevedon
Clevedon
Clevedon is a town and civil parish in the unitary authority of North Somerset, which covers part of the ceremonial county of Somerset, England...
section of the railway began in 1887 but due to various legal and financial problems, progress was very slow, and the time limit of the Act expired requiring further Acts to be passed on 25 July 1890 and December 1891. Due to these delays some of the track had to be re-laid before the line opened because sleepers had rotted. The track along the Boulevard in Weston-super-Mare was taken up before the line opened due to complaints from the council. The section finally opened on 1 December 1897. Two years after the opening, the tramway was designated a light rail
Light rail
Light rail or light rail transit is a form of urban rail public transportation that generally has a lower capacity and lower speed than heavy rail and metro systems, but higher capacity and higher speed than traditional street-running tram systems...
way and the name was changed to the Weston, Clevedon & Portishead Light Railway Company.
Portishead extension
The extension to PortisheadPortishead, Somerset
Portishead is a coastal town on the Severn Estuary within the unitary authority of North Somerset, which falls within the ceremonial county of Somerset England. It has a population of 22,000, an increase of over 3,000 since the 2001 census, with a growth rate of 40 per cent, considerably in excess...
had been planned from the beginning, but financial constraints delayed its construction. It required another Act of Parliament
Act 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...
, which was passed in August 1899, There were many objections to the proposed extension, one of which was that the line was to run through the streets in Clevedon
Clevedon
Clevedon is a town and civil parish in the unitary authority of North Somerset, which covers part of the ceremonial county of Somerset, England...
. These objections were overcome, but a man with a flag had to lead trains across the street at 4 mph. The extension to Portishead was built as a light railway and opened on 7 August 1907.
Other features
Links to the Great Western RailwayGreat 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...
were provided at Clevedon
Clevedon
Clevedon is a town and civil parish in the unitary authority of North Somerset, which covers part of the ceremonial county of Somerset, England...
and Portishead
Portishead, Somerset
Portishead is a coastal town on the Severn Estuary within the unitary authority of North Somerset, which falls within the ceremonial county of Somerset England. It has a population of 22,000, an increase of over 3,000 since the 2001 census, with a growth rate of 40 per cent, considerably in excess...
, and in 1915 a short branch to a wharf
Wharf
A wharf or quay is a structure on the shore of a harbor where ships may dock to load and unload cargo or passengers.Such a structure includes one or more berths , and may also include piers, warehouses, or other facilities necessary for handling the ships.A wharf commonly comprises a fixed...
at Wick St. Lawrence
Wick St. Lawrence
Wick St. Lawrence is a civil parish and village in Somerset, England. It falls within the unitary authority of North Somerset. The population of the parish, which includes Bourton, in the 2001 census was 1,296.-History:...
on the River Yeo
Congresbury Yeo
The River Yeo is a river which flows through North Somerset, England.- River course :...
was built. Sidings served three stone quarries in the Gordano Valley
Gordano Valley
Gordano is an area of North Somerset, in England. It has been designated as a National Nature Reserve.The name Gordano comes from Old English and is descriptive of the triangular shape of the whole valley from Clevedon to Portishead, being the ablative singular of the Latinised form of Gorden...
.
Financial problems
The finances of the railway were always precarious becoming serious by 1905. It entered receivershipReceivership
In law, receivership is the situation in which an institution or enterprise is being held by a receiver, a person "placed in the custodial responsibility for the property of others, including tangible and intangible assets and rights." The receivership remedy is an equitable remedy that emerged in...
in 1909 and was in decline up to the outbreak of 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...
, not helped by the increase in road traffic. It had relied on the transport of stone from the Black Rock quarries and the decline in this business made things worse. The railway spent 31 of its 43 years in the hands of receivers.
Colonel HF Stephens
Col. H. F. StephensH. F. Stephens
Colonel Holman Fred Stephens was a British light railway civil engineer and manager. During his lifetime he was engaged in engineering and building, and later managing, 16 light railways in England and Wales.- Biography :...
took over the running of the WC&PR in 1911. He was known as the ‘Light Railway King’ because he ran a number of similar railways, and though he got the costs under control, the financial situation remained poor. After his death in 1931 W. H. Austen
W. H. Austen
William Henry Austen was a British railway engineer who took over the running of Colonel Stephens' light railways on the latter's death in 1931 until his own retirement in 1948, by which time the lines had either closed due to competition from motor bus and lorry, or became part of British...
followed him as manager until the railway closed.
Closure
Due to an ever-worsening financial state, the Company applied for a Court orderCourt order
A court order is an official proclamation by a judge that defines the legal relationships between the parties to a hearing, a trial, an appeal or other court proceedings. Such ruling requires or authorizes the carrying out of certain steps by one or more parties to a case...
to close the line and the last train ran on 8 May 1940. 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...
purchased the line (but not the land) to use it for storage, and for a short time up to 200 coal wagons were stored on the line. It was decided to remove the track for use in the war effort, and it was cleared between October 1942 and late 1943. The legality of the ownership of the land was a long-running issue that was never properly resolved.
The line today
Due to the lack of major infrastructure, there are few obvious remains of the line. Still surviving is a small bridge over a rhyneRhyne
A rhyne , rhine/rhyne , or reen is a drainage ditch, or canal, used to turn areas of wetland at around sea level into useful pasture....
in Portishead
Portishead, Somerset
Portishead is a coastal town on the Severn Estuary within the unitary authority of North Somerset, which falls within the ceremonial county of Somerset England. It has a population of 22,000, an increase of over 3,000 since the 2001 census, with a growth rate of 40 per cent, considerably in excess...
, the remains of a bridge over the River Yeo
Congresbury Yeo
The River Yeo is a river which flows through North Somerset, England.- River course :...
, and the wharf
Wharf
A wharf or quay is a structure on the shore of a harbor where ships may dock to load and unload cargo or passengers.Such a structure includes one or more berths , and may also include piers, warehouses, or other facilities necessary for handling the ships.A wharf commonly comprises a fixed...
. Much of the route of the track bed survives, a small part of which can be walked on Weston Moor reserve
Weston-in-Gordano SSSI
Weston-in-Gordano SSSI is a 12.55 hectare geological Site of Special Scientific Interest near the village of Weston in Gordano, North Somerset, notified in 1993.Note that there is also a separate biological and geological SSSI covering the Gordano Valley....
in the Gordano Valley
Gordano Valley
Gordano is an area of North Somerset, in England. It has been designated as a National Nature Reserve.The name Gordano comes from Old English and is descriptive of the triangular shape of the whole valley from Clevedon to Portishead, being the ablative singular of the Latinised form of Gorden...
. There are plans to convert some of the track bed to a cycle path
Rail trail
A rail trail is the conversion of a disused railway easement into a multi-use path, typically for walking, cycling and sometimes horse riding. The characteristics of former tracks—flat, long, frequently running through historical areas—are appealing for various development. The term sometimes also...
as part of the National Cycle Network
National Cycle Network
The National Cycle Network is a network of cycle routes in the United Kingdom.The National Cycle Network was created by the charity Sustrans , and aided by a £42.5 million National Lottery grant. In 2005 it was used for over 230 million trips.Many routes hope to minimise contact with motor...
.
WC&P Railway Group
The WC&P Railway Group was formed in November 2006, to attempt to preserve what was left of the railway.External links
Further reading
- Maggs, Colin G. (1990). The Weston Clevedon & Portishead Light Railway: The Oakwood Press. ISBN 0-85361-388-5.
- Mitchell,Vic and Smith, Keith (2003). Branch Lines to Clevedon and Portishead. Midhurst: Middleton Press. ISBN 1-904474-18-7.
- Redwood, Christopher (1981). The Weston, Clevedon and Portishead Railway: Sequoia Publishing. ISBN 0-905466-42-X.
- Smith, Martin (1992). The Railways of Bristol & Somerset. Shepperton: Ian Allan. ISBN 0-7110-2063-9.
- Strange, Peter (1989). The Weston Clevedon & Portishead Railway : Twelveheads PressTwelveheads PressTwelveheads Press is an independent publishing company based in Chacewater near Truro, Cornwall, UK. Best known for their Cornish Heritage series but also well known by scholars and enthusiasts for their transport and mining books: the firm takes its name from the hamlet of Twelveheads.-History...
. ISBN 0-906294-19-3