Wilts, Somerset and Weymouth Railway
Encyclopedia
The Wilts, Somerset and Weymouth Railway was a broad gauge
railway that linked the Great Western Railway
at Chippenham
in 'Wilts' (Wiltshire
) with Weymouth in Dorset
, England. Branches ran to Devizes
, Bradford-on-Avon and Salisbury
in Wiltshire, and to Radstock
in Somerset
. The majority of the line survives today as the Wessex Main Line
and the Heart of Wessex Line
. The only line closures have been the branches to Devizes and Radstock, although a number of smaller stations were closed as part of the Beeching Axe
. Radipole Halt
was then closed in 1984 when the platforms became unsafe.http://www.subbrit.org.uk/sb-sites/stations/r/radipole/index.shtml
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 :...
railway that linked 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...
at Chippenham
Chippenham, Wiltshire
Chippenham is a market town in Wiltshire, England, located east of Bath and west of London. In the 2001 census the population of the town was recorded as 28,065....
in 'Wilts' (Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
) with Weymouth in Dorset
Dorset
Dorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...
, England. Branches ran to Devizes
Devizes
Devizes is a market town and civil parish in Wiltshire, England. The town is about southeast of Chippenham and about east of Trowbridge.Devizes serves as a centre for banks, solicitors and shops, with a large open market place where a market is held once a week...
, Bradford-on-Avon and Salisbury
Salisbury
Salisbury is a cathedral city in Wiltshire, England and the only city in the county. It is the second largest settlement in the county...
in Wiltshire, and to Radstock
Radstock
Radstock is a town in Somerset, England, south west of Bath, and north west of Frome. It is within the unitary authority of Bath and North East Somerset and had a population of 5,275 according to the 2001 Census...
in Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
. The majority of the line survives today as the Wessex Main Line
Wessex Main Line
The Wessex Main Line is the railway line from Bristol Temple Meads to Southampton. Diverging from this route is the Heart of Wessex Line from Westbury to Weymouth.- Places served :The places served are listed below.*Bristol*Keynsham*Oldfield Park*Bath...
and the Heart of Wessex Line
Heart of Wessex Line
The Heart of Wessex Line, also known as the Bristol to Weymouth line, is a United Kingdom railway line that runs from Bristol to Westbury to Weymouth...
. The only line closures have been the branches to Devizes and Radstock, although a number of smaller stations were closed as part of the Beeching Axe
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...
. Radipole Halt
Radipole railway station
Radipole was a railway station serving a northern area of Weymouth in the county of Dorset in England.- History :Opened by the GWR as Radipole Halt on 1 July 1905, it was part of a scheme by the railway company to counter road competition, particularly from Weymouth's buses. Situated from , it was...
was then closed in 1984 when the platforms became unsafe.http://www.subbrit.org.uk/sb-sites/stations/r/radipole/index.shtml
Chronology
- 1845 Wilts, Somerset and Weymouth Railway Company authorised by Act of ParliamentAct of ParliamentAn 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...
- 1846 Exeter Great Western Railway promoted to link WS&WR at YeovilYeovilYeovil is a town and civil parish in south Somerset, England. The parish had a population of 27,949 at the 2001 census, although the wider urban area had a population of 42,140...
with ExeterExeterExeter 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... - 1847 The economic recession following the Railway ManiaRailway ManiaThe Railway Mania was an instance of speculative frenzy in Britain in the 1840s. It followed a common pattern: as the price of railway shares increased, more and more money was poured in by speculators, until the inevitable collapse...
makes fund raising impossible - 1848 Railway opened from Thingley Junction (Chippenham) to Westbury, WiltshireWestbury, WiltshireWestbury is a town and civil parish in the west of the English county of Wiltshire, most famous for the Westbury White Horse.-Name:The most likely origin of the West- in Westbury is simply that the town is near the western edge of the county of Wiltshire, the bounds of which have been much the same...
- 1850 Company taken over by the Great Western Railway
- Line opened from Westbury to FromeFromeFrome is a town and civil parish in northeast Somerset, England. Located at the eastern end of the Mendip Hills, the town is built on uneven high ground, and centres around the River Frome. The town is approximately south of Bath, east of the county town, Taunton and west of London. In the 2001...
, Somerset
- Line opened from Westbury to Frome
- 1851 Branch opened from Westbury to WarminsterWarminsterWarminster is a town in western Wiltshire, England, by-passed by the A36, and near Frome and Westbury. It has a population of about 17,000. The River Were runs through the town and can be seen running through the middle of the town park. The Minster Church of St Denys sits on the River Were...
, Wiltshire - 1854 Branch opened from Frome to RadstockRadstockRadstock is a town in Somerset, England, south west of Bath, and north west of Frome. It is within the unitary authority of Bath and North East Somerset and had a population of 5,275 according to the 2001 Census...
, Somerset, for goods traffic only - 1856 Salisbury branch completed; main line extended to Yeovil
- 1857 Main line completed to Weymouth
- Branch opened from near Trowbridge through Bradford to join the GWR at BathamptonBathamptonBathampton is a village and civil parish east of Bath, England on the south bank of the River Avon. The parish has a population of 1,504.The Kennet and Avon Canal passes through the village and a toll bridge links Bathampton to Batheaston on the north bank of the canal.-History:Bathampton Camp is...
- Bristol and Exeter RailwayBristol and Exeter RailwayThe Bristol & Exeter Railway was a railway company formed to connect Bristol and Exeter.The company's head office was situated outside their Bristol station...
makes a junction with the line at Yeovil - Branch opened to Devizes
- Bridport Railway opened from Maiden Newton
- Branch opened from near Trowbridge through Bradford to join the GWR at Bathampton
- 1862 Berks and Hants Extension Railway opened from Devizes to HungerfordHungerfordHungerford is a market town and civil parish in Berkshire, England, 9 miles west of Newbury. It covers an area of and, according to the 2001 census, has a population of 5,559 .- Geography :...
, BerkshireBerkshireBerkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and... - 1886 Abbotsbury branch railwayAbbotsbury branch railwayThe Abbotsbury Railway was a standard gauge line which ran in the west of the county of Dorset in England opening in 1885. Although great hopes of westward links and mineral traffic drove the original construction of the line, these failed to materialise and after a quiet existence carrying local...
opened from Upwey