Avoncliff railway station
Encyclopedia
Avoncliff railway station serves the hamlet of Avoncliff
, Wiltshire
. It also serves the nearby villages of Westwood
and Winsley, and Turleigh hamlet. It is situated next to the Kennet and Avon Canal
and located almost adjacent to the Avoncliff Aqueduct
so it is popular for walkers and cyclists who wish to travel along the canal path or the many picturesque walks around the station.
This station is a request stop
, meaning alighting passengers need to contact the conductor, and boarding passengers need to signal to the driver from the platform for the train to stop. The station has two platforms, each with a waiting shelter and original lamp-posts, and is served by First Great Western
. Residents have voluntarily decorated the station with many pots of flowers
and, to mark its 100 year anniversary on the 9 July 2006, decorated the station with bunting and dressed in Victorian
clothing for the celebrations.
opened as Avoncliff Halt on 9 July 1906, it remained part of that company during the Grouping
of 1923. The station then passed on to the Western Region of British Railways
on nationalisation in 1948. The suffix 'Halt' was dropped from 5 May 1969.
When sectorisation
was introduced in the 1980s, the station was served by Regional Railways
until the privatisation of British Rail
ways.
and southbound to Bradford on Avon
, Trowbridge
, Westbury
and then further to Weymouth and Southampton
.
Avoncliff
Avoncliff is a village in Wiltshire.It is the point at which the Kennet and Avon canal crosses the river and railway line via the Avoncliff Aqueduct, which was built by John Rennie and chief engineer John Thomas, between 1797 and 1801...
, 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...
. It also serves the nearby villages of Westwood
Westwood, Wiltshire
Westwood is a big village and a civil parish in Wiltshire, England.-Location:The village is located southwest of Bradford on Avon, with Avoncliff railway station, Kennet & Avon canal and river Avon setting the northern boundary for the village....
and Winsley, and Turleigh hamlet. It is situated next to the Kennet and Avon Canal
Kennet and Avon Canal
The Kennet and Avon Canal is a waterway in southern England with an overall length of , made up of two lengths of navigable river linked by a canal. The name is commonly used to refer to the entire length of the navigation rather than solely to the central canal section...
and located almost adjacent to the Avoncliff Aqueduct
Avoncliff Aqueduct
Avoncliff Aqueduct carries the Kennet and Avon Canal over the River Avon and the Bath to Westbury railway line, at Avoncliff in Wiltshire, England.It was built by John Rennie and chief engineer John Thomas, between 1797 and 1801....
so it is popular for walkers and cyclists who wish to travel along the canal path or the many picturesque walks around the station.
This station is a request stop
Request stop
In public transport, a request stop or flag stop describes a stopping point at which trains or buses stop only on an as-need or request basis; that is, only if there are passengers to be picked up or dropped off. In this way, infrequently used stopping points can be served efficiently.Trains save...
, meaning alighting passengers need to contact the conductor, and boarding passengers need to signal to the driver from the platform for the train to stop. The station has two platforms, each with a waiting shelter and original lamp-posts, and is served by First Great Western
First Great Western
First Great Western is the operating name of First Greater Western Ltd, a British train operating company owned by FirstGroup that serves Greater London, the South East, South West and West Midlands regions of England, and South Wales....
. Residents have voluntarily decorated the station with many pots of flowers
Flowerpot
A flower pot or plant pot is a container in which flowers and other plants are cultivated. Historically, and still to a significant extent today, they are made from terracotta. Flower pots are now often made from plastic, wood, stone, or sometimes biodegradable material. An example of...
and, to mark its 100 year anniversary on the 9 July 2006, decorated the station with bunting and dressed in Victorian
Victorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
clothing for the celebrations.
History
Opened by 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...
opened as Avoncliff Halt on 9 July 1906, it remained part of that company during the Grouping
Railways Act 1921
The Railways Act 1921, also known as the Grouping Act, was an enactment by the British government of David Lloyd George intended to stem the losses being made by many of the country's 120 railway companies, move the railways away from internal competition, and to retain some of the benefits which...
of 1923. The station then passed on to the Western Region of British Railways
Western Region of British Railways
The Western Region was a region of British Railways from 1948. The region ceased to be an operating unit in its own right in the 1980s and was wound up at the end of 1992...
on nationalisation in 1948. The suffix 'Halt' was dropped from 5 May 1969.
When sectorisation
British Rail brand names
British Rail was the brand image of the nationalised railway owner and operator in Great Britain, the British Railways Board, used from 1965 until its breakup and sell-off from 1993 onwards....
was introduced in the 1980s, the station was served by Regional Railways
Regional Railways
Regional Railways was one of the three passenger sectors of British Rail created in 1982 that existed until 1996, 3 years after privatisation. The sector was originally called Provincial....
until the privatisation of British Rail
Privatisation of British Rail
The privatisation of British Rail was set in motion when the Conservative government enacted, on 19 January 1993, the British Coal and British Rail Act 1993 . This enabled the relevant Secretary of State to issue directions to the relevant Board...
ways.
Services
A half-hourly peak and hourly off-peak service is currently provided northbound to Bath and BristolBristol Temple Meads railway station
Bristol Temple Meads railway station is the oldest and largest railway station in Bristol, England. It is an important transport hub for public transport in Bristol, with bus services to various parts of the city and surrounding districts, and a ferry service to the city centre in addition to the...
and southbound to Bradford on Avon
Bradford on Avon
Bradford on Avon is a town in west Wiltshire, England with a population of about 9,326. The town's canal, historic buildings, shops, pubs and restaurants make it popular with tourists....
, Trowbridge
Trowbridge
Trowbridge is the county town of Wiltshire, England, situated on the River Biss in the west of the county, approximately 12 miles southeast of Bath, Somerset....
, Westbury
Westbury, Wiltshire
Westbury 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...
and then further to Weymouth and Southampton
Southampton
Southampton is the largest city in the county of Hampshire on the south coast of England, and is situated south-west of London and north-west of Portsmouth. Southampton is a major port and the closest city to the New Forest...
.