Midsomer Norton railway station
Encyclopedia
Midsomer Norton railway station (originally Midsomer Norton, later Midsomer Norton and Welton, then Midsomer Norton Upper and finally Midsomer Norton South) was a station on the Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway
between and Shepton Mallet
. It served the town of Midsomer Norton
. The station was immortalised in 1964 in the song "Slow Train
" by Flanders and Swann
. It closed in 1966 with the closure of the S&DJR under the Beeching Axe
.
The S&DJR station was on a fairly steep slope which took the railway up from the valley floor at Radstock into the Mendips, heading south to the summit of the line at Masbury. It had extensive gardens which were cultivated by the station staff and won many prizes. The station buildings are still well-preserved.
was also the later name of a second station (originally just Welton) on the Great Western Railway
line from Bristol to Frome via Radstock (originally the Bristol & North Somerset Railway). This station was in the valley at Welton. It closed to passengers in 1959 with the closure of the line to passenger traffic, and to goods in 1964, and has now been demolished.
Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway
The Somerset & Dorset Joint Railway – almost always referred to as "the S&D" – was an English railway line connecting Bath in north east Somerset and Bournemouth now in south east Dorset but then in Hampshire...
between and Shepton Mallet
Shepton Mallet
Shepton Mallet is a small rural town and civil parish in the Mendip district of Somerset in South West England. Situated approximately south of Bristol and east of Wells, the town is estimated to have a population of 9,700. It contains the administrative headquarters of Mendip District Council...
. It served the town of Midsomer Norton
Midsomer Norton
Midsomer Norton is a town near the Mendip Hills in Somerset, England, south-west of Bath, north-east of Wells, north-west of Frome, and south-east of Bristol. It has a population of 10,458. Along with Radstock and Westfield it used to be part of the conurbation and large civil parish of Norton...
. The station was immortalised in 1964 in the song "Slow Train
Slow Train
"Slow Train" is a song by the British duo Flanders and Swann, written in 1963.It laments the loss of British stations and railway lines in that era, due to the Beeching cuts, and also the passing of a way of life, with the advent of motorways etc....
" by Flanders and Swann
Flanders and Swann
The British duo Flanders and Swann were the actor and singer Michael Flanders and the composer, pianist and linguist Donald Swann , who collaborated in writing and performing comic songs....
. It closed in 1966 with the closure of the S&DJR under 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...
.
The S&DJR station was on a fairly steep slope which took the railway up from the valley floor at Radstock into the Mendips, heading south to the summit of the line at Masbury. It had extensive gardens which were cultivated by the station staff and won many prizes. The station buildings are still well-preserved.
was also the later name of a second station (originally just Welton) on 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...
line from Bristol to Frome via Radstock (originally the Bristol & North Somerset Railway). This station was in the valley at Welton. It closed to passengers in 1959 with the closure of the line to passenger traffic, and to goods in 1964, and has now been demolished.
Somerset & Dorset Railway Heritage Trust
The Somerset & Dorset Railway Heritage Trust now runs a museum at Midsomer Norton Station.External links
- http://www.disused-stations.org.uk/
- http://somersetanddorset.blogspot.com/ New Somerset and Dorset Railway blogsite (unofficial)
- Station on navigable O.S. map