Pewsey railway station
Encyclopedia
Pewsey railway station is a railway station in the village of Pewsey
in the county of Wiltshire
in England
. The station is on the Berks and Hants line and is served by intercity services operated by First Great Western
to and from the West Country
. The average journey time to London Paddington
from Pewsey is just over an hour. Services to Bedwyn
, the next station up the line, are infrequent with most east-bound services next calling at Hungerford, Newbury or Reading instead. This is a hangover from when Bedwyn was the most westerly point of the Network Southeast on this line whilst Pewsey was an Intercity station.
Pewsey station (despite its relatively few services) has decent passenger usage due to its proximity to Marlborough, about 6 miles (10 km) away, and other nearby towns and villages which do not have railway stations.
, thereby creating a shorter route from London Paddington station to . On 2 July 1906 the line became part of the Reading to Taunton line
following the opening of the Castle Cary Cut-Off
.
The railway was operated from the start by the Great Western Railway
and had been built using its broad gauge
, but in 1874 it was converted to standard gauge
. Initially it was just a single track with a platform
on the south side. A passing loop and second platform was installed at Pewsey after a couple of years, and the line was converted to double track in 1899 in preparation for the opening of the Stert Valley Cut-Off at . A signal box
was situated on the west end of the eastbound platform; it was replaced by a larger signal box in 1933 but this was closed in 1966.
The footbridge was replaced in 1969 with a secondhand one brought from . In 1984 the old wooden waiting room on the eastbound platform was demolished and replaced by a brick-built shelter. This was built to match the distinctive Berks and Hants style of the original station buildings which still stand on the opposite platform. The following year the station was awarded a First Class award in the Best Preserved Station competition of the Association of Railway Preservation Societies.
The station celebrated its 145th birthday on 9 November 2007. A cake was cut by Pewsey Parish Council chairman, Alex Carder, with First Great Western service delivery manager Alison Stone.
. The train evacuating the Pevensie children from London Paddington stops at a rural station which is identified by the train guard as Pewsey. In actuality, the scene was shot at Highley Station
on the preserved Severn Valley Railway
. Even so, the film is correct inasmuch as any train going to Coombe Halt, the ultimate destination of the Pevensie children, would have to pass through Pewsey on its way from London Paddington.
Pewsey
Pewsey is a large village, often considered a small town, at the centre of the Vale of Pewsey in Wiltshire about west of London. It is well connected to London, the West Country and Wales being close to the M4 motorway and the A303. Also, the village is served by Pewsey railway station on the...
in the county of 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...
in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. The station is on the Berks and Hants line and is served by intercity services operated 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....
to and from the West Country
West Country
The West Country is an informal term for the area of south western England roughly corresponding to the modern South West England government region. It is often defined to encompass the historic counties of Cornwall, Devon, Dorset and Somerset and the City of Bristol, while the counties of...
. The average journey time to London Paddington
Paddington station
Paddington railway station, also known as London Paddington, is a central London railway terminus and London Underground complex.The site is a historic one, having served as the London terminus of the Great Western Railway and its successors since 1838. Much of the current mainline station dates...
from Pewsey is just over an hour. Services to Bedwyn
Bedwyn railway station
Bedwyn railway station is a railway station in the village of Great Bedwyn, Wiltshire, England. It is also, along with , a station for the market town of Marlborough away...
, the next station up the line, are infrequent with most east-bound services next calling at Hungerford, Newbury or Reading instead. This is a hangover from when Bedwyn was the most westerly point of the Network Southeast on this line whilst Pewsey was an Intercity station.
Pewsey station (despite its relatively few services) has decent passenger usage due to its proximity to Marlborough, about 6 miles (10 km) away, and other nearby towns and villages which do not have railway stations.
History
The station was opened by the Berks and Hants Extension Railway on 11 November 1862 when the railway opened, connecting the earlier Berks and Hants Railway with the branch of the Wilts, Somerset and Weymouth RailwayWilts, Somerset and Weymouth Railway
The Wilts, Somerset and Weymouth Railway was a broad gauge railway that linked the Great Western Railway at Chippenham in 'Wilts' 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...
, thereby creating a shorter route from London Paddington station to . On 2 July 1906 the line became part of the Reading to Taunton line
Reading to Taunton line
The Reading to Taunton line also known as the Berks and Hants is a major branch of the Great Western Main Line that diverges at Reading, running to Cogload Junction near Taunton, where it joins the Bristol to Exeter line....
following the opening of the Castle Cary Cut-Off
Castle Cary Cut-Off
The Langport and Castle Cary Railway is a railway line from Castle Cary railway station to Cogload Junction near Taunton, Somerset, England, which reduced the length of the journey from London to Penzance by 20¼ miles.-History:...
.
The railway was operated from the start by 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...
and had been built using its broad gauge
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 :...
, but in 1874 it was converted to standard gauge
Standard gauge
The standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
. Initially it was just a single track with a platform
Railway platform
A railway platform is a section of pathway, alongside rail tracks at a train station, metro station or tram stop, at which passengers may board or alight from trains or trams. Almost all stations for rail transport have some form of platforms, with larger stations having multiple platforms...
on the south side. A passing loop and second platform was installed at Pewsey after a couple of years, and the line was converted to double track in 1899 in preparation for the opening of the Stert Valley Cut-Off at . A signal box
Signal box
On a rail transport system, signalling control is the process by which control is exercised over train movements by way of railway signals and block systems to ensure that trains operate safely, over the correct route and to the proper timetable...
was situated on the west end of the eastbound platform; it was replaced by a larger signal box in 1933 but this was closed in 1966.
The footbridge was replaced in 1969 with a secondhand one brought from . In 1984 the old wooden waiting room on the eastbound platform was demolished and replaced by a brick-built shelter. This was built to match the distinctive Berks and Hants style of the original station buildings which still stand on the opposite platform. The following year the station was awarded a First Class award in the Best Preserved Station competition of the Association of Railway Preservation Societies.
The station celebrated its 145th birthday on 9 November 2007. A cake was cut by Pewsey Parish Council chairman, Alex Carder, with First Great Western service delivery manager Alison Stone.
Staff
The current Station Master is Trevor Beaven who has held the post for over 40 years. Prior to managing Pewsey, Mr Beaven worked at the former Woodborough Station for 6 years. Mr Beaven was awarded an MBE for his services in 1999.Culture
Pewsey Station is mentioned in the December 2005 film, The Lion, the Witch and the WardrobeThe Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is a 2005 epic fantasy adventure film directed by Andrew Adamson and based on The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, the first published and second chronological novel in C. S. Lewis's children's epic fantasy series, The Chronicles of...
. The train evacuating the Pevensie children from London Paddington stops at a rural station which is identified by the train guard as Pewsey. In actuality, the scene was shot at Highley Station
Highley railway station
Highley railway station is a station on the Severn Valley Railway heritage line in Shropshire, near the west bank of the River Severn and just under a mile south-east of the village of Highley. Highley is the only staffed single-platform station on the line...
on the preserved Severn Valley Railway
Severn Valley Railway
The Severn Valley Railway is a heritage railway in Shropshire and Worcestershire, England. The line runs along the Severn Valley from Bridgnorth to Kidderminster, following the course of the River Severn for much of its route...
. Even so, the film is correct inasmuch as any train going to Coombe Halt, the ultimate destination of the Pevensie children, would have to pass through Pewsey on its way from London Paddington.