Ross and Monmouth Railway
Encyclopedia
The Ross and Monmouth Railway (sometimes referred to as the Wye Valley Line) was a 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...
railway of 13 miles (20.9 km) which ran between Ross-on-Wye
Ross-on-Wye
Ross-on-Wye is a small market town with a population of 10,089 in southeastern Herefordshire, England, located on the River Wye, and on the northern edge of the Forest of Dean.-History:...
and Monmouth
Monmouth
Monmouth is a town in southeast Wales and traditional county town of the historic county of Monmouthshire. It is situated close to the border with England, where the River Monnow meets the River Wye with bridges over both....
.
It was authorized in 1865 by an Act of Parliament and opened on 4 August 1873. The station at Monmouth
Monmouth
Monmouth is a town in southeast Wales and traditional county town of the historic county of Monmouthshire. It is situated close to the border with England, where the River Monnow meets the River Wye with bridges over both....
was situated at Mayhill on the east bank of the Wye; later, in 1874 the line was extended to a station at Monmouth Troy
Monmouth Troy railway station
Monmouth Troy was one of the two former stations at Monmouth. It was built in 1857 by the Coleford, Monmouth, Usk and Pontypool Railway and was used by several other branch lines as the local rail network expanded...
. The railway remained independent until 1921 when the 1921 Railways Act forced its amalgamation with 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...
.
Route
Starting at Ross-on-WyeRoss-on-Wye railway station
Ross-on-Wye railway station is a former junction railway station on the Hereford, Ross and Gloucester Railway constructed just to the north of the Herefordshire town of Ross-on-Wye...
the line skirted around the southern outskirts of the town before heading west down the Wye
Wye Valley
The Wye Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty is an internationally important protected landscape straddling the border between England and Wales. It is one of the most dramatic and scenic landscape areas in southern Britain....
valley on the river's south bank. The line passed through Walford
Walford Halt railway station
Walford Halt railway station is a disused halt on the Ross and Monmouth Railway constructed near the Herefordshire village of Walford. It also served the surrounding settlements. Nothing remains of the station...
, and Kerne Bridge
Kerne Bridge railway station
Kerne Bridge railway station is a disused railway station on the Ross and Monmouth Railway constructed in the Herefordshire hamlet of Kerne Bridge which also served the village of Goodrich across the River Wye.-History:...
then to avoid a long detour along a bend in the river crossed onto the opposite bank, went through a tunnel before recrossing the river. Here the line met the Severn and Wye Railway
Severn and Wye Railway
The Severn and Wye Railway was a small railway network in west Gloucestershire that was constructed to allow exploitation of the mineral resources of the Forest of Dean. The Severn and Wye Railway and Canal Company began construction of the tramway and the Lydney Canal in 1810. In 1868 the tramway...
just before Lydbrook Junction
Lydbrook Junction railway station
Lydbrook Junction railway station is a disused railway station opened by the Ross and Monmouth Railway in 1873, it remained open for 91 years until 1964 when the line finally closed to freight, though passenger services ceased in 1959. The station was constructed in the hamlet of Stowfield...
. The line continued on the south bank of the Wye going through a tunnel just before Symonds Yat
Symonds Yat railway station
Symonds Yat railway station is a disused railway station on the Ross and Monmouth Railway constructed on the other side of the River Wye from the village of Symonds Yat.-History:...
to avoid a three mile bend, past Hadnock
Hadnock Halt railway station
Hadnock Halt railway station is a disused railway station on the Ross and Monmouth Railway which was only open for eight years, 1951 to 1959, closing when passenger services were withdrawn from the line. The platform still exists and the trackbed is part of a cycleway.-External links:**...
to Monmouth Mayhill
Monmouth Mayhill railway station
Monmouth Mayhill railway station is a disused railway station on the Ross and Monmouth Railway, it was opened in 1873 and closed in 1959. It was one of two stations that served the town of Monmouth in Wales and was situated on the opposite bank of the river River Wye from Monmouth...
and then Monmouth Troy
Monmouth Troy railway station
Monmouth Troy was one of the two former stations at Monmouth. It was built in 1857 by the Coleford, Monmouth, Usk and Pontypool Railway and was used by several other branch lines as the local rail network expanded...
.
History
The line took eight years to construct and was opened on 4 August 1873; the contractor was John Firbank. It was run 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...
from its opening with its terminus initially at Monmouth Mayhill. The bridge over the River Wye
River Wye
The River Wye is the fifth-longest river in the UK and for parts of its length forms part of the border between England and Wales. It is important for nature conservation and recreation.-Description:...
was completed in 1874, a few months after the lines official opening ceremony. On the bridges completion the line was extended to Monmouth Troy
Monmouth Troy railway station
Monmouth Troy was one of the two former stations at Monmouth. It was built in 1857 by the Coleford, Monmouth, Usk and Pontypool Railway and was used by several other branch lines as the local rail network expanded...
, the extension was officially opened on 1 May 1874.
There were five stations on the 12+1/2 mi long line, Ross-on-Wye
Ross-on-Wye
Ross-on-Wye is a small market town with a population of 10,089 in southeastern Herefordshire, England, located on the River Wye, and on the northern edge of the Forest of Dean.-History:...
(already constructed for the Hereford, Ross and Gloucester Railway
Hereford, Ross and Gloucester Railway
The Hereford, Ross and Gloucester Railway , was a railway which ran for linking Hereford and Gloucester via Ross-on-Wye. It was opened on 1 June 1855 as a broad gauge line, it was amalgamated with the Great Western Railway in 1862. In 1869 the railway was converted to standard gauge...
), Kerne Bridge
Kerne Bridge railway station
Kerne Bridge railway station is a disused railway station on the Ross and Monmouth Railway constructed in the Herefordshire hamlet of Kerne Bridge which also served the village of Goodrich across the River Wye.-History:...
, Lydbrook Junction
Lydbrook Junction railway station
Lydbrook Junction railway station is a disused railway station opened by the Ross and Monmouth Railway in 1873, it remained open for 91 years until 1964 when the line finally closed to freight, though passenger services ceased in 1959. The station was constructed in the hamlet of Stowfield...
, Symonds Yat
Symonds Yat railway station
Symonds Yat railway station is a disused railway station on the Ross and Monmouth Railway constructed on the other side of the River Wye from the village of Symonds Yat.-History:...
, Monmouth Mayhill
Monmouth Mayhill railway station
Monmouth Mayhill railway station is a disused railway station on the Ross and Monmouth Railway, it was opened in 1873 and closed in 1959. It was one of two stations that served the town of Monmouth in Wales and was situated on the opposite bank of the river River Wye from Monmouth...
and Monmouth Troy
Monmouth Troy railway station
Monmouth Troy was one of the two former stations at Monmouth. It was built in 1857 by the Coleford, Monmouth, Usk and Pontypool Railway and was used by several other branch lines as the local rail network expanded...
. Two halts were added later, one at Walford
Walford Halt railway station
Walford Halt railway station is a disused halt on the Ross and Monmouth Railway constructed near the Herefordshire village of Walford. It also served the surrounding settlements. Nothing remains of the station...
(opened in 1931) and the other at Hadnock
Hadnock Halt railway station
Hadnock Halt railway station is a disused railway station on the Ross and Monmouth Railway which was only open for eight years, 1951 to 1959, closing when passenger services were withdrawn from the line. The platform still exists and the trackbed is part of a cycleway.-External links:**...
(opened in 1951). Hadnock Halt was only open for eight years, it was closed in 1959 when passenger services were withdrawn from the line.
The Ross and Monmouth Railway was one of the few lines in Britain
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
to remain independent until the 1921 Railways Act forced 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...
to take over the railway. It remained under the management of the GWR
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...
until the 'big four' railway companies were nationalised. In January 1959 the Wye Valley Railway
Wye Valley Railway
The Wye Valley Railway was a standard gauge railway that ran for nearly between Chepstow and Monmouth along the lower part of the scenic Wye Valley in Monmouthshire, Wales, and Gloucestershire, England. It followed the route of the River Wye for most of its length...
and the line were served with closure notices and passenger services were withdrawn promptly. The last ever passenger train was a 'special' service, it ran from Chepstow
Chepstow
Chepstow is a town in Monmouthshire, Wales, adjoining the border with Gloucestershire, England. It is located on the River Wye, close to its confluence with the River Severn, and close to the western end of the Severn Bridge on the M48 motorway...
to Ross-on-Wye
Ross-on-Wye
Ross-on-Wye is a small market town with a population of 10,089 in southeastern Herefordshire, England, located on the River Wye, and on the northern edge of the Forest of Dean.-History:...
along both the Wye Valley Railway
Wye Valley Railway
The Wye Valley Railway was a standard gauge railway that ran for nearly between Chepstow and Monmouth along the lower part of the scenic Wye Valley in Monmouthshire, Wales, and Gloucestershire, England. It followed the route of the River Wye for most of its length...
and the Ross and Monmouth Railway. It was the only known train to make the trip in one single journey. The section between Lydbrook
Lydbrook
Lydbrook is a civil parish in the Forest of Dean, a local government district in the English county of Gloucestershire. It comprises the districts of Lower Lydbrook, Upper Lydbrook, and Joys Green.-Introduction:...
and Monmouth
Monmouth
Monmouth is a town in southeast Wales and traditional county town of the historic county of Monmouthshire. It is situated close to the border with England, where the River Monnow meets the River Wye with bridges over both....
was closed completely but the section between the Lower Lydbrook Viaduct
Lower Lydbrook Viaduct
The Lower Lydbrook Viaduct was a steel railway viaduct with stone piers, it was on the Severn and Wye Railway and situated in Lower Lydbrook, Gloucestershire, England....
and Ross-on-Wye
Ross-on-Wye
Ross-on-Wye is a small market town with a population of 10,089 in southeastern Herefordshire, England, located on the River Wye, and on the northern edge of the Forest of Dean.-History:...
remained open until 1 November 1965.