Salisbury and Dorset Junction Railway
Encyclopedia
The Salisbury and Dorset Junction Railway was a railway that ran in the English
counties
of Wiltshire
, Hampshire
and Dorset
from 1866 until its closure in 1964. Working from Salisbury
, trains left the Salisbury to Southampton
line at the remote Alderbury Junction. Here there was a signal box, some railway cottages and two platforms on the main line for staff use only. The line ambled south through rural surroundings to meet the Southampton and Dorchester Railway
at West Moors
. Trains continued through Wimborne to Poole
and Bournemouth West
.
Initial hopes of cross country traffic faded and the line carried sparse local produce and passengers until closing, as part of the Beeching Axe
, to all traffic on 4 May 1964. The track was lifted the following year.
(and beyond Salisbury, Bristol
and the Midlands
) with the Dorset
coast led to two lines being proposed in the mid-1840s, both using a route from Salisbury to Wimborne via Downton
and Fordingbridge
. The first was the Salisbury & Dorsetshire Railway, announced in 1844, which would have run to Weymouth through Wimborne, Bere
and Dorchester. The second, dating from a year later, would have terminated at Poole
.
Neither of these lines was built, however over the next 15 years the railway network in area did develop. To the south the Southampton and Dorchester Railway
opened in 1847, being absorbed by the London & South Western Railway in 1848. LSWR trains began running from Dorchester into Weymouth, over the GWR
line
(which had been built to mixed gauge
), in 1857.
To the north the first line to Salisbury was the 1847 LSWR line from Southampton
and the Great Western had reached Salisbury in 1856. A direct line from Salisbury to London began operating in 1854 and the Salisbury and Yeovil Railway
(including its extension to Exeter
) opened in 1860.
and from London to Exeter via Salisbury and Yeovil
; and the idea of linking them on a north-south route through Fordingbridge was revived. In addition the Great Western line to Chippenham
provided a link to the north. This was broad gauge but would be converted to standard gauge in 1872.
There was also a desire for a line south to Poole and Bournemouth from the Southampton and Dorchester Railway. When that line had been constructed a route had been chosen that bypassed Poole and Bournemouth, instead taking a route through Ringwood
and Wimborne. In the 1840s these were deemed to be more important settlements annd this route also avoided Poole Harbour. However by the late 1850s Poole, Bournemouth and Christchurch
had all grown rapidly and required a direct rail connection.
Poole was served by a branch line that terminated across the entrance to Holes Bay at Hamworthy
, but this was deemed far from satisfactory. A number of different lines from Wimborne or Broadstone
to Poole had been proposed but by the 1860s had come to nothing.
Meanwhile in the east construction had started on the Ringwood, Christchurch and Bournemouth Railway in 1860. This was a line from the Southampton and Dorchester line at Ringwood south down the Avon valley to Christchurch, where it would turn west and run to Bournemouth.
A strong desire to be connected to the railway network from the population of towns such as Fordingbridge and Downton also existed. A meeting was held in Salisbury on 20 October 1860 to discuss the latest scheme. This was chaired by the Seventh Earl of Shaftesbury
, who lived at Cranborne
near Verwood
, and a motion was unanimously passed stating:
, to the south east of Salisbury on the Southampton line, through Downton and Fordingbridge, to West Moors, located to the east of Wimborne. Here a spur would connect to the Southampton and Dorchester line. Meanwhile the line would continue south splitting into two branches. The first would run to a junction with the Ringwood, Christchurch and Bournemouth Railway, the second would take a direct route to Poole.
Financial problems led to the removal of the southern branches and when ‘The Salisbury, Poole & Dorset Junction Railway Bill’ received Royal Assent
on 16 July 1861 it was for the Alderbury-West Moors section only.
.
The contract was let to a Mr Garrett, however the slow progress of work led to his contract being terminated in September 1865 and re-let to a Henry Jackson. Work then continued at a faster rate and by 6 August 1866 the line was able to be inspected by the Board of Trade’s
Inspecting Officer; Captain Tyler. He found many defects on that inspection and again on a further inspection in October.
The line eventually opened on 20 December 1866. From the beginning the line was operated by the LSWR under a deal which gave the Salisbury and Dorset Railway company 55% of the gross receipts.
On 1 August 1867 West Moors station
opened. This was on the Southampton and Dorchester line just to the west of the junction with the Salisbury and Dorset.
The final piece of construction to be completed was a station in Alderholt
, which opened on 1 January 1876. This followed years of lawsuits between the railway company (who had no desire to build the station) and George Onslow Churchill, a local landowner who had sold land to the company with an agreement that a station would be built. The station was originally called Alderholt, but was renamed Daggens Road five months after it opened to avoid confusion with Aldershot
in Hampshire. The spelling changed to Daggons Road in 1903.
In 1893 the LSWR completed a direct line from Brockenhurst
, in the New Forest
, through Christchurch, Bournemouth and Poole, to Hamworthy Junction
. This had been built piecemeal over the previous 30 years and relegated the original route of the Southampton and Dorchester between Brockenhurst and Hamworthy to branch line/diversionary route status. As part of this development a line had opened in 1872 from Broadstone to Poole and this allowed trains to run directly from Salisbury to Poole and Bournemouth.
between the leading brake van and the first carriage. However the subsequent Board of Trade inquiry, led by Colonel JH Rich, rejected this theory. Colonel Rich stated that the cause was inferior passenger rolling stock travelling too fast over a track not designed for that speed.
Another accident occurred on 2 November 1904; when the final 13 wagons and two brake vans from a Salisbury bound freight train broke away just south of Downton station. The wagons were stopped by a guard in one of the brake vans but the 7.58pm train from Salisbury crashed into them at 20 mph. There were no fatalities and only two people were injured.
Diversionary traffic on the line was heavier than might be expected - the Pines would use the line when the 'other' S&D was unable to provide a path - one episode with Lapford running out of coal as it entered Daggons Road with a down Pines and more than once a York-Bournemouth train was routed through.
Other traffic included newspaper trains and pigeon specials (Fordingbridge was a favourite site for release). In addition, there was a large grain warehouse owned by Dukes who eventually took over the station yard after closure.
One of the problems endured by the line was a constant shortage of stock, this was exacerbated in the 1950s with the wholesale withdrawal of pre-grouping coaching stock and desperate measures were necessary. Salisbury received an articulated SECR railmotor P+P Isle of Sheppey set after its withdrawal from the Portland branch. This was employed on workmen's specials from Idmiston-Salisbury as well as the Salisbury and Dorset and a well known photograph shows it entering Fordingbridge with a Salisbury-Bournemouth West local behind a T9.
Most, if not all of the motive power on local services for the line was the responsibility of Salisbury shed, suitable locos are: T9s, SR Moguls, 700s, Qs, Q1s, Bulleid light Pacifics and in the final years, both BR 4MTs. Curiously I have no photos of tank locos working the line although until 1959 Salisbury's carriage pilot, a non-auto fitted M7 was rostered on a Sunday-only service. Other locos were permitted but never officially used - V class but not SR 4-6-0s. Wartime traffic is a mystery due to the strict security restrictions but presumably LNER ambulance trains and their charges would have traversed the line.
At the start of the 1950s, the line was almost the exclusive preserve of ex-LSWR motive power, Salisbury L12s, S11s, T9s and 700s. By 1952 there were six passenger trains each way on weekdays, the first was the Salisbury-Weymouth 03:52 which included a newspaper van 01:25 ex-Waterloo, during the 1952 timetable longer distance trains started to use the line New Milton-Swansea, but by 1953 a Bournemouth West -Cardiff service was hauled by U class 31622 as far as Salisbury and on the same day a New Milton-Swansea train was in charge of BR 4mt 76016. In 1958, the last M7 duty on the line was performed by 30673 but this was a Sunday only service and by 1959 this ceased as an economy measure.
It was not unusual to see double-heading on the branch, a particular example being the 07:42 Bournemouth Central-Salisbury but this was only for pathing purposes, the normal train being two coaches. However this particular service also saw the use of ex-SECR L Class 31771 on 21 March 1952, this loco having been transferred from Ashford to Eastleigh. In 1959, more ex-SECR locos displaced by the electrification of the Kent coast started to move westward, E1 Class 31497 became a regular performer on the 07:15 Salisbury- Bournemouth West. Other ex-SECR locos include N class 31835 from Exmouth Junction, transferred to Salisbury in 1964.
The line was able to accept Bulleid light Pacifics but not larger locomotives:
34106 Lydford - 16 September 1956 on a excursion to Weymouth with both Pullman and BR coaches
34052 Lord Dowding - 14 December 1958 Salisbury-Bournemouth West
34107 Blandford Forum - 14 March 1958 Bournemouth Central-Salisbury
34051 Winston Churchill - 15 June 1959 - Salisbury-Wimborne Cattle train
34091 Weymouth - 2 May 1964 Last day of services
came into force on 1 January 1923 the Salisbury and Dorset line, along with the rest of the LSWR, became part of the Southern Railway
. Then, with nationalisation
in 1948 it became part of British Railways Southern Region
.
Following publication of the Reshaping of British Railways
report by Richard Beeching
in March 1963 British Railways announced formal proposals to close the line in early summer 1963, claiming it was losing £100 a mile per week.
Salisbury MP John Morrison supported the proposal and Salisbury City Council initially decided not to object to the ending of passenger services; however there was much opposition to the closure. Those objecting included Poole Borough Council, Wimborne & Cranborne Rural District Council, several Parish Councils, the Viscount Cranborne Estates and the National Union of Agricultural & Allied Workers.
On 3 March 1964 it was announced that the closure of the line had been approved by Ernest Marples
, the Minister of Transport
. The date of the closure was 4 May 1964. Also closed on that day was the original route of the Southampton & Dorchester line from Brockenhurst to Broadstone; the section from Brockenhurst to Ringwood completely and the section from Ringwood to Broadstone to passengers only.
The 4 May was a Monday, and as the line no longer had Sunday services the last trains were on Saturday 2 May.
from Alderbury
Junction to West Moors junction
and was single track for its entire length with passing loop
s at some stations. The highest point of the line was just south of Whaddon
between Alderbury Junction and Downton, the lowest was West Moors station. The steepest gradients were two stretches at 1 in 75. The first was south of Whaddon as it descended from the highest point of the line; the second was as the line descended from Cranborne Common between Daggons Road and Verwood. West Moors to Alderbury Junction was the up direction, the opposite was the down direction.
the Southampton line
climbs out of the Avon valley until it reaches the site of Alderbury Junction. Here the Salisbury and Dorset line curved off to the right. It crossed the A36
, Salisbury to Southampton
, road close to Whaddon. It reached its first summit, and the highest point of the line, shortly after; before running south along the west side of the Avon valley high above the river. The line passed through Downton tunnel before starting to descend to the valley floor, passing through Downton station as it did. Once it reached the bottom it crossed the Avon and into Hampshire
.
The line then ran parallel to the river along its western bank between it and the A338
, Salisbury – Ringwood
road. It ran through Breamore station before running under the A338 at Burgate. Turning south west it began to climb out of the Avon valley, skirting the north and west of Fordingbridge and passing through Fordingbridge station. The line crossed into Dorset
, passed through Daggons Road station and along the northern edge of Cranborne Common. Reaching its second summit, it turned south and entered the Crane valley before descending to Verwood station. Crossing the Crane south of Verwood it ran south to West Moors along the edge of the Dorset heath. At West Moors the line turned west to meet the east – west Southampton and Dorchester Railway
.
Type 1 boxes.
Downton tunnel was to the north of Downton, on the descent from Whaddon to Breamore and was a small bore tunnel 107 yards long.
was 3 miles and 70 chains from Alderbury Junction and was located to the north of the eastern end of Downton High Street, the line crossing the road by way of a bridge. The station consisted of a passing loop with up and down platforms plus goods sidings. The main station building was a single storey pitched roof structure with mono-pitch canopy and was located on the up (north bound) platform. The signal box was a LSWR Type 1 box and was at the southern end of the down platform. The signal box was reduced to a ground frame when the station ceased to be a block post on 1 December 1922. A steel girder footbridge was installed in 1902; this was the first of its type on the LSWR. The station master's house was to the south east of the station, close to the signal box. Goods traffic was served with a cattle loading dock on the up side accessed by a lead to the north of the station and a small number of sidings for other goods, also on the up side, and served by a lead to the south of the station. After the station ceased to be a block post the down loop was converted to a siding with catch points installed at both ends. The station site today is a residential development with only the station master's house extant.
, 6 miles and 67 chains from Alderbury Junction, was located close to the centre of the village
; to its south east on the road from Breamore to Woodgreen
. This crossed the line via an over-bridge just to the north of the station. It consisted of a passing loop with two platforms, cattle loading dock, accessed by a lead close to the southern end of the up platform, and a single siding. The station building was located on the up platform and was a brick twin-gabled single storey with mono-pitch canopy. Also on the up platform, in front of the station building, was a 13 lever frame which replaced the original Type 1 signal box on 29 July 1930. The original box was located at the south end of the down platform. At the opposite end of the down platform was a timber waiting shelter. The station master's house was located across the station yard from the main station building. Both the station building and station master's house are extant; the former was restored in the late 2000s.
was the largest station on the line, with passing loop, two platforms, goods shed and several sidings. It was located 9 miles and 36 chains from Alderbury junction about three quarters of a mile west of the town
on the B3078. The road crossed the line via an over-bridge to the north east of the station. The main station building was a substantial two storey brick building with hipped roof and platform canopy and was located on the down platform. Beyond the southern end of the down platform was the Type 1 signal box. On the opposite, up, platform were a brick waiting room and a small wooden office and across the road from the station was the Railway Hotel, now called the Augustus John after a famous local resident
. The goods yard had five sidings, all connected to the line via a trailing connection into the down loop. One siding ran into a loading dock while another went into the brick goods shed which was equipped with a 30cwt capacity crane. In the yard were a 5cwt capacity crane in the yard and a number of concrete cattle cake sheds. Apart from the hotel no part of the station remains, the site is now occupied by warehouses.
was located on the Alderholt – Cranborne road, just to the west of Alderholt
and 11 miles and 21 chains from Alderbury Junction. Its odd name was acquired from a local farm, the LSWR decided that Alderholt could cause confusion with Aldershot and the only other notable feature was Charing Cross. The road crossed the line by an overbridge to the south west of the station. The station consisted of a single platform on the up side with three sidings and loading dock. One of these, on the down side, was extended and converted into a passing loop in May 1904, but the station was never used as a block post. The station building, which included the station master's house, was a two storey double gabled brick building with single storey extensions but no canopy. The signal box was a non-standard ground level box with a pointed roof and was located alongside the down loop, opposite the main station building. It was reduced to a ground frame in August 1903. There were two sidings on the up side, one serving a loading dock and one serving the neighbouring brick works. The down siding, converted to passing loop in 1904, served cattle pens and had level access for lorries. The main station building is now a private residence, part of a larger residential development. Behind the station, sidings served small brickworks and pottery. The main station building is now a private residence, part of a larger residential development.
was 14 miles and 38 chains from Alderbury Junction, some way to the west of the village
on the B3081. This crossed the line on an over-bridge just to the north of the station. The station consisted of a passing loop with two platforms plus goods facilities. The main station building was a single storey, double gabled brick building, with platform canopy, on the up platform. Next to it was the LSWR Type 1 signal box and beyond that a parcels store. On the down platform was a timber shelter. In the station yard was the Albion Hotel. The goods yard was at the southern end of the up platform and consisted of a number of sidings, some serving the nearby brick works. A single siding ran between a cattle loading dock and the up platform. Verwood was the only station, other than Fordingbridge, to be equipped with a loading crane. The Albion Hotel (now the Albion Inn) and the road bridge are the only remaining structures with the road being rerouted across the station site.
was on the Southampton and Dorchester railway, just to the west of the junction with the Salisbury and Dorset line. The station was close to the centre of West Moors
on Station Road, which crossed the Southampton and Dorchester line west of the station via a level crossing. The Southampton and Dorchester line was double track and the station had two platforms, loading dock and a number of sidings. The main station building was on the east bound, up, platform and was a two storey building without a canopy. Next to the station building was a store and beyond that a concrete footbridge. This was installed in 1902 by the Concrete Construction Company. At the end of the up platform, next to the road so it could operate the crossing, was a LSWR Type 3C signal box. On the other side of the road was a two storey gatekeeper's house. On the down platform was a waiting shelter. There were two goods yards. The first was accessed from the Salisbury line and included a loading bay at the east end of the up platform. The second was on the down side, on the other side of station road and included a loading dock.
In addition there were three major unmanned crossings (where engine whistles were required). These were:
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...
counties
County
A county is a jurisdiction of local government in certain modern nations. Historically in mainland Europe, the original French term, comté, and its equivalents in other languages denoted a jurisdiction under the sovereignty of a count A county is a jurisdiction of local government in certain...
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...
, Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
and 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...
from 1866 until its closure in 1964. Working from 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...
, trains left the Salisbury to Southampton
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...
line at the remote Alderbury Junction. Here there was a signal box, some railway cottages and two platforms on the main line for staff use only. The line ambled south through rural surroundings to meet the Southampton and Dorchester Railway
Southampton and Dorchester Railway
-Planning and Construction:The Southampton and Dorchester Railway, operating in the counties of Hampshire and Dorset, received Parliamentary Assent in 1845 and opened in 1847. The railway was promoted by a Wimborne solicitor, Charles Castleman...
at West Moors
West Moors railway station
West Moors is a closed railway station in Dorset. Opened in 1867, It became the junction of the Southampton and Dorchester Railway and the Salisbury and Dorset Junction Railway. Although passenger services were withdrawn in 1964 as a result of the Beeching Report, continued use of the line into the...
. Trains continued through Wimborne to Poole
Poole
Poole is a large coastal town and seaport in the county of Dorset, on the south coast of England. The town is east of Dorchester, and Bournemouth adjoins Poole to the east. The Borough of Poole was made a unitary authority in 1997, gaining administrative independence from Dorset County Council...
and Bournemouth West
Bournemouth West railway station
Bournemouth West railway station was a railway station in Bournemouth, Dorset, England. It closed on 4 October 1965. The station was the southern terminus of the Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway, as well as being the terminus for trains from London Waterloo and other local trains.-Closure:The...
.
Initial hopes of cross country traffic faded and the line carried sparse local produce and passengers until closing, 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...
, to all traffic on 4 May 1964. The track was lifted the following year.
Local railway developments
A desire to link SalisburySalisbury
Salisbury is a cathedral city in Wiltshire, England and the only city in the county. It is the second largest settlement in the county...
(and beyond Salisbury, Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
and the Midlands
English Midlands
The Midlands, or the English Midlands, is the traditional name for the area comprising central England that broadly corresponds to the early medieval Kingdom of Mercia. It borders Southern England, Northern England, East Anglia and Wales. Its largest city is Birmingham, and it was an important...
) with the 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...
coast led to two lines being proposed in the mid-1840s, both using a route from Salisbury to Wimborne via Downton
Downton
-Places:*Downton, Hampshire, England*Downton, Herefordshire, England*Downton, Powys, Wales*Downton, Shropshire, England*Downton, Wiltshire, England*Downton *Downton, Devon, England...
and Fordingbridge
Fordingbridge
Fordingbridge is a town and civil parish with a population of 5,700 on the River Avon in the New Forest District of Hampshire, England, near to the Dorset and Wiltshire borders and on the edge of the New Forest. It is south west of London, and south of the city of Salisbury. Fordingbridge is a...
. The first was the Salisbury & Dorsetshire Railway, announced in 1844, which would have run to Weymouth through Wimborne, Bere
Bere Regis
Bere Regis is a village in the Purbeck district of Dorset, England, situated north-west of Wareham.The village has one shop, a post office and two pubs, The Royal Oak and The Drax Arms. The parish church is St. John the Baptist Church...
and Dorchester. The second, dating from a year later, would have terminated at Poole
Poole
Poole is a large coastal town and seaport in the county of Dorset, on the south coast of England. The town is east of Dorchester, and Bournemouth adjoins Poole to the east. The Borough of Poole was made a unitary authority in 1997, gaining administrative independence from Dorset County Council...
.
Neither of these lines was built, however over the next 15 years the railway network in area did develop. To the south the Southampton and Dorchester Railway
Southampton and Dorchester Railway
-Planning and Construction:The Southampton and Dorchester Railway, operating in the counties of Hampshire and Dorset, received Parliamentary Assent in 1845 and opened in 1847. The railway was promoted by a Wimborne solicitor, Charles Castleman...
opened in 1847, being absorbed by the London & South Western Railway in 1848. LSWR trains began running from Dorchester into Weymouth, over 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...
line
Wilts, 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...
(which had been built to mixed gauge
Dual gauge
A dual-gauge or mixed-gauge railway has railway track that allows trains of different gauges to use the same track. Generally, a dual-gauge railway consists of three rails, rather than the standard two rails. The two outer rails give the wider gauge, while one of the outer rails and the inner rail...
), in 1857.
To the north the first line to Salisbury was the 1847 LSWR line from Southampton
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 Great Western had reached Salisbury in 1856. A direct line from Salisbury to London began operating in 1854 and the Salisbury and Yeovil Railway
Salisbury and Yeovil Railway
The Salisbury and Yeovil Railway linked Salisbury , Gillingham and Yeovil in England. Opened in stages in 1859 and 1860, it formed a bridge route between the main London and South Western Railway network and its lines in Devon and Cornwall. Its trains were operated by the LSWR and it was sold to...
(including its extension to Exeter
Exeter
Exeter 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...
) opened in 1860.
The need for the line
Therefore from the end of 1860 there existed two LSWR-operated east-west mainlines; from London and Southampton to Dorchester and WeymouthSouth Western Main Line
The South Western Main Line is a railway line between London Waterloo and Weymouth on the Dorset coast, in the south of England. It is a major railway which serves many important commuter areas, as well as the major settlements of Southampton and Bournemouth...
and from London to Exeter via Salisbury and Yeovil
West of England Main Line
The West of England Main Line is a British railway line that runs from , Hampshire to Exeter St Davids in Devon, England. Passenger services run between London Waterloo station and Exeter...
; and the idea of linking them on a north-south route through Fordingbridge was revived. In addition the Great Western line to Chippenham
Chippenham
Chippenham may be:* Chippenham, Wiltshire* Chippenham * Chippenham, Cambridgeshire-See also:* Virginia State Route 150, also known as Chippenham Parkway, USA* Cippenham, Berkshire, UK...
provided a link to the north. This was broad gauge but would be converted to standard gauge in 1872.
There was also a desire for a line south to Poole and Bournemouth from the Southampton and Dorchester Railway. When that line had been constructed a route had been chosen that bypassed Poole and Bournemouth, instead taking a route through Ringwood
Ringwood
Ringwood is a historic market town and civil parish in Hampshire, England, located on the River Avon, close to the New Forest and north of Bournemouth. It has a history dating back to Anglo-Saxon times, and has held a weekly market since the Middle Ages....
and Wimborne. In the 1840s these were deemed to be more important settlements annd this route also avoided Poole Harbour. However by the late 1850s Poole, Bournemouth and Christchurch
Christchurch
Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the country's second-largest urban area after Auckland. It lies one third of the way down the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula which itself, since 2006, lies within the formal limits of...
had all grown rapidly and required a direct rail connection.
Poole was served by a branch line that terminated across the entrance to Holes Bay at Hamworthy
Hamworthy
Hamworthy is a parish and inner suburb of Poole in Dorset, England. Hamworthy lies on a peninsula of approximately and is bounded by Upton to the north, Poole Harbour to the west and Holes Bay to the east. Poole Bridge, the southern terminus of the A350 road, connects the suburb with the town centre...
, but this was deemed far from satisfactory. A number of different lines from Wimborne or Broadstone
Broadstone, Dorset
Broadstone is a town and suburb of Poole in Dorset, England. It is located from Hamworthy railway station and from Bournemouth International Airport. The town has a population of 10,256 according to the 2001 Census....
to Poole had been proposed but by the 1860s had come to nothing.
Meanwhile in the east construction had started on the Ringwood, Christchurch and Bournemouth Railway in 1860. This was a line from the Southampton and Dorchester line at Ringwood south down the Avon valley to Christchurch, where it would turn west and run to Bournemouth.
A strong desire to be connected to the railway network from the population of towns such as Fordingbridge and Downton also existed. A meeting was held in Salisbury on 20 October 1860 to discuss the latest scheme. This was chaired by the Seventh Earl of Shaftesbury
Anthony Ashley-Cooper, 7th Earl of Shaftesbury
Anthony Ashley Cooper, 7th Earl of Shaftesbury KG , styled Lord Ashley from 1811 to 1851, was an English politician and philanthropist, one of the best-known of the Victorian era and one of the main proponents of Christian Zionism.-Youth:He was born in London and known informally as Lord Ashley...
, who lived at Cranborne
Cranborne
Cranborne is a village in East Dorset, England. In 2001 the village had a population of 779 people. The town is situated on chalk downland called Cranborne Chase, part of a large expanse of chalk in southern England which includes the nearby Salisbury Plain and Dorset Downs.-History:The village...
near Verwood
Verwood
Verwood is a town and civil parish in Dorset, England. The town lies north of Bournemouth and north of Poole. The town has a population of 14,820 according to latest figures from Dorset County Council, making it the largest town in Dorset without an upper school in terms of population.-Early...
, and a motion was unanimously passed stating:
- “that in the opinion of this meeting it is desirable that a railway should be constructed to connect Salisbury with Wimborne, Poole and the northern parts of Dorset, and that the line now submitted, traversing the valley of the Avon, near Downton and Fordingbridge, and uniting with the [London and] South Western [Railway] on the east side of Wimborne, is satisfactory for the above purpose.”
The Salisbury & Dorset Railway
The proposed line would take a route from AlderburyAlderbury
Alderbury & Whaddon are two small adjacent villages three miles south-east of Salisbury, Wiltshire, England with a population of about 2,000. They are bypassed by the A36 road, which links them to Southampton and Salisbury.-External links:****...
, to the south east of Salisbury on the Southampton line, through Downton and Fordingbridge, to West Moors, located to the east of Wimborne. Here a spur would connect to the Southampton and Dorchester line. Meanwhile the line would continue south splitting into two branches. The first would run to a junction with the Ringwood, Christchurch and Bournemouth Railway, the second would take a direct route to Poole.
Financial problems led to the removal of the southern branches and when ‘The Salisbury, Poole & Dorset Junction Railway Bill’ received Royal Assent
Royal Assent
The granting of royal assent refers to the method by which any constitutional monarch formally approves and promulgates an act of his or her nation's parliament, thus making it a law...
on 16 July 1861 it was for the Alderbury-West Moors section only.
Construction of the line
The first sod was cut, using a silver spade, by the Countess Nelson on 3 February 1863 in a field two miles to the north of Downton and close to Trafalgar House, the home of the Earl and Countess NelsonHoratio Nelson, 3rd Earl Nelson
Horatio Nelson, 3rd Earl Nelson was a British politician.He was the son of Thomas Bolton by his wife Frances Elizabeth Eyre. On 28 February 1835 his father inherited the title Earl Nelson from William Nelson, 1st Earl Nelson and adopted the surname of Nelson...
.
The contract was let to a Mr Garrett, however the slow progress of work led to his contract being terminated in September 1865 and re-let to a Henry Jackson. Work then continued at a faster rate and by 6 August 1866 the line was able to be inspected by the Board of Trade’s
Board of Trade
The Board of Trade is a committee of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom, originating as a committee of inquiry in the 17th century and evolving gradually into a government department with a diverse range of functions...
Inspecting Officer; Captain Tyler. He found many defects on that inspection and again on a further inspection in October.
The line eventually opened on 20 December 1866. From the beginning the line was operated by the LSWR under a deal which gave the Salisbury and Dorset Railway company 55% of the gross receipts.
On 1 August 1867 West Moors station
West Moors railway station
West Moors is a closed railway station in Dorset. Opened in 1867, It became the junction of the Southampton and Dorchester Railway and the Salisbury and Dorset Junction Railway. Although passenger services were withdrawn in 1964 as a result of the Beeching Report, continued use of the line into the...
opened. This was on the Southampton and Dorchester line just to the west of the junction with the Salisbury and Dorset.
The final piece of construction to be completed was a station in Alderholt
Daggons Road railway station
Daggons Road was a railway station serving the village of Alderholt, in Dorset, to the south west of Fordingbridge, in Hampshire. It was one of many casualties of the mass closure of British railway lines in the 1960s and 1970s; the last service was on 4 May 1964...
, which opened on 1 January 1876. This followed years of lawsuits between the railway company (who had no desire to build the station) and George Onslow Churchill, a local landowner who had sold land to the company with an agreement that a station would be built. The station was originally called Alderholt, but was renamed Daggens Road five months after it opened to avoid confusion with Aldershot
Aldershot
Aldershot is a town in the English county of Hampshire, located on heathland about southwest of London. The town is administered by Rushmoor Borough Council...
in Hampshire. The spelling changed to Daggons Road in 1903.
Further developments
The Salisbury & Dorset continued to propose extensions south to provide better links with Poole and/or Bournemouth. In 1878 a bill was placed before Parliament for a ‘Bournemouth Direct Railway’. This included provision for the GWR to be involved in operating the line. This alarmed the LSWR and, despite the bill coming to nothing, they were keen to protect their territory from their great commercial rival. On 31 May 1882 members of the Salisbury and Dorset board met with LSWR directors to discuss amalgamation. This was completed on 20 August 1883.In 1893 the LSWR completed a direct line from Brockenhurst
Brockenhurst
Brockenhurst is a village situated in the New Forest, Hampshire, England. The New Forest is a national park and Brockenhurst is therefore surrounded by woodland that attracts thousands of visitors all year round. The nearby towns surrounding Brockenhurst are Lymington and Lyndhurst. Brockenhurst...
, in the New Forest
New Forest
The New Forest is an area of southern England which includes the largest remaining tracts of unenclosed pasture land, heathland and forest in the heavily-populated south east of England. It covers south-west Hampshire and extends into south-east Wiltshire....
, through Christchurch, Bournemouth and Poole, to Hamworthy Junction
Hamworthy railway station
Hamworthy railway station serves Hamworthy, an area of Poole in Dorset.-History:The station opened with the Southampton & Dorchester Railway, which later became part of the London and South Western Railway , in 1847 as Poole Junction...
. This had been built piecemeal over the previous 30 years and relegated the original route of the Southampton and Dorchester between Brockenhurst and Hamworthy to branch line/diversionary route status. As part of this development a line had opened in 1872 from Broadstone to Poole and this allowed trains to run directly from Salisbury to Poole and Bournemouth.
Accidents
The most serious accident in the history of the line occurred on 3 June 1884 when the 4.33pm Salisbury-Weymouth train detached from the engine and derailed about 1 and a quarter miles south of Downton. 41 people were injured and 4 died. Three of these drowned after a carriage overturned into a drainage ditch. The LSWR Locomotive Superintendent, William Adams, claimed that the crash had been caused by a broken couplingCoupling (railway)
A coupling is a mechanism for connecting rolling stock in a train. The design of the coupler is standard, and is almost as important as the railway gauge, since flexibility and convenience are maximised if all rolling stock can be coupled together.The equipment that connects the couplings to the...
between the leading brake van and the first carriage. However the subsequent Board of Trade inquiry, led by Colonel JH Rich, rejected this theory. Colonel Rich stated that the cause was inferior passenger rolling stock travelling too fast over a track not designed for that speed.
Another accident occurred on 2 November 1904; when the final 13 wagons and two brake vans from a Salisbury bound freight train broke away just south of Downton station. The wagons were stopped by a guard in one of the brake vans but the 7.58pm train from Salisbury crashed into them at 20 mph. There were no fatalities and only two people were injured.
Traffic on the line
The local traffic was bucolic in its nature, during the 40's and 50's the area was put to wheat production and agricultural traffic was always a priority with Crane Valley watercress being popular as were strawberries and other soft fruit, today the Avon Valley is a shadow of its former self with commuter housing and horses a priority for the local landowners.Diversionary traffic on the line was heavier than might be expected - the Pines would use the line when the 'other' S&D was unable to provide a path - one episode with Lapford running out of coal as it entered Daggons Road with a down Pines and more than once a York-Bournemouth train was routed through.
Other traffic included newspaper trains and pigeon specials (Fordingbridge was a favourite site for release). In addition, there was a large grain warehouse owned by Dukes who eventually took over the station yard after closure.
One of the problems endured by the line was a constant shortage of stock, this was exacerbated in the 1950s with the wholesale withdrawal of pre-grouping coaching stock and desperate measures were necessary. Salisbury received an articulated SECR railmotor P+P Isle of Sheppey set after its withdrawal from the Portland branch. This was employed on workmen's specials from Idmiston-Salisbury as well as the Salisbury and Dorset and a well known photograph shows it entering Fordingbridge with a Salisbury-Bournemouth West local behind a T9.
Most, if not all of the motive power on local services for the line was the responsibility of Salisbury shed, suitable locos are: T9s, SR Moguls, 700s, Qs, Q1s, Bulleid light Pacifics and in the final years, both BR 4MTs. Curiously I have no photos of tank locos working the line although until 1959 Salisbury's carriage pilot, a non-auto fitted M7 was rostered on a Sunday-only service. Other locos were permitted but never officially used - V class but not SR 4-6-0s. Wartime traffic is a mystery due to the strict security restrictions but presumably LNER ambulance trains and their charges would have traversed the line.
At the start of the 1950s, the line was almost the exclusive preserve of ex-LSWR motive power, Salisbury L12s, S11s, T9s and 700s. By 1952 there were six passenger trains each way on weekdays, the first was the Salisbury-Weymouth 03:52 which included a newspaper van 01:25 ex-Waterloo, during the 1952 timetable longer distance trains started to use the line New Milton-Swansea, but by 1953 a Bournemouth West -Cardiff service was hauled by U class 31622 as far as Salisbury and on the same day a New Milton-Swansea train was in charge of BR 4mt 76016. In 1958, the last M7 duty on the line was performed by 30673 but this was a Sunday only service and by 1959 this ceased as an economy measure.
It was not unusual to see double-heading on the branch, a particular example being the 07:42 Bournemouth Central-Salisbury but this was only for pathing purposes, the normal train being two coaches. However this particular service also saw the use of ex-SECR L Class 31771 on 21 March 1952, this loco having been transferred from Ashford to Eastleigh. In 1959, more ex-SECR locos displaced by the electrification of the Kent coast started to move westward, E1 Class 31497 became a regular performer on the 07:15 Salisbury- Bournemouth West. Other ex-SECR locos include N class 31835 from Exmouth Junction, transferred to Salisbury in 1964.
The line was able to accept Bulleid light Pacifics but not larger locomotives:
34106 Lydford - 16 September 1956 on a excursion to Weymouth with both Pullman and BR coaches
34052 Lord Dowding - 14 December 1958 Salisbury-Bournemouth West
34107 Blandford Forum - 14 March 1958 Bournemouth Central-Salisbury
34051 Winston Churchill - 15 June 1959 - Salisbury-Wimborne Cattle train
34091 Weymouth - 2 May 1964 Last day of services
Closure
When the Railways ActRailways 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...
came into force on 1 January 1923 the Salisbury and Dorset line, along with the rest of the LSWR, became part of the Southern Railway
Southern Railway (Great Britain)
The Southern Railway was a British railway company established in the 1923 Grouping. It linked London with the Channel ports, South West England, South coast resorts and Kent...
. Then, with nationalisation
Transport Act 1947
The Transport Act 1947 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Under it the railways, long-distance road haulage and various other types of transport were acquired by the state and handed over to a new British Transport Commission for operation...
in 1948 it became part of British Railways Southern Region
Southern Region of British Railways
The Southern 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. The region covered south London, southern England and the south coast, including the busy commuter belt areas of Kent, Sussex...
.
Following publication of the Reshaping of British Railways
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...
report by Richard Beeching
Richard Beeching
Richard Beeching, Baron Beeching , commonly known as Doctor Beeching, was chairman of British Railways and a physicist and engineer...
in March 1963 British Railways announced formal proposals to close the line in early summer 1963, claiming it was losing £100 a mile per week.
Salisbury MP John Morrison supported the proposal and Salisbury City Council initially decided not to object to the ending of passenger services; however there was much opposition to the closure. Those objecting included Poole Borough Council, Wimborne & Cranborne Rural District Council, several Parish Councils, the Viscount Cranborne Estates and the National Union of Agricultural & Allied Workers.
On 3 March 1964 it was announced that the closure of the line had been approved by Ernest Marples
Ernest Marples
Alfred Ernest Marples, Baron Marples PC was a British Conservative politician who served as Postmaster General and Minister of Transport. After his retirement from active politics in 1974 Marples was elevated to the peerage...
, the Minister of Transport
Secretary of State for Transport
The Secretary of State for Transport is the member of the cabinet responsible for the British Department for Transport. The role has had a high turnover as new appointments are blamed for the failures of decades of their predecessors...
. The date of the closure was 4 May 1964. Also closed on that day was the original route of the Southampton & Dorchester line from Brockenhurst to Broadstone; the section from Brockenhurst to Ringwood completely and the section from Ringwood to Broadstone to passengers only.
The 4 May was a Monday, and as the line no longer had Sunday services the last trains were on Saturday 2 May.
The line
The line was 18 miles and 41 chainsChain (unit)
A chain is a unit of length; it measures 66 feet or 22 yards or 100 links . There are 10 chains in a furlong, and 80 chains in one statute mile. An acre is the area of 10 square chains...
from Alderbury
Alderbury
Alderbury & Whaddon are two small adjacent villages three miles south-east of Salisbury, Wiltshire, England with a population of about 2,000. They are bypassed by the A36 road, which links them to Southampton and Salisbury.-External links:****...
Junction to West Moors junction
West Moors railway station
West Moors is a closed railway station in Dorset. Opened in 1867, It became the junction of the Southampton and Dorchester Railway and the Salisbury and Dorset Junction Railway. Although passenger services were withdrawn in 1964 as a result of the Beeching Report, continued use of the line into the...
and was single track for its entire length with passing loop
Passing loop
A passing loop is a place on a single line railway or tramway, often located at a station, where trains or trams in opposing directions can pass each other. Trains/trams in the same direction can also overtake, providing that the signalling arrangement allows it...
s at some stations. The highest point of the line was just south of Whaddon
Alderbury
Alderbury & Whaddon are two small adjacent villages three miles south-east of Salisbury, Wiltshire, England with a population of about 2,000. They are bypassed by the A36 road, which links them to Southampton and Salisbury.-External links:****...
between Alderbury Junction and Downton, the lowest was West Moors station. The steepest gradients were two stretches at 1 in 75. The first was south of Whaddon as it descended from the highest point of the line; the second was as the line descended from Cranborne Common between Daggons Road and Verwood. West Moors to Alderbury Junction was the up direction, the opposite was the down direction.
Route
From SalisburySalisbury
Salisbury is a cathedral city in Wiltshire, England and the only city in the county. It is the second largest settlement in the county...
the Southampton 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...
climbs out of the Avon valley until it reaches the site of Alderbury Junction. Here the Salisbury and Dorset line curved off to the right. It crossed the A36
A36 road
The A36 is a trunk road and primary route in England that links the port city of Southampton to the city of Bath. At Bath, the A36 connects with the A4 road to Bristol, thus enabling a road link between the major ports of Southampton and Bristol. Originally, the A36 continued onto Avonmouth, but...
, Salisbury to 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...
, road close to Whaddon. It reached its first summit, and the highest point of the line, shortly after; before running south along the west side of the Avon valley high above the river. The line passed through Downton tunnel before starting to descend to the valley floor, passing through Downton station as it did. Once it reached the bottom it crossed the Avon and into Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
.
The line then ran parallel to the river along its western bank between it and the A338
A338 road
The A338 is a major trunk road in southern England, that runs from the junction with the A35 at Bournemouth in Dorset to the junction with the A420 at Besselsleigh in Oxfordshire, roughly long.-Route:...
, Salisbury – Ringwood
Ringwood
Ringwood is a historic market town and civil parish in Hampshire, England, located on the River Avon, close to the New Forest and north of Bournemouth. It has a history dating back to Anglo-Saxon times, and has held a weekly market since the Middle Ages....
road. It ran through Breamore station before running under the A338 at Burgate. Turning south west it began to climb out of the Avon valley, skirting the north and west of Fordingbridge and passing through Fordingbridge station. The line crossed into 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...
, passed through Daggons Road station and along the northern edge of Cranborne Common. Reaching its second summit, it turned south and entered the Crane valley before descending to Verwood station. Crossing the Crane south of Verwood it ran south to West Moors along the edge of the Dorset heath. At West Moors the line turned west to meet the east – west Southampton and Dorchester Railway
Southampton and Dorchester Railway
-Planning and Construction:The Southampton and Dorchester Railway, operating in the counties of Hampshire and Dorset, received Parliamentary Assent in 1845 and opened in 1847. The railway was promoted by a Wimborne solicitor, Charles Castleman...
.
Stations and other features
The line had five dedicated intermediate stations plus West Moors station at the junction with the Southampton and Dorchester line. All of the intermediate stations except Daggons Road were built with passing loops and two platforms. The station buildings were all brick but were not of a standard design. Apart from Daggons Road and West Moors all signal boxes were LSWRLondon and South Western Railway
The London and South Western Railway was a railway company in England from 1838 to 1922. Its network extended from London to Plymouth via Salisbury and Exeter, with branches to Ilfracombe and Padstow and via Southampton to Bournemouth and Weymouth. It also had many routes connecting towns in...
Type 1 boxes.
Alderbury Junction and Downton tunnel
Alderbury Junction was about half a mile from the village of Alderbury. Originally the West Moors line diverged as a double line, becoming single a short distance down the line. The layout was rearranged in 1943 to become a single trailing lead from the down (i.e. Salisbury direction) main line with crossover. An LSWR type 4 signal box was located in the apex of the junction. On the main line, to the west of the junction were Alderbury staff platforms. These were originally built to allow the transfer between West Moors and Southampton trains, but this appears to have stopped by 1881. After this the platforms were used for the families of railway staff, to pick up and drop off permanent way staff and in emergencies such as the failure of a train.Downton tunnel was to the north of Downton, on the descent from Whaddon to Breamore and was a small bore tunnel 107 yards long.
Downton station
Downton stationDownton railway station
Downton was a railway station serving Downton, a village in Wiltshire. The village contained a large tanning mill on the River Avon, which has now closed, and has been redeveloped as residential property. The station was one of many casualties of the mass closure of British railway lines in the...
was 3 miles and 70 chains from Alderbury Junction and was located to the north of the eastern end of Downton High Street, the line crossing the road by way of a bridge. The station consisted of a passing loop with up and down platforms plus goods sidings. The main station building was a single storey pitched roof structure with mono-pitch canopy and was located on the up (north bound) platform. The signal box was a LSWR Type 1 box and was at the southern end of the down platform. The signal box was reduced to a ground frame when the station ceased to be a block post on 1 December 1922. A steel girder footbridge was installed in 1902; this was the first of its type on the LSWR. The station master's house was to the south east of the station, close to the signal box. Goods traffic was served with a cattle loading dock on the up side accessed by a lead to the north of the station and a small number of sidings for other goods, also on the up side, and served by a lead to the south of the station. After the station ceased to be a block post the down loop was converted to a siding with catch points installed at both ends. The station site today is a residential development with only the station master's house extant.
Breamore station
Breamore stationBreamore railway station
Breamore Railway Station was a station serving Breamore, a village in Hampshire, England. The village contains a notable stately home, Breamore House, and a Mill on the River Avon. It was one of many casualties of the mass closure of British railway lines in the 1960s and 1970s; the last service...
, 6 miles and 67 chains from Alderbury Junction, was located close to the centre of the village
Breamore
Breamore is a village and civil parish near Fordingbridge in Hampshire, England. The toponym is pronounced "Bremmer", not "Bree-moor" as might be supposed. The parish includes a notable Elizabethan country house, Breamore House, built with an E-shaped ground plan...
; to its south east on the road from Breamore to Woodgreen
Woodgreen
Woodgreen is a village and civil parish within the New Forest district of Hampshire in England.-Overview:Woodgreen lies between Breamore and Hale to the east of the River Avon. It is located due south of the city of Salisbury, its nearest town is Fordingbridge lying to the southwest. In the 2001 UK...
. This crossed the line via an over-bridge just to the north of the station. It consisted of a passing loop with two platforms, cattle loading dock, accessed by a lead close to the southern end of the up platform, and a single siding. The station building was located on the up platform and was a brick twin-gabled single storey with mono-pitch canopy. Also on the up platform, in front of the station building, was a 13 lever frame which replaced the original Type 1 signal box on 29 July 1930. The original box was located at the south end of the down platform. At the opposite end of the down platform was a timber waiting shelter. The station master's house was located across the station yard from the main station building. Both the station building and station master's house are extant; the former was restored in the late 2000s.
Fordingbridge station
FordingbridgeFordingbridge railway station
Fordingbridge was a railway station serving Fordingbridge, a small town in Hampshire. It was one of many casualties of the mass closure of British railway lines in the 1960s and 1970s; the last service was on 2 May 1964. The line was officially closed on 4 May 1964 but as there was no Sunday...
was the largest station on the line, with passing loop, two platforms, goods shed and several sidings. It was located 9 miles and 36 chains from Alderbury junction about three quarters of a mile west of the town
Fordingbridge
Fordingbridge is a town and civil parish with a population of 5,700 on the River Avon in the New Forest District of Hampshire, England, near to the Dorset and Wiltshire borders and on the edge of the New Forest. It is south west of London, and south of the city of Salisbury. Fordingbridge is a...
on the B3078. The road crossed the line via an over-bridge to the north east of the station. The main station building was a substantial two storey brick building with hipped roof and platform canopy and was located on the down platform. Beyond the southern end of the down platform was the Type 1 signal box. On the opposite, up, platform were a brick waiting room and a small wooden office and across the road from the station was the Railway Hotel, now called the Augustus John after a famous local resident
Augustus John
Augustus Edwin John OM, RA, was a Welsh painter, draughtsman, and etcher. For a short time around 1910, he was an important exponent of Post-Impressionism in the United Kingdom....
. The goods yard had five sidings, all connected to the line via a trailing connection into the down loop. One siding ran into a loading dock while another went into the brick goods shed which was equipped with a 30cwt capacity crane. In the yard were a 5cwt capacity crane in the yard and a number of concrete cattle cake sheds. Apart from the hotel no part of the station remains, the site is now occupied by warehouses.
Daggons Road station
Daggons Road stationDaggons Road railway station
Daggons Road was a railway station serving the village of Alderholt, in Dorset, to the south west of Fordingbridge, in Hampshire. It was one of many casualties of the mass closure of British railway lines in the 1960s and 1970s; the last service was on 4 May 1964...
was located on the Alderholt – Cranborne road, just to the west of Alderholt
Alderholt
Alderholt is a large village and civil parish in the East Dorset district of Dorset, England; situated west of Fordingbridge. The local travel links are located from the village to Salisbury railway station and to Bournemouth International Airport. The main road running through the village is...
and 11 miles and 21 chains from Alderbury Junction. Its odd name was acquired from a local farm, the LSWR decided that Alderholt could cause confusion with Aldershot and the only other notable feature was Charing Cross. The road crossed the line by an overbridge to the south west of the station. The station consisted of a single platform on the up side with three sidings and loading dock. One of these, on the down side, was extended and converted into a passing loop in May 1904, but the station was never used as a block post. The station building, which included the station master's house, was a two storey double gabled brick building with single storey extensions but no canopy. The signal box was a non-standard ground level box with a pointed roof and was located alongside the down loop, opposite the main station building. It was reduced to a ground frame in August 1903. There were two sidings on the up side, one serving a loading dock and one serving the neighbouring brick works. The down siding, converted to passing loop in 1904, served cattle pens and had level access for lorries. The main station building is now a private residence, part of a larger residential development. Behind the station, sidings served small brickworks and pottery. The main station building is now a private residence, part of a larger residential development.
Verwood station
Verwood stationVerwood railway station
Verwood Railway Station served Verwood, a town in East Dorset in southern England, and its hinterland, from 1866 to 1964. It was one of many casualties of the mass closure of British railway lines in the 1960s; the last train running on 2 May 1964...
was 14 miles and 38 chains from Alderbury Junction, some way to the west of the village
Verwood
Verwood is a town and civil parish in Dorset, England. The town lies north of Bournemouth and north of Poole. The town has a population of 14,820 according to latest figures from Dorset County Council, making it the largest town in Dorset without an upper school in terms of population.-Early...
on the B3081. This crossed the line on an over-bridge just to the north of the station. The station consisted of a passing loop with two platforms plus goods facilities. The main station building was a single storey, double gabled brick building, with platform canopy, on the up platform. Next to it was the LSWR Type 1 signal box and beyond that a parcels store. On the down platform was a timber shelter. In the station yard was the Albion Hotel. The goods yard was at the southern end of the up platform and consisted of a number of sidings, some serving the nearby brick works. A single siding ran between a cattle loading dock and the up platform. Verwood was the only station, other than Fordingbridge, to be equipped with a loading crane. The Albion Hotel (now the Albion Inn) and the road bridge are the only remaining structures with the road being rerouted across the station site.
West Moors station
West Moors stationWest Moors railway station
West Moors is a closed railway station in Dorset. Opened in 1867, It became the junction of the Southampton and Dorchester Railway and the Salisbury and Dorset Junction Railway. Although passenger services were withdrawn in 1964 as a result of the Beeching Report, continued use of the line into the...
was on the Southampton and Dorchester railway, just to the west of the junction with the Salisbury and Dorset line. The station was close to the centre of West Moors
West Moors
West Moors is a village in East Dorset, England, on the northern fringe of the Poole-Bournemouth conurbation, just outside the larger settlements of Ferndown and Verwood...
on Station Road, which crossed the Southampton and Dorchester line west of the station via a level crossing. The Southampton and Dorchester line was double track and the station had two platforms, loading dock and a number of sidings. The main station building was on the east bound, up, platform and was a two storey building without a canopy. Next to the station building was a store and beyond that a concrete footbridge. This was installed in 1902 by the Concrete Construction Company. At the end of the up platform, next to the road so it could operate the crossing, was a LSWR Type 3C signal box. On the other side of the road was a two storey gatekeeper's house. On the down platform was a waiting shelter. There were two goods yards. The first was accessed from the Salisbury line and included a loading bay at the east end of the up platform. The second was on the down side, on the other side of station road and included a loading dock.
Level crossings
There were five manned crossings on the line. These were:- North Charford – between the Avon crossing and Breamore on minor road off the A338
- South Charford – just to the south of North Charford on another minor road off the A338
- Burgate
- Horton – between Verwood and West Moors
- Revelle's – between Verwood and West Moors
- Newman's Lane – north of West Moors
In addition there were three major unmanned crossings (where engine whistles were required). These were:
- Harding's – 5 miles, 38 chains from Alderbury Junction
- Coxmead – 7 miles, 34 chains
- Barton's - 18 miles, 5 chains