St. Briavels railway station
Encyclopedia
St Briavels Station was a station along the Wye Valley Railway
. It was built in 1876 during the construction of the line on the Monmouthshire
side of the River Wye
at Bigsweir
, and was intended to serve the nearby villages of St Briavels
across the river in the Forest of Dean
and Llandogo
which is further down the Wye Valley
. It was closed on 5 January 1959 when the line was closed to passenger services. St Briavels station was renamed three time during its life, firstly Bigsweir Station, then St Briavels and Llandogo Station and finally St Briavels Station.
. It was finally renamed St Briavels Station in 1927 just before the opening of Llandogo Halt
.
The station consisted of a station building, goods shed, signal box, storage shed, sidings, crane and the only level crossing on the whole line for the A466 road. The station was closed completely to passenger and freight services in January 1959. Following the stations closure the level crossing gates were removed and the signal box has all but disappeared but the station and goods shed remain mostly on site. The goods shed is now the only surviving shed on the whole line.
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...
. It was built in 1876 during the construction of the line on the Monmouthshire
Monmouthshire (historic)
Monmouthshire , also known as the County of Monmouth , is one of thirteen ancient counties of Wales and a former administrative county....
side of 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:...
at Bigsweir
Bigsweir
Bigsweir is a locality in the Wye Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, which straddles the boundary between Gloucestershire in England and Monmouthshire in Wales. It is located about 2 miles north of Llandogo, 2 miles south of Whitebrook, and 3 miles west of St. Briavels...
, and was intended to serve the nearby villages of St Briavels
St Briavels
St Briavels is a medium sized village and civil parish in the Royal Forest of Dean in west Gloucestershire, England; close to the England-Wales border, and south of Coleford. It stands almost above sea level on the edge of a limestone plateau above the valley of the River Wye, above an ancient...
across the river in the Forest of Dean
Forest of Dean
The Forest of Dean is a geographical, historical and cultural region in the western part of the county of Gloucestershire, England. The forest is a roughly triangular plateau bounded by the River Wye to the west and north, the River Severn to the south, and the City of Gloucester to the east.The...
and Llandogo
Llandogo
Llandogo is a small village in Monmouthshire, south Wales, located between Monmouth and Chepstow in the lower reaches of the Wye Valley AONB, two miles north of Tintern. It is set on a steep hillside overlooking the River Wye and across into the Forest of Dean in Gloucestershire, England.- History...
which is further down the Wye Valley
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....
. It was closed on 5 January 1959 when the line was closed to passenger services. St Briavels station was renamed three time during its life, firstly Bigsweir Station, then St Briavels and Llandogo Station and finally St Briavels Station.
History
The station was opened on 1 November 1876. It was named Bigsweir Station but was renamed St Briavels and Llandogo in 1909, shortly after the line's amalgamation with 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...
. It was finally renamed St Briavels Station in 1927 just before the opening of Llandogo Halt
Llandogo Halt railway station
Llandogo Halt was a request stop on the former Wye Valley Railway. It was opened on 7th March 1927 to serve the village of Llandogo. It was closed in 1959 following the withdrawal of passenger services on the line. It was the smallest construction on the Wye Valley Railway....
.
The station consisted of a station building, goods shed, signal box, storage shed, sidings, crane and the only level crossing on the whole line for the A466 road. The station was closed completely to passenger and freight services in January 1959. Following the stations closure the level crossing gates were removed and the signal box has all but disappeared but the station and goods shed remain mostly on site. The goods shed is now the only surviving shed on the whole line.