Stonehouse and Nailsworth Railway
Encyclopedia
The Stonehouse and Nailsworth Railway was a short railway line in the county of Gloucestershire
, England
, which brought the Cotswold
town of Nailsworth
into the UK national rail network. (Often called the Dudbridge Donkey Line). The line was 5.75 miles (9.3 km) long, and ran from a junction with the Midland Railway
's mainline between Bristol
and Gloucester
at Stonehouse
to a terminus at Nailsworth
.
The line was completed in 1867 and its backers had further plans to extend it southwards to Tetbury
and Malmesbury. But it ran into financial trouble very quickly and the company was subsumed into the Midland Railway.
The line was run as a branch from Stonehouse (Bristol Road) station
, though the junction with the Midland mainline was a little to the north of Stonehouse station. A separate platform for the Nailsworth services at Stonehouse was joined to the mainline station by a covered walkway. There were intermediate stations at Ryeford
, Dudbridge
and Woodchester
, all except the last named having stone buildings on a large scale.
Dudbridge was originally advertised as "Dudbridge for Stroud" after the market town
only a mile or so away. In 1885, however, the Midland opened for goods traffic a short branch from Dudbridge to a station in Stroud that was variously known as Stroud Cheapside and Stroud Wallgate
. Passenger services began the following year, 1886, and connected to the main branch line services at Dudbridge.
The Stonehouse and Nailsworth Railway, along with the rest of the Midland Railway, became part of the London Midland and Scottish Railway at the 1923 Grouping
. Passenger services were suspended on the line as an economy measure to save fuel in June 1947, and were officially withdrawn from 8 June 1949. However, the line, including the Stroud branch, remained open for goods traffic until 1966.
Much of the line, including the three-mile section from Dudbridge to Nailsworth, is now in use as a cycle path, a section of National Cycle Route 45 from Salisbury
to Chester
.
Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn, and the entire Forest of Dean....
, 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...
, which brought the Cotswold
Cotswolds
The Cotswolds are a range of hills in west-central England, sometimes called the Heart of England, an area across and long. The area has been designated as the Cotswold Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty...
town of Nailsworth
Nailsworth
Nailsworth is a town in Gloucestershire, England, lying in one of the Stroud Valleys in the Cotswolds. It has a population of around 6,600 people and lies on the A46 road....
into the UK national rail network. (Often called the Dudbridge Donkey Line). The line was 5.75 miles (9.3 km) long, and ran from a junction with the Midland Railway
Midland Railway
The Midland Railway was a railway company in the United Kingdom from 1844 to 1922, when it became part of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway....
's mainline between 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 Gloucester
Gloucester
Gloucester is a city, district and county town of Gloucestershire in the South West region of England. Gloucester lies close to the Welsh border, and on the River Severn, approximately north-east of Bristol, and south-southwest of Birmingham....
at Stonehouse
Stonehouse, Gloucestershire
Stonehouse, Gloucestershire is an urban area within the Stroud District, in the UK. It is home to a number of factories, such as Dairy Crest and Schlumberger. The town is close to the M5 motorway. Stonehouse railway station has a regular train service to London...
to a terminus at Nailsworth
Nailsworth railway station
Nailsworth railway station served the town of Nailsworth in Gloucestershire, England and was the terminus of the 9.3km-long Stonehouse and Nailsworth Railway, later part of the Midland Railway....
.
The line was completed in 1867 and its backers had further plans to extend it southwards to Tetbury
Tetbury
Tetbury is a town and civil parish within the Cotswold district of Gloucestershire, England. It lies on the site of an ancient hill fort, on which an Anglo-Saxon monastery was founded, probably by Ine of Wessex, in 681. The population of the parish was 5,250 in the 2001 census.In the Middle Ages,...
and Malmesbury. But it ran into financial trouble very quickly and the company was subsumed into the Midland Railway.
The line was run as a branch from Stonehouse (Bristol Road) station
Stonehouse (Bristol Road) railway station
Stonehouse railway station was a station in Stonehouse, England, on the Bristol and Gloucester Railway between Haresfield and Frocester.-History:...
, though the junction with the Midland mainline was a little to the north of Stonehouse station. A separate platform for the Nailsworth services at Stonehouse was joined to the mainline station by a covered walkway. There were intermediate stations at Ryeford
Ryeford railway station
Ryeford railway station served the villages of Ryeford, Kings Stanley and Leonard Stanley in Gloucestershire, England. It was on the 9.3km-long Stonehouse and Nailsworth Railway, later part of the Midland Railway....
, Dudbridge
Dudbridge railway station
Dudbridge railway station served the Stroud suburb of Dudbridge and the village of Selsley, little more than a mile from Stroud, in Gloucestershire, England. The station was on the 9.3 km-long Stonehouse and Nailsworth Railway, later part of the Midland Railway.The station opened as "Dudbridge...
and Woodchester
Woodchester railway station
Woodchester railway station served the villages of Woodchester and Amberley in Gloucestershire, England. It was on the 9.3km-long Stonehouse and Nailsworth Railway, later part of the Midland Railway....
, all except the last named having stone buildings on a large scale.
Dudbridge was originally advertised as "Dudbridge for Stroud" after the market town
Stroud
Stroud a town and civil parish in the county of Gloucestershire, England.Stroud may also refer to:*Stroud, New South Wales, Australia*Stroud, Ontario, Canada*Stroud , Gloucestershire, UK*Stroud...
only a mile or so away. In 1885, however, the Midland opened for goods traffic a short branch from Dudbridge to a station in Stroud that was variously known as Stroud Cheapside and Stroud Wallgate
Stroud Wallgate railway station
Stroud railway station served the town of Stroud, in Gloucestershire, England. The station was on a short 2 km-long branch from Dudbridge on the Stonehouse and Nailsworth Railway, part of the Midland Railway...
. Passenger services began the following year, 1886, and connected to the main branch line services at Dudbridge.
The Stonehouse and Nailsworth Railway, along with the rest of the Midland Railway, became part of the London Midland and Scottish Railway at the 1923 Grouping
Railways 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...
. Passenger services were suspended on the line as an economy measure to save fuel in June 1947, and were officially withdrawn from 8 June 1949. However, the line, including the Stroud branch, remained open for goods traffic until 1966.
Much of the line, including the three-mile section from Dudbridge to Nailsworth, is now in use as a cycle path, a section of National Cycle Route 45 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...
to Chester
Chester
Chester is a city in Cheshire, England. Lying on the River Dee, close to the border with Wales, it is home to 77,040 inhabitants, and is the largest and most populous settlement of the wider unitary authority area of Cheshire West and Chester, which had a population of 328,100 according to the...
.