Return to the Somerset and Dorset Railway

A reproduction of the September 1949 Working Time Table for the railway, showing all passenger and freight trains between Bournemouth and Bath and the opening times of every signalbox. This is a large file so it can be enlarged to read the details clearly.

Track lifting is taking place at Broadstone. Straight ahead if the former LSWR route to Wimbourne and onto Ringwood then Brokenhurst. The S&D branched off here to the left. Early to mid 1970's

The main station buildings on the up Bournemouth bound platform. Note the car pushed off the platform. Early to mid 1970's

In July 1983 the buildings still stand and the large island platform to the right is a mass of bushes.

The level crossing gates at Corfe Mullen junction are in remarkable condition and, unseen, the rails are still embedded in the road surface. The signalman's cottages are to my right and the view is looking towards Bailey Gate. July 1983

Moving forward 39 years and the former signalman's cottage is very presentable and extended. Two cars are now parked on the formation and the gates remain a remarkable survivor but will be needing attention in the coming years. May 2022

On the opposite side of the road and the gates have gone, somewhere safe I hope. A length of rail and check rail protrude from below the tarmac. I believe both sets of rails remain below the tarmac.

The last set of gates and rails on the main line can be found here at Corfe Mullen Junction.

The platforms and the foundations of the station buildings remain at Bailey Gate. Today the road over bridge is gone and the track bed is an access road into the trading estate here. The station served the United Dairies cheese factory and the village of Sturminster Marshall but was named after a local farm to avoid confusion with another station on the same railway at Sturminster Newton. The station had extensive sidings and was one of the largest depots for transporting milk on the UK railway system. Milk was carried in tanker wagons from Bailey Gate to London and was a major source of revenue for the railway. Sugar beet was also loaded onto wagons for transportation to refineries. July 1983

Now at Spetisbury as nothing today remains of stations at Bournemouth West, Creekmoor, Broadstone, Corfe Mullen or Bailey Gate. Looking in the Down direction or south through the two platforms.

This is the station's original platform, which opened with timber booking office and waiting rooms on 1 November 1860. The platform was extended and a separate brick-built ladies’ waiting room was provided in 1888. The concrete floor and fireplace you see today is the foundation of this building. During reconstruction of the station around 1900 when double track was laid, this platform was again extended to a total length of 300 ft. It then became the ‘down’ platform for trains to Bailey Gate, Broadstone, Poole and Bournemouth (West).

The Up platform is 300 ft long and was built during reconstruction of the station around 1900. It was used for trains to Blandford, Templecombe, Evercreech Junction (change for the Burnham-on-Sea branch) and Bath (Green Park). This platform opened on 29 April 1901 and was provided with a brick station building containing a booking office, waiting rooms and lavatories. The rear wall of this building still survives as it holds back the field behind the station. The foundations of the various rooms with the three fireplaces can still be seen today.

The station looking in the Up or northbound direction. It was opened on 1 November 1860 by the London and South Western Railway as part of the Dorset Central Railway, and later became part of the Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway. The station was transferred to the Southern Railway at the Grouping of 1923, and became an unstaffed halt in 1934. Becoming part of the Southern Region of British Railways when the railways were nationalised in 1948, the halt was closed in 1956 as part of an economy campaign. Passenger trains continued to pass the site until the S&DJR closed in 1966. The railway was still open until the closure of the goods terminal at Blandford in 1969 and later that year the track was lifted. There were no freight facilities here.

A similar view as the previous photo taken in July 1983.

The substantially built steps leading up to the Up platform from the road that passes below.

The next station is Charlton Marshall Halt, a two short platformed station built just outside the village. This is the view facing north towards Blandford.

The view looking south from under the road over bridge.

The station was opened on 5 July 1928 by the Southern Railway. It became part of the Southern Region of British Railways when the railways were nationalised in 1948. The halt was closed in 1956 as part of an economy campaign. Trains continued to pass the site until the S&DJR closed in 1966. Track was finally lifted in 1969, as the railway was still open until the closure of the goods terminal at Blandford that year. The site was in a cutting, which now forms part of a footpath and bridleway.

The remains of the viaduct over the River Stour at Blandford. The earth embankment has been completely removed here revealing the two distinctive styles of construction of the original single track, on the right and the later build when the line was doubled. A staircase to the top is here now giving access to the former trackbed and views of the river and water meadows beyond.

I had wanted to come and see this for many years and I was not disappointed. To the left a metal lattice span crossed the river joining an identical structure then an earthen embankment. All that has been swept away leaving just this isolated flood arch section maintained by the Railway Arches Trust.

The join under the arches where the original built bridge, on the left, is married to the newer part on the right.

The large three arch viaduct over East Street in Blandford Forum just to the south of the station, a few years after the line closed for freight in 1969. It was spectacularly blown up in 1978! Early to mid 1970s.

Kaboom!! On July 25th, 1978 the button was pressed and the viaduct was no more. Then came the job of sweeping it all up!! The only evidence that remains of this viaduct is part of the left support is now incorporated into the wall at the edge of the pavement. Picture with thanks to the Dorset Echo, not that they know it!

Moving to Blandford Forum station and this is the north end of the site with a short section of track and a head shunt stand as a memorial. The footbridge retains the exhaust baffle and the trackbed is a footpath.

A siding is still embedded in the road, the track led to a coal merchant's yard now built over. I wonder if the tracks are still there on the other side of the wall?

Another set of rails of a siding remain in the road surface, these ran to a loading stage located where the cars are at the far top right. This view is looking to the the actual station site, where the flats are now with the former station master's house in the distance on the right. Originally part of the Dorset Central Railway, the line to Blandford opened on 1 November 1860 to a station at Blandford St Mary, to the south of the River Stour. The Dorset Central merged with the Somerset Central Railway in 1862, and a new extension connecting the two railways was built. The extension, requiring a bridge over the Stour, and a newly relocated Blandford Forum station to the north of the Stour, opened on 31 August 1863. The station remained open until 7 March 1966, when the entire line from Bath to Bournemouth closed to passengers. Goods traffic continued for a further three years, but the station was finally fully closed, and the track lifted, in 1969.

Stourpaine and Durweston Halt was constructed entirely with concrete. The meagre shelter and platform sections all stood on concrete supports.

Even the station name board was concrete. Today this has been removed and restored and is located in a children's playground. I recall a story that the two village's cricket teams compete annually and the prize is the name board. July 1981

Well hidden in the trees is the remains of Stourpaine and Durweston Halt, no longer accessible. The station was opened on 9 July 1928 by the Southern Railway. The halt was closed on 17th September 1956 as part of an economy campaign. Trains continued to pass the site until the S&DJR closed in 1966. The station consisted of a small concrete platform and shelter.

Shillingstone station looking forlorn in July 1983.

Shillingstone station is very much a heritage railway work in progress. Restoration started in 2006 and much has been done including a replica signal box with a correct Stevens frame and tablet machines. Visible is the frames of 30075, a Jugoslovenske Železnice (JŽ; Yugoslavian Railways) class 62 loco. It was a class formed of 106 ex-United States Army Transportation Corps S100 Class 0-6-0T steam locomotives, surplus after the Second World War. The Southern Railway bought 14 examples after the war for use at Southampton Docks and this one carries the next number in the run.

The station was opened on 31 August 1863 by the Somerset and Dorset Railway, although planned and designed by one of its two predecessors, the Dorset Central Railway. It is the last surviving example of a station built by the Dorset Central Railway (one of the forerunners of the S&DJR).

After a prolonged run-down of services, including the closure of freight and goods services on 5 April 1965, the station was closed, along with the remaining former S&DJR lines, on 7 March 1966, as a result of the Beeching Axe. The station was fully staffed until closure. Track-lifting commenced in 1967, Shillingstone being tackled between March and May. The signal box and platform shelters were demolished at this time, and the last train through the station was the demolition train, hauled by a small diesel shunter.

The station was important as one of the passing places on the single-line between Templecombe and Blandford. The passing loop, new down platform and signal box were opened in 1878; in later years the loop was 511 yards long, as measured between the facing points at each end, compared with 514 yards at Stalbridge. There was a small goods yard to the north of the station, on the up side, with a cattle dock, a small goods shed, and a 5-ton crane. There was a siding at the north end of the passing loop on the down side, and another just to the south of the station (also on the down side and installed in 1901) which could accommodate a 14 coach train. The yard, the sidings and the passing loop were controlled from a signal box at the north end of the up platform.

DS1169 Ruston & Hornsby 48DS class 4WDDM diesel-mechanical shunter, works No.305302 was new to Ransome Hoffman Pollard, Annfield Plain, Co Durham in 1951. Arrived in Shillingstone in 2015, and restored as former Yeovil Junction permanent way department shunter .

What has been achieved here is certainly impressive and the Railway has stated their aim to proceed north to Sturminster Marshall. That is a major ambition and it remains to be seen if it ever happens or whether they will be able to go beyond the "station limits" even a short way. Will the up starter ever be pulled off?

The railway proceeded north from Sturminster Marshall in a cutting which has since been filled in and landscaped into a park, the Railway Gardens. A short section of track is a reminder of the railway that passed here 20 or so feet below.

Sturminster Newton was opened on 31 August 1863 by the London and South Western Railway as part of the Dorset Central Railway. A passing place on a stretch of single line, the station had two platforms with shelters, and a small goods yard. This and the passing loop were controlled from a signal box. The station was closed when the Somerset & Dorset Joint Railway closed on 7 March 1966 and subsequently demolished leaving no trace of the station, it is now a carpark. This building is the former Blandford and Webb animal feed warehouse which was served by the railway and is often mistaken (including by me) as the former goods shed.

Stalbridge railway station was a station opened on 31 August 1863 by the Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway. Sited on a single line stretch, the station had a passing loop with a station building on the down side. The goods yard and adjacent level crossing were controlled from a signal box. It closed with the railway on 7th March 1966. Nothing remains of the station with the exception of these rails in the road which formed a siding from the goods yard into premises on the opposite side of the road.

This is the view looking in the opposite direction in July 1983. I did not know exactly where the station was located at this time. The building occupies the former goods yard with the station being out of shot to the right.

Moving onto Henstridge and after the passage of the final demolition train the gates were closed and locked and possibly never opened since. This is the gate on the north side of a minor road.

The other gate is in a much more sorry state and has been removed from the post and dumped on the side of the formation.

All four gate posts still stand with now just one of the hand operated gates still doing its job 53 years (at the time of the picture) after closure.

This is the site of Henstridge station, a simple affair with one short platform on the single line section with a modest station building. A siding was controlled from a ground frame. The station was closed to passengers when the S&DJR main line closed on 7 March 1966. Goods traffic had ceased a year earlier.

This is Henstridge platform in July 1983 looking south. The green line is the edge of the platform, honestly.

Templecombe is where the S&D passed below the LSWR line from Salisbury to Exeter and formed a junction with a spur linking the two and running into the LSWR station. On 3 February 1862, the Dorset Central Railway opened its own Templecombe Lower station, in January 1887 the Lower station was closed and replaced by Templecombe Lower Platform. This is the site of Templecombe Lower Platform, which I believe is still in situ under the grass and trees on the right of the lawn. The original Lower station building was incorporated into the loco shed and both buildings still stand in industrial use but impossible to photograph.

This view today is totally impossible with the growth of trees and I think a large shed or tank. The brick buildings in the centre beyond the green tank are the former Dorset Central Railway station and the later loco shed is now in industrial use, I think it was Plesseys had bought it from the railway and have developed the site. The former ramp to Templecombe station is to the left and has been regraded and partly removed in the distance. But look carefully past the grey chimney and the formation embankment is still visible. July 1983

Wincanton station had two platforms with a station building. A goods yard, controlled from a signal box on platform one, gave access to sidings for the use of the horses from the local racecourse. The Cow & Gate creamery and dairy products factory had its own sidings, providing access for milk trains. The platforms were staggered and the north end of the down platform with two of the remaining lamps is visible. The space between the platforms has been filled in and the formation is clearly visible looking north to an over bridge. Today this is all gone and a small housing scheme is in its place. Boxing Day 1980

Cole was the station where the Dorset Central Railway line from Templecombe met the Somerset Central Railway line from Glastonbury and Street railway station in 1862. Later that year the two companies combined to form the Somerset and Dorset Railway. Just north of the station the line crossed the Wilts, Somerset and Weymouth Railway although the two railways were not connected here. The goods yard closed on 5 April 1965 and Cole station was closed with the railway in the Beeching cuts in 1966. Today the station is a private house, to the right is the station master's house. If I was to replicate this photo today I would be at the bottom of someone's garden as the goods yard has been built on. July 1983