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Cheddar Valley line
The Cheddar Valley line was a railway line in Somerset, England, running between Yatton and Witham. It was opened in parts: the first section connecting Shepton Mallet to Witham, later extended to Wells, was built by the East Somerset Railway from 1858. Later the Bristol and Exeter Railway built their branch line from Yatton to Wells, but the two lines were prevented for a time from joining up. Eventually the gap was closed, and the line became a simple through line, operated by the Great Western Railway.
The line became known as 'The Strawberry Line' because of the volume of locally grown strawberries that it carried. It closed in 1963. Sections of the former trackbed have been opened as the Strawberry Line railway walk, which runs from Yatton to Cheddar. The southern section operates as a heritage railway using the name East Somerset Railway.
Important inland market towns suddenly found themselves at a huge disadvantage when trunk railways connected competing communities, giving them cheap and fast transport of the necessities of life, and of their products. When the Great Western Railway (GWR) opened throughout between London and Bristol in 1841, the inhabitants of Wells and Shepton Mallet saw that a railway connection was important for them.
The Wilts, Somerset and Weymouth Railway (WS&WR) obtained its authorising act of Parliament, the Wilts, Somerset and Weymouth Railway Act 1845 (8 & 9 Vict. c. liii), on 30 June 1845, to build from the GWR main line near Chippenham, to Salisbury and to Weymouth, the latter part running through Frome, Witham and Castle Cary towards Yeovil. The WS&WR was soon taken over by the GWR; construction enabled the line as far as Frome to be opened on 7 October 1850, but the line towards Weymouth had a low priority, and the section between Frome and Yeovil did not open until 1 September 1856.
Inhabitants of Shepton Mallet saw that a branch line to the WS&WR (now GWR) line was feasible, and a provisional East Somerset Railway Company was formed at a meeting on 29 September 1855. The line was to join the GWR at Frome. The GWR was supportive, but made it clear that the promoters would not receive financial help from them. Isambard Kingdom Brunel was retained as the little company's engineer, and after a survey he recommended that Witham would be a preferable point of junction, reducing construction costs. A contractor, Rowland Brotherhood of Chippenham, agreed to subscribe £25,000 to the company's share issue if it could raise £30,000. On 5 June 1856 the East Somerset Railway Act 1856 (19 & 20 Vict. c. xvi) was passed, authorising share capital of £75,000. The City of Wells had anticipated a rail connection from the Somerset Central Railway, which had opened from Glastonbury to Highbridge in 1854; the Somerset Central main line was to have passed through the city, but the railway's priorities had changed and even a branch connection was much delayed. Accordingly, interested parties in Wells approached the provisional directors of the East Somerset line; if Wells subscribed £12,500, would the ESR connect to their city? They would, and nearly all of the promised subscription was quickly forthcoming; the ESR obtained the East Somerset Railway (Extension to Wells) Act 1857 (20 & 21 Vict. c. cv) on 27 July 1857 extending their powers to reach Wells, and authorising an additional £40,000 capital. The connection to Wells opened in 1862.
Contract had been let to Brotherhood for the construction of the Shepton Mallet section early in 1857 and in October 1858 Captain Yolland of the Board of Trade visited the line for the formal inspection prior to opening for passengers. There were a number of detail issues: a turntable was provided at Shepton Mallet but not at Witham; and the signalling arrangements at Witham were questionable. The company undertook that only tank engines would be used, rendering the turntable unnecessary, and Brunel personally managed to persuade the Board of Trade that opening was permissible: they agreed, and the opening took place on 9 November 1858.
The line was single, and on the broad gauge with longitudinal sleepers and bridge rails. The GWR would work the line including maintaining the permanent way.
The Somerset Central Railway opened its line as far as Wells on 15 March 1859, and seeing that the projected ESR extension there would abstract business from them, they proposed to the ESR that the two lines should link at Street, combine and arrange for the whole combined line to be worked by the GWR. The ESR did not favour this arrangement, and decided to proceed with its own extension. However the implacable opposition of a landowner made adherence to the route originally designed impracticable, and a deviation to avoid his residence was planned; this was authorised by another act of Parliament, the East Somerset Railway Act 1860 (23 & 24 Vict. c. lxxiii), of 14 June 1860. It appears that a connection with the Somerset Central Railway at Wells had been included in the original act, but that this was dropped from the 1860 act. Work on the line started in December, the main contractor being D. Baldwin, and the line was ready for Board of Trade inspection in February 1862.
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Cheddar Valley line
The Cheddar Valley line was a railway line in Somerset, England, running between Yatton and Witham. It was opened in parts: the first section connecting Shepton Mallet to Witham, later extended to Wells, was built by the East Somerset Railway from 1858. Later the Bristol and Exeter Railway built their branch line from Yatton to Wells, but the two lines were prevented for a time from joining up. Eventually the gap was closed, and the line became a simple through line, operated by the Great Western Railway.
The line became known as 'The Strawberry Line' because of the volume of locally grown strawberries that it carried. It closed in 1963. Sections of the former trackbed have been opened as the Strawberry Line railway walk, which runs from Yatton to Cheddar. The southern section operates as a heritage railway using the name East Somerset Railway.
Important inland market towns suddenly found themselves at a huge disadvantage when trunk railways connected competing communities, giving them cheap and fast transport of the necessities of life, and of their products. When the Great Western Railway (GWR) opened throughout between London and Bristol in 1841, the inhabitants of Wells and Shepton Mallet saw that a railway connection was important for them.
The Wilts, Somerset and Weymouth Railway (WS&WR) obtained its authorising act of Parliament, the Wilts, Somerset and Weymouth Railway Act 1845 (8 & 9 Vict. c. liii), on 30 June 1845, to build from the GWR main line near Chippenham, to Salisbury and to Weymouth, the latter part running through Frome, Witham and Castle Cary towards Yeovil. The WS&WR was soon taken over by the GWR; construction enabled the line as far as Frome to be opened on 7 October 1850, but the line towards Weymouth had a low priority, and the section between Frome and Yeovil did not open until 1 September 1856.
Inhabitants of Shepton Mallet saw that a branch line to the WS&WR (now GWR) line was feasible, and a provisional East Somerset Railway Company was formed at a meeting on 29 September 1855. The line was to join the GWR at Frome. The GWR was supportive, but made it clear that the promoters would not receive financial help from them. Isambard Kingdom Brunel was retained as the little company's engineer, and after a survey he recommended that Witham would be a preferable point of junction, reducing construction costs. A contractor, Rowland Brotherhood of Chippenham, agreed to subscribe £25,000 to the company's share issue if it could raise £30,000. On 5 June 1856 the East Somerset Railway Act 1856 (19 & 20 Vict. c. xvi) was passed, authorising share capital of £75,000. The City of Wells had anticipated a rail connection from the Somerset Central Railway, which had opened from Glastonbury to Highbridge in 1854; the Somerset Central main line was to have passed through the city, but the railway's priorities had changed and even a branch connection was much delayed. Accordingly, interested parties in Wells approached the provisional directors of the East Somerset line; if Wells subscribed £12,500, would the ESR connect to their city? They would, and nearly all of the promised subscription was quickly forthcoming; the ESR obtained the East Somerset Railway (Extension to Wells) Act 1857 (20 & 21 Vict. c. cv) on 27 July 1857 extending their powers to reach Wells, and authorising an additional £40,000 capital. The connection to Wells opened in 1862.
Contract had been let to Brotherhood for the construction of the Shepton Mallet section early in 1857 and in October 1858 Captain Yolland of the Board of Trade visited the line for the formal inspection prior to opening for passengers. There were a number of detail issues: a turntable was provided at Shepton Mallet but not at Witham; and the signalling arrangements at Witham were questionable. The company undertook that only tank engines would be used, rendering the turntable unnecessary, and Brunel personally managed to persuade the Board of Trade that opening was permissible: they agreed, and the opening took place on 9 November 1858.
The line was single, and on the broad gauge with longitudinal sleepers and bridge rails. The GWR would work the line including maintaining the permanent way.
The Somerset Central Railway opened its line as far as Wells on 15 March 1859, and seeing that the projected ESR extension there would abstract business from them, they proposed to the ESR that the two lines should link at Street, combine and arrange for the whole combined line to be worked by the GWR. The ESR did not favour this arrangement, and decided to proceed with its own extension. However the implacable opposition of a landowner made adherence to the route originally designed impracticable, and a deviation to avoid his residence was planned; this was authorised by another act of Parliament, the East Somerset Railway Act 1860 (23 & 24 Vict. c. lxxiii), of 14 June 1860. It appears that a connection with the Somerset Central Railway at Wells had been included in the original act, but that this was dropped from the 1860 act. Work on the line started in December, the main contractor being D. Baldwin, and the line was ready for Board of Trade inspection in February 1862.