During the 19th century the railway flourished throughout the country, arriving in Dorset relatively late. The openings of the lines were celebrated with music, flags and apple cake, the first passengers often lucky school children. However, its life span was short. The terrain proved difficult, the costs unmanageable and the demand fell short in both industry and tourism, the final nail in the coffin being the introduction of the motor car. Lines were closed and tracks removed but their paths in the landscape still remain, old bridges cross rivers and ruins crumble on the sidelines, a lot still possible to explore.
Industry brought the need for development in transportation, with the Isle of Purbeck’s extraction of clay leading the way. Middlebere Tramway was a 3ft 9ins gauge horse-worked line, opened in 1806, connecting the clay pits at Norden Heath to Middlebere Quay, on the fringe of Poole Harbour (Middlebere Farm today). The line was soon followed by the Isle of Portland in 1826, thanks to its world renowned Portland Stone. Worked by cables the small 4ft 6in gauge line, known as The Merchant’s Railway, carried stone from the quarries on the peak down to the harbour for transportation across the water.
In 1840 the Pike Brothers, William Joseph and John William, to keep up with competition, built the Pike Tramway to the north, over Ridge to the River Frome, downstream of Wareham. The line was a continual downhill gradient to the water with the wagons run by gravity to then be hauled back up by horses.
In 1844 Wimborne solicitor Charles Castleman founded the Southampton & Dorchester Railway, bringing the first official railway into the county. It followed the coast from Southampton up through sparse heathland to Brokenhurst in Hampshire and on to Dorchester via Ringwood and Wimborne. A branch line to the port at Hamworthy was also part of the project. The line fully opened, after a slight hiccup of a collapsed tunnel near Southampton, on 1st June 1847. Its winding route gained the nickname The Castleman Corkscrew and/or the Water Snake.
Great Western Railway (GWR) – engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel – competed fiercely with the London and South West Railway (L&SWR). GWR used broad gauge 7ft 01/4in while the L&SWR used 4ft 81/2. After some tussling, merging and acceptance today’s standard is 4ft 81/2in.
In 1847, with Castleman now on the board, the L&SWR took over the Southampton to Dorchester line. It terminated at Dorchester Station, with the aim to continue to Exeter – which never materialised.
In 1854 a second line was built on the Isle of Purbeck, creating a second port to neighbour Middlebere at Goathorn, the line becoming known as the Fayles Tramway. The Pike Bros then constructed the Furzebrook Tramway in 1860, both run by gravity and horses. The railways were excelling in the rest of the county too and in 1856 the L&SWR constructed a line from Salisbury to Yeovil, via Sherborne. It opened on the 2nd May 1859 to Gillingham, its western section slightly delayed by the Buckhorn Western tunnel – fully opening on the 6th May 1860. The Yeovil to Exeter line opened on the 18th July 1860.
Meanwhile the GWR, were gaining ground introducing the Yeovil to Dorchester line in 1857, using the tunnel under Poundbury Hillfort (instead of a cutting which Brunel had preferred). This continued to Weymouth but therefore created two stations in Dorchester which became known as West and South. The L&SWR then connected the two with a short rail link, merging the two gauges. The GWR also completed the Bridport Railway, with plans to extend to Exeter. The line left the Dorchester to Yeovil track at Maiden Newton, passing through Powerstock to Bridport and was extended to West Bay in 1879.
In 1862 the L&SWR built a branch from its Southampton line in Ringwood to Christchurch, via Hurn, encouraged by the growing tourist destination of Bournemouth. The station at its termination was known as Bournemouth East.
1863 was when the Somerset and Dorset railway (S&DR) descended on the county. Travelling from Bristol the route passed through Stalbridge and Blandford to Wimborne, where it then had to reverse to Poole on the L&SWR line. Its route was beautiful but slow, giving it two different nicknames of The Serene and Delightful or The Slow and Dreary.
In 1865 the line between Portland and Weymouth was complete, run jointly by L&SWR and GWR. This was later followed by a a line, funded by the Easton & Church Ope Cove Railway, to transport stone to the harbour. It did not open until 1900 due to the solid rock and precarious cliffs it was having to be built through.
In 1866 the S&D Junction Railway opened a line from Salisbury to West Moors, passing the little hamlet of Verwood and connecting the city to the sea, again using a L&SWR line to Bournemouth East.
In 1874 a branch to Poole Quay was installed, connecting the centre of the town and its thriving pottery trade to markets across the country. The line was also extended eastwards to a new Bournemouth West station. Meanwhile, in Weymouth, a short branch to the quay was built known as the Weymouth Harbour Tramway. Both lines to the quays of Poole and Weymouth ran directly through the streets, requiring a bell to be rung continuously as the trains travelled the tracks.
1885 was a busy year. A cut off was introduced at Corfe Mullen meaning trains no longer had to reverse to Poole which created a direct line from Bournemouth West to Bristol.
The same year, on the Poole to Dorchester line, a branch was added to Swanage, diverting off the main track south of Wareham and skirting the base of Corfe Castle.
The short and sweet 6 mile Abbotsbury Railway was also finally opened having suffered a number of delays and obstructions since its Royal Assent in 1877. From its junction at Upwey on the Weymouth line it only had one station in between at Portesham. A Halt and Milk platform were introduced later near Coryates and Friar Waddon.
A southern line from Brokenhurst, through the New Forest, to Bournemouth opened in 1888. It also continued on to connect to two east and west stations in Bournemouth. The new route quickly trumped Castleman’s northern line and declared the L&SWR as the overall demanding authority over railways in the county.
On 1st June 1893 Hamworthy was connected to Poole, over Holes Bay, known as the Holes Bay Curve.
Having missed the surge of Railway development, Lyme Regis caught up eventually. With construction starting in 1898, a line from Axminster was finally opened in 1903 using the impressive, but slightly worrying, Cannington Viaduct (with a strict speed limit imposed).
In the early 20th century the military introduced a number of small branch lines from Wool to serve the Lulworth Ranges and Bovington Camp, built by many Prisoners of War.
Closures
1907 The Middlebere Tramway was trumped but a new line to Goathorn
The military railway line to Bovington Camp was closed shortly after the First World War in 1928. There are no traces of its route in the landscape today.
1930’s Fayles Tramway fell out of use
30th September 1935 Ringwood to Christchurch branch closed.
5th April 1952 Portland and Easton Railway closed
29th November 1952 Abbotsbury Railway closed
Despite being adapted for steam Furzebrook Railway closed in 1957
The Beeching Act of the 1960’s
2nd May 1960 The Poole Quay Line closed
1962 West Bay extension closed
4th May 1964 Salisbury to West Moors closed and Wimborne to Ringwood closed
6th September 1965 Bournemouth West Station closed
29th November 1965 Lyme Regis line closed
3rd January 1966 The Somerset and Dorset Railway closed.
1972 Swanage Railway closed
3rd October 1975 Maiden Newton to Bridport Railway closed
Railways and their remains
More details included with in the walks
The Isle of Portland
The old quarries have faded just like the train tracks, but evidence for them in the landscape is rife. Old tunnels and towering bridges cut through the rock and cross over deep caverns, left for nature to reclaim.
Walks:
Abbotsbury
This short track still cuts its way over fields and through farms with the only two stations now developed into private homes. Many old ruins and engine sheds still line the route and the bridge still stands at Upwey.
Walks/rides
Bridport and West Bay
The rural route, cutting through Powerstock Forest, is often still caccooned by its own embankments. From Maiden Newton it is an all accessible path but soon disappears into wildness. The cycling charity SUSTRANS have possibly earmarked the track to develop it into a cycle way.
Walks/rides:
Castleman’s Railway and Salisbury Line
In the east of the county the tracks have gradually been overwhelmed by the urban sprawl of Dorset’s largest towns. However, the routes have survived in places creating all accessible routes for many to enjoy. The majority of the surviving railway buildings and bridges have merged into growing developments, making them almost hard to spot.
Walks/rides:
Somerset and Dorset
Little has changed to this railway’s path having avoided and any encroaching development. From Blandford to Sturminster Newton, the route has become the all accessible North Dorset Trailway, with plans to continue it further. Beyond Sturminster Newton is a combination of tracks and paths, blocked by little streams. To the south, after remains of the bridge over the River Stour and hidden under new developments, the railway’s route continues until the it is lost again at Bailey Gate under new roads. Shillingstone Railway Station is the only surviving station and is currently being developed by The Shillingstone Railway Project.
Walks/rides:
The Isle of Purbeck
The Swanage Railway was the first to rebound after closure. Only 5 years after the track was lifted they began to be relaid. Through sheer determination and support of the local community the Swanage Railway was born and today is a successful steam heritage line that only recently connected back to the main line. Coming off the line are the many little tramways that once connected the clay from the pits on the Isle of Purbeck. Little remains but their paths through the heathland.
Walks:
Lyme Regis
Entering from Devon the track is only in Dorset for a short distance, but, just outside the border is the impressive Cannington Viaduct. Today it is a lonely sight, crossing only a small country lane and connecting two large open fields.
Walks:
Working Railways
The Sherborne Line
From London Waterloo to Exeter. Still running!
Walks
Buckhorn Weston (time it with the trains!)
The Dorchester to Weymouth Line
Home to one of the smallest stations in the country*!
Walks
The Bournemouth Line
From Southampton to Weymouth. Still running!
Walks
As ever Tess, a great read – helps keeps my links to Dorset too. I used to live in Verwood, so know the footprint of the line well (to West Moors). Much you can get close to still.
Last summer, also walked on part of the Cattleman Trail near Broadstone detouring through Delph Woods to Canford Heath.