Monument record MWX62 - Wiltshire Somerset and Weymouth Railway

Major branch line promoted in 1845 by the Great Western Railway between Thingley on the main GWR line and Weymouth, via Westbury, Yeovil and Dorchester. Building was started by a subsidiary company, absorbed by the GWR in 1850. The line developed slowly and the GWR formed the Frome, Yeovil and Weymouth Company in 1852 to complete the works. The section to Weymouth was completed in 1857.

Major branch line promoted in 1845 by the GWR between Thingley on the main GWR line and Weymouth, via Westbury, Yeovil and Dorchester. Built by a subsidiary company originally as a broad gauge railway, branches were to run to Bradford-on-Avon, Devizes, Radstock and Sherborne. In 1846 amendments to the routes included moving the junction with the Salisbury and Weymouth lines from Upton Scudamore to Westbury, to which the Berks and Hants Railway was to be extended, and the Bradford Branch was to be extended to meet the GWR main line at Bathampton. Although construction started, by September 1848 only 14 miles of double track between Thingley and Westbury had been laid. In 1850, the GWR was forced to absorb the subsidiary, completing work as far as Frome and Warminster, but in 1852 was forced to form the Frome, Yeovil and Weymouth Company to complete the works. Money was not forthcoming, and writs were taken out against the GWR to complete the line. The Radstock branch opened in 1854, the Warminster -Salisbury and Frome - Yeovil sections were completed in 1856, the Weymouth and Bathampton sections in 1857. The Devizes branch was also opened in 1857. In June 1874, all 131 miles of broad gauge was converted to narrow gauge but line doubling commenced in 1881 was not completed until 1901. (1)

<1> St John Thomas, D, 1966, A Regional History of the Railways of Great Britain: The West Country, p122-127 (Monograph). SWX1139.

<2> National Record of the Historic Environment, 1359640 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

May 15 2025 3:16PM