mid wilts railway

Hi,i am interested to now if anyone has any info on the line between holt junction and devizes,especialy the station and yard at seend,is there a preservation society for this line? We plan to uncover and clear the original existing platform and reinstate some line with a view to rebuilding some of the yard,any onfo or photoes would be of great help,thanks neil.

 

Sorry if it sounds as if I am trying to discourage you but would it not be better to join one of the many already established schemes? I am sure your help would be greatly appreciated. Ray.

 

Just had a look at this closed line on google earth. Was Seend station near where there appears to be some kind of builders yard?

 

Hi,yes,google shows the station yard and bridge quite well. At present there is a builders yard at the top and we have cleared the bottom end allready. I must say to start with that i have had dislexia all my life but this never stoped me becoming an aircraft engineer at rolls royce or owning and running my own business specialising in landrovers and ex mod vehicles. The business has outgrown my yard and workshops and we are moveing to the station yard at seend. The yard is the perfect place for the work we do and to rebuild part of it would only enhance the situation. As a 51 year old engineer i feel let down allready by some of the replys posted, cheers neil.

 

And if they don't may I suggest you put them on the "naughty step" until they do?

 

With respect to the original poster, can I recommend trying to get a copy of 'GWR to Devizes' by Rod Priddle and David Hyde, which has first rate photographs of the line. Also, the line drawings of the track layout at various stages through its existence would be useful. It would probably answer more of your questions than you will get answers for here.

Personally I dont think it would make a good preservation project. There are parts of the line very well preserved indeed, but at one end you have the insurmountable problem of houses on the line AND a gun club in the tunnel (not to mention a council car park on the station site) and at the other end you have what looks like open track which is stopped dead by the bridges over the canal and the bypass being removed. The annoying thing being when you get past that gap, the embankment to the outskirts of the town looks to be in first rate condition.


A line from Holt Junction to the canal might just be practical. And its not like the Canal isnt a major tourist attraction in its own right.

 

Hi, the project would be the station and goods yard with some track but it is possible to run from bowerhill to the three magpies,cheers neil.

 

I will apologise as i didn't think it was dyslexia, more a case of not learning how to use capital letters , punctuation etc.

Bob.

 

Being brutally honest, I'm not sure it would make a very good scheme.

Devizes is an attractive town and the station site is very conveniently located for the town centre and the canal - probably only five minutes walk to either. However, set against that are the problems others have noted: the station site itself is now a car park. At least going to Holt junction you would stop short of the tunnel.

There is then a sharp drop down Caen Hill, but after that the countryside is a bit so-so. Wiltshire is a beautiful county, but not particularly that bit! (Nice villages but boring scenery). You are certainly not going to get a line that would attract people for scenic purposes. Then eventually you get to Holt Junction, which is on the edge of a town (Trowbridge) that is frankly a bit of a hole (I know; I worked there for three years). There would be no chance of getting into Trowbridge itself (there are half-hourly trains between Westbury and Bath), so I guess you end up in a bit of a park and ride; i.e. start at Holt Junction and finish in Devizes with a nice walk along the canal and lunch before coming back in the afternoon. Not a bad trip, but hardly inspiring for a new project. Maybe had it been a pioneer line in the 1960s it would have had more chance. You couldn't even easily do combined multi-modal rail + canal trips (a la Paignton and Dartmouth) because it takes about a day to get a narrow boat up Caen Hill! (I exaggerate, but not by much - I think 4 - 5 hours to travel a mile is considered good going. Plus that time would be very uncertain in summer when there is lots of other river traffic, which wouldn't fit well with trying to run a railway to a timetable).

You also have the access problem: the Trowbridge end doesn't have bad connections, but Devizes is surprisingly remote from any main roads (try driving along the A360 from Salisbury and see what happens when you meet a lorry coming the other way in West Lavington...). So that would effect both passenger numbers and volunteer access.

Shame really, since Wiltshire is rather starved of heritage railways. But if I wanted to start one, I wouldn't start there. Of course, a low-key "station only" type project might be a different matter.

Tom

 

Chippenham to Calne maybe?.....

 

As I've read things, you already own the station/goods yard site and would like to put some track back. You are also minded to the possibility of laying a bit of track along the track bed. First question then, is who owns the track bed? The second question is does the proposed line cross a public highway/bridleway/footpath in any way because if it does, that opens up a whole new sphere of rules and regulations, even if it is just for your own personal enjoyment.

There seems to be a close similarity here with the Whitwell & Reepham project and it may well be worth going along and having a chat with them. Whatever you do, you need to take advice from someone who knows what you can and can't do.

 

There are plenty of railway projects located in unremarkable areas of countryside, but, picking a couple at random, their locations haven't held back Mangapps Farm or Whitwell & Reepham, and this is not a part of the country abounding in existing railways. It's a bit late in the day to create another fully fledged railway, but perhaps not to set up a railway centre focused on a restored station and goods yard with a short run attached. Go to it and good luck!

 

Hi, at last a guy with positive waves' hope the spelling is ok for the rest of you,cheer's neil.

 

Have a look at Mangotsfield North Station in Bing Maps Birds Eye View for example of small private site (attached). Or perhaps open the tramway to the Seend Iron Works!

 

Looks like a brilliant scheme Neil the branch both the railway and the tramway look good, a good way of putting devizes and melksham back on the map

 

Neil, if you are looking to restore the old station site as a kind of heritage centre you might be interested in a visit to Torrington station, which apart from a few yards of track in the platforms and some rolling stock is also sadly isolated and a long way from any possible connection to anywhere. I had a chat with the very friendly (and optimistic) proprietor who might give you some ideas about sourcing artefacts as well as exploiting commercial opportunities such as a souvenir shop or tea room.
The reason for some scepticism on here is that many people suggest ambitious new schemes when the existing heritage market is already at saturation point, and investment capital as precious as gold dust. It is heartbreaking to see projects in limbo when money gets tight - unable to progress and barely able to protect what they already have. Nobody wants you to join that sad band.

 

Indeed - that's the basis of my scepticism. Given the constraints on reopening the route, and the likely attraction once opened, I just don't think it adds up.

If you were thinking just of opening a station, then maybe there is more possibility - either as a heritage attraction in its own right, or perhaps a tea room or similar. Two examples near to hand would be Shillingstone Station (which is being reopened as a heritage attraction) and Holmsley Tea Room in the new Forest (History - The Station House - Holmsley, Burley, Sway, New Forest - Pub, Tea Room, Restaurant) which is basically a tea room, but in a well restored station. However, unless you are close to the canal and can pick up passing trade, I can't see that there is the tourist potential in Seend, especially in competition with the existing pubs (e.g. the Barge etc). The New Forest is much more of a honey pot.

Of course, there is also possibility of just restoring the station for your own enjoyment with no thought of commercial future: locally, Dinton (on the SW mainline) and Breamore (on the closed Salisbury and Dorset) are examples.

Tom

 

Good on Neil if he want to bring something back to life why not, I"m sure there are a lot of people who would like to be in Neils shoes, at least he wants to restore and not destroy if he"s got a dream then do it,
If i lived nearer i would go and help him.

 

Good luck to you Neil. As far as I could see with SV, there is nothing there of the old station, so presumably you would be aiming for a pastiche of what was. Besides the other tips, why not write to the local papers and also local voluntary societies (asking for a response to....)? The responses you get would be a good indication of what local support you could hope to get. Local support is good because the people do not have to travel far to help and are better motivated and proud of their area.