Severn Bridge railway station

Severn Bridge for Blakeney
Severn Bridge station and the Bridge
Location
Place	Purton
Area	Forest of Dean
Grid reference	SO667043
Operations
Original company	Severn Bridge Railway
Pre-grouping	Severn and Wye and Severn Bridge Railway (GWR & MR joint line)
Post-grouping	S&W&SBR
Platforms	2
History
20 October 1879	Station opened
26 October 1960	services suspended
November 1964	officially closed
Disused railway stations in the United Kingdom
Closed railway stations in Britain A B C D–F G H–J K–L M–O P–R S T–V W–Z
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Severn Bridge railway station was a small station on the Severn Bridge Railway located close to the north west bank of the River Severn, 2 miles north east of Lydney.

History

A 1911 Railway Clearing House map of railways in the vicinity of Severn Bridge

A map from 1946, showing the station location

The Severn Bridge Railway linked Lydney Junction railway station on the north bank of the River Severn with Sharpness Docks on the south bank via the Severn Railway Bridge. The railway joined up at Sharpness with the Sharpness Branch Line which had been built from Berkeley Road railway station on the Bristol and Gloucester Railway to the docks in 1875. The opening of the bridge in 1879 provided a cross-Severn route for Forest of Dean and south Wales coal both to Sharpness docks and to Bristol.

On the north side of the river, the bridge was approached on a series of arches, one of which traversed the Gloucester to Chepstow and Newport main line. Severn Bridge station was on the embankment leading up these arches, on a section of the line that ran almost parallel with and to the north of the main line as both went into Lydney Junction, about two miles to the south west.

Berkeley Rd to Lydney train at Severn Bridge station, looking east, towards the Severn Bridge, hauled by GW '1600' class 0-6-0T No. 1616 (built 12/49, withdrawn 10/59!).

Severn Bridge station had a passing loop, small shelters on the two platforms and a signalbox. There was a short siding with a cattle pen at the end of the station nearer to the bridge, which closed in 1957. At times, the station was known as "Severn Bridge for Blakeney".^[1]

The Severn Railway Bridge was hit by petrol barges in a shipping accident on 25 October 1960 which demolished two of its 22 spans, and it was judged to be beyond economic repair. All services on the line were suspended, though it was not officially closed until November 1964. The Severn Bridge station site, according to a book published in 2003, was then "just left to rot".^[1]

Railways and Canals of the Forest of Dean
Railways legend Waterways legend
Hereford, Ross and Gloucester Railway Mitcheldean Road Ross and Monmouth Railway Hereford, Ross and Gloucester Railway Lydbrook Junction Mitcheldean Road and Forest of Dean Jn Ry Drybrook Quarry Drybrook Halt Nailbridge Halt Lower Lydbrook Steam Mills Crossing Halt Upper Lydbrook Churchway Colliery Whimsey Halt Mineral Loop Drybrook Road Coleford Railway Serridge Platform Cinderford New Wimberry Quarry Whitecliff Quarry Speech House Road Bilson Halt Bicslade Tramroad Ruspidge Halt Bicslade Wharf Staple Edge Halt Eastern United Colliery Coleford (CR) Upper Soudley Halt Coleford (S&WR) Bullo Cross Halt Gloucester to Newport Line Milkwall Newnham Parkhill Colliery Ruddle Road Halt New Fancy Colliery Howbeach Colliery Parkend Forest of Dean Central Railway Whitecroft Awre for Blakeney Tufts Junction & Mineral Loop Norchard River Severn Middle Forge Junction Lydney Town Severn Railway Bridge Severn Bridge Gloucester and Sharpness Canal St Mary's Halt Sharpness Lydney Junction Sharpness Docks Lydney Sharpness Branch Line Upper Forge Lydney Harbour Pidcock's Canal Lydney Canal Lower Forge Gloucester to Newport Line River Severn

Severn Bridge Railway

Legend For canal icons used below, please refer to waterways legend instead. Dean Forest Railway Severn Bridge Tunnel Lydney Town Severn Bridge St Mary's Halt Lydney Junction Lydney Gloucester to Newport Line(From Newport to Gloucester) Lydney Harbour Branch Pidcock's Canal Forges Lydney Canal Lower Docks Upper Docks Severn Railway Bridge over River Severn(Dismantled 1970) Swing bridge over Gloucester and Sharpness Canal Locks onto River Severn Sharpness Sharpness Docks Locks onto River Severn Old Docks Branch River Severn Cross Country Route(To Gloucester) Berkeley Berkeley Road(Closed 1965) Berkeley Loop Cross Country Route(To Bristol)

Sharpness Branch Line

Legend For canal icons used below, please refer to waterways legend instead. Dean Forest Railway(To Parkend) Severn Bridge Gloucester to Newport Line(From Newport to Gloucester) Severn Railway Bridge over River Severn(Dismantled 1970) Swing bridge over Gloucester and Sharpness Canal Locks onto River Severn Sharpness(Closed 1964) Sharpness Docks New Docks Branch Locks onto River Severn Berkeley(Closed 1964) Cross Country Route(To Gloucester) Berkeley Road(Closed 1965) Berkeley Loop Cross Country Route(To Bristol)

Services

Preceding station	Disused railways			Following station
Lydney Junction GWR station remains open		Severn Bridge Railway Midland Railway and Severn and Wye Railway		Sharpness Station closed

References

1. Mike Oakley (2003). Gloucestershire Railway Stations. Wimborne: Dovecote Press. pp. 120–121. ISBN 1-904349-24-2.

External links

• Photographs of the disused location in the mid 1960s

Coordinates: 51°44′10″N 2°28′57″W / 51.7361°N 2.4825°W