Staple Hill railway station

Staple Hill
Staple Hill railway station in 1967
Location
Place	Staple Hill, South Gloucestershire
Area	South Gloucestershire
Grid reference	ST644757
Operations
Pre-grouping	Midland Railway
Post-grouping	London, Midland and Scottish Railway London Midland Region of British Railways
Platforms	2
History
1 November 1888	Opened
7 March 1966	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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Bristol Area Railway Map
Legend
Cross Country Route Thornbury Branch Line Yate South Wales Main Line New Passage Pier Westerleigh Junction New Passage Halt Cross Hands Halt South Wales Main Line Pilning Severn Beach Coalpit Heath Severn View Industrial Park Winterbourne Chittening Industrial Estate Bristol Parkway Patchway Smoke Lane Industrial Estate Ram Hill Colliery Chittening Platform Hallen Halt Avonmouth Docks Henbury St Andrews Road Charlton Halt Avonmouth (BPRP) North Filton Platform Filton Triangle Depot Avonmouth (Royal Edward) Westerleigh Goods Depot Avonmouth Docks Avonmouth Filton Junction Avonmouth Light Railway Filton Avonmouth Docks Filton Abbey Wood Shirehampton Horfield Sea Mills Ashley Hill Clifton Down Tunnel Mangotsfield(1845–1869) Clifton Down Mangotsfield(1869–1966) Redland Staple Hill Montpelier Fishponds Hotwells Halt Hotwells Narroways Hill Junction Stapleton Road sidings Grey line represents Stapleton Road boundary of Bristol Warmley unitary authority area Lawrence Hill Waste depot Oldland Common Bristol St Philip's Barton Hill Depot St Mary Redcliffe tunnel Bristol Temple Meads Bristol Temple Meads Bristol Harbour Railway St Philips Marsh T&RSMD Bedminster Parson Street Bristol Docks (North) Bristol Docks (South) South Liberty Lane Depot East Depot Bitton Ashton Gate St Anne's Park Clifton Bridge Brislington Nightingale Valley Halt Long Ashton Ham Green Halt Avon Riverside Pill Keynsham Portbury shipyard Whitchurch Halt Royal Portbury Dock Kelston Portbury Shipyard Saltford Portbury Mangotsfield Branch Line (1954–1964)Portishead Great Western Main Line Weston, Clevedon and Portishead Light Railway Bristol & North Somerset Rly (1879–1954)Portishead Bristol to Exeter Line Portishead Pier

Bristol and Gloucester Railway
Legend
Gloucester to Newport Line (SWR) to Newport Gloucester Birmingham & Gloucester Rly (MR) to Birmingham (1854-1965)Haresfield Golden Valley Line (GWR) to Swindon Stonehouse (Bristol Road) (Closed 1965) Stonehouse & Nailsworth Rly (MR) to Nailsworth/Stroud Stroudwater Navigation (Closed 1961)Frocester Cam and Dursley(Opened 1994) (1856-1965)Coaley Junction Dursley & Midland Junction Rly (MR) to Dursley Berkeley Road(Closed 1965) Sharpness Branch Line (MR) to Sharpness (Closed 1965)Charfield Wickwar(Closed 1965) Wickwar tunnel Yate to Thornbury Branch Line (MR) to Thornbury Yate( Closed 1965 Reopened 1989 ) Westerleigh Junction South Wales Main Line (GWR) to London Paddington Coalpit Heath Sidings Ram Hill Colliery Westerleigh Goods Depot Bristol Parkway Mangotsfield & Bath Branch Line (MR) to Bath South Wales Main Line (GWR) to Swansea Mangotsfield(1845-1966) Goods line to Avonmouth docks Staple Hill(1888-1966) Staple Hill Tunnel Filton Abbey Wood Fishponds(1866-1966) Avonside Locomotive Works Clifton Extension Rly (GWR & MR) to Avonmouth Kingswood Junction River Frome Atlas Locomotive Works and collieries Stapleton Road Lawrence Hill Waste Depot Goods Depots ( Terminus 1870-1953 )Bristol St Philips Bristol Harbour River Avon (from Bath) (GWR) Temple Meads Goods Depot Great Western Main Line to London Paddington Bristol Temple Meads Bridge over Victoria Street Tunnel under St Mary Redcliffe churchyard Bristol Harbour Railway St Philips Marsh TMD River Avon (to the sea) Bristol & North Somerset Rly (GWR) Bristol and Exeter Railway (GWR) to Taunton and Exeter

Staple Hill railway station was on the Midland Railway line between Bristol and Gloucester on the outskirts of Bristol. The station was on the Bristol and Gloucester Railway line, but opened in 1888, 44 years after the line had been opened through the site. It served the Victorian suburban developments in the area to the south of Mangotsfield.

Staple Hill was served by stopping trains between Bristol and Gloucester and also by trains between Bristol and Bath that used the Mangotsfield and Bath Branch Line. Set in a cutting and with a tunnel at the east end of the station, it had difficult access and was approach by zigzag paths down the cutting embankment. The station buildings were in Gloucestershire, but the platforms extended inside the Bristol city boundary.

No goods facilities were ever provided at Staple Hill, but the station was well-used by commuters to Bristol and north to the factories at Mangotsfield. Services between Bristol and Gloucester were withdrawn on 4 January 1965 and between Bristol and Bath on 7 March 1966, when the station closed. The line through the station was due to close on 3 January 1970, with services between Bristol and Gloucester diverted to the former Great Western Railway route as far as Stoke Gifford, but a landslip at Staple Hill a week before closure meant the diversion came into effect early. The route is now part of a cycle path and one of the platforms is still visible.

Services

Preceding station	Disused railways			Following station
Fishponds Line and station closed		Bristol and Gloucester Railway Midland Railway		Mangotsfield Line and station closed

References

• Mike Oakley, Gloucestershire Railway Stations, 2003, Dovecote Press, Wimborne, ISBN 1-904349-24-2, pp123–124

Coordinates: 51°28′45″N 2°30′50″W / 51.4792°N 2.5138°W