Cirencester

Tetbury Branch

The seven and a half mile Tetbury branch from Kemble was opened on 2nd December 1889, built under the Act of 1884, the second to be presented for the route. The single track branch ran along side the Cirencester to Tetbury Road, then swung away from the Cotswold Uplands to pass through a small valley, curving sharply under a limestone cliff and then into Tetbury terminus. The Tetbury Branch was constructed by Messrs J. Harrson of Brighton and W. Grierson, the line's resident engineer. The original station was of timber construction so that if the line was extended it could be easily removed and rebuilt. Its first Station Master was J. Boyd of Gloucester.

The line opened with characteristic pomp and ceremony, including a public holiday. Two trains left Tetbury in the morning with the official inaugural train running in the afternoon. There was only one intermediate station at Culkerton, which was provided with a fine goods shed sited on a passing loop. It was initially manned by booking porter Mr Bennett. The branch was worked by the "one engine in steam" method, the locomotive being kept at Tetbury in a blue bricked engine shed, completed a year after the opening.

The remains of Culkeron goods shed

A night shedman was stationed at Tetbury, but in later days the fireman was given the job of raising the fire. Water for the engine was obtained by a small steam pump, powered from the engine's injector. The well was thirty feet deep and seven feet in diameter. A fine large goods shed was provided, built as the engine shed in blue brick.

Rodmarton Platform was opened on 1st September 1904. The building was originally a wooden structure and was staffed by a senior porter, who issued tickets and dealt with the goods. This was the first GWR station to have the title "platform", a term borrowed from Scotland.

At Tetbury a cattle market was built adjacent to the station and farm feedstuff, milk and coal were always the main stay of the 1ine's economy. The arrival of livestock form Gloucester Market caused a problem as the county boundary originally passed through the station yard. The 1ivestock had to pass into Wiltshire to be trucked and this caused hold ups with the issuing of swine fever orders. Another problem was that goods for Tetbury Road often ended up at Tetbury and vice versa. After prompting by Mr Edward Hawker, station master from 1907 to 1917, the Tetbury Road station was renamed Coates on 1st May 1908.

The station building was getting dilapidated by 1913 and was rebuilt in brick. because of the economies caused by the Great War it was not completed until 1916, many of the original windows and doors being used.

Signalling at Tetbury was from a box: on the terminal platform but this was removed in 1926, when the points were controlled from a ground frame operated by the engineman.

Tetbury Station

In 1926 the branch was used for the trials of two Sentinal steam wagons, patent geared steam locomotives with vertical boilers and capable of reaching a speed of 18 mph. They were fitted with steam heating and vacuum pipes for passenger service but were not found to be a success. In the 1930s the Tetbury platform was lengthened to accommodate the wealthy Rajahs who bought their ponies to the Beaufort polo fields at Westonbirt.


Tetbury Goods Shed	Tetbury Engine Shed

In l939 a halt was opened at Jackaments Bottom near the newly opened aerodrome at Kemble. Jackament s Bridge Halt was used by RAF personnel during the war and closed in 1948.

The line saw many special trains including the annual Sunday School trip to Weston-super-Mare. Westonbirt School chartered a special train at the beginning and end of each term and one of these was hauled by the last scheduled steam locomotive on the branch two days before closure. In 1963 a complete farm moved out of Tetbury to Stranraer providing the busiest afternoon since the opening of the line. Machinery, foodstuffs and a pedigree herd of Hereford cattle were transported in 31 trucks. One passenger coach was used for staff.

In 1956 Culkerton station was closed but reopened on February 2nd 1959 along with two new halts at Trouble House and Church s Hill. These new halts were at low level and built from old sleepers. They were designed for the retractable steps on the railbuses. Trouble House Halt was noted as the only station in England built specifically to serve a public house. The 2nd February 1959 saw the disappearance of the steam service and the introduction of diesel railbuses. Jackaments Bridge appears also to have unofficially reopened, passengers using a beer crate to board and alight the railbus. There were eight trains a day with an extra one on Saturdays.


Sit of the Cattle Pens	Site of the Engine Shed
Two recent pictures of the Goods Shed, having been left to rot

© Paul Best	© rest Robin Smith

Cirencester

Cirencester, or Cirencester Town ,as it was renamed in July 1924, became a branch line terminus after the opening of the Kemble to Standish section. It had an extensive layout for the size of the town. The passenger station, however, only comprised of a single platform. apart from a large two road goods shed, it had cattle pens and wagon loading bay, to serve the expanding agricultural community. A single road engine shed stood off a loop at the Kemble end. The yard sidings were relaid in 1922 adding four storage sidings and a pig wharf.

Cirencester station building was designed by Brunel and R.P. Brereton, his resident assistant, and is a good example of Victorian railway gothic style architecture in stone. Originally built with a small overall roof, this was removed in 1874, the standard canopy replacing it not giving the required balance and making the building appear tall and narrow, when viewed from the ends. In 1956 partial rebuilding took place by H. Cavanagh who retained the old style. A new ticket office was built at the front of the station with a waiting room adjoining.

On 2nd February 1959, like the Tetbury branch, steam gave way to the diesel railbus, but a new halt was opened at Chesterton Lane. The measure proved popular and on the 4th January 1960 Park Leaze halt was opened. It was intended that the Cirencester railbus would run through to Swindon but it would not operate the main line track circuits. An interesting feature of this branch is that it has the first railway bridge to cross the Thames, the line being close to its source.

In September l842 driver Jim Hurst was accused of taking passengers on the engine from Kemble to Cirencester for payment. He was required to answer the charge in the Board Room at Paddington. Hurst was able to present a letter from one of the joy riders certifying that no payment had changed hands, and he merely received a reprimand.

Cirencester Station