Berkeley Road railway station
Encyclopedia
Berkeley Road railway station served the towns of Berkeley
and Dursley
in Gloucestershire
, England
.
, originally a broad gauge
line overseen by Isambard Kingdom Brunel
, but later taken over by the Midland Railway
and converted to standard gauge
. It was two miles east of Berkeley and three north-west of Dursley, and for the first year of its life it was called "Dursley and Berkeley Road". Dursley acquired a station of its own in 1856 with the opening of the Dursley and Midland Junction Railway
branch from Coaley Junction.
In 1875, a branch line
from Berkeley Road station was built to the new docks at Sharpness
, passing through the town of Berkeley. The branch opened for goods traffic that year and to passenger services in 1876, with a station at Berkeley
. In 1879 with the completion of the Severn Railway Bridge
the Sharpness branch became a through-route to Lydney
and the Forest of Dean
.
As with the Stonehouse and Nailsworth Railway
junction at Stonehouse (Bristol Road) railway station
further up the Bristol and Gloucester line towards Gloucester, the actual junction for the Sharpness line was to the north of Berkeley Road station, and branch line trains departed from and arrived at a new set of platforms built at a tangent to the existing Brunel-designed station. The junction was controlled by a signalbox at the north end of the branch line up (towards Gloucester) platform.
Berkeley Road, like Stonehouse to the north and Mangotsfield
to the south, was considered one of the more important stations on the Bristol and Gloucester line and some long-distance trains called there. The Sharpness branch, however, became less important and was reduced to single track in the 1930s. Damage to the Severn railway bridge in 1960 led the branch to cease being a through-route and passenger services were withdrawn in November 1964, though it remains open for some goods traffic.
Passenger services were withdrawn entirely from Berkeley Road in January 1965 with the withdrawal of stopping services on the Bristol to Gloucester line. Goods facilities at the station remained open to November 1966, except for a private siding which has since closed. The station was demolished after closure.
Berkeley, Gloucestershire
Berkeley is a town and civil parish in Gloucestershire, England. It lies in the Vale of Berkeley between the east bank of the River Severn and the M5 motorway within the Stroud administrative district. The town is noted for Berkeley Castle where the imprisoned Edward II was murdered.- Geography...
and Dursley
Dursley
Dursley is a market town in Gloucestershire, England. It is under the North East flank of Stinchcombe Hill , and about 6 km South East of the River Severn. The town is adjacent with Cam which, though a village, is a community of double the size...
in Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn, and the entire Forest of Dean....
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
History
The station was one of the first six stations built on the Bristol and Gloucester RailwayBristol and Gloucester Railway
The Bristol and Gloucester Railway opened in 1844 between Bristol and Gloucester, meeting the Birmingham and Gloucester Railway. It is now part of the main line from the North-East of England through Derby and Birmingham to the South-West.-History:...
, originally a broad gauge
Broad gauge
Broad-gauge railways use a track gauge greater than the standard gauge of .- List :For list see: List of broad gauges, by gauge and country- History :...
line overseen by Isambard Kingdom Brunel
Isambard Kingdom Brunel
Isambard Kingdom Brunel, FRS , was a British civil engineer who built bridges and dockyards including the construction of the first major British railway, the Great Western Railway; a series of steamships, including the first propeller-driven transatlantic steamship; and numerous important bridges...
, but later taken over by the Midland Railway
Midland Railway
The Midland Railway was a railway company in the United Kingdom from 1844 to 1922, when it became part of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway....
and converted to standard gauge
Standard gauge
The standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
. It was two miles east of Berkeley and three north-west of Dursley, and for the first year of its life it was called "Dursley and Berkeley Road". Dursley acquired a station of its own in 1856 with the opening of the Dursley and Midland Junction Railway
Dursley and Midland Junction Railway
The Dursley and Midland Junction Railway was a company formed to build a short railway in Gloucestershire, England linking the town of Dursley to the Midland Railway's Bristol to Gloucester line at Coaley. The line was built in 1856 and was long...
branch from Coaley Junction.
In 1875, a branch line
Sharpness Branch Line
The Sharpness Branch Line was a railway in Gloucestershire, England, built by the Midland Railway to connect the port of Sharpness to the main Bristol and Gloucester Railway...
from Berkeley Road station was built to the new docks at Sharpness
Sharpness
Sharpness is an English port in Gloucestershire, one of the most inland in Britain, and eighth largest in the South West. It is on the River Severn at , at a point where the tidal range, though less than at Avonmouth downstream , is still large .The village of Sharpness is pronounced with the...
, passing through the town of Berkeley. The branch opened for goods traffic that year and to passenger services in 1876, with a station at Berkeley
Berkeley railway station
Berkeley railway station served the town of Berkeley in Gloucestershire, England. The station was on the Sharpness Branch Line, part of the Midland Railway , which connected the Bristol and Gloucester Railway main line at Berkeley Road station with the docks at Sharpness.-History:The Midland...
. In 1879 with the completion of the Severn Railway Bridge
Severn Railway Bridge
The Severn Railway Bridge was a crossing across the River Severn between Sharpness and Lydney, Gloucestershire. It was badly damaged in an accident involving river barges in 1960 and demolished in 1970.-Construction:...
the Sharpness branch became a through-route to Lydney
Lydney
Lydney is a small town and civil parish in the English county of Gloucestershire. It is located on the west bank of the River Severn, close to the Forest of Dean. The town lies on the A48 road, next to the Lydney Park gardens with its Roman temple in honour of Nodens.-Transport:The Severn Railway...
and the Forest of Dean
Forest of Dean
The Forest of Dean is a geographical, historical and cultural region in the western part of the county of Gloucestershire, England. The forest is a roughly triangular plateau bounded by the River Wye to the west and north, the River Severn to the south, and the City of Gloucester to the east.The...
.
As with the Stonehouse and Nailsworth Railway
Stonehouse and Nailsworth Railway
The Stonehouse and Nailsworth Railway was a short railway line in the county of Gloucestershire, England, which brought the Cotswold town of Nailsworth into the UK national rail network....
junction at Stonehouse (Bristol Road) railway station
Stonehouse (Bristol Road) railway station
Stonehouse railway station was a station in Stonehouse, England, on the Bristol and Gloucester Railway between Haresfield and Frocester.-History:...
further up the Bristol and Gloucester line towards Gloucester, the actual junction for the Sharpness line was to the north of Berkeley Road station, and branch line trains departed from and arrived at a new set of platforms built at a tangent to the existing Brunel-designed station. The junction was controlled by a signalbox at the north end of the branch line up (towards Gloucester) platform.
Berkeley Road, like Stonehouse to the north and Mangotsfield
Mangotsfield railway station
Mangotsfield railway station was a station on the Midland Railway Bristol and Gloucester main line and was situated about five miles to the north east of Bristol in what is now the suburb of Mangotsfield....
to the south, was considered one of the more important stations on the Bristol and Gloucester line and some long-distance trains called there. The Sharpness branch, however, became less important and was reduced to single track in the 1930s. Damage to the Severn railway bridge in 1960 led the branch to cease being a through-route and passenger services were withdrawn in November 1964, though it remains open for some goods traffic.
Passenger services were withdrawn entirely from Berkeley Road in January 1965 with the withdrawal of stopping services on the Bristol to Gloucester line. Goods facilities at the station remained open to November 1966, except for a private siding which has since closed. The station was demolished after closure.