Burnham-on-Sea railway station
Encyclopedia
Burnham-on-Sea railway station at Burnham-on-Sea
was the terminus of the Burnham branch of the Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway
. Opened as Burnham by the Somerset Central Railway on 3 May 1858, it was renamed in 1920.
across the Bristol Channel
to Wales
. Railway operations onto the pier ceased in 1888 although the pier continued in use for vessels until the 1950s. Perhaps the strangest use of the railway along the pier was by lifeboat, which was pushed on rails from the old lifeboat station
(behind the current Somerfield store) and onto the "main line", across the esplanade, and down the pier where the lifeboat could be launched if the tide was right
Burnham-on-Sea closed when regular passenger services were curtailed at Highbridge on the 28 October 1951. Excursion traffic continued until 1962, and the goods depot remained open until 1963.
The nearest station to Burnham is now the former GWR
station known as Highbridge and Burnham
.
station and a Somerfield supermarket and new road which has helped to ease the traffic flow into the town.
Burnham-on-Sea
Burnham-on-Sea is a town in Somerset, England, at the mouth of the River Parrett and Bridgwater Bay. Burnham was a small village until the late 18th century, when it began to grow because of its popularity as a seaside resort. It forms part of the parish of Burnham-on-Sea and Highbridge...
was the terminus of the Burnham branch of the Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway
Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway
The Somerset & Dorset Joint Railway – almost always referred to as "the S&D" – was an English railway line connecting Bath in north east Somerset and Bournemouth now in south east Dorset but then in Hampshire...
. Opened as Burnham by the Somerset Central Railway on 3 May 1858, it was renamed in 1920.
History
The station, situated behind Abingdon Road, was a terminus although a through platform allowed services to travel on to a 900 ft pier on the river. For a few years the railway operated steamersSteamboat
A steamboat or steamship, sometimes called a steamer, is a ship in which the primary method of propulsion is steam power, typically driving propellers or paddlewheels...
across the Bristol Channel
Bristol Channel
The Bristol Channel is a major inlet in the island of Great Britain, separating South Wales from Devon and Somerset in South West England. It extends from the lower estuary of the River Severn to the North Atlantic Ocean...
to Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
. Railway operations onto the pier ceased in 1888 although the pier continued in use for vessels until the 1950s. Perhaps the strangest use of the railway along the pier was by lifeboat, which was pushed on rails from the old lifeboat station
Burnham-on-Sea Lifeboat Station
Burnham-on-Sea Lifeboat Station is the base for Royal National Lifeboat Institution search and rescue operations at Burnham-on-Sea, Somerset in England. A lifeboat was stationed in the town in from 1836 until 1930. The present station was opened in 2003...
(behind the current Somerfield store) and onto the "main line", across the esplanade, and down the pier where the lifeboat could be launched if the tide was right
Burnham-on-Sea closed when regular passenger services were curtailed at Highbridge on the 28 October 1951. Excursion traffic continued until 1962, and the goods depot remained open until 1963.
The nearest station to Burnham is now the former GWR
Great Western Railway
The Great Western Railway was a British railway company that linked London with the south-west and west of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament in 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838...
station known as Highbridge and Burnham
Highbridge and Burnham railway station
Highbridge and Burnham railway station is situated on the Bristol to Taunton Line in the town of Highbridge in Somerset, England and also serves neighbouring Burnham-on-Sea...
.
The site today
The site is now occupied by a playschool, the new RNLIRoyal National Lifeboat Institution
The Royal National Lifeboat Institution is a charity that saves lives at sea around the coasts of Great Britain, Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man, as well as on selected inland waterways....
station and a Somerfield supermarket and new road which has helped to ease the traffic flow into the town.
External links
- http://www.sdjr.net/locations/burnham.html
- http://www.burnham-on-sea.com/burnham-railway-station.shtml