Oldfield Park railway station
Encyclopedia
Oldfield Park railway station is a suburban railway station in the city of Bath in Bath and North East Somerset
, England
. Situated at the junction of Brook Road and Moorland Road, it serves the mainly residential areas in southern Bath. The Brook Road bridge links the two platforms.
It is located on the London-Bristol
and Bristol-Southampton
trunk routes and is 10 miles (16 km) east of Bristol Temple Meads. The station opened on 18 February 1929, though the line through the site had opened in 1840.
Many new road bridges were necessary to overcome the difficulty posed to local goods traffic by this new railway. The Station is located between two such road bridges, one to the east is called Brougham Hayes bridge. It was originally built on the Tudor arch style of local stone. It was later demolished and replaced with a widened steel and stone structure. This occurred in the early 20th century when an extra line to a goods yard was laid to the end of the westbound platform. Brook Road bridge adjoins the station a short distance to the west.
The majority of Brunel's design for Bath was raised up on a system of earth embankments and stone arches. His objective in all his designs were to maintain his "billiard table" design philosophy. The main obstacle being a skew bridge crossing of the River Avon to link with the main Bath Spa station in the centre of the City. At the approach to the Oldfield park section a cutting was necessary to maintain the desired level. It was into these cutting embankments that the two platforms were later accommodated.
To some extent it replaced an earlier station at Twerton
, three-quarters of a mile to the west, which had closed, ostensibly temporarily, in the First World War and which had been badly affected by competing bus and tram services. The Twerton station never reopened.
The platforms were designed solely to enable passenger access to the carriages. The limited road and platform access made the handling of bulky goods very difficult. To the east of the westbound platform a single section of line was added from the Westmoreland goods yard in Lower Oldfield park. This area of ground on the same level as Brunels railway line was used as a stone yard and marshalling yard for goods wagons. It formed the only G.W.R. terminal in Bath with the necessary access to be able to handle heavy goods.
There was originally a full time station master and ticket office. The 1929 ticket office was constructed of timber on tall wooden piles attached to both the bridge and the ground below. It was located at the Moorland Road side of Brook Road bridge at road level. This has now been replaced by a portacabin styled ticket office on the westbound platform and a ticket dispensing machine. The ticket office is manned on weekdays during the morning peak times. The station is also part of the Penalty Fares area.
Legislation was passed that ensured disabled users had easy access to public areas, the current long access ramp evolved to replace the earlier wooden steps. This new much extended ramp now leads passengers down to the replacement ticket office. Access to the Eastbound platform is via a sloping path leading from from the top of Brook Road, and further eastwards a set of steps lead down from Stuart Place.
.
There is generally an hourly service to Gloucester
via Bristol Temple Meads, extending to Great Malvern
via Worcester Shrub Hill on certain journeys. There are also trains to Cardiff Central
in the morning peak. In the other direction, trains run to a wide range of destinations.
These include Westbury
, Salisbury
, Southampton
and Portsmouth Harbour
as well as Castle Cary
and stations to Weymouth; there is one service a day to Brighton
. On Sundays the service is less frequent.
Bath and North East Somerset
Bath and North East Somerset is a unitary authority that was created on 1 April 1996 following the abolition of the County of Avon. It is part of the Ceremonial county of Somerset...
, 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...
. Situated at the junction of Brook Road and Moorland Road, it serves the mainly residential areas in southern Bath. The Brook Road bridge links the two platforms.
It is located on the London-Bristol
Great Western Main Line
The Great Western Main Line is a main line railway in Great Britain that runs westwards from London Paddington station to the west of England and South Wales. The core Great Western Main Line runs from London Paddington to Temple Meads railway station in Bristol. A major branch of the Great...
and Bristol-Southampton
Wessex Main Line
The Wessex Main Line is the railway line from Bristol Temple Meads to Southampton. Diverging from this route is the Heart of Wessex Line from Westbury to Weymouth.- Places served :The places served are listed below.*Bristol*Keynsham*Oldfield Park*Bath...
trunk routes and is 10 miles (16 km) east of Bristol Temple Meads. The station opened on 18 February 1929, though the line through the site had opened in 1840.
History
Oldfield Park was the third station to be constructed in Bath on the G.W.R. line. It is the only station whose platforms are below the surrounding road levels, all the rest of Baths G.W.R. stations are elevated. The Railway line divides Baths road systems into two distinct areas.Many new road bridges were necessary to overcome the difficulty posed to local goods traffic by this new railway. The Station is located between two such road bridges, one to the east is called Brougham Hayes bridge. It was originally built on the Tudor arch style of local stone. It was later demolished and replaced with a widened steel and stone structure. This occurred in the early 20th century when an extra line to a goods yard was laid to the end of the westbound platform. Brook Road bridge adjoins the station a short distance to the west.
The majority of Brunel's design for Bath was raised up on a system of earth embankments and stone arches. His objective in all his designs were to maintain his "billiard table" design philosophy. The main obstacle being a skew bridge crossing of the River Avon to link with the main Bath Spa station in the centre of the City. At the approach to the Oldfield park section a cutting was necessary to maintain the desired level. It was into these cutting embankments that the two platforms were later accommodated.
To some extent it replaced an earlier station at Twerton
Twerton-on-Avon railway station
Twerton on Avon railway station is a former railway station in Bath, Somerset.-Architecture and Opening:Twerton was named after village that it served though at the time it was also called Twiverton. The station was built in Gothic style variously called Tudor or Jacobethan...
, three-quarters of a mile to the west, which had closed, ostensibly temporarily, in the First World War and which had been badly affected by competing bus and tram services. The Twerton station never reopened.
The platforms were designed solely to enable passenger access to the carriages. The limited road and platform access made the handling of bulky goods very difficult. To the east of the westbound platform a single section of line was added from the Westmoreland goods yard in Lower Oldfield park. This area of ground on the same level as Brunels railway line was used as a stone yard and marshalling yard for goods wagons. It formed the only G.W.R. terminal in Bath with the necessary access to be able to handle heavy goods.
There was originally a full time station master and ticket office. The 1929 ticket office was constructed of timber on tall wooden piles attached to both the bridge and the ground below. It was located at the Moorland Road side of Brook Road bridge at road level. This has now been replaced by a portacabin styled ticket office on the westbound platform and a ticket dispensing machine. The ticket office is manned on weekdays during the morning peak times. The station is also part of the Penalty Fares area.
Legislation was passed that ensured disabled users had easy access to public areas, the current long access ramp evolved to replace the earlier wooden steps. This new much extended ramp now leads passengers down to the replacement ticket office. Access to the Eastbound platform is via a sloping path leading from from the top of Brook Road, and further eastwards a set of steps lead down from Stuart Place.
Local support
Since 2006 there have been a number of local schemes to improve the appearance and the environment surrounding the Station. These have included some landscaping and the planting of shrubs and flowers. In 2010 there were a team of 12 full-time volunteers, and local school children are involved with the project. The number of passengers using the station is now on the increase. This is due in part to the pressure from both the local people and their elected representatives in local government upon First Great Western to improve services.Service
Passenger services are operated by First Great WesternFirst Great Western
First Great Western is the operating name of First Greater Western Ltd, a British train operating company owned by FirstGroup that serves Greater London, the South East, South West and West Midlands regions of England, and South Wales....
.
There is generally an hourly service to Gloucester
Gloucester railway station
Gloucester railway station serves the city of Gloucester in England. The station was originally built as the terminus of the Birmingham and Gloucester Railway in 1840, but the arrival of the Bristol and Gloucester Railway and Cheltenham and Great Western Union Railway in 1844, and then conversion...
via Bristol Temple Meads, extending to Great Malvern
Great Malvern railway station
Great Malvern railway station serves the line between Worcester and Hereford. It is situated close to the centre of Great Malvern, England. It is one of two stations serving the town of Malvern, the other being Malvern Link station...
via Worcester Shrub Hill on certain journeys. There are also trains to Cardiff Central
Cardiff Central railway station
Cardiff Central railway station is a major railway station on the South Wales Main Line in Cardiff, Wales.It is the largest and busiest station in Wales and one of the major stations of the British rail network, the tenth busiest station in the United Kingdom outside of London , based on 2007/08...
in the morning peak. In the other direction, trains run to a wide range of destinations.
These include Westbury
Westbury, Wiltshire
Westbury is a town and civil parish in the west of the English county of Wiltshire, most famous for the Westbury White Horse.-Name:The most likely origin of the West- in Westbury is simply that the town is near the western edge of the county of Wiltshire, the bounds of which have been much the same...
, Salisbury
Salisbury
Salisbury is a cathedral city in Wiltshire, England and the only city in the county. It is the second largest settlement in the county...
, Southampton
Southampton
Southampton is the largest city in the county of Hampshire on the south coast of England, and is situated south-west of London and north-west of Portsmouth. Southampton is a major port and the closest city to the New Forest...
and Portsmouth Harbour
Portsmouth Harbour railway station
Portsmouth Harbour railway station is a railway station in Portsmouth, England. It is situated beside Gunwharf Quays in the city's harbour, and is an important transport terminal, with a bus interchange and ferry services to Gosport and the Isle of Wight. The station currently has four platforms:...
as well as Castle Cary
Castle Cary
Castle Cary is a market town and civil parish in south Somerset, England, north west of Wincanton and south of Shepton Mallet.The town is situated on the River Cary, a tributary of the Parrett.-History:...
and stations to Weymouth; there is one service a day to Brighton
Brighton
Brighton is the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, England on the south coast of Great Britain...
. On Sundays the service is less frequent.
External links
- Panoramic view from Brook Road Bridge - HouseStreetViews.com