Bridport

Bridport Railway Company

During the 1840's, a number of proposals were put forward to link Bridport by railway to a main line.  The Wiltshire, Somerset and Weymouth Railway was to run between Chippenham and Weymouth, linking various towns along the way, including Bridport.  The Bristol and English Channel Railway was to link Stolford, near Bridgwater to Bridport.  Another proposal was to run from Watchet to Bridport and finally, a line to run from Maiden Newton through Bridport, Seaton, Honiton and on to Exeter.  However, all of these ideas were abandoned.

Following a public meeting at Bridport Town Hall in October 1854, it was decided to build a railway branch line to link the town to the main line at Maiden Newton.  The Bridport Railway Company was formed and the necessary Act of Parliament passed on 5th May 1855.  Kenneth Mathieson was awarded the contract to build the 9¼ miles of 7 feet 0¼ inch broad gauge railway line at an estimated cost of £65,000 and with a predicted completion date of Autumn 1856.  However, due to the under-estimated earthworks involved, particularly north east of Powerstock, the completion would be delayed by a further year.  On 6th October 1857, Captain Tyler of the Board of Trade found a number of shortcomings in his inspection of the line and rectification would be required.  The railway officially opened on 12th November 1857, the Board of Trade having authorised its use the previous day.  The operating licence was awarded by the Bridport Railway Company to the Great Western Railway (GWR), who supplied the steam locomotives and rolling stock.

Not everyone was enthusiastic about the arrival of the railway to Bridport.  On Boxing Day in 1857, vandals placed iron rails across the track at Toller, while on 8th January 1858 a large boulder was placed on the line at Bridport.

The only station between Maiden Newton and Bridport had been at Powerstock.  However, in 1862 an additional station was added at Toller Porcorum.  Also, as a railway gauge of 4 feet 8½ inches was being standardised across Britain, it was decided to modify the Bridport branch line to the new gauge during the period of 18th to 22nd June 1874.  Although the broader gauge had produced a smoother and safer ride, it reduced access around tighter bends and the universal use of steam locomotives and rolling stock.

Due to the success of the Bridport branch line, it was decided to extend it down to the coast at Bridport Harbour and on 21st July 1879 the necessary Act of Parliament was passed.  Messrs Mousley and Lovatt were chosen as the main contractors for the Bridport Railway Company and construction began in 1883.  A new station was built at Bridport in East Street together with a terminus at Bridport Harbour.  By this time the harbour status was in deep decline with the recent closure of the ship building yard.  However, the Great Western Railway, the operating company for the branch line, had other visions.  They named the new station 'West Bay' (presumably from the small bay further down the Chesil Beach towards Portland Isle), in an attempt to turn Bridport Harbour into a holiday destination.  Some old 19th Century maps referred to the stretch of sea at Bridport Harbour as West Bay, so perhaps making the renaming of the area an obvious choice.  The new branch line extension was opened on 31st March 1884.  The new image for the area immediately caught on, with 'The Neptune' public house being renamed 'The West Bay' and Pier Terrace being built in 1886 as terraced holiday houses.  Until this time, the Great Western Railway only had access to this coastal area at Weymouth.  This was a great opportunity for GWR to consolidate their position, as the London and South Western Railway (L & SWR) had been the dominating force along the South Coast of England.

The opening passenger service of five trains each way from Monday to Saturday took about 35 minutes to cover the full 11¼ miles, due to the 40 mph overall speed restriction together with the 10 mph limit at Powerstock and West Bay.  A special 'Bathing Train' was soon added to the timetable which left Bridport at 7am.  Most of the independent railway operators had been bought out by the large operators by the end of the 19th Century.  The Bridport Railway Company succumbed to the Great Western Railway on 1st July 1901, selling each of its £10 ordinary shares for £6.

Although it received competition from the horse drawn carriage, then from buses, lorries and the motor car, the Bridport branch line survived.  However, on 22nd September 1930, it was decided to close the Bridport to West Bay section for passenger services due to economic constraints, though it would remain open for goods traffic.  On 3rd December 1962, the decision was taken to finally close the line between Bridport and West Bay for all railway traffic.  On 25th August 1963, two Great Western steam locomotives hauled a special train from Bridport to West Bay.  Two years later the track was lifted.  The remaining branch line soon also became uneconomical and on 5th May 1975 it too had to close, exactly 120 years to the day after the passing of the Bridport Railway Act.  The remaining track started to be lifted on 18th November 1975.

West Bay station still exists today, renovated and currently operating as a Diner.  Two carriages also sit on a short length of track alongside the platform.

The original Bridport station location, renamed Bradpole Road station when the West Bay extension was added, is now occupied by a supermarket.

The station location at East Street in Bridport, built for the West Bay extension, has since been replaced by the A35 Bridport By-Pass.  Parts of the old station have been used in the construction of the railway station at Pecorama in Beer, Devon, including roofing slates and platform kerbing slabs.

Powerstock station is now in use as a residential dwelling.

Toller station was dismantled and moved to Totnes, where it is now used as South Devon Railway’s Littlehempstead station.

Visit the Bridport Museum in South Street for more information