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The Ledbury and Gloucester Railway (also known as the Daffodil Line), was a railway line in Herefordshire and Gloucestershire, England, running between Ledbury and Gloucester. It opened in 1885 and closed in 1964.[1]
History
Most of the line followed the route of the southern section of the Herefordshire and Gloucestershire Canal, which was inaugurated in 1798.
Construction and opening
| Newent Railway Act 1873 | |
|---|---|
| Act of Parliament | |
.svg) | |
| Long title | An Act for authorising the construction of Railways from Over, near the River Severn, to Newent, and from Newent to Dymock, in the county of Gloucester; and for other purposes. |
| Citation | 36 & 37 Vict. c. ccxxvii |
| Dates | |
| Royal assent | 5 August 1873 |
| Text of statute as originally enacted | |
| Newent Railway Act 1878 | |
|---|---|
| Act of Parliament | |
| |
| Long title | An Act for extending the time for the completion of the Newent Railway; and for other purposes. |
| Citation | 41 & 42 Vict. c. xx |
| Dates | |
| Royal assent | 16 April 1878 |
| Text of statute as originally enacted | |
| Ross and Ledbury Railway Act 1873 | |
|---|---|
| Act of Parliament | |
| |
| Long title | An Act for making a Railway from Ross to Ledbury, in the counties of Gloucester and Hereford; and for other purposes. |
| Citation | 36 & 37 Vict. c. ccii |
| Dates | |
| Royal assent | 28 July 1873 |
| Text of statute as originally enacted | |
| Ross and Ledbury Railway Act 1878 | |
|---|---|
| Act of Parliament | |
| |
| Long title | An Act for extending the time for the completion of the Railway No. 3 authorised by the Ross and Ledbury Railway Act, 1873; and for other purposes. |
| Citation | 41 & 42 Vict. c. xxi |
| Dates | |
| Royal assent | 16 April 1878 |
| Other legislation | |
| Amends |
|
| Text of statute as originally enacted | |
After a period of financial struggle, the canal was leased to the Great Western Railway (GWR) in 1863. Conversion to a railway began in 1881[2] The railway was built by two companies: the Newent Railway and the Ross and Ledbury Railway, both having received authorisation to build in the same year, by the Newent Railway Act 1873 (36 & 37 Vict. c. ccxxvii) and the Ross and Ledbury Railway Act 1873 (36 & 37 Vict. c. ccii) respectively. Colonel F. H. Rich inspected the line in July 1885, and it officially opened on 27 July.[3] The GWR operated the railway, eventually merging with both smaller companies via the Great Western Railway Act 1892 (55 & 56 Vict. c. ccxxxiii).[4]
Closure
The line closed to passenger traffic in 1959, with the Dymock to Gloucester section remaining open to goods traffic until 1964.[2]
Route
The line followed a south and then south-easterly route between Ledbury railway station and Gloucester Central railway station, it joined the Gloucester to Newport Line at Over Junction.[5] Stations were established at Ledbury Town Halt, Greenway Halt, Dymock, Four Oaks Halt, Newent, Malswick Halt, and Barbers Bridge. Notably, a skew bridge that carried the line over Hereford Road in Ledbury remains in use as part of the Ledbury Town Trail footpath.[6][7]
References
- Historic England. "Gloucester and Ledbury Branch Railway (113567)". Research records (formerly PastScape). Retrieved 23 July 2020.
- "Ledbury Transport History". Barry harples. Archived from the original on 19 June 2016. Retrieved 23 July 2020.
- "The Gloucester to Ledbury Branch". SteamIndex. Archived from the original on 4 March 2015. Retrieved 2 February 2015.
- MacDermot, E T (1931). History of the Great Western Railway. Vol. 2 (1863-1921) (1 ed.). London: Great Western Railway.
- Stan Yorke, Lost Railways of Gloucestershire, 2009, ISBN 978-1-84674-163-0
- "SO7038 : Old railway bridge, Ledbury". Geograph. Archived from the original on 13 October 2012. Retrieved 19 September 2009.
- "Photo by D. J. Norton, Ledbury". Archived from the original on 23 December 2008. Retrieved 18 September 2009.
51°56′36″N 2°26′00″W / 51.9434°N 2.4333°W / 51.9434; -2.4333