Midford railway station was a single-platform station on the

Bath Bath may refer to: * Bathing, immersion in a fluid ** Bathtub, a large open container for water, in which a person may wash their body ** Public bathing, a public place where people bathe * Thermae, ancient Roman public bathing facilities Plac ...

extension of the

Somerset and Dorset Railway The Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway, also known as the S&D, SDJR or S&DJR, was an English railway line connecting Bath (in north-east Somerset) and Bournemouth (now in south-east Dorset but then in Hampshire), with a branch from Evercreec ...

, just to the north of the point where the double-track became a single track. It served the village of

Midford Midford is a village approximately south-south-east of Bath, Somerset, England. Although relatively small, it extends over 2 counties (Wiltshire and Somerset), is part of two unitary authorities (Wiltshire and Bath and North East Somerset) and i ...

. The station was closed with the rest of the line in March 1966 under the

Beeching axe The Beeching cuts (also Beeching Axe) was a plan to increase the efficiency of the nationalised railway system in Great Britain. The plan was outlined in two reports: ''The Reshaping of British Railways'' (1963) and ''The Development of the ...

, though it had been unstaffed for some years before that. There was a small goods yard to the north of the station, towards the entrance to the

Combe Down Tunnel Combe Down Tunnel is on the now-closed Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway main line, between Midford and Bath Green Park railway station, below high ground and the southern suburbs of Bath, England, emerging below the southern slopes of Combe ...

, which loaded

Fuller's earth Fuller's earth is any clay material that has the capability to decolorize oil or other liquids without the use of harsh chemical treatment. Fuller's earth typically consists of palygorskite (attapulgite) or bentonite. Modern uses of fuller's ea ...

from

Tucking Mill Tucking Mill is a small hamlet (place), hamlet within the parish of Monkton Combe, Somerset, England. It lies on Midford Brook and was a key point on the now disused Somerset Coal Canal. It is at the southern end of the Two Tunnels Greenway whi ...

. South of the station, a signal box presided over the double track junction: the railway then ran across the Midford valley on a high viaduct that still exists. For about four years from 1911 to 1915, Midford had a second railway station, Midford Halt located on the GWR Camerton Branch, which passed under the S&DJR viaduct.

Services

The site today

After a long period in private hands the site is now part of a surfaced cycleway and footpath — the

Two Tunnels Greenway The Two Tunnels Greenway is a shared use path for walking and cycling in Bath, Somerset, England. The route links National Cycle Route 24 south of Bath with National Cycle Route 4 in the town centre, and is designated as National Cycle Route 244. ...

. The platform and remains of the goods shed survive. The station is now owned by the New Somerset and Dorset Railway who have plans to rebuild the station building and relay the track, when the cycleway will be diverted or accommodated. The site has been cleared to uncover the remains of the old station.

The New Somerset and Dorset Railway

The

New Somerset and Dorset Railway __NOTOC__ The New Somerset and Dorset Railway, formed in early 2009, aims to restore the complete line of the Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway as a modern transport system for the 21st century. The group also has a heritage aspect, to encoura ...

formed in early 2009 aims to restore the complete line to mainline operations, so it is possible that Midford will one day see passengers again. As the initial objectives of the New S&D are focused on the southern end of the line (notably Blandford-Bournemouth), in the short term Midford will be restored as a cafe and information centre, along much the same lines as the existing Shillingstone Station Project. Image:Midford station, September 2007.jpg, The remains of Midford railway station, September 2007 Image:Camerton branch beneath S&D at Midford, September 2007.jpg, East-west beneath north–south: Camerton branch viaduct (left) dwarfed by

Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway The Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway, also known as the S&D, SDJR or S&DJR, was an English railway line connecting Bath (in north-east Somerset) and Bournemouth (now in south-east Dorset but then in Hampshire), with a branch from Evercreec ...

viaduct at Midford

References

* ''Somerset Railway Stations'' by Mike Oakley, Dovecote Press, 2002

External links

Station on navigable O.S. map

Midford Station page on the New Somerset & Dorset Railway website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Midford Railway Station Disused railway stations in Somerset Former Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway stations Railway stations in Great Britain opened in 1874 Railway stations in Great Britain closed in 1966 Beeching closures in England Combe Down