Bridgwater North railway station

Disused railway station in England

Bridgwater North

The station in 1963

General information
Location| Bridgwater, Somerset
England
Coordinates| 51°07′57″N 2°59′45″W﻿ / ﻿51.1326°N 2.9959°W﻿ / 51.1326; -2.9959
Grid reference| ST304374
Platforms| 2
Other information
Status| Disused
History
Original company| Bridgwater Railway
Pre-grouping| Bridgwater Railway
Post-grouping| Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway
Key dates
21 July 1890 (1890-07-21)| Opened as Bridgwater
26 September 1949| Renamed Bridgwater North
1 December 1952 (1952-12-01)| Closed for passengers
7 July 1962| closed for goods

Location

United Kingdom legislation

Bridgwater Railway Act 1882

Act of Parliament

Parliament of the United Kingdom

Long title| An Act for incorporating the Bridgewater Railway Company and authorising them to make and maintain the Bridgewater Railway and for authorising arrangements between them and the London and South-western Railway Company and for other purposes.
Citation| 45 & 46 Vict. c. ccliii
Dates
Royal assent| 18 August 1882
Text of statute as originally enacted

United Kingdom legislation

Bridgwater Railway Act 1886

Act of Parliament

Parliament of the United Kingdom

Long title| An Act for conferring further powers on the Bridgewater Railway Company in relation to their Undertaking and for other purposes.
Citation| 50 Vict. c. liv
Dates
Royal assent| 25 September 1886
Text of statute as originally enacted

United Kingdom legislation

Bridgwater Railway Act 1888

Act of Parliament

Parliament of the United Kingdom

Long title| An Act for conferring further powers on the Bridgewater Railway Company.
Citation| 51 & 52 Vict. c. cxcv
Dates
Royal assent| 10 August 1888

Bridgwater North railway station was the terminus of the Bridgwater Railway, which ran from a junction with the Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway at Edington, between 1890 and 1954. Although often regarded as part of the Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway, and effectively worked as part of that system, the Bridgwater Railway remained nominally independent until the railway Grouping of 1923 when it was vested in the Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway group.[1][2]

## The station

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Originally named Bridgwater, the station was opened on 21 July 1890. It was renamed Bridgwater North in 1949 when it came under British Railways ownership, to avoid confusion with the larger former Great Western Railway (GWR) station in the town. The station consisted of an island platform with a canopy, goods yard and a connection to riverside wharves.

## Closure

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The passenger station closed when the branch service was withdrawn on 1 December 1952. The line to Edington Burtle via Cossington was closed completely in 1954 after goods traffic was diverted over a new connection to the GWR docks branch which continued until 1962. Bridgwater railway station remains open on the Bristol to Taunton Line.

The site is now occupied by a Sainsbury's supermarket and an adjacent large retail park.[3]

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Railways in the Bridgwater area

Legend

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|  |  | Bristol–Exeter line

to Highbridge and Burnham
|  |

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A38 to Highbridge

|  |

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River Parrett

|  |

|  |

ROF Bridgwater

|  |

|  |
|  |  |  |  |  |

Dunball

|  |  |

|  |

|
|
|
|

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|  | Dunball

down line

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Cement & Lime works

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Dunball Wharf sidings

|  |

|  |

King's Sedgemoor Drain

|  |

|  | Dunball

up line

|  |

|  |
|  |  |  |  |  |

Bridgwater

|  |  |

|  |

|
|
|
|

|  |

|  |

| S&DJR Bridgwater branch

to Edington

|  |

|  |
|  |

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British Cellophane

|  |

|  |

Bridgwater Spinx Cement Works

|  |

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S&DJR wharf sidings

|  |

|  | Bridgwater

(S&DJR)  | passenger

& goods

|  |

|  | Bridgwater Goods

(GWR)

|  |

|  |

Bridgwater and Taunton Canal

|  |

|  | Bridgwater

(GWR)

|  |

|  |

Carriage works

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|  |

A38 to Taunton

|  |

|  |  | Somerset Bridge

over River Parrett
|  |

|  |  | Bristol–Exeter line

to Taunton

1. Bridgwater Docks
2. "Telescopic" bridge
3. Clink Yard
4. Bridgwater Cement, Lime, Brick & Tile Works
5. 1954 connection
6. Church Street

|  |  |  |  |  |

## References

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* Butt, R. V. J. (October 1995). The Directory of Railway Stations: details every public and private passenger station, halt, platform and stopping place, past and present (1st ed.). Sparkford: Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN 978-1-85260-508-7. OCLC 60251199. OL 11956311M.
* Harrison, J. D. (1990). The Bridgwater Railway. Wallingford: The Oakwood Press. ISBN 0-85361-403-2

1. ^ Somerset and Dorset Railway Then and Now by Mac Hawkins page 213
2. ^ Ian Allan Pregrouping Atlas and Gazetteer
3. ^ "Archived Document". Archived from the original on 15 August 2007. Retrieved 26 September 2007.

## External links

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* S&DJR stations - Bridgwater[usurped]
* Station on navigable O.S. map

Preceding station  |  | Disused railways  |  | Following station

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Bawdrip Halt
Line and station closed |  | Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway
Bridgwater Railway |  | Terminus
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