The Somerset & Dorset Railway between Shillingtone
and Stourpaine & Durweston. In October 2010, the long-demolished
Hodmoor bridge over the River Stour north west of Stourpaine was finally
replaced – at a cost in excess of £300,000 – thus
enabling the North Dorset Trailway to link Sturminster Newton with
Stourpaine. This is the longest section of the Trailway to date, and
not only do the organisers now have Blandford Forum in their sights
– they also want to go northwards to Bath. The Trailway's information
display at Stourpaine recreation ground made this quite clear with
a series of sectional maps showing the course of the old railway from
Poole to Bath, accompanied by the slogan: 'Make this Trailway go further'.
Yes please! |
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Above:
Walkers, cyclists and horse riders gather for the start
of the first ever railway walk from Shillingstone to Stourpaine
on Sunday 7th November 2010. It is a shame that one of the horses
was standing side on in the foreground, for the animal hid many
of the walkers and cyclists who were queueing on the trackbed back
towards Shillingstone station. 7th November 2010. (Jeff Vinter)
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Left: Later in the day
when the crowds had thinned out, it was possible to photograph
some of the waymarking signs which Dorset CC and its partners
have installed on the route. This one directs thirsty trail
users to the Old Ox Inn, while the sign for Shillingstone
Station tempts others with an advert for its tea room and
log fire. Trailways like this can make a big difference to
the amount of trade enjoyed by rural businesses. 7th November
2010. (Jeff Vinter) |
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Right:
South of Shillingstone, the railway ran through a cutting
and an underbridge which conveyed a minor lane heading west
from Gains Cross on the nearby A357. Both the cutting and
bridge were filled in long ago, but, as can be seen here,
the infill has been graded to make a gentle ramp. This is
the view from part way down the slope looking south east
towards Stourpaine.Note that much of the Trailway is not
in a tunnel of trees and affords excellent views –
long may it remain so. 7th November 2010. (Jeff Vinter) |
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Above:
A typical selection of Trailway users walking from Gains
Cross towards the new river bridge and Stourpaine. Types of user not
represented here include cyclists of all varieties and abilities,
and the elderly and disabled riding on mobility scooters. The Trailway
is a boon for the latter, for it enables them to access attractive
countryside and local villages on a level, traffic-free path. On a
personal note, my late mother was disabled by polio – if only
she had lived long enough to see, and use, facilities like this. 7th
November 2010. (Jeff Vinter) |
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Above:
This is the Trailway traffic about 1½ hours after
the official opening and, as can be seen, the level of use is still
impressive. The standard of work on the Trailway is excellent, with
short sections of concrete installed where tractors cross the line,
or tarmac laid along the line where farmers use it to access different
parts of their farms. The general surface is rolled limestone dust
laid on a bed of compressed road chippings which, presumably, are
themselves laid on the old railway ballast. Plenty of ballast was
left on the S&D, since it was closed before BR had honed its recycling
skills. Years later when BR closed the direct line from Selby to York,
it lifted all the ballast and sold it to the contractors building
the then new York bypass. 7th November 2010. (Jeff Vinter) |
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Above:
A view from the south side of the trackbed looking from Stourpaine
towards Gains Cross, showing the restored flood arches of the viaduct
and, in the distance, the new metal span. 7th November 2010. (Jeff
Vinter) |
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Above:
The south side of the new span over the River Stour. This
is the view looking north west towards Gains Cross from the Stourpaine
side of the river. 7th November 2010. (Jeff Vinter) |
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Above:
The north side of the new span over the River Stour –
a companion view to the one above, taken just a few yards up river.
This picture shows very clearly the new abutment that Dorset CC and
its partners had to construct, since the local farmer demolished the
original, presumably to prevent animals (or anything else) falling
off of it. 7th November 2010. (Jeff Vinter) |
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Left: Who says that summer
photographers get all the best pictures? From the river bridge
into Stourpaine, the old railway passes through a delightful
avenue of oak trees, seen to good effect in this picture looking
north west towards Gains Cross. 7th November 2010. (Jeff Vinter) |
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