SHILLINGSTONE STATION PROJECT

BLANDFORD ARCHES INFORMATION

A quick note from Graham  regards the Blandford Arches meeting:- Hi Shillingstone and Midsomer Norton Groups, Just a quick note to let you know that the meeting last night went well.   The town councillor who organised and chaired the meeting told me that she was very pleased with the attendance and response from all there and asked me to thank on her behalf all of those of you who forwarded your support by phone and email.  The Councillor also wished to pass on thanks to all those who attended from the Midsomer Norton, Wimborne, Washford and Shillingstone Groups. I will write a more full account of the meeting and time scales later, when I have time.  - Graham.

The Future of Blandford Forum Railway Arches

Cllr Hixson Andrews, has been working with David Cash, Graham Kelsey and others investigating the possibility of forming a trust to preserve the Blandford Railway Arches.  Following discussions Cllr Hixson Andrews, David Cash and Graham Kelsey agreed a date for a community meeting to determine the possibility of forming a trust to safeguard the railway arches. An excerpt from a letter sent to many interested parties follows:

Blandford Forum Town Council recently sent out a letter to local residents asking for their opinions as to the future of the arches. A final decision is to be made by the Town Council, as to whether to help keep the arches or just demolish them. The response from residents to the letter was generally favourable and so it has been decided to hold an open meeting. This is for locals and also those of you who are interested enough in the future of the arches and the local S&D railway heritage, to attend the meeting.

Blandford Forum Town Council really have a simple choice. Depending on the outcome of the meeting, the Town Council will then make a decision as to support their future survival or just demolish the arches.

The Town Council will not alone just carry on financing the future of the arches and so it may be proposed at the meeting that a Trust be set up to Safeguard the future of the arches. This Trust would not just support the retention of the arches, but also the remaining features of the S&D railway that survive today around Blandford. A proposed Trailway has already been talked about, to include the arches and upgrading of the other existing features around the station area and on up the trackbed northwards towards the Milldown, where access to the trackbed currently ends near the by-pass.

The Trust would obviously require the support of members. Various forms of grants are already being looked at in order to fund the future.

The alternative to this is demolish the arches and so yet more of our local S&D railway heritage will be lost forever.

The meeting is to take place at the Corn Exchange in the centre of Blandford on Tuesday 15 July at 7.00pm. A short DVD presentation will be followed by a general discussion as to the future of the arches and any possible Trailway connections. There will also be a display of railway photographs, signs and items from Blandford Forum Station and the surrounding area.

Support has already been received from the Somerset & Dorset Trust at Washford, The North Dorset Railway Trust at Shillingstone Station, The Somerset & Dorset Railway Heritage Trust at Midsomer Norton Station and The Friends of the Lady Wimborne Bridge, who have for the past 10 years been conserving the LSWR bridge 77 at Wimborne.

 This letter is being sent out to all interested parties and we are hoping for a good turnout for the meeting. In addition we will be advertising to the local community.

 For more information please contact Sylvia Hixson Andrews, on  01258 458911   or   s.hixsonandrews@uwclub.net

Corn Exchange,  Market Place,  Blandford Forum.  DT11

Saving Blandford Forum bridge 198 railway arches.

You may remember that some years ago there was talk of demolishing the remaining parts of the arches that formed part of the S&D bridge 198 that crossed the river Stour at Blandford. At that time a decision was made and the remaining arches were left standing.

Well, decision time has now come round yet again.

Blandford Town Council recently sent out a letter to local residents asking for their opinions as to the future of the arches. A final decision is to be made by the Council, who have the finance in place, as to whether to help keep the arches or just demolish them.

The response from residents to the letter was generally favourable and so it has been decided to hold an open meeting. This is for locals and also those of you who are interested enough in the future of the arches and the local S&D railway heritage, to attend the meeting.

Blandford Town Council really have a simple choice. Depending on the outcome of the meeting, the Council will then make a decision as to support their future survival or just demolish the arches.

The Council will not alone just carry on financing the future of the arches and so it may be proposed at the meeting that a Trust be set up to Safeguard the future of the arches.

This Trust would not just support the retention of the arches, but also the remaining features of the S&D railway that survive today around Blandford.

A proposed Trailway has already been talked about, to include the arches and upgrading of the other existing features around the station area and on up the trackbed northwards towards the Milldown, where access to the trackbed currently finishes near the by-pass.

The Trust would obviously require the support of members and also various forms of grants are already being looked at in order to fund the future.

The alternative to this is demolish the arches and so yet more of our local S&D railway heritage will be lost forever.

The meeting is to take place at the Corn Exchange in the centre of Blandford on Tuesday 15 July at 7.30pm.

A short DVD presentation will be followed by a general discussion as to the future of the arches and possible Trailway.

There will also be a display of railway photographs, signs and items from Blandford Forum Station and the surrounding area.

Support has already been received from the Somerset &Dorset Trust at Washford, The North Dorset Railway Trust at Shillingstone Station, The Somerset & Dorset Railway Heritage Trust at Midsomer Norton Station and The Friends of the Lady Wimborne Bridge, who have for the past 10 years been conserving the LSWR bridge 77 at Wimborne.

So it's quite simple really, we need your support. If you can make it, do please come along, support the meeting and the retention of the S&D bridge arches, get involved with the proposed Trust, or alternatively, just let the arches be demolished. The choice is yours.

See you there - Graham Kelsey

LATEST NEWS (27th October 2003):

During a North Dorset Railway Trust committee meeting on 19th October 2003 it was unanimously decided, but with much regret, that the restoration of the ex S&D Stour Meadows Arches in Blandford should now take a back seat, due to the success in gaining the lease on Shillingstone Station. It was voted by all persons present that Shillingstone Station should take precedence - it was after all the Trust's first aim. The Arches were to be the Trust's second target had the bid for the Station failed. It was however mentioned that if the Arches are still in existence in a few months/years from now the Trust might possibly be in a better position both financially and manually to attempt some form of restoration on them.

BR standard No 77014 heads one of the last steam hauled trains ever to cross the River Stour on bridge 198 at Blandford Forum. The train was the L.C.G.B. “Dorset and Hants Railtour” of 16th October 1966 which ran to Blandford from Broadstone junction 7 months after the line closed to passenger traffic. As there were no longer run round facilities at Blandford the train had 4MT 2-6-0 76026 at the other end.

LATEST NEWS (17th August 2003):
The North Dorset Railway Trust has put forward proposals to save the former S&D arches in Stour Meadows, Blandford.

THE FORMER S&D ARCHES in STOUR MEADOWS, BLANDFORD

Ever since the North Dorset Railway Trust was formed, in June 2000, primarily to rescue Shillingstone station, it has always been thought that we should involve ourselves in other areas of preservation concerning the Somerset & Dorset Railway. With the lack of progress being made over the last few years in securing the station, (happily now this period of uncertainty is over) various other locations were considered as either an alternative to Shillingstone, should our attempt have been unsuccessful, or as an area to channel the energy of our ever increasing membership and keep The North Dorset Railway Trust's name in the public eye whilst no headway was being made at Shillingstone.

After various locations were considered. including places as far afield as Midford station which is currently up for sale, and Moorewood Sidings situated between Chilcompton and Binegar, the opportunity for an alternative area of S&D railway to concentrate on much closer to home became apparent through North Dorset’s free Blackmore Vale Magazine. In April the BVM ran an article about the flood arches, adjacent to the River Stour, in Blandford.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with this area the railway arches formed part of the over bridge, no 198, which took the railway over the River Stour towards Blandford St Mary and onwards to Charlton Marshall. The arches on the Blandford St Mary side of the river have long been demolished and were reputed to have been used as hardcore under the adjacent Tesco store, but a campaign in the 1990’s to save them on the other side was successful and the present owners are North Dorset District Council who lease them to Blandford Town Council.

Photo copyright © 2003 Mark Pike

Photo copyright © 2003 Mark Pike

Photo copyright © 2003 Mark Pike

Unfortunately, due to lack of finance and resources within the Town Council, the remaining arches are under threat of demolition because they are in a bad state of repair.

As a preservation oriented trust, T.N.D.R.T felt duty bound to offer its services in any way to prevent the destruction of this part of North Dorset’s railway heritage. T.N.D.R.T have since written to Blandford Town Council proposing that the arches should be restored and has offered its services. It was also suggested that perhaps a replica of the West Country Class Bullied Pacific ’Blandford Forum’, whether brick built or fabricated, could be sited on top of the arches.

Obviously, there are some of you that are going to say 'Yes, that is a very good idea, but hang on a minute, we can’t do both’. Well, to that we would say, if you think about it, we’re not doing very much at present, and we as a trust realise only too well that the physical identity of the S&D is slowly eroding away. We can do it with careful planning. It is imperative the Trust puts itself squarely on the preservation map and most importantly we are taken seriously .

TNDRT are now in contact with Blandford Town Council, who are interested in the Trust’s proposals, provided the costs that they would incur with the initial restoration and subsequent fabricated locomotive are acceptable. Two surveyors reports carried out by the Council have been made available and a plan of action is at present being formulated.