SHILLINGSTONE STATION PROJECT

Bidders lining up at Shillingstone Station - Blackmore Vale Magazine 18 October 2002

The Great Dorset Steam Fair

Shillingstone Station's connection with the birth of the Great Dorset Steam Fair

The year 2002 sees the Great Dorset Steam Fair celebrate its 34th year with this year’s five day event taking place from 28th August until 1st September on the 500 acre site at Tarrant Hinton, Nr. Blandford. The show is now widely recognised as the leading event of its type in the country and, indeed, in Europe and the world and is regularly attended by up to 200,000 visitors from both the UK and abroad. It all began following the closure of the old Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway in 1966, which ran from Bath to Bournemouth. As the last steam trains left Shillingstone Station,  Michael Oliver, a farmer from the nearby village of Child Okeford was filming with his cine camera. The ‘Somerset and Dorset’ had always been close to Michael’s heart. All his life he had used the railway whether it was to catch the train to school in Blandford or to take a trip down to Bournemouth.

After the final train steamed out of the station at Shillingstone and the line was closed, several of Michael’s friends said that he ought to show his cine film one evening in the local village hall. Michael agreed that this was a good idea and he arranged a social evening to take place a couple of months later. The evening was so well attended that Michael had to show the film the following weekend as well.

Time to return to the railway?  Blackmore Vale Magazine December 29th 2000

TRAINS could one day be running again along part of the old Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway if supporters of the Shillingstone Station Project and the North Dorset Railway Trust can find a way to achieve their long-term ambitions.

One first step is to restore the station at Shillingstone which was opened on 31st August 1863 and lays claim to being .the most picturesque on the whole of the S & D line, with the Stour meandering by and the backdrop of Hambledon Hill.

The project team aims to turn the clock back to the early 1950s, to incorporate a small museum, and to re-lay a stretch of the. trackbed on which standard-gauge trains could operate.

A longer-term aim is a renewed rail link, possibly between Templecombe and Blandford. This, says Michael Paulley, head of the Shillingstone Station Project, could be accommodated as well as the planned cycle path along the route of the old railway line - though it would have to deviate because of the Gartell light railway and housing that has been built along the line at Stalbridge.

The train which could some day soon be standing at Shillingstone station...

Blackmore Vale Magazine April 5th 2002

STEAM  power was being regenerated over the Easter holiday weekend down the old Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway line at Shillingstone.

“We want to try to get the message over to villagers that we can’t do this in isolation, we can’t do it without the support of the village,” said Keith Bottomley, vice-chairman of the North Dorset Railway Trust which is backing the ambitious project to bring Shillingstone station back to life.  A presentation in Shillingstone’s Portman Hall showed how everybody could benefit from the project - not just railway buffs but also villagers,  walkers, cyclists, riders, tourists, local businesses, the whole region.  Our aim said Mr Bottomley is to recreate this unique heritage by restoring the station buildings and the surrounding area which includes some trackbed and reclaiming the industrial estate in the former station yard from it’s current dereliction.

 A length of track at the station itself and for a short distance on either side of it would be re-laid, while still leaving enough room for the proposed cycle route along the old railway line.

as part of the national cycle network, which is also intended to cater for walkers and riders. “We’re not talking about running trains up and down the track continuously or anything like that,” Mr Bottomley explained. “Our plans for the next five to 10 years are simply to restore the station buildings and put on some static displays.” So he was confident there need be no conflict between the station project and the other uses of the railway line.

A key to the whole scheme is the road access to the station through the industrial site. As well as agreement with the site owner to secure this access, the railway trust would dearly like to be able to take over the largest of the pre­sent factory buildings and use it as an engineering workshop where rolling stock could be rest9red -providing jobs and teaching skills as well as recreating heritage. It could also house offices, a café, a meeting room and a visitor centre -maybe with a model layout of the S&D line between Shillingstone and Sturminster Newton. Smaller buildings on the site could be let to craftspeople and others who would stand to benefit from the visitors to the station. Mr Bottomley estimated the total cost of the project at around £500,000 to £1 million. But he pointed out that probably a third of that would be labour costs, a third would be materials and the remaining third builders’ overheads and profits. With a voluntary labour force available and no profits needing to be made, the estimates would be greatly reduced. And a charitable organisation would have a good chance  of winning external funding such as EU grants. The business plan for the project has gone to Dorset County Council, which owns the station site, and a planning brief has been prepared by North Dorset District Council. Encouraged by talks with county and district councillors, Mr Bottomley was confident that the railway trust’s proposals were in line with the planning brief. “It would be very nice,” he added, “to get our hands on the lease from the county council within the next three months because we would love to make a start on doing something this summer.

Three centuries of railway history

SHILLINGSTONE station opened in the 19th century (on 31st August 1863).  Was closed in the 20th (on 7th March 1966), and, hopefully, will be restored  in the 21^st. The Somerset and Dorset Railway itself is one of the which includes some trackbed, and most talked about, photographed, videoed. written about railways in the land, especially considering its relatively  early demise which was certainly much lamented.  Therefore, to find a building like Shillingstone station still standing in the year 2002 is quite remarkable - most other similar buildings have either been swept away long ago or converted into private homes. 

About 50 volunteers helped on a “clearance day” at the station last year hacking back the brambles and weeds and tidying up the area. That showed what a bit of an effort on just one day could do by way of restoration, said Keith Bottomley.

Photos copyright BMV

ê Below: Surrounded by Shillingstone station memorabilia is the crest of the late lamented, and still fondly remembered, Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway

ê Below And the display in Shillingstone’s Portman Hall included, alalong with numerous photographs and other railwayanana, a model of the station. The numberplate, 92207, in the foreground is from the locomotive which Keith Bottomley owns and is restoring

ê Below among those involved in the presentation of the Shillingstone station project were North Dorset Railway Trust planning and buildings officer Keith Martin, Roy Paulley who used to work on the railway, vice-chairman of the trust Keith BottBottomley, and secretary Syd Howlett. With them are Syd’s wife Dot, and other trust members Holly Clement, Hazel Kelly and Jenny Wills.

 ç Left: A diagram of the track Payout at Shillingstone which is believed to have come from the original signal box beside the station - one of the buildings which has gone, but which is due to be reconstructed.

Chaffers 

INDEPENDENT  ESTATE AGENTS * SURVEYORS * VALUES

SHILLINGSTONE RAILWAY STATION

SHILLINGSTONE, DORSET.

 A FORMER RAILWAY STATION, OPENED IN 1863 BY THE SOMERSET & DORSET RAILWAY, LOCATED ON THE NORTH EASTERN FRINGE OF THE VILLAGE WITH VIEWS TOWARD HAMBLEDON HILL

TIMBER BOARDED LAMP HOUSE / POST ROOM * UP & DOWN PLATFORMS

GUIDE PRICE: £20,000 FREEHOLD

Ref: B0590       Date: 5/09/02

MAIN STATION BUILDING * ATTACHED TOILET/WAITING ROOM BLOCK

Directions

From Blandford take the A357 towards Sturminster Newton. Continue through the village of Durweston and on to Shillingstone. Continue through the village and turn right into Station Road. The Station will be found at the end on your left handside.

Viewing

Only by appointment with the SOLE AGENTS, CHAFFERS, 18 Salisbury Street, Blandford, Dorset, DII 1 7AR Tel. 01258 456044 or Fax. 01258 459440 Email. post@blandfordchaffers.fsnet.co.uk

The Property

The station building is situated on the north eastern fringe of the village and is recognised for its architectural and historic interest. Opened originally in 1863 by the Somerset & Dorset Railway the building is a single storey rectangular building under a slate roof. The station was closed in 1966 after 103 years of continuous use and, following occupation by industrial users, the building is currently vacant.

The redundant trackbed has recently been opened as a Trailway enabling walkers and cyclists to gain access to the surrounding countryside although the route is not fully operational. The long term objective is to use this as part of the National Cycle Network.

Opportunities:

The building lends itself to a variety of possible uses such as:

1)  Continued use for employment purposes.

2) Recreational use, either related to its former use as a station or relating to its proximity to the Trailway, or a mixture of both.

Proposals

Our clients have suggested that any potential purchaser must submit a suitable working plan to be included in any offer and that this would be given due consideration.

Caution:

Enthusiasts bid to revive Station

Daily Echo Saturday 28 September 2002  By Bridget Manley

RAILWAY enthusiasts are steaming ahead with a £20,000 appeal to buy a dilapidated former station in North Dorset.

Dorset County Council has put the station at Shillingstone up for sale, enabling enthusiasts to restore it to its former glory.

Following an emergency meeting, North Dorset Railway Trust, which intends to carry out the restoration, launched its appeal for £20,000 to buy the site. So far, £4,000 has been raised.

Project secretary Syd Howlett said: “We need to raise this money as soon as possible. We are appealing to anyone who wants to see this bit of the Somerset and Dorset Railway history preserved and restored, to join our ranks as members.”

The station has remained empty since it closed in 1966 after 104 years of continuous service.

Two attempts to get it listed by the Secretary of State for the Environment have failed in spite of its connections with royalty Edward VII and a variety of dukes and duchesses used the route to visit Clayesmore House.

Cyclists too have expressed an interested in the land beside the station as part of a long distance car free trailway.

Anyone interested in supporting the project can send donations to the Shillingstone Station Project, P0 Box 88, Shaftesbury, Dorset SP7 8TF.

Meanwhile, the trust holds its annual meeting on Saturday, October 26 at the Portman Hall, Shillingstone at 7.30pm. A Dorset County Council spokesman said the site would not be sold necessarily to the highest bidder.

Bidders lining up at Shillingstone Station

Blackmore Vale Magazine 18 October 2002

OFFERS are being sought by estate agents Chaffers for a 99-year lease on Shillingstone’s former railway station at a guide price of £20,000. The deadline for bidders is the end of this month, and a spokesman for the estate agents, who are acting on behalf of Dorset County Council, confirmed this week that there were already four or five prospective buyers.

They have to submit proposals with their offers, specifying particularly what additional land they wish to include in the package with the leasehold of the station buildings and platforms. All the proposals will be submitted for consideration at the county council’s cabinet meeting on Wednesday 4th December.  To help the prospective buyers, Chaffers have arranged an open day at the station today (Friday) from 10am to about 4pm.

One of the interested parties is the Shillingstone Station Project, set up in 2000 with the aim of restoring the station and surrounding area to its condition in the early 1950s, before the closure of the Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway, and preserving this unique piece of railway heritage for present and future generations. They have already submitted a business plan to the county council and secretary Syd Howlett told the BVM this week that they were now producing a schedule of works and a method of funding their project.

They already have well over £5,000 in the kitty, according to Mr Howlett, and their website at www.shilljngstonestationproj.fsnet.co.uk (old website now closed) has been attracting worldwide interest They are actively seeking more members and more money, though the secretary explained that the £20,000 did not have to be raised by the 31st October deadline for the purchase offer.

One bone of contention has been the fear of a conflict of interests between the railway enthusiasts and those such as the national cycleway organisation Sustrans who wish to see the old railway line turned into a track for cyclists and walkers. They are concerned that refurbishment of the station and a section of trackbed could squeeze out the other hopeful users of this route.

Mr Howlett stressed, as other members of the station project have done on several occasions: “There is plenty of room for everyone. We are more than happy to work with Sustrans. That way everybody is happy.”

Station renovation is on the right track

From the Bournemouth Echo, first published Wednesday 20th Aug 2003.  Photo copyright unknown

IT'S full steam ahead for a railway conservation group as two of its projects look set to come to fruition in close succession.

The North Dorset Railway Trust (T.N.D.R.T) has successfully tendered for the lease of the derelict station building at Shillingstone which is to be restored as a museum, it is hoped.

And the trust is also bidding to take over derelict railway arches at Blandford which could be the focus for an original work of art.

General secretary Syd Howlett said the trust had raised the cash to buy the lease of the station and some of the track from Dorset County Council.

"It is most exciting news - I have actually just received the official news from Dorset," he said. "It's been an uphill struggle, not actually knowing what to expect.

"But it's been three long years of constantly badgering of the council because, let's face it, it's not the top of their priorities.

"We had to make a stand and this is exactly what we have done.

"There's always been fear of the whole area being given to developers so it was important that a group like us should come along and save it.

"This is the only station in existence that was built by the Dorset Central Railway which became the Somerset and Dorset.

"We have the money to purchase the lease through donations and pledges.  We don't have enough to start the renovation yet but this will safeguard it. We hope to have static displays of how it was up until March 6, 1966 when it was closed."

The trust is also negotiating with Blandford town council to take over the fragment of railway arches which is under threat of demolition.

T.N.D.R.T is seeking to convince the town that restoration would cost less than destruction would.  "The idea is to repair the arches, make them vandal-proof and fabricate a piece of sculpture based on a locomotive which was called Blandford Forum, I believe," said Syd.

Shillingstone Station plans

Blackmore Vale Magazine 31 October 2003

SHILLINGSTONE Station celebrated 140 years of existence on 31st August 2003. It was once a busy rural station that pro­vided local employment, firstly as part of the Dorset Central Railway and subsequently the much mourned and now famous Somerset & Dorset Joint Railway. It currently presents an unkempt and sorry (but essentially intact) sight after sur­viving for almost 38 years after closure of the line.

After years of negotiations The North Dorset Railway Trust (T.N.D.R.T) has finally secured the lease of the station, and from 1St November 2003 will embark on a lengthy and undoubted­ly expensive restoration programme. It is the trust’s intention to restore the Station to how it would have appeared in the early to mid 1950’s.

As result the trust is urgently looking for both new members and donations to help with the work. The committee requires the assistance of highly skilled, qualified individuals willing to lend their expertise on a voluntary basis to help the project reach its objective. They currently require a commercial man­ager and a construction/project manager. Ideally these persons would reside near the project, but as long as they are capable of devoting a fair amount of time and physical on-site atten­dance then location is immaterial. If you feel you have the skills looked for, and very importantly the time to carry them out, please contact the address below. Members are also reminded that the AGM is to be held at the Portman Hall, Shillingstone on Saturday 15th November 2003 at 3pm.

After the meeting there will be a talk/slideshow from Alan Matthews fellow member of the North Dorset Railway Trust and chairman of the Avon Valley Railway at Bitton (near Bath). He will detail the trials and tribulations of starting from basics with a disused station and building it up to the attrac­tion that it is today. The trust can be contacted at:

The North Dorset Railway Trust, P.O. Box 82, Shaftesbury, Dorset, SP7 8TF

Full steam ahead as trust wins station

Western Gazette Thursday 21 August 2003

by Nicci Brown Staff Reporter e-mail newsdesk@westgaz.co.uk

ON TRACK: Shillingstone Station project group at its exhibition in Portman Hall, Shillingstone. From left, Mike Clark, publicity officer Becky Wilson, Dave Clark, Syd Howlett, chairman Keith Bottomley, secretary Bill Munden and Alan Blake. Picture by Deborah Johnson.

A RAILWAY restoration group is on track towards its dream of reopening an old Somerset & Dorset railway station as a tourist attraction.

A Dorset County Council spokesman this week confirmed the North Dorset Railway Trust as successful bidder for a lease for Shillingstone station, which was put up for sale last September.

She said negotiations were taking place with the trust for a long lease with a view to occupation as soon as possible so that the station could be restored with a static display showing how it was when it closed nearly 40 years ago.

Trust chairman Keith Bottomley said: “The tremendous and relentless activity we have been applying towards progressing our aims is now bearing fruit.

“At last we will be able to get on with preserving this wonderful piece of surviving Somerset &

Dorset history”.

More than a dozen interested parties made offers for the redundant station, its platforms and parcels shed when the county council declared it surplus to requirements and put the lease on the market last autumn.

The trust had spent the previous two years trying to persuade the county to let it take over the station, which has become a continued target for vandalism. In recent months the parcel shed has been attacked on at least two occasions, along with the roof of the main building, whose old slates will be expensive to replace.

The council reduced the potential purchasers to a shortlist of six preferred schemes, and the trust was informed in May that the list had reduced to two.

Through donations, subscriptions and pledges, the trust has raised more than a third of the lease purchase price, and was offered an interest-free loan to meet any shortfall.

Mr Bottomley said: “In order to prevent the council from erroneously assuming that we could not afford the station, and allowing that to influence their decision, we elected not to make a public

appeal for support during their decision process. But once the bid is successful, a national appeal will be launched.”

One of the first major public appeals would be at the Great Dorset Steam Fair later this month.

In March last year, the trust held an open day at the Portman Hall in Shillingstone to give people a chance to see the proposals, and when the lease was offered through estate agents in September with a guide price of £20,000, the trust unanimously agreed to proceed’ with its bid for purchase.

The station, which has been described as a “rare surviving example” of those specifically designed for The Dorset Central Railway was opened in. 1863 and closed, along with the rest of the S&D line, nearly 100 years later in 1966.

Going to Hogwarts with Milk Churns

Sharen Green reports...

The revival of Shillingstone Station was marked with a champagne celebration.

WORLD War I poet Rupert Brooke embarked from here for Gallipoli where he met his death.

Timber from Woolland left for Chatham dockyards, Dorset moss for Covent Garden and cream for London’s homes, hotels and restaurants.

Children from Shillingstone, Sturminster and surrounding villages used the station on their way to the grammar school at Blandford — it has been described like going to Hogwarts but with milk churns.

And the lovingly-tended garden produced flowers and vegetables for railway workers’ families.

But the last guard’s whistle fell silent in the 60s — thanks to the notorious Dr Beeching who dismantled much of Britain’s rail network.

Enthusiasts paid tribute to the heritage of Shillingstone Station in a champagne celebration to mark its imminent revival. North Dorset Railway Trust has finally secured the lease from the county council after three long years of grueling negotiations and now plans to restore the dilapidated building.

General secretary Syd Howlett fell in love with steam locomotion as a child, living in west Bournemouth near the terminal of the old Somerset and Dorset.

He traveled regularly on the line, using the Pines Express whenever possible which brought Yorkshire miners to the pine-scented fresh air of Bournemouth.

Syd got involved in the trust — also known as The Shillingstone Station Project— when it began in 2000.

“We met in the now defunct Silent Whistle pub and decided to have a go,” he said. “Slowly but surely our membership built to 200.

“Now we’ve got the keys we can actually make a start on the work.  “We will restore it to its early 60s condition with all the ‘railwayana’ in a small museum, perhaps with a tea room.  “Distant plans are to lay some track and have a static display of different railway vehicles that used the line.  “The physical identity of the Somerset and Dorset railway is slowly eroding away, inasmuch as very little is left in the way of stations or buildings.  “We feel it’s important to save as much as possible before it’s buried by the developers.”

Back on the Rails

Western Gazette Thursday 11 March 2004

by Nicci Brown Staff Reporter

NORTH Dorset MP Robert Walter visited the old Somerset and Dorset Railway station and Shillingstone on Friday to see for himself the progress on restoration work made by volunteers.

The station and line from Bath to Bournemouth was closed under the Beeching axe in the 1960s.

But North Dorset Railway Trust has now negotiated a lease with station owners Dorset County Council, and has made a start on establishing it as a visitor attraction.

Among the longer-term aims of the team, led by trust secretary Syd Howlett, is to have a small railway museum with old steam engines and rolling stock.

The land has been leased to the trust by the council, which also hopes to encourage walkers and cyclists to use the old track stretching through the Blackmore Vale.

Mr Walter said: “One of my most vivid childhood memories is of the Pines Express, which used to travel the length of the Somerset and Dorset on its daily journey between Bournemouth and Birmingham.

“In the golden age of steam this was a delight for every small boy.  But the S&D was more than that. It was one of the key public transport arteries in Dorset. Sadly it’s no-more, and that’s progress.”   “I hope I can help in my own small way to enable the generation that remembers the steam age to pass on that era to today’s children.”

Mr Howlett said he hoped the local MP might be able to help the group secure funding for the restoration project.

“What we desperately need to find at the moment is someone who can supply us with second-hand quick-stage scaffolding, which we would be happy to purchase,” said Mr Howlett.

ANYONE who would like to help can contact North Dorset Railway Trust on 01258 880321.

S&D Schemes - Putting a Shine on Shillingstone

Steam Railway 30 December 2005

Photo copyright © Mark Pike

Last issue Steam Railway revealed plans to create a new ‘Highbridge Works’ near Shillingstone station, capable of overhauling steam locomotives. While the achievements at Midsomer Norton have been rightly celebrated, this lower-profile station restoration project is also helping maintain the memory of the S&D.

By Keith Bottomley, Vice-Chairman, North Dorset Railway Trust.

“The trust has identified a niche in the restoration market which means that the storage and restoration of railway vehicles of all types at Shillingstone is a real possibility.”

Forty years after it closed, there are signs that the Somerset and Dorset isn’t as dead as you might think. Over the next seven pages, we bring you the latest news on thriving projects which aim to bring different sections of the S&D back to life. Two of  these have grabbed the headlines in recent months: ‘9F’ No. 92207 is to move to Shillingstone station (SR317) and steam has returned to Midsomer Norton (SR313). Another project featured here is the Gartell Light Railway which is the only one to operate regular train services over part of the S&D. The seeds of an S&D for the next 40 years are now beginning to bloom...

It has been a momentous year for those of us actively involved in preserving what remains of the famous and late-lamented Somerset & Dorset Joint Railway. The return of standard-gauge steam to Midsomer Norton (SR313) focused attention on the S&D once again.

What has been achieved at Midsomer Norton is excellent but, some 40 miles away, considerable progress has been made on the restoration of another S&D station, that at Shillingstone, near Blandford Forum.

Shillingstone station is one of the S&D revival projects which has kept itself out of the limelight. It is operated by the North Dorset Railway Trust, which has made massive progress this year. We successfully negotiated a 99-year lease on the station and about 1/2-mile of trackbed from Dorset County Council on July 22. Then, more recently, we announced that the station would be the new home of ‘9F’ 2-10-0 No. 92207 Morning Star’ and that a new engineering facility would be built on land close to the station (SR317).

The Shillingstone project has the goal of restoring the station to mid-1950s condition. We want to recreate the railway infrastructure, as well as the local environment to represent the trade and commerce that made the station an important hub for the transport of local dairy and agricultural products and tourism - the S&D really was a gateway to the South Coast. 

 Clandestine royal connection

Shillingstone station was built in 1863 and is the sole surviving example of a Dorset Central Railway station (a constituent company of the S&D). It was the only station to have a platform canopy and was built for King Edward VII who used it frequently to visit his mistress in nearby Bryanston.

Dorset County Council declared the derelict station surplus to requirements in 2002 and after much hard work by the NDRT, a Right of Access Agreement was signed by the council on November 5 2003. Trust members were then able to get access to the station for the first time on November 8 that year.

Above: As we reported last issue, a new two road workshop facility is to be built at Shillingstone. The shed will be ‘sympathetic to the S&D style and is planned to be built on the site of the redundant grain store to the right of this picture, which shows the station and trackbed looking towards Blandford Forum on November 30.

Photo copyright © Mark Pike

That the station has survived is a miracle. The dilapidated site consisted of the station building and both up and down platforms. Restoration then started in earnest. The remains of the cattle dock and foundations of the signalbox were unearthed. We have also discovered a large number of railway artifacts such as milk churns, sleepers, and even buttons and an LMS mug.

Above: The North Dorset Railway Trust gained access to Shillingstone station in November 2003. As well as restoration on the surviving buildings, the Trust has also uncovered the remains of the cattle dock and the signal box. This view shows the remains of both (with the ~box nearest the camera). Trust volunteers have also unearthed smaller S&D relics during the excavation work. Photo copyright © Mark Pike

The station building has been re-roofed and the external walls repointed. The adjoining parcels shed has been refurbished and is now the sales shop.

What is the future for Shillingstone? Immediate plans are to refurbish the platforms and the interior of the station to create a museum. We plan to build a new cattle dock, porters’ shed and signalbox.

The complete railway infrastructure will be recreated, together with an agricultural and village museum which will not only tell the story of the line but also the community it served. The Poole to Bath leisure trailway (a path that will eventually be open to walkers, cyclists and horse-riders) will run through the site, for which we will provide rest, car parking and catering facilities.

A niche in the market

One of the terms of our lease is that we are not to operate passenger trains. This does not preclude us from driver training or stock movements, however. As a result of this, we plan to build a new two-road engineering facility in order to restore our own rolling stock and locomotives.

This is seen as becoming a focal point of major interest, attracting visitors both nationally and even internationally as well as creating local employment and benefiting businesses in the area.

The trust believes it has identified a niche in the restoration market which means that the storage and restoration of a large number of all types of stock at Shillingstone is a real possibility.

There is huge local support for the Shillingstone station project. We hope that in five years’ time, extensions of land granted under the lease and lifting of the operating restrictions may follow. That would mean that passengers could once again alight from a train at Shillingstone - which they haven’t done since 1966.

Where Is it?

Shillingstone station is at the northern end of Shillingstone village. The village is located on the A357 between Blandford Forum and Sturminster Newton. The station itself is actually found at the end of St. Patrick’s Industrial Estate.

The station is open every weekend from 10 am until 4pm.  880321.

Country Diary Dorset

John Vallins  The Guardian, Tuesday April 11 2006 Photo copyright Mark Pike

On the way down towards Poole, we used often to pass a pub called the Silent Whistle at the entrance to what was the yard of Shillingstone Station (notable as King Edward VII's stop-off for house-parties at nearby Iwerne Minster) until the Somerset and Dorset line was closed 40 years ago. This time we went in past the new houses that stand on the site of the Silent Whistle, and found two enthusiasts who have mounted the Shillingstone Station Project.

We stood on the down platform, under the ornate and now faithfully restored canopy, and they invited us to look across to where the Stour wound through meadows, backed by the two great prehistoric hill forts of Hambledon and Hod, and challenged us to say that we had ever seen a lovelier spot for a station. A third member of the group, a retired builder, and master of every trade, arrived to show the others the heavy black hinges and fittings he had procured for the crossing gate.

Another of the men was an otter warden. He told me that otters were now thriving on almost every stretch of the Stour, and pointed out a little stream into which the pregnant female retreats to give birth away from the dog-otter and to rear her young until they can safely be brought back into the mainstream.

North Dorset District Council chairman Col Mike Oliver with the winners of the 2006

People & Places Awards together with sponsors.  Rewards for community spirit

Blackmore Vale Magazine 3 November 2006

HARDWORKING people in North Dorset were recognised for their contribution to the community at an awards ceremony at the weekend. The winners of North Dorset District Councils People and Places Awards, which included sports teams, businesses, volunteers and designers, received prizes from council chairman Col Michael Oliver at the Coade Hall, Bryanston School on Saturday evening. Port Regis School’s under 13 boys were the youngest winners, commended for their outstanding sporting year going unbeaten in rugby, football and cricket. Resident Glenda Martin picked up an environmental award for ceaseless campaigning to recycle printer cartridges, old mobile phones and foreign currency in aid of the  charity Survival International. And Volunteer of the Year went to Shaftesbury mayor Pam Reynolds who raised money for the town’s open-air swimming pool.

STATION PROJECT TAKES TOP HONOUR

by Nicci Brown Western Gazette Thursday 2nd November 2006

THE cream of north Dorset volunteers and achievers have been rewarded for contributions to community life.

More than 150 nominations were received in six categories for the second annual People And Places celebration, hosted by North Dorset District Council.

The nominees, supporters and guests gathered in the Coade Hall at Bryanston School, near Blandford, on Saturday to be honoured for achievement in sport, arts, community and business, environment, tourism and conservation, with 45 awards and highly commended certificates presented.

Top honours went to Shillingstone Station Project, which is restoring the former Somerset & Dorset ‘Railway station and platform as a tourist attraction. It won both the best building - conservation project and the top design award for North Dorset.

Master of ceremonies Kevin Morris of the district council said: “Although only in its early days, the painstaking restoration of the station and its environs arm is a credit to all those involved.”

Steam buff sees lottery light at end of the tunnel.

COPYRIGHT 2006 Financial Times Ltd.  (From Western Daily Press)

Diesel will make a railway comeback

By Bob Jolliffe Bournemouth Echo Friday 20th April 2007

http://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/search/display.var.1345583.0.diesel_will_make_a_railway_comeback.php

THE WAY THINGS WERE: Shillingstone Station in days gone by

DIESEL power will return to Shillingstone Station for the first time since the 1960s, when the track was removed as the result of Dr Beeching's axe.

Right to the very end of regular passenger operation in March 1966, the Somerset & Dorset Railway between Bournemouth West and Bath Green Park stations was steam-hauled.

But diesels were brought in when the track was lifted, to cart it away.

The North Dorset Railway Trust, which runs the Shillingstone Station Project and is hoping to lay half a mile of track, has now bought an 0-4-0 Ruston diesel shunter from the North Norfolk Railway.

Management committee vice-chairman Keith Bottomley, owner of the massive Standard Class 9F 2-10-0 steam locomotive Morning Star already at Shillingstone in rolling chassis form, said the shunter, which cost in excess of £1,500, should arrive in late May.  "It needs a minor overhaul and then it's a runner," he said.

The Ruston, a former industrial line loco, will be used for crew training and to pull track-laying equipment.

"The only thing that is holding us up is getting some transport quotes and getting some track down for it, which we're working on at the moment.   "Realistically, it will be at the end of next month," he said.

The trust wants to lay upwards of half a mile of line for steam-hauled trains to run on.

Members have recently visited the Swanage steam railway and have flagged up a range of rolling stock they want to purchase, including box vans, a British Railways Mk I carriage and brake vans.

Mr Bottomley said they are now in discussion with another preservation group about the purchase of a buffet car, which will be used to serve refreshments to visitors.

The trust's ultimate goal is to recreate the Somerset & Dorset's old Highbridge Works, where contracts can be carried out for other preservation organisations.

The North Dorset Railway Trust has upwards of 250 members.   Mr Bottomley said there are currently 20 working members.

"We need vast numbers of volunteers with skills," he said. People with expertise in bricklaying, civil engineering, signalling, telegraphy, track laying and carriage and wagon repairs should contact Mr Bottomley on 07899 987465.

Volunteers required for station work

By Louise Dunderdale Bournemouth Echo Monday 18th June 2007

http://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/search/display.var.1479726.0.volunteers_required_for_station_work.php

VOLUNTEERS working to restore Shillingstone Station are looking for sponsors and more help to step forward.

The group is returning the station to its 1950s heyday, aiming to have a train running again on a small section of track and will establish a museum on the site and offer refreshments to visitors.

Shillingstone Station, opened in 1863, is the only surviving station built by the Dorset Central Railway. It was the only one to have a canopy platform as King Edward VII used the station when he was a guest at Iwerne Minster House.

During the second world war, the railway was a vital link between the Midlands and the south, carrying supplies and ambulance trains.

The station closed to freight and goods in 1965 and to passengers in 1966.

Mike Rutter said volunteers are currently reconstructing the internal walls of the main station building.

He added: "Mains water awaits connection, enabling the toilets to be used for the first time since closure.

"Work on the track bed between the platforms is now also under way."

Tony Ward told the Daily Echo that volunteer Dennis Burgess, 79, has rebuilt one of the chimneys and repaired the sash windows so that they open.

The building has been completely re-roofed, and budlia has been taken out of the chimneys.

"We have now got to work on the inside," he said.

"We are desperately short of volunteers. It is the same core volunteers.

"Most people think they don't have the skills but have you ever dug the garden or done anything to the car?

"In that case, we need you. It's anything at all, from painting to carpentry to gardening work to being able to screw nails in."

The group has a shop open on Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday on the site selling memorabilia and will be attending the Gillingham Festival on July 15 and the Great Dorset Steam Fair in August for anyone who wants to get involved.

Or contact Tony Ward on 01258 860078.

RAIL BUFFS KEEP ALIVE A DREAM OF STEAM

Western Gazette - 31 January 2008

Shillingstone Railway Station is the only station built by the Dorset Central Railway to survive in the county.

Opened on 31 August 1863, the original steam trains carried passengers from Evercreech Junction to Bournemouth for more than 100 years until Dr Beeching closed the line in April 1966.

Used frequently by King Edward VII in the early 1900s and every day by Mike Oliver of Child Okeford during the 1940s and 50s, it provided a traffic-free link between Somerset and the south coast.

Mike caught the Pines Express at Shillingstone on his way to school in Blandford. His love of steam, forged in those early railway years, was instrumental in him starting the Great Dorset Steam Fair in 1969, which has grown to be one of the largest in the world.

The station fell into much disrepair and there was early talk of it being pulled down. But more recently a group of enthusiasts have transformed the derelict hulk into something approaching its former Victorian glory.

The Shillingstone Station Project, supported by North Dorset Railway Trust, has provided a shop and cafe on site and within the space of another year hopes to have an engine on the main line between the two platforms.

Railway enthusiast and shop manager Bob Smith spends as much free time on site as possible and along with fellow volunteers is preserving and recreating a glimpse into the glorious past of the railways.

He said: "The men, women and boys who come here have steam in their blood. It is a vocation, unpaid, unheralded and totally rewarding. From what you have shown me in that photograph taken in 2002 to what we have already achieved today looks unbelievable. I can hardly remember how derelict the whole place was and now we have people flooding down here every weekend to walk around and get a sense of the past.

"Steam was a great era, an era that made this country a world trading force and by recreating a small part of that time at Shillingstone we are saving some- thing very special for our children's children."

Tom Antell, whose family have been part of the village fabric for generations, is only 19 but spends his weekends helping to build the dream. His enthusiasm is contagious: "I love it down here. I am studying music at Poole College but the real music to my ears will be when I hear the hiss of steam as an engine rolls down the track again. It may be as early as next year and I want to be part of it."

Dennis Burgess, another Shillingstone man, is the perfectionist who recreated the crossing gates in the photograph. Shy and retiring, Dennis has also hand made the windows for the different buildings in the original Victorian style.

Mark Warr journeys up from New Milton in Hampshire to be part of the enterprise while Peter Dawson from Blandford takes charge of the painting.

Mike Clark of Southborne has negotiated to buy the Ruston Hornsby engine from the trust and is in the process of preparing it for use within a year.

An enthusiastic Mike said: "It will happen. The 1962 Ruston Hornsby is a tough old engine. It is 88hp and was used by Ransomes and Rapiers of Ipswich in their yard in Suffolk to haul finished agricultural machinery and components down to the main railway line for export or delivery to all parts of the UK. I am here four weekends a month and my partner Jane often accompanies me."

Part of the railway track is a designated cycleway and footpath used by hundreds of visitors from all over the country. The station is an added draw and is anticipated to become a major tourist attraction in the coming years. Bordered on one side by the River Stour and by the village on the other, it is probably the most idyllic railway station setting in the county.

The boys who do the restoration - having a well earned tea break!

RAILWAY STATION BACK ON TRACK

Western Gazette 17 July 2008

Shillingstone Station will be celebrating its reconnection to both a water and electricity supply at an open day on Sunday between 10am and 4pm.

Work is continuing on the restoration project which aims to see the disused station, once part of the Somerset & Dorset railway line, returned to its original state when it closed in the 1960s.For the open day there will be vintage vehicles, sales stands and craft stalls, and project leaders have invited representatives of North Dorset District and Dorset County Councils, both of which have given their support to the initiative.

STATION RESTORATION PROJECT BUILDS UP A HEAD OF STEAM

Western Gazette 24 July 2008

The hard work of the Shillingstone Station Project to restore the Somerset & Dorset line station to its former glory were on public display on Sunday.

Visitors to an open day could view progress on the restoration and support it by buying rail memorabilia, bric-a-brac and other goods, while youngsters had their faces painted and climbed aboard the station's restored diesel shunter.  The locomotive, obtained from the North Norfolk railway in August last year, has now been fully restored in the Somerset & Dorset livery of Prussian blue.

Project manager Bill Munden and general secretary David Mouser, who has succeeded the late Syd Howlett, were on hand to explain to visitors how the project is progressing, with its latest milestone of being re-connected to the mains, in terms of its water and electricity supply.

The station was closed when the line shut down in the 1960s and was falling into a state of dereliction when a trust was formed to lease the premises from Dorset County Council and restore it as a tourist attraction.

Vice chairman Keith Bottomley said: "We now have a fully operational museum, shop and waiting room, to which we will be putting the final touches with a Brief Encounter refreshment facility that will boost much-needed income and complement the shop.

"Our planning application is with North Dorset District Council to cover the remaining structures on the project; the restoration shed, signal box, down platform shelter and platelayers hut."

He said there had been a temporary setback with heritage grants after the rules and format for documentation were changed, but specialists were being employed to take their application forward.

He paid tribute to the project's oldest volunteer, Dennis Burgess, who celebrated his 80th birthday this year and has led a band of fellow volunteers in replacing walls, chimney breasts and ceilings.

Although the diesel 9F shunter is now in full working order, it is unable to turn a wheel until volunteers have been trained and qualified in the necessary skills. Members will be meeting next month to formulate plans for certification.

Two engines, Mr Bottomley's own 92207 Morning Star and the 72010 Hengist, are awaiting restoration, and it is hoped work can be carried out in the summer to lay out the restoration shed area and complete the shed.

The station is now open 10am-4pm on Wednesdays, Saturday and Sundays.

Station on Show at Shillingstone

BVM 8th August 2008 Pictures by Sue Deegan

The Shillingstone Station Project held an Open Day in July at the beautifully part ­restored Shillingstone Station.

Back on Track

Dorset Magazine November 2008

Slowly rising from the ruins of Beeching’s plan to ‘save’ the railways in the 1960s, Shillingstone Station, which was first opened on 31st August 1863, is unique amongst country stations. The casual observer, distracted by the picturesque views over the River Stour to Hambledon Hill, might not even notice the elegant canopy that shelters passengers from inclement weather. But Shillingstone is the only Somerset & Dorset Railway country station to have one.* Why? We’ll come to that later.

When District Council Leader Angus Campbell addressed the crowd which had assembled for the dancing and barbecue at Shillingstone Recreation Ground’s Festival last June, many of the assembled populace had just cycled, walked or ridden the three-mile stretch of the North Dorset Trailway from Sturminster Newton to get there. The celebration was to mark the completion of the Trailway by the opening of the remaining link at Hammoon. All of the travellers had been applauded as they passed through Shillingstone Station, where rebuilding, painting and maintenance was going on apace.

But, to begin at the beginning, after closure of this Somerset & Dorset Railway branch line in 1966, the Shillingstone track was taken up in 1967 and Dorset Council took over the land, intending to earmark it for a future bypass. At that time, Corfe Castle was third on the ‘Bypass List’. As we know, wheels of Government grind extremely slowly, so Corfe Castle is still waiting and Shillingstone is currently languishing at Number 35 on the list. However, these same slowly-grinding wheels resulted in Dorset Council deciding to sell the land in 2002 for the benefit of Shillingstone, but definitely not for housing.

Following an earlier attempt to raise people’s enthusiasm in 1988, Sid Howlett roped in Bill Munden, a lifetime railway man, and a couple of other devotees. They managed to secure a 99-year lease on the station and 500 metres of track bed, but work was rather piecemeal at the start and all of their funding had to come from voluntary contributions. Then, in 2007, a Planning Application went in for station restoration and for building an engine shed, with the additional benefit to Shillingstone of employment to local bricklayers, woodworkers, electricians and plumbers.

If the application is successful, and a projected initial grant of £50,000 is received, further Lottery funding is a distinct possibility and work on Phase 1 can begin in earnest. This will involve laying a double track between the two platforms and linking to the sidings. They’re also planning to introduce a buffet car for replenishing the many visitors to the Station Project. But, even now, there is already plenty to see at Shillingstone. Work is still progressing on restoring the impressive ‘Morning Star’ locomotive, but Mike and Dave Clark and Jane have bought a Ruston Hornsby industrial diesel shunter from a North Norfolk Heritage Railway Group and had it moved to Shillingstone. This locomotive will shortly be operational and showing off its repainted Prussian Blue livery.

Following the sad death of Sid Howlett, current operations are organised by the committee comprising Vice-chairman Keith Bottomley, Press Officer Tony Ward, General Secretary David Mouser, Bill Munden and Mark Warr. The whole project is fascinating, and there will always be somebody willing to tell you all about it. The Shillingstone Station Project is supported by the North Dorset Railway Trust and, if you’re interested, you can become a member, receive the regular newsletter and get involved in the restoration work.

Oh, I nearly forgot to tell you about that canopy. Well, the future King Edward VII sometimes came to visit Iwerne Minster House, where Lillie Langtry was already installed and awaiting his arrival. He always disembarked at Shillingstone Station and, obviously, the royal personage couldn’t be allowed exposure to any inclement Dorset weather, so the ornate canopy was erected to protect him. It’s still there, and it’s quite resigned to sheltering the hoi polloi these days.

So steam down to Shillingstone Station any Wednesday, Saturday or Sunday between 10am and 4pm, walk in the king’s footsteps and see what else is going on. You’ll find Shillingstone Station is behind St Patricks Industrial Estate in Station Road, off the A357 at the north end of Shillingstone. Telephone the station on (01258 860696 or visit their website).

Thanks to Graham Rains, Shillingstone’s Footpath Liaison Officer, and rock guitarist extraordinaire, for the initial introduction to the Station Project.

Have you any recollections of the station in its working day that you would like to share with us?  If so, you can relate them via our forum at www.dorsetmagazine.co.uk

Shillingstone Station back on track

Blackmore Vale Magazine 23 January 2009

photos from the website collection

WORK is well under way on a £1million project that could become a popular tourist attraction in North Dorset.

One of the only remaining stations on the old Somerset and Dorset Railway at Shillingstone has been restored from a derelict shell to early 1960s condition and the North Dorset Railway Trust now plans to lay 1,000 metres of track to run engines.

Derek Boit, trust chairman, explained how the trust was preserving the station, which is leased from North Dorset District Council and was once hidden in undergrowth, to create an attraction that is similar to the East Somerset Railway at Cranmore near Shepton Mallet.

He said that once the tracks were laid a diesel shunter could run along them and, in time, perhaps a steam engine.

Volunteers have cleared undergrowth and repaired the main station building, and are now hoping to secure cash to rebuild the platform and put down rails through the station on the course of the old railway.

Shillingstone Station was opened on 31st August 1863 by the Dorset Central Railway and is the last surviving station built by that company. King Edward VII even visited on several occasions.

“This will be the only site in Dorset where standard gauge trains will again run over the old S&D mainline,” said Derek.

A signal-box that was demolished in 1967 will be recreated and the trust is seeking grants from various funding sources to build an engine shed and workshop.

But one woman is not so sure about the project.  Jane Fox, who regularly walks along the old railway line, says the once tranquil village beauty spot has been turned into a building site.

“I’ve lived in Shillingstone for 10 years and enjoyed the lovely peaceful walks that are just outside my door,” she said. “The station was always a pretty place to pass, it looked peaceful and quiet, and we could walk along the platform and peer in through the windows and imagine how it would have been before it was closed.

“The whole station has been enclosed by a grim grey metal fence and bits of orange safety fence and white tape. Piles of rubble, bonfires, diggers, chainsaws and men in hard hats are now all part of the scenery.”

She said the newly repaired station building looked “awkward” and “lonelier” that it did before it was restored.

She was particularly concerned about the felling of many trees surrounding the station and wanted to know why somewhere villagers enjoyed walking had been invaded.

“I am unspeakably sad, frustrated and angry about this,” she added. “Whose vision of beauty is this?  I walk along there in the morning and can’t bear to look at it.”

Mr Boyt said: “It does look like a building site because we are doing things and the trees were taken down to allow engines to run along that side.”

The trust is asking anyone with track to spare, in however worn condition, to contact Derek at derek.maple_row@btopenworld.com. To find out more visit www.shillingstone-station-project.co.uk.

This article sparked a number of letters of support - for which we are very grateful and a comment on the website.

http://www.thisisdorset.co.uk/westerngazette/news/Shillingstone-station-track/article-636041-detail/article.html?cacheBust=4hDy9gAUiFLT#community

I read with incredulity the remarks by Jane Fox on the work being carried out by volunteers on the Shillingstone Station Project in last week's BVM.

We took the opportunity last Sunday to walk our Daughter's dog from the Station along the track, before returning to update ourselves on the work carried out by the enthusiasts who are striving to raise funds to complete the work sooner rather than later.

I can remember when the Station was in a sorry mess and facing demolition. Does it not cross Ms Fox's mind that without this project the industrial estate may have been extended on to the site? If this scenario had come to pass no doubt Ms Fox would have been complaining about the noise and increase in traffic?

If Ms Fox wants to see the area pristine then I am sure the Trust Chairman would welcome Ms Fox as a Volunteer to finish the work sooner rather than later! Roy Roberts, Okeford Fitzpaine thank for your support!

Letters from the Blackmore Vale Magazine dated Friday 30 January 2009

Encouragement not criticism

Following your Village and Vale article of 23rd January on the plight of small rural communities, I read with amazement the complaint about the restoration work at Shillingstone Station. Presumably the complainant’s own house was also once a building site to provide housing, but this is apparently lost on her. In this case a team of unpaid volunteers is devoting time and money to restore a small part of England’s heritage. Once completed, it will look magnificent and provide walkers on the North Dorset Trailway with an attractive diversion and at the same time, food for thought on our fast disappearing heritage. Please don’t criticise, as this is a body blow to those volunteers, but encourage them by lending a hand and seeing that completion date come closer.

Neil Salmen, Winterborne Whitechurch  thank for your support!

I would like to respond to the comments made by Jane Fox in the article about Shillingstone Station. Whilst I would uphold with my last breath her right to live where she likes and hold her own opinions, she should not come here and. criticise people who live and whose families have lived here for generations and who are trying to do something positive for the community. If she does not like what she sees at the station site, why doesn’t she take some of the other lovely walks she says and I know are just outside her door.

Having lived here only ten years she cannot have know what an important asset the railway was to the locality until it was closed by the “wisdom” of Parliament, thereby forcing me to abandon a railway career and causing hardship to local people and chaos on the roads of which she as a resident of Shillingstone must surely be aware. Given time the restoration of the site will be finished and everyone will be able to enjoy Shillingstone Station in all its glory with gardens, lawns and flower beds for which it was once famous and made it the winner of Southern Region’s “Best Kept Small Station” Award many times. The volunteers who are doing this work should be praised and helped not put down and hindered. Supporting their efforts will enable them to recreate a little of what England and this beautiful county was like before the world went mad and swept everything away that conflicted with modern thinking.

,As an ex-British Railway signalman on the Somerset & Dorset line I find these comments most unhelpful to a dedicated band of people who are trying to re-open a station, albeit for pleasure and show purposes only, on a line that should never have been closed. I write this on behalf of all the railwaymen and women who worked the line from Bath to Bournemouth, of whom there are very few left.

John Cluett, Shaftesbury thank for your support!

I could not agree more with Jane Fox’s comments regarding the restoration of Shillingstone Station. How dare the volunteers restore the station for future generations to enjoy when they could have left it to fall down and be unrecognisable for what it is — part of the village's history. Even more disgraceful is the time and money spent on improving the Trailway. What a waste! I have even seen whole families enjoying the walk between Shillingstone and Sturminster Newton. Have they nothing better to do? Over the ten years I have lived in Shillingstone I can recall even more examples of time, effort and money being wasted. There was the new footbridge over the Stour, refurbishment of the tennis courts, renovation of the village hall and, worst of all, the use of the recreation ground on August Bank Holiday for the village sports day. The organisers even raise money for local causes. Have the residents nothing better to do with their time?

I suggest Jane Fox accepts being part of a village is about being inclusive, participating and catering for different needs.

Dorset Year Book 2009

article thanks to Richard

Copies may be obtained from: Ottakars, Smiths, Touts (Portland) or direct from Sherrens Printers (Weymouth) Price £6.00
 

There must be many amongst us can still recall catching the 12.32 1mm Sturminster Newton passing though Stalbridge, Henstridge, Templecombe, Cole, Wincanton and Evercreech Junction and to stations beyond, up into the Mendip Hills before descending through the tunnels and valleys into Bath.

Here, south of the Somerset border there still remain many signs of the route of this much loved railway line as it curves through the Stour valley southwards from Sturminster, passing Shillingstone and Stourpaine, crossing and recrossing the meandering Stour. forced into close proximity to road and river at the bottleneck by Durweston bridge, before it clings to the gentle curve around the wide valley at White Cliff Hill by Bryanston House and enters Blandford through a shallow cutting.

My memory of the railway in action is limited to recollecting meeting the train at Sturminster Newton to collect a passenger who had travelled from the far north, not quite to our doorstep, but only a few miles from it. Since closure. I have always been vet) aware of the former railways presence, for instance, the coach route to Bournemouth winds along twisting country roads but the old track slices through hills, hugs the sides of the river valley and curves gently along its way.

“Station Road’ is still a name in many of the villages along the line even though the line and the station are long gone. People fondly remember the “Pines Express”, or the time in the winter of 1962 when during the deep snow, the only form of transport moving was the railway.

And then came the Beeching era. It s claimed the line was intentionally run down, neglected purposely by the BR Western Region so that closure became the only rational conclusion. Sadly, after the end in 1966. the tracks were removed, the track bed then was neglected or sold off, river bridges demolished and one by one, some of those delightful humped back road bridges that crossed the track were removed when they reached the point at which it was more economic to demolish rather than repair.

The cutting at Sturminster has been filled, and the river bridge there long gone. The viaduct at Blandford is mostly removed and only a sad crumbling section remain Other sections along the line have become rods. trackways arid trading estates or ploughed up after the stone bed has been caned away and used as hardcore.

Not all is entirely lost. Thanks to the wonders of modern science, the line can be followed easily via computer on the GoogleEarth’ website which shows us ourselves as photographed by satellite and in rather too much detail. Enthusiasts can start the journey at Bournemouth West and ravel the entire route to Bath Green Park by steadily following the humps, bumps and shadows. bridges etc that indicate the route. If you wish to make the journey easier, the line is highlighted on a version of GoogleEarth which can be accessed via a link on the website of the Somerset and Dorset Railway Heritage Trust.

For those who wish to turn an interest into a hobby, visit and support the Shillingstone Station project. Here, the station building has somehow survived (almost uniquely along the Dorset section of the line) and committed enthusiasts are relaying lengths of track and have acquired a diesel shunter and a steam locomotive.

Further up over the Mendips towards Bath. enthusiasts at Midsomer Norton have brought the station back to life and this is the home base of the Somerset and Dorset Railway Heritage Trust. Slightly confusingly there is also a Somerset and Dorset Railway Trust based in Washford. Somerset with relics and exhibits of the old S&DJR. All three interests are however acting in unison.

If your enthusiasm and commitment runs even deeper, the Somerset and Dorset Railway Heritage Trust site also ores a link to a petition to No lb Downing Street calling on the Prime Minister to release funds to rebuild the S&DJR. The deadline for signatures is the 16th April 2008, there were over 500 signatures by February. Realistically and of course sadly, such a wonderful notion will probably remain for the time being, at least, a dream.

"Early Christmas present" for historic North Dorset station

Bournemouth Echo - by By Timothy John 28th October 2009

An “early Christmas present” has been delivered to volunteers at a historic railway in North Dorset.

Volunteers at the Shillingstone Station project received an unexpected gift of £1,000 from supporters, Jan and Michel L’Hours.

The couple, who run businesses on the Isle of Wight, are regular visitors to the station, calling in to admire progress on the restoration project whenever they visit the mainland.

Operations director, William Munden, said the donation was an early Christmas present for the station, adding that he could not thank Jan and Michel enough.