Newspaper & Magazine Articles

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.

From the demise of the old railway Michael was convinced that there was enough interest to form a club for steam enthusiasts. Michael would be secretary. The new club was named the Dorset Steam and Historic Vehicle Club and had its first gathering in a small field at Shaftesbury where three or four steam traction engines and a few old vintage cars and bits and pieces were on display. The field was owned by Mr. Ted Hines, who was also the owner of the superbly restored Showman’s steam engine ‘Quo Vadis’.

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 Shillingstone project is backed by representatives from a number of local businesses as well as by individual enthusiasts, and it has worldwide membership. They are keen to know how much other support there is for a return of the railway - or at least a part of it. Membership, which costs £10 a year (£6 for under16s and £15 for families), includes access to all areas on open days and a chance to become actively involved in restoration work. For more information, contact the North Dorset Railway Trust membership secretary at P0 Box 88, Shaftesbury, Dorset, SP7 8TF.

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:

All services and fittings mentioned in these particulars have not been tested, and hence we cannot confirm they are in working order.

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.

He added that the authority has teamed up with North Dorset District Council to draw up a planning brief for the site and that interested parties including the North Dorset Railway Trust would be invited to enter a bid for the station.

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.”

The Shillingstone Station Project’s plans include renovation of the station buildings, to include a small museum, repair of the platforms, restoration of the station gardens, fencing, and the creation of a cycle path that will “enhance the site making it available to a wider public.” Their appeal states: “Please help us to restore this remarkable station, once part of the famous, much-loved and lamented Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway, to a pristine condition. It is an outstanding example of a typical busy rural railway station of a bygone era, standing on a delightful site and set in idyllic and truly English countryside.”

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

You can also visit www.shilljngstonestationproj.fsnet.co.uk (old website now closed)

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.

Fears that the restoration would conflict with the North Dorset Railway cycle route along the old railway line were allayed at a meeting between interested parties, when countryside ranger Giles Nicholson, a spokesman for the Trailway, project, said he would be happy to work alongside the station project, provided the route was not compromised.

Going to Hogwarts with Milk Churns

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

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.