Once-lost West Country railway goes under TV spotlight after fading into history
The historic railway line that once linked Bath and Bournemouth is set to be thrust back into the limelight, 58 years after its closure. It will feature in a major new documentary, Abandoned Railways From Above, which premieres on Channel 4 tonight (Saturday September 21).
Originally opened in the mid-19th Century, the Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway spanned from Bath, through the West Country, right down to the south coast. Known for its rural route, it wound through the rolling hills around Bath, capturing the public's fascination with its unique charm.
However, the line began to decline in the 1950s and was eventually closed in 1966. This left its winding tracks, stunning architecture and fascinating stories to slowly fade into history until now.
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The first instalment of the new six-part series, Abandoned Railways From Above, delves exclusively into the history of the Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway. Often remembered as one of Britain's most cherished lines, it reveals its past against the backdrop of some of the nation's most picturesque countryside.
The programme kicks off at Bath Green Park station the end point for the abandoned line, which has since been repurposed into a bustling retail and events hub.
Talking about the iconic station, which was opened 30 years after Bath Spa and was designed to emulate the city’s Georgian splendour, the venue’s Property & Market Manager, Charles Beer, tells the programme: “It was said that whenever you came into Green Park station, there was always a steam train billowing smoke up into the roof which would’ve filled up, giving the place lots of atmosphere.
“Although it was a terminus building, it was nothing like Paddington or Waterloo. It only had two lines coming in and would’ve been small but really bustling and full of people.
“During the 1950s, when holidaymakers would’ve been travelling down to the south coast, the station would’ve been packed with people and trains would’ve been coming in and out. It would’ve been a very, very busy place.
“But for the rest of the year, it was just a small commuter train serving the local counties.”
The programme’s production team were also given exclusive access to the underground vault that runs the length and breadth of Green Park station and is the only part of the building where rails remain. When the station was operational, the area was used as a bonded warehouse for storing Scotch.
Abandoned Railways From Above, which is a co-production between Rumpus Media and High Rock Media, will also take viewers through smoke-filled tunnels and across vast viaducts on the approach to Midsommer Norton, where Julian Peters – the son of the famed railway photographer, Ivo Peters – discusses how his father’s work made the line world famous.
At Winsor Hill, the programme uncovers a tragic secret and highlights the role that the hand-cut tunnels played in the development of Concorde, while at Blandford Forum, viewers will be shown the remains of its viaduct, which was spectacularly blown up in 1978.
Abandoned Railways From Above airs on Channel 4 at 8:25pm on Saturday 21 September and will be available on Channel 4’s streaming service.