Ledbury and Gloucester Railway

The Ledbury and Gloucester Railway, (also known as the Daffodil Line), was a railway line in Herefordshire and Gloucestershire, England, running between Ledbury and Gloucester. It opened in 1885 and closed in 1964.^[1]

A bridge carrying a minor road over the railway trackbed near Rudford church

v t e Ledbury and Gloucester Railway
Legend
For canal icons used below, please refer to waterways legend instead. Cotswold Line Ledbury Ledbury Tunnel Hereford Road Skew Bridge Ledbury Town Halt A449 River Leadon Greenway Halt Preston Brook B4215 Dymock Four Oaks Halt Ell Brook Newent B4215 Malswick Halt B4215 Barbers Bridge Gloucester–Newport line Over Junction River Severn Alney Island Gloucester Docks branch River Severn Gloucester and Sharpness Canal Gloucester Cathedral Gloucester Central Gloucester Eastgate Tuffley Loop Cross Country Route to Bristol Cross Country Route to Birmingham

History

Most of the line followed the route of the southern section of the Herefordshire and Gloucestershire Canal, which was inaugurated in 1798.

Construction and opening

Newent Railway Act 1878
Act of Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Long title	An Act for extending the time for the completion of the Newent Railway; and for other purposes.
Citation	41 & 42 Vict. c. xx
Dates
Royal assent	16 April 1878
Text of statute as originally enacted

Ross and Ledbury Railway Act 1878
Act of Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Long title	An Act for extending the time for the completion of the Railway No. 3 authorised by the Ross and Ledbury Railway Act, 1873; and for other purposes.
Citation	41 & 42 Vict. c. xxi
Other legislation
Amends	Ross and Ledbury Railway Act 1873
Text of statute as originally enacted

After a period of financial struggle, the canal was leased to the Great Western Railway (GWR) in 1863. Conversion to a railway began in 1881^[2] The railway was built by two companies: the Newent Railway and the Ross and Ledbury Railway. Colonel F. H. Rich inspected the line in July 1885, and it officially opened on 27 July.^[3] The GWR operated the railway, eventually merging with both smaller companies via the Great Western Railway Act 1892 (55 & 56 Vict. c. ccxxxiii).^[4]

Closure

The line closed to passenger traffic in 1959, with the Dymock to Gloucester section remaining open to goods traffic until 1964.^[2]

Route

The line followed a south and then south-easterly route between Ledbury railway station and Gloucester Central railway station, it joined the Gloucester to Newport Line at Over Junction.^[5] Stations were established at Ledbury Town Halt, Greenway Halt, Dymock, Four Oaks Halt, Newent, Malswick Halt, and Barbers Bridge. Notably, a skew bridge that carried the line over Hereford Road in Ledbury remains in use as part of the Ledbury Town Trail footpath.^[6][7]

References

1. Historic England. "Gloucester and Ledbury Branch Railway (113567)". Research records (formerly PastScape). Retrieved 23 July 2020.
2. "Ledbury Transport History". Barry harples. Archived from the original on 19 June 2016. Retrieved 23 July 2020.
3. "The Gloucester to Ledbury Branch". www.steamindex.com. Archived from the original on 4 March 2015. Retrieved 2 February 2015.
4. MacDermot, E T (1931). History of the Great Western Railway. Vol. 2 (1863-1921) (1 ed.). London: Great Western Railway.
5. Stan Yorke, Lost Railways of Gloucestershire, 2009, ISBN 978-1-84674-163-0
6. "SO7038 : Old railway bridge, Ledbury". Geograph. Archived from the original on 13 October 2012. Retrieved 19 September 2009.
7. "Photo by D. J. Norton, Ledbury". Archived from the original on 23 December 2008. Retrieved 18 September 2009.

51.9434°N 2.4333°W / 51.9434; -2.4333