Devizes railway station

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Devizes
Devizes station site geograph-3410640-by-Ben-Brooksbank.jpg
Site of the station in 1991
LocationDevizes, Wiltshire
England
Line(s)Devizes Branch Line
Platforms3
Other information
StatusDisused
History
Original companyWilts, Somerset and Weymouth Railway
Pre-groupingGreat Western Railway
Post-groupingGreat Western Railway
Key dates
1857Opened
1966Closed

Devizes railway station was the railway station serving Devizes in Wiltshire, England between 1857 and 1966. The station was on the Devizes branch line, between Pans Lane Halt and Bromham & Rowde.

Early plans[]

Devizes station around 1900

The idea of having a railway station in Devizes was first conceived in 1830 before the Great Western Railway (GWR) had begun to construct their main lines.[1] Devizes was regularly considered by the GWR as a main stop on its London to Bristol Line but lost out to Swindon due to its smaller population and lower growth rate. A station in Devizes was needed to support industry and agriculture in the town, as its only transport route was the Kennet and Avon Canal, opened in 1810.

A branch to Devizes was included in plans for the Wilts, Somerset and Weymouth Railway, authorised by Parliament in 1845, but that company was sold to the GWR in 1850.

West from Devizes[]

In 1854 the GWR finally began to build from near Holt Junction on the former WS&WR line eastward to Devizes, completing the branch in 1857.[2]

Devizes station opened on 1 July 1857. After starting with seven trains a day, services were reduced to four a day, most probably due to overinflated claims of traffic before the line was built.

East from Devizes[]

In 1862, the GWR extended its Reading-Hungerford line westward via Pewsey to Devizes, reaching the station through a tunnel under Devizes Castle. This began the busiest period for the station, with trains running from London through Devizes to either Bath and Bristol or the West Country.

Traffic on the line reduced from 1900 after the GWR opened the Stert and Westbury Railway between Patney and Chirton and Westbury, which by-passed the steep gradients of Devizes and provided a faster route from London.

Closure[]

The Devizes line and all its stations were closed in 1966 under the Beeching Axe; the track was taken up and the station buildings were later demolished.

Today there is little trace of a railway station in Devizes. The road bridge over the old Pans Lane Halt station and the footbridge at Devizes remain. The tunnel built under Devizes Castle has been bricked up at one end and is a commercial property at the other end (a shooting range as of 2011). In place of the station, there is now a public car park and a new property development, both on Station Road.

Future plans[]

In 2018, proposals were made for a station at Clock Inn Park, Lydeway, 2+1⁄2 miles (4 km) southeast of Devizes where the Reading–Taunton line is crossed by the A342 road.[3][4] In 2020 the project, referred to by some as Devizes Gateway,[5] received funding from the Department for Transport for a feasibility study.[6]

References[]

  1. ^ "Devizes and the Railway". www.devizesheritage.org.uk. Devizes Heritage. 3 May 2014. Archived from the original on 3 May 2014. Retrieved 23 January 2019.
  2. ^ Oakley, Mike (2004). Wiltshire Railway Stations. Wimbourne: The Dovecote Press. pp. 51–55. ISBN 1-904349-33-1.
  3. ^ Mills, Richard (31 January 2018). "Devizes' 52-year wait for train station could end". Wiltshire Gazette and Herald.
  4. ^ "Devizes Parkway". www.devizes.org.uk. Devizes Development Partnership. Retrieved 23 January 2019.
  5. ^ "Devizes Gateway". devizes.org.uk. Retrieved 25 January 2021.
  6. ^ Moore, Joanne (23 May 2020). "Devizes wins Government cash for train station project". The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald. Retrieved 1 August 2020.


Preceding station   Disused railways   Following station
Pans Lane Halt
Line and station closed 		  Great Western Railway
Devizes Branch Line 		  Bromham and Rowde Halt
Line and station closed

Coordinates: 51°21′08″N 1°59′57″W / 51.35231°N 1.9991°W / 51.35231; -1.9991

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