Chiseldon railway station

Chiseldon
Site of the station in 1984
General information
Location	England
Other information
Status	Disused
History
Original company	Swindon, Marlborough and Andover Railway
Pre-grouping	Midland and South Western Junction Railway
Key dates
27 July 1881	Opened
11 September 1961	Closed [1]
Location

v t e Railway lines in Swindon
Legend
Highworth branch line Great Western Main Line to London Stratton Stratton Park Halt Stratton St Margaret Works Midland & Sth Western Jn Rly to Cheltenham Midland & Sth Western Jn Rly to Southampton Hayes Knoll Chiseldon Camp Halt Blunsdon Chiseldon Taw Valley Halt Swindon Town Moredon Halt Swindon Moredon Power Station Rushey Platt Purton Golden Valley line Wootton Bassett Junction South Wales Main Line to Swansea Great Western Main Line to Bristol

Chiseldon railway station was on the Midland and South Western Junction Railway in Wiltshire.

History

The station opened on 27 July 1881 on the Swindon Town to Marlborough section of the Swindon, Marlborough and Andover Railway. In 1883, a northwards extension – the Swindon and Cheltenham Extension Railway – opened from Swindon Town to Cirencester, with further northward extension to a junction with the Great Western Railway's Cheltenham to Banbury line at Andoversford opening in 1891, enabling through trains from the Midlands to the south, through Chiseldon. The SM&AR and the S&CER had in 1884 amalgamated to form the M&SWJR. ^[2]

The station was on a curved section of track in the middle of the village of Chiseldon, and was for many years busy with both goods traffic, primarily agricultural, and passengers. In the First World War a long siding was built southward to a nearby army site, at first called Draycott Camp (though the nearest village to it is now spelt as Draycot Foliat) and later Chiseldon Camp. In the Second World War too the area was the site of considerable military activity, though by then a small halt, Chiseldon Camp Halt, had been built on the line about a mile south of Chiseldon station to serve the military.

As a whole, traffic on the M&SWJR fell steeply after the Second World War and the line closed to passengers in 1961, with goods facilities withdrawn from this section of the line at the same time. No trace of the station now remains.

Route

Preceding station	Disused railways			Following station
Swindon Town		Midland and South Western Junction Railway Swindon, Marlborough and Andover Railway		Chiseldon Camp Halt

References

1. Butt, R.V.J., (1995) The Directory of Railway Stations, Yeovil: Patrick Stephens
2. Wiltshire Railway Stations, Mike Oakley, Dovecote Press, Wimborne, 2004, ISBN   1-904349-33-1

51°31′01″N1°43′55″W / 51.51696°N 1.73195°W / 51.51696; -1.73195