Evercreech Junction railway station

Evercreech Junction was a railway station at Evercreech on the Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway.

Evercreech Junction
Derelict station in September 1972
General information
Location	Evercreech, Mendip England
Grid reference	ST639366
Platforms	2
Other information
Status	Disused
History
Pre-grouping	Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway
Post-grouping	LMS / Southern Railway Western Region of British Railways
Key dates
3 February 1862	Opened as "Evercreech"
20 July 1874	Renamed "Evercreech Junction"
29 November 1965	Closed to goods
7 March 1966	Closed to passengers

Originally opened in 1862 as "Evercreech" on the original S&D line from Burnham-on-Sea to Broadstone, it became in 1874 the junction for the northwards extension towards Bath that bankrupted the company. A station opened on the Bath extension more than a mile to the north of Evercreech Junction, much nearer to the village of Evercreech, was called Evercreech Village, and later Evercreech New.

Highbridge branch train in 1962

The junction itself was to the north of the station, where there were also marshalling yards. Branch trains to and from Burnham and Highbridge started and finished at Evercreech in latter years. To the south of the station a level crossing carried the main A371 road across the line.

The former Railway Hotel, renamed after closure

In 1963 the station featured in "Branch Line Railway", a BBC documentary on the Joint Railway presented by John Betjeman. However, it was closed three years later along with the whole line as part of the Beeching axe. The station inn was renamed The Silent Whistle on the closure of the line.

Three years after closure

Today the residual station buildings are private homes, with the former station track bed forming their gardens. The former goods yard is a small industrial estate, while the station hotel was renamed again as The Natterjack in the 1970s.

External links

• https://web.archive.org/web/20070518103155/http://www.sdjr.net/locations/evercreech.html
• Station on navigable O.S. map
• Part one of "Branch Line Railway" on YouTube, showing the station as filmed in 1962.
• https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b03495yn/lets-imagine-a-branch-line-railway-with-john-betjeman

Preceding station	Historical railways			Following station
Cole (For Bruton) Line and station closed		Somerset & Dorset Joint Railway LSWR and Midland Railways Highbridge Branch		Pylle Line and station closed
		Somerset & Dorset Joint Railway LSWR and Midland Railway		Evercreech New Line and station closed

Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway
This diagram shows the maximum extent of the line. All distances and timings are cumulative from Bath Green Park railway station.
km   h:min 0.00 Bath Green Park originally Queen Square 0:00 Bridge over River Avon 0.40 Bath Goods Depot Coal-Gas Works 0.82 Mangotsfield and Bath branch line (MR) to Bristol Temple Meads │ to Mangotsfield 0:01 Great Western Main Line to Bristol Temple Meads │ to London 0:02 Devonshire Tunnel 0:04 Combe Down Tunnel 0:05 Tucking Mill Viaduct 0:06 7.02 Midford 0:10 Bristol and North Somerset Railway (GWR) to Limpley Stoke 0:11 10.88 Wellow 0:17 13.80 Shoscombe and Single Hill Halt 0:22 Writhlington Colliery sidings formerly Foxcote 0:23 17.14 Radstock North 0:26 Bristol and North Somerset Railway (GWR) to Frome 0:29 20.16 Midsomer Norton 0:35 Somerset & Dorset Railway Heritage Trust Chilcompton Tunnel 23.32 Chilcompton 0:44 27.46 Binegar 0:52 Summit 247 m above sea level 29.99 Masbury 0:56 81.73 Burnham-on-Sea 2:16 Bristol and Exeter Railway (GWR) to Bristol Temple Meads Windsor Hill Tunnel 78.92 Highbridge 2:11 Highbridge Locomotive, Carriage and Wagon Works 76.28 Bason Bridge 2:06 70.67 Edington Burtle 1:58 75.10 Cossington 2:04 77.37 Bawdrip Halt 2:09 67.17 Shapwick 1:52 64.09 Ashcott 1:47 Bridgwater Spinx Cement Works Bridgwater cement, lime, brick and tile Works 81.94 Bridgwater North 2:12 Bridgwater (GWR) Bristol and Exeter Railway (GWR) to Taunton 59.75 Glastonbury and Street 1:39 64.57 Polsham 1:47 Cheddar Valley line (GWR) to Yatton 68.60 Wells (Tucker Street) Charlton Viaduct 1:01 68.60 Wells (Priory Road) 1:53 35.16 Shepton Mallet (Charlton Road) 1:02 Shepton Mallet (High Street) 51.24 West Pennard 1:28 Cock Mill Crossing 45.79 Pylle 1:20 East Somerset Railway (GWR) to Witham 1:03 Prestleigh Viaduct 40.07 Evercreech New 1:10 42.04 Evercreech Junction 1:15 42.52 Evercreech Junction 1:16 Heart of Wessex Line & Reading–Taunton line (GWR) 1:23 46.99 Cole (for Bruton) 1:24 53.83 Wincanton 1:33 59.48 Templecombe 1:42 59.64 West of England line (LSWR) to Exeter Central │ to London 1:43 Tower View Common Lane & Depot Gartell Light Railway Pinesway Junction Park Lane 62.52 Henstridge 1:50 Somerset Dorset border 64.92 Stalbridge 1:55 71.31 Sturminster Newton 2:03 76.20 Shillingstone 2:10 North Dorset Railway (under construction)   Stourpaine and Durweston Halt 2:16 84.99 Blandford Forum 2:24 Blandford Camp 86.90 Charlton Marshall Halt 2:29 89.42 Spetisbury 2:34 94.83 Bailey Gate 2:42 Southampton and Dorchester Railway to Ringwood 102.88 Wimborne 2:53 97.69 Corfe Mullen Halt 2:49 102.51 Broadstone Junction 2:55 Broadstone Junction 2:57 Holes Bay 104.59 Creekmoor Halt 2:59 Backwater Channel Hamworthy Junction 3:02 South West Main Line (LSWR) to Weymouth Hamworthy (original station) now Hamworthy Goods Depot Poole Quay 108.03 Poole 3:03 110.96 Parkstone 3:13 113.07 Branksome 3:18 Branksome Junction Bournemouth West Junction Gasworks Junction Bournemouth Depot 3:20 115.03 Bournemouth West 3:23 Meyrick Park Halt Bournemouth Central 3:24 South West Main Line (LSWR) to London