Westbury Excl to Reading
N.B. Westbury is 95.5 miles from Paddington
N.B. Westbury is 95.5 miles from Paddington
Edington and Bratton Closed 25th November 1963
The station at Edington opened for goods traffic on 29 July 1900, a month before passenger trains were allowed to use the line. The village of Bratton is about 1.5 miles (2 km) distant. A brick building containing the main facilities stood on the westbound platform and a waiting shelter was provided for passengers travelling eastwards. The goods shed was to the west of the main building. Passenger trains no longer called after 3 November 1952 and the buildings were demolished, but the goods shed and yard remained open for traffic until 25 March 1963. The site is now an industrial estate.
The station at Edington opened for goods traffic on 29 July 1900, a month before passenger trains were allowed to use the line. The village of Bratton is about 1.5 miles (2 km) distant. A brick building containing the main facilities stood on the westbound platform and a waiting shelter was provided for passengers travelling eastwards. The goods shed was to the west of the main building. Passenger trains no longer called after 3 November 1952 and the buildings were demolished, but the goods shed and yard remained open for traffic until 25 March 1963. The site is now an industrial estate.
Lavington 87 miles from Paddington. Closed 7th March 1960
The main building was on the westbound platform and a waiting room was built on the eastbound. The goods yard (in use from 29 July 1900) was at the southwest of the station and the West signal box was opposite. A second East signal box on the south side of the line was open from about 1903 to 1914, when it was removed to allow the platforms to be lengthened. The first signal box was retained for occasional use after the station closed until 1979. The goods yard closed on 3 April 1967 and a scrapyard now occupies the site. Courtesy Wikipedia.
Patney and Chirton 81 miles from Paddington. Closed 18th April 1966
Moving from quite recently we go back to the 18th April 1966 when the Devizes branch closed to traffic.

Patney and Chirton the last train ever off the Devizes branch crosses over onto the GW up main. The 70 lever signalbox with the Devizes branch being controlled by an electric key token. 16th April 1966 The goods yard here closed on the 19th May 1966 and the signalbox closed on the 6th July 1966. Copyright Keith Jenkin

The last passenger to alight at Patney and Chirton obviously an enthusiast doesn't seem interested in the departing train. 16th April 1966 Copyright Keith Jenkin. The disused buffer stop at the extreme left of this view was once at the end of a siding installed in 1909 and used for military traffic.
For more coverage of the Devizes branch on a special section - please click here.
Woodborough 78.25 miles from Paddington. Closed 18th April 1966
Woodborough station was some 78 and a quarter miles from London Paddington was opened in 1862 The station closed to passengers on the 18th April 1966 and to goods on the 15th August 1966.
There were up and down platforms both which were some 100 yards long and started immediately to the west of a substantial road overbridge which served a road connection to the north for the hamlet of Woodborough which recently had a population of about 900. The up platform boasted a signalbox,
Passenger accommodation comprised of a small shelter on the up side with a more substantial building not unlike that at Pewsey which incidentally was also on the down side.
The station has loops approximately 900 yards long on both the up and down sides they leave and join their respective the main lines about 110 yards west of the overbridge. There is a trailing cross over between the up and down main lines located some 45 yards west from the road overbridge.
The down loop is simply just that, a refuge. However the up loop has a trailing point at the east end leading to two sidings each of about two hundred yards in length.
There were up and down platforms both which were some 100 yards long and started immediately to the west of a substantial road overbridge which served a road connection to the north for the hamlet of Woodborough which recently had a population of about 900. The up platform boasted a signalbox,
Passenger accommodation comprised of a small shelter on the up side with a more substantial building not unlike that at Pewsey which incidentally was also on the down side.
The station has loops approximately 900 yards long on both the up and down sides they leave and join their respective the main lines about 110 yards west of the overbridge. There is a trailing cross over between the up and down main lines located some 45 yards west from the road overbridge.
The down loop is simply just that, a refuge. However the up loop has a trailing point at the east end leading to two sidings each of about two hundred yards in length.

Woodborough july 1968 Copyright Doug Nicholls - Copyright Note the platforms have been partially cleared away but their extent is clearly visible. Also note the trailing crossover and the commencement of the loops. The signalmans car stands in front of the redundant good shed. The signalman is visible leaning out of the nearest window beyond the box can be seen a point leading to a short siging on which a track machine is standing. There are now two 200 yard long sidings served by this point.
A little more on Woodbough Courtesy Guy Vincent.
On the 10th November 2020 Guy Vincent wrote :- I was very interested in Doug Nicholls archive pictures of Woodborough this morning. The station was, quite literally in the middle of nowhere and the site remains so today with few signs of habitation nearby. In July 2012 I visited the area as loco 59102 had been removed from a loaded eastbound stone train due to a seized axle bearing and left in the up loop pending recovery. At that time a length of GWR spear-tipped fencing remained on the right (up) side. Also notice the footpath crossing the line at the entrance/exit of the loops. This was removed in 2014 and replaced at great expense by a large metal footbridge. Photo taken from the rear of a (Pilton Festival) Castle Cary-bound Turbo I was on in June 2014.
Also, from the loft a copy of a GWR blueprint dated 18.02.1944 for rebuilding the signal box. This was bought in an auction lot of old S&T paperwork many years ago. The box closed on 20 January 1979 when Reading panel box assumed control of the area, around the same time the down loop was extended and this is used daily by freight and engineers trains to allow fast west country services to pass.
Best wishes. Guy Vincent
Also, from the loft a copy of a GWR blueprint dated 18.02.1944 for rebuilding the signal box. This was bought in an auction lot of old S&T paperwork many years ago. The box closed on 20 January 1979 when Reading panel box assumed control of the area, around the same time the down loop was extended and this is used daily by freight and engineers trains to allow fast west country services to pass.
Best wishes. Guy Vincent
Manningford Halt 76.75 miles from Paddington. Closed 18th April 1966.
Manningford Halt is a former railway station which opened in 1932 in Manningford parish, Wiltshire, England on the Berks and Hants Extension Railway .
Pewsey 75.25 miles from Paddington.
Wooton Rivers Halt 72.5 miles from Paddington. Closed 18th April 1966.
Wotton Rivers Halt is a former station in Wooton Rivers, Wiltshire on the Reading to Taunton line. The station opened at the south end of the village in 1928 and closed in 1966. Quote from Wikipedia.

This map shows the route from Wooton Rivers Halt through to Newbury. Note at Savernake the low and high level stations separated by only a 100 yards or so. After Wootton Rivers halt we are joined closely by the Kennett & Avon Canal which is climbing by a series of locks to pass under the railway by means of the 502 yard Bruce tunnel. The railway reaches a summit at Savernake. The two lines towards Marlborough faced further climbs. The GWR branch terminated at Marlborough whereas the M & S.W route continued on past Swindon. Copyright Keith Jenkin.
Savernake (Low level) 70 miles from Paddington. Closed 18th April 1966

Difficult to believe but here we are at Savernake Low Level once a busy little station.
We see 59204 with the 6l21 Whatley climbing to the summit. It's Wednesday 14th June 2017. The station here closed to passengers on the 18th April 1968 and closed to goods on 19th May 1964. The station was just about here and the line to Marlborough which was closed on the 11th September 1961 turned away to the right. Copyright Roger Geach
The Crofton Pumping Engine near Bedwyn
Many thanks to Roger Aston for the above four views.

59004 seen here at Crofton obviously with power on climbing the bank towards Savernake with the Allington to Whatey empties. Wednesday 14th June 2017. Copyright Roger Geach. On the Kennet and Avon canal the skipper of the barge patiently waits while his mate goes to close the second gate - oh happy days.
Bedwyn 66.5 miles from Paddington
Followed by walking the Kennet & Avon Canal footpath from Bedwyn Station to Little Bedwyn etc
Followed by walking the Kennet & Avon Canal footpath from Bedwyn Station to Little Bedwyn etc
This steam is taken about one mile out of Great Bedwyn heading towards Crofton Pumping engines on the Crofton road from Bedwyn and beside the canal. It is past Mill Bridge and not far from where Brail Farm is on the Hill . It is about half a mile still further on to Crofton roughly.
Glad you like it. No hurry with these as when you have time. They did a good job getting the canal restored. RG
Glad you like it. No hurry with these as when you have time. They did a good job getting the canal restored. RG
Hungerford 61.5 miles from Paddington
Kintbury 58.5 miles from Paddington
Newbury Racecourse Station
Thatcham 49.5 Miles from Paddington.
Midgham 46.75 miles from Paddington.
Aldermaston 44.75 miles from Paddington.
Theale 41.25 miles from Paddington.
Reading West 37 miles from Paddington.
Reading 36 miles from Paddington.