Midsomer Norton railway station

Midsomer Norton railway station (originally Midsomer Norton, later Midsomer Norton and Welton, then Midsomer Norton Upper and finally Midsomer Norton South) was a station on the Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway between Bath Green Park and Shepton Mallet. It served the town of Midsomer Norton. The station was immortalised in 1964 in the song "Slow Train" by Flanders and Swann. It closed in 1966 with the closure of the S&DJR under the Beeching Axe.

The S&DJR station was on a fairly steep slope which took the railway up from the valley floor at Radstock into the Mendips, heading south to the summit of the line at Masbury. It had extensive gardens which were cultivated by the station staff and won many prizes. The station buildings are still well-preserved.

Midsomer Norton and Welton was also the later name of a second station (originally just Welton) on the Great Western Railway line from Bristol to Frome via Radstock (originally the Bristol & North Somerset Railway). This station was in the valley at Welton. It closed to passengers in 1959 with the closure of the line to passenger traffic, and to goods in 1964, and has now been demolished.

Somerset & Dorset Railway Heritage Trust

The Somerset & Dorset Railway Heritage Trust now runs a museum at Midsomer Norton Station.^[1]

References

External links

• http://www.disused-stations.org.uk/
• http://somersetanddorset.blogspot.com/ New Somerset and Dorset Railway blogsite (unofficial)
• Station on navigable O.S. map