The West Berkshire Historic Environment Record (HER) is the primary index of the physical remains of past human activity in the unitary authority of West Berkshire Council. Limited elements of the West Berkshire HER are available online via the Heritage Gateway, therefore it is not suitable for use in desk-based studies associated with development, planning and land-use changes, and does not meet the requirements of paragraph 194 of the National Planning Policy Framework (2021: 56). Please read
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Railway planned from 1873, and important during the Second World War, but closed by late 1960s
An illustrated guide to the railway <1> tells its history, dreamed up as a through route linking the Midlands and north of England with the port of Southampton. The Didcot, Newbury and Southampton Junction Railway Company was established in 1873 with great expectations, but it encountered many problems. The line played an important role during the Second World War, but by the 1950s was in financial difficulties. Complete closure came in 1964, and the track was lifted in 1967.
The section of railway line through West Berkshire is not shown on the First Edition Ordnance Survey mapping of 1880-81 <13> but had been mapped by the Second Epoch of 1899 <14>.
A botanical survey of the disused line in the 1980s <15> noted the cuttings, embankments and bridges between Tot Hill and Skinners Green.
Some elements of the railway line (bridges, cuttings, station buildings) have survived into the 21st century in West Berkshire; however much of the course of the railway through Enborne parish southwest of Newbury was used as the route of the Newbury Bypass, constructed in the 1990s.
Individual GIS lines have been drawn for the former stretches of railway track between stations that would have been within West Berkshire.
| <01> | Karau, P, Parson, M & Robertson, K. 1981. Didcot, Newbury & Southampton Railway. [Monograph / SWB12968] |
| <02> | 1981. Newbury Advertiser 21/07/1981. [Article in serial / SWB13541] |
| <03> | Money, W. 1905 & 1972. A Popular History of Newbury (also Walter Money's History of Newbury). p110. [Monograph / SWB11278] |
| <04> | 1999-2007. GWR Modelling - Didcot, Newbury and Southampton line. http://www.gwr.org.uk/nodns.html. Accessed 25/03/2008. http://www.gwr.org.uk/nodns.html. [Website / SWB147335]
http://www.gwr.org.uk/nodns.html (Accessed 02/04/2012) |
| <05> | White, H P (Edited by Thomas and Clinker). 1970. A Regional History of the Railways of Great Britain - Southern England. Vol 2 Southern England. [Monograph / SWB147754] |
| <06> | Ordnance Survey. 1960s-70s. Ordnance Survey Field Investigators Comments. F1 JGB 26-OCT-1982. [Personal observation / SWB14640] |
| <07> | Dils, J (ed). 1998. An Historical Atlas of Berkshire. p86-7 The railways of Berkshire by Brian Boulter. [Monograph / SWB13916] |
| <08> | Page and Ditchfield (eds). 1924. Victoria County History (VCH) Berks IV 1924. Vol 4. p87. [Monograph / SWB10281]
http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/berks/vol4 (Accessed 24/09/2015) |
| <09> | Mitchell, V & Smith, K. 1998. Didcot to Winchester. [Monograph / SWB148539] |
| <10> | Dils, J and Yates, M (ed). 2012. An Historical Atlas of Berkshire (2nd Edition). p106-107 The railways of Berkshire. [Monograph / SWB148708] |
| <11> | Simmonds, P. 2014. A history of the Berks and Hants line Reading to Westbury. [Monograph / SWB148853] |
| <12> | Greenaway, D and Ward, D (ed). 2003. In the Valley of the Pang. p161-167 The Didcot to Newbury Railway by Bill Peto. [Monograph / SWB14177] |
| <13> | Landmark. 1872-85. Digital Ordnance Survey Mapping Epoch 1, 1:2500 (25 inch). Digital. 1:2500. Not marked. [Map / SWB14341] |
| <14> | Landmark. 1899-1900. Digital Ordnance Survey Mapping Epoch 2, 1:2500 (25 inch). Digital. 1:2500. Marked 'Didcot, Newbury & Southampton Railway'. [Map / SWB14455] |
| <15> | Newbury District Field Club. 1983. TRANS NEWBURY DISTRICT FIELD CLUB 1983 VOL 13 NO 1. p10-14 A Botanical Survey of the Didcot, Newbury and Southampton Railway. [Article in serial / SWB12913] |
| <16> | McMahon, L and Mankin, D. 2000. The Story of Compton - A Berkshire Downland village. p58-61. [Monograph / SWB13952] |
| MWB21016 | Base pivot of Hampstead Norris station crane (Monument) |
| MWB20339 | Chapel Lane overbridge, Hermitage (Monument) |
| MWB20318 | Compton Crossing Cottage (Building) |
| MWB6118 | COMPTON TO CHURN RAILWAY LINE (Monument) |
| MWB20355 | Enborne Road overbridge, Newbury (Monument) |
| MWB20348 | Fishers House, Cold Ash (Building) |
| MWB20338 | Four Elms overbridge, Hampstead Norreys (Monument) |
| MWB6114 | HAMPSTEAD NORREYS TO COMPTON RAILWAY LINE (Monument) |
| MWB6111 | HERMITAGE TO HAMPSTEAD NORREYS RAILWAY LINE (Monument) |
| MWB6109 | HERMITAGE TO PINEWOOD RAILWAY LINE (Monument) |
| MWB20341 | Marlston Road underbridge, Hermitage (Monument) |
| MWB6107 | NEWBURY STATION TO HERMITAGE RAILWAY LINE (Monument) |
| MWB6119 | NEWBURY TO WOODHAY RAILWAY LINE (Monument) |
| MWB20344 | Red Shute Hill overbridge, Curridge (Monument) |
| MWB20317 | Site of Compton Crossing (Monument) |
| MWB20314 | Site of Compton goods shed (Monument) |
| MWB20315 | Site of Compton signal box (Monument) |
| MWB20362 | Site of Enborne Row underbridge (Monument) |
| MWB20361 | Site of Enborne Street overbridge (Monument) |
| MWB20347 | Site of Fisher's Lane Crossing (Monument) |
| MWB20354 | Site of Hambridge Road overbridge, Newbury (Monument) |
| MWB20320 | Site of Hampstead Norris signal box (Monument) |
| MWB20321 | Site of Hampstead Norris station footbridge (Monument) |
| MWB20343 | Site of Hermitage goods shed (Monument) |
| MWB20342 | Site of Hermitage signal box (Monument) |
| MWB20353 | Site of Kennet & Avon Canal underbridge, Newbury (Monument) |
| MWB20350 | Site of Kiln Road overbridge, Newbury (Monument) |
| MWB20316 | Site of level crossing at Railway Cottages, Compton (Monument) |
| MWB20346 | Site of level crossing near Cold Ash Farm (Monument) |
| MWB20345 | Site of level crossing near the Lamb Inn, Curridge (Monument) |
| MWB20352 | Site of London Road underbridge, Newbury (Monument) |
| MWB20351 | Site of River Lambourn underbridge, Newbury (Monument) |
| MWB20359 | Site of track overbridge in Redding's Copse, Enborne (Monument) |
| MWB20360 | Site of track overbridge south of Redding's Copse, Enborne (Monument) |
| MWB20312 | Site of track underbridge north of Compton (Monument) |
| MWB20417 | Site of Wash Water underbridge (Monument) |
| MWB20319 | Site of Water Street underbridge, Hampstead Norreys (Monument) |
| MWB20358 | Site of Wheatlands Lane underbridge, Enborne (Monument) |
| MWB20340 | Site of Yattendon Road underbridge, Hermitage (Monument) |
| MWB20356 | Skinners Green Lane overbridge (Monument) |
| MWB19716 | The Old Station House, Compton (Building) |
| MWB20349 | Track underbridge at Long Lane (Monument) |
| MWB20337 | Track underbridge near Hatchgate Cottage, Hampstead Norreys (Monument) |
| MWB20336 | Underbridge near Park Wood, Hampstead Norreys (Monument) |
| MWB20313 | Wallingford Road underbridge, Compton (Monument) |