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| HER Number | MWB20998 |
|---|
| Record Type | Monument |
|---|
| Name | Former railway siding to Calcot Mill |
|---|
Summary
Line of late 19th to early 20th century siding from the Great Western railway line to Calcot Mill
Monument Type(s):
- RAILWAY SIDING (Late 19th century to Early to Mid 20th century - 1876 AD to 1928 AD)
Full Description
A reference in the BIAG gazetteer dated 1986 <1> describes the siding from the Great Western Railway to Calcot Mill, which was in operation from 1876 to 1928 when the siding was removed. There were a number of Private Siding Agreements:
1890 Smith Bros
1898 Dewe Bros
1905 J T Dewe
1922 Holland Bros
The siding is shown on the First Edition Ordnance Survey mapping <3> as a single track line with a bridge over a tributary of the River Kennet. The bridge had been demolished by the time of the 5th Epoch <4>. A history of Calcot's Mill Lane <5> noted that horses were still used in conjunction with the railway line in the early 20th century: corn would often arrive by rail and the truck would be unhitched at the siding in the meadow, when one of the horses would pull the loaded truck to the mill and then return the empty one. Another recalled anecdote was that Sir Felix Pole, who was Chairman of the Great Western Railway, lived in nearby Calcot Place, and insisted that trains toot as they passed Calcot Mill, so that he could check the time-keeping <5>.
The route of the former line exists as an earthwork visible on Lidar imagery <7> and is also shown as a line of trees on aerial photographs <6>.
Sources and further reading
| <01> | Berkshire Industrial Archaeology Group. 1966-1991. Berkshire Industrial Archaeology Group Gazetteer of Industrial Sites & Monuments. 2023 WBC Network. OG120. [Unpublished document / SWB12762] |
| <02> | Simmonds, P. 2014. A history of the Berks and Hants line Reading to Westbury. p52, 86, 103. [Monograph / SWB148853] |
| <03> | Landmark. 1872-85. Digital Ordnance Survey Mapping Epoch 1, 1:2500 (25 inch). Digital. 1:2500. [Map / SWB14341] |
| <04> | Ordnance Survey. 1962-1981. Ordnance Survey Epoch 5, 1:2500. 1:2500. 1:2500, 1965. [Map / SWB14665] |
| <05> | Green, L and Scott, J. 2000. A History of Mill Lane in the hamlet of Calcot. p7. [Unpublished document / SWB147063] |
| <06> | 2010. West Berkshire Council Aerial Survey 2010 (digital aerial photographs). Aerial Photo. Digital. [Photograph / SWB148137] |
| <07> | Environment Agency. 1999-2017. LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) Digital Model. Digital. DTM (2M) HILLSHADE 5. [Digital archive / SWB148907] |
Related Monuments
| MWB6050 | READING WEST TO THEALE STATION RAILWAY LINE (Monument) |
| MWB6258 | Calcot Mill (Monument) |
Associated Excavations and Fieldwork
| EWB176 | Berkshire Industrial Archaeology Group Survey |
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