Long Ashton | |
|---|---|
 The site of Long Ashton railway station. | |
| General information | |
| Location | Long Ashton,North Somerset England |
| Platforms | 2 |
| Other information | |
| Status | Disused |
| History | |
| Original company | Bristol and Exeter Railway |
| Pre-grouping | Great Western Railway |
| Key dates | |
| 14 June 1841 or June 1852 | Opened as Ashton |
| January 1856 | Closed |
| 12 July 1926 | Reopened as Long Ashton Platform |
| 6 October 1941 | Closed |
Long Ashton railway station was a railway station on theBristol to Exeter line, 3.5 miles (5.6 km) southwest ofBristol Temple Meads, serving the village ofLong Ashton inNorth Somerset,England. There were two stations on the site, the first, called "Ashton", opened in either 1841 or 1852 and closed in 1856. The second station, originally known as "Long Ashton Platform" before being renamed as "Long Ashton" in 1929, was operational from 1926 to 1941. The site is now partly under theA370 Long Ashton Bypass, and there are no visible remains of the station. There is local support for the station to be reopened, possibly sited further to the west, and possibly as part of theUniversity of Bristol's proposed Fenswood Farm development.
TheBristol and Exeter Railway was opened betweenBristol Temple Meads andBridgwater on 14 June 1841, engineered byIsambard Kingdom Brunel and build originally as7 ft (2,134 mm)broad-gauge. A station named "Ashton", serving the nearby village ofLong Ashton, was located on an embankment 3 miles 52 chains (5.87 km) fromBristol Temple Meads and 122 miles 3 chains (196.40 km) from theGreat Western Railway terminus atLondon Paddington.[1][2][note 1] Quite when the station opened is uncertain – Butt'sDirectory of Railway Stations states that the station opened with the line in June 1841,[3] but Quick'sRailway Passenger Stations states it only opened in June 1852.[4] Both sources agree that the station closed in January 1856,[3][4] however other sources such as Oakley'sSomerset Railway Stations contain no reference to Ashton at all.[5] If the earlier date is correct, services would have originally been provided by theGreat Western Railway on behalf of the Bristol & Exeter. The Bristol & Exeter took over passenger operations on 1 May 1849.[6]
The line through Ashton remained open after the station closed. In 1871, the Bristol & Exeter opened another station called Ashton, closer to Bristol, this station was later renamedBedminster.[3] The line had been reconstructed asmixed-gauge by 1 June 1875 to accommodate local traffic. A year later in 1876, the Bristol & Exeter wasamalgamated into the Great Western Railway, which took over services. Broad-gauge trains ceased operation on 20 May 1892.[6]
| Preceding station | Historical railways | Following station | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bristol Temple Meads | Bristol and Exeter Railway (1841 or 1852 – 1856) | Nailsea and Backwell | ||
The station was reopened by theGreat Western Railway in 1926, now calledLong Ashton Platform;Ashton by then was the name ofa station on theTeign Valley Line inDevon. Again, the exact date of opening is disputed: most sources state 12 July 1926,[5][7][8] but some say 20 September the same year.[9] It was located on the same site as the first station.[2]
The station was a basic halt, and had two 400 × 10 feet (121.9 × 3.0 m) platforms. Acorrugated iron shelter and lamp hut were provided on the westbound platform, and a small booking office was present on the road to the platform. The estimated cost of construction was £1,930.[5]
The station was renamed Long Ashton on 23 September 1929, and closed on 6 October 1941.[5][7] There is now no trace of it left,[5] and the site is now partly under theA370 Long Ashton Bypass causeway.[10]
| Preceding station | Historical railways | Following station | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bedminster | Great Western Railway Bristol to Exeter line (1926-27) | Flax Bourton Line open, station closed. | ||
| Parson Street | Great Western Railway Bristol to Exeter line (1927-41) | | ||
Plans were submitted in 2010 to reopen the station as part of theUniversity of Bristol'sFenswood Farm development, which, if grantedplanning permission, will comprise some 1,200 houses, businesses and a school spread over 35 hectares (86 acres).[11] The new station would be up to 1 mile (1.6 km) west of the original location. The University notes that there is positive support for the station, but that it alone cannot guarantee its construction.[12] Long Ashtonparish councillor Anthony Butcher opposes the development, but supports the reopening of the station.[13] The station could be reopened as part of theGreater Bristol Metro scheme,[14] a rail transport plan approved in July 2012 which aims to enhance transport capacity in the Bristol area.[15]
The Bristol to Exeter line through Long Ashton is not currently electrified. The21st-century modernisation of the Great Western Main Line will see the line from London to Bristolelectrified, but electrification will not extend beyond Bristol toWeston-super-Mare.[16][17] The groupFriends of Suburban Bristol Railways supports the electrification continuing to Weston,[18][19] as doesMember of Parliament forWeston-super-Mare,John Penrose.[17][20]
51°25′38″N2°38′59″W / 51.42716°N 2.64961°W /51.42716; -2.64961
