Over The Mendips

The Somerset & Dorset Railway originally ran from Burnham-on-Sea to Wimborne,

linking the Bristol and English Channels. In 1874 an extension opened from

Evercreech Junction over the Mendip Hills to link with the Midland Railway at Bath

which immediately became the main line. Passenger trains included through

expresses from the Midlands and North to the South Coast until 1962, freight saw

coal and stone from the Mendip collieries and quarries, before finally closing as a

through route in 1966. This illustrated talk marks 150 years since the Bath

extension’s opening and contains a selection of historic pictures showing the

construction, doubling and operation of the line from the archives of the Somerset &

Dorset Railway Trust as well as images of the infrastructure still remaining along the

route.

The presenter, Mike Beale is descended from 3 generations of S&D railwaymen, was

born in Bath and has worked for British Rail and an international railway consultant.

He has been a member of the Somerset & Dorset Railway Trust since 1974, was

chairman from 1985 to 1991 and a Trustee from 1999 until 2016.