Cotswold Line

Legend Oxford Wolvercote A40 road A34 road Cherwell Valley Line Yarnton River Evenlode Hanborough Combe Finstock Charlbury Ascott-under-Wychwood Shipton Kingham Banbury and Cheltenham Direct Railway Adlestrop Moreton-in-Marsh A44 road Stratford and Moreton Tramway Blockley Campden Mickleton Former Cheltenham Spa to Birmingham Snow Hill Line Honeybourne Littleton & Badsey Former Midland Railway Malvern Line Evesham River Avon Fladbury Wyre Piddle Pershore Stoulton Cross Country Route Norton Junction (Worcester Parkway (proposed) M5 motorway Worcester Shrub Hill Birmingham to Worcester via Kidderminster Line Birmingham to Worcester via Bromsgrove Line Worcester Foregate Street Malvern Link Great Malvern Colwall Ledbury Hereford Welsh Marches Line

The Cotswold Line is an 86.5 mile long railway line running from Oxford to Worcester, serving the intermediate towns of Charlbury, Moreton-in-Marsh, Evesham and Pershore. Some train services continue to Hereford via Malvern. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... , Oxford is a mainline railway station serving the city of Oxford, England. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... The A40 is a major trunk road connecting London to Fishguard, Wales. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... The A34 is a major road in England. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... The Cherwell Valley Line is the railway line from Didcot to Banbury via Oxford. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... The Evenlode is a small river joining the Thames 5 km north-west of Oxford. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Hanborough railway station is a railway station, serving the nearby village of Long Hanborough in Oxfordshire. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Combe railway station serves Combe in Oxfordshire, England. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Finstock railway station serves the village of Finstock in Oxfordshire, England. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Charlbury railway station serves the town of Charlbury in Oxfordshire, England. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Ascott-under-Wychwood railway station is a railway station serving the village of Ascott-under-Wychwood in Oxfordshire, England. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Shipton railway station serves the villages of Shipton-under-Wychwood and Milton-under-Wychwood in Oxfordshire, England. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Kingham railway station serves the village of Kingham in Oxfordshire, England. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Image File history File links BSicon_exABZ3lf. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Adlestrop (formerly Titlestrop or Edestrop) is a village in the English county of Gloucestershire. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Moreton-in-Marsh railway station is a railway station serving the town of Moreton-in-Marsh in Gloucestershire, England. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... The A44 is a major road in the United Kingdom. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... The Stratford and Moreton Tramway was a 16 mile (24km) long horse-drawn wagonway. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Blockley is a village in Gloucestershire, England, in the north Cotswolds. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Chipping Campden is a Cotswold town in Gloucestershire, England, famous for its beautiful terraced High Street, dating from the 14th – 17th centuries. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Mickleton is the northernmost village in Gloucestershire, England. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... This article is about the town of Cheltenham in England. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... The station entrance Birmingham Snow Hill station is a railway station located in the centre of Birmingham, England. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Honeybourne railway station serves the village of Honeybourne in Worcestershire, England. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... This article is about the historical British railway company. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Evesham railway station is in the Midlands town of Evesham. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... The River Avon or Avon is a river in or adjoining the counties of Leicestershire, Northamptonshire, Warwickshire, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire in the midlands of England. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Fladbury is a village located in rural Worcestershire, UK. The village was mentioned in the Domesday Book, meaning that the community is over 1000 years old. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... , Wyre Piddle is a village and civil parish in the Wychavon district of Worcestershire, England. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Pershore railway station serves the town of Pershore, Worcestershire, England. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... The M5 near J28, Devon This article concerns the M5 motorway in England. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Worcester Shrub Hill railway station is one of two stations serving the city of Worcester in Worcestershire, England. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... The Birmingham to Worcester via Kidderminster Line is a railway line from Birmingham Snow Hill to Worcester via Stourbridge and Kidderminster. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Map of the Birmingham-Worcester line. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Worcester Foregate Street railway station is situated in the centre of the city of Worcester, in Worcestershire, England. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Great Malvern railway station. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Colwall railway station is a railway station on the Cotswold Line serving the village of Colwall in Herefordshire. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Ledbury station is a small station located just outside of Hereford. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Hereford is the railway station serving the city of Hereford in Herefordshire, England. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... The Welsh Marches Line is the railway line from Newport to Crewe via Abergavenny, Hereford, Craven Arms, Shrewsbury and Whitchurch. ... This article is about the city of Oxford in England. ... The city of Worcester (pronounced Wuh-ster) is the county town of Worcestershire in England; the river Severn runs through the middle, with the citys large Worcester Cathedral overlooking the river. ... Note: This page or section contains IPA phonetic symbols in Unicode. ... Location within the British Isles. ... Location within the British Isles The Market Place in Evesham, circa 1904 Evesham (or the Sham as it is known to its inhabitants) is a middle-sized, rural market town in Worcestershire, England. ... Pershore is a small market town in Worcestershire, England on the banks of the River Avon. ... For other uses, see Hereford (disambiguation). ... Malvern is a town and civil parish in Worcestershire, England . ...

Route

Towns and villages served by stations on the line are listed below, from east to west. The milage of each station from Oxford is given. The entire line is 86½ miles (139 kilometres) in length.

• Oxford
• Long Hanborough (sometimes called Handborough, (6.8 miles from Oxford)
• Combe (8mi)
• Finstock (11.8mi)
• Charlbury (13mi)
• Ascott-under-Wychwood (16.7mi)
• Shipton-under-Wychwood (18mi)
• Kingham (21.1mi)
• Moreton-in-Marsh (30mi)
• Honeybourne (38.5mi)
• Evesham (43.5mi)
• Pershore (49mi)
• Worcester Shrub Hill (57.2mi)
• Worcester Foregate Street (57.8mi)
• Malvern Link (64.6mi)
• Great Malvern (65.2mi)
• Colwall (68.4mi)
• Ledbury (72.7mi)
• Hereford (86.4mi)

Stations which have closed, many under the Beeching Axe were situated at Yarnton, Adlestrop, Blockley, Campden, Littleton and Badsey, Fladbury, Stoulton, Norton Junction, Rushwick, Henwick, Bransford Road, Newland Halt, Malvern Wells, Ashperton, Stoke Edith and Withington. This article is about the city of Oxford in England. ... Long Hanborough is a small village in Oxfordshire, England, on the A4095 between Witney and Woodstock. ... Combe is a village in the English county of Oxfordshire. ... Note: This page or section contains IPA phonetic symbols in Unicode. ... Ascott-under-Wychwood is a village and civil parish in the West Oxfordshire district of Oxfordshire. ... Shipton under Wychwood is a village in the West Oxfordshire district of Oxfordshire. ... Oxfordshire (abbreviated Oxon, from Latin Oxonia) is a county in South East England, bordering on Northamptonshire, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire, Wiltshire, Gloucestershire and Warwickshire. ... Location within the British Isles. ... Location within the British Isles The Market Place in Evesham, circa 1904 Evesham (or the Sham as it is known to its inhabitants) is a middle-sized, rural market town in Worcestershire, England. ... Pershore is a small market town in Worcestershire, England on the banks of the River Avon. ... The city of Worcester (pronounced Wuh-ster) is the county town of Worcestershire in England; the river Severn runs through the middle, with the citys large Worcester Cathedral overlooking the river. ... Worcester Shrub Hill railway station is one of two stations serving the city of Worcester in Worcestershire, England. ... The city of Worcester (pronounced Wuh-ster) is the county town of Worcestershire in England; the river Severn runs through the middle, with the citys large Worcester Cathedral overlooking the river. ... Worcester Foregate Street railway station is situated in the centre of the city of Worcester, in Worcestershire, England. ... Malvern Link is an area of Malvern, Worcestershire, England. ... Great Malvern is a town in Worcestershire, England positioned at the foot of, and partly on the sides of, the Malvern Hills. ... Location within the British Isles Ledbury (known locally as jippo)is a town in Herefordshire, England. ... For other uses, see Hereford (disambiguation). ... Many railway lines were closed as a result of the Beeching Axe The Beeching Axe is an informal name for the British Governments attempt in the 1960s to reduce the cost of running the British railway system. ... Yarnton is a village and civil parish in the West Oxfordshire district of Oxfordshire on the A44 road. ... Adlestrop (formerly Titlestrop or Edestrop) is a village in the English county of Gloucestershire. ... Blockley is a village in Gloucestershire, England, in the north Cotswolds. ... Chipping Campden is a Cotswold town in Gloucestershire, England, famous for its beautiful terraced High Street, dating from the 14th – 17th centuries. ... Fladbury is a village located in rural Worcestershire, UK. The village was mentioned in the Domesday Book, meaning that the community is over 1000 years old. ... Henwick is a village in Worcestershire, England. ... Malvern Wells is a fairly modern village formed from parts of the parishes of Great Malvern, Hanley Castle, and Welland, in Worcestershire, England. ... Ashperton is a village about twelve miles east of Hereford, in Herefordshire, England. ... Stoke Edith is a village in the English county of Herefordshire, situated on a road leading from Hereford to Ledbury. ... Withington is a village in Herefordshire, England, about five miles north-east of Hereford. ...

There are proposals for new stations at Rushwick and Withington. A long standing proposal for a new station at Worcester Parkway where the line crosses the Birmingham to Bristol line has made little progress. Withington is a village in Herefordshire, England, about five miles north-east of Hereford. ... This article is about the British city. ... This article is about the English city. ...

The line is composed of all or part of the following Network Rail routes: Network Rail is a British not for dividend company limited by guarantee whose principal asset is Network Rail Infrastructure Limited, a company limited by shares. ...

• GW 200 from Oxford
• GW 310 from Wolvercot Junction
• GW 300 from Norton Junction
• GW 340 from Worcester Shrub Hill
• GW 730 from Shelwick Junction to Hereford

Infrastructure

A First Great Western Link Network Express Turbo unit at Evesham station on 19th September 2004, with a service for London Paddington.

The line is single track between the following locations. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (2048x1536, 676 KB)BR Class 166, no. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (2048x1536, 676 KB)BR Class 166, no. ... First Great Western Link was a train operating company owned by First Group that provided train services, on a franchise basis, from Paddington Station to destinations such as Slough, Reading, Didcot, Oxford, Goring and Streatley, Henley-on-Thames, Newbury, Bedwyn, Hereford, Worcester and Banbury. ... Class 166, no. ... Location within the British Isles The Market Place in Evesham, circa 1904 Evesham (or the Sham as it is known to its inhabitants) is a middle-sized, rural market town in Worcestershire, England. ... Paddington station or London Paddington is the name of a major railway station in the Paddington area of London, which is the London terminus for long distance trains to the West of England and South Wales and some West London commuter services. ...

• Wolvercot Junction (3.1mi) North of Oxford) and Ascott-under-Wychwood.
• Moreton-in-Marsh and Norton Junction (3.1&mi) South East of Worcester), with a crossing place at Evesham.
• Worcester Shrub Hill and Worcester Foregate Street.
• Malvern Wells and Hereford with a crossing place at Ledbury.

Other sections are double track. This article is about the city of Oxford in England. ... Ascott-under-Wychwood is a village and civil parish in the West Oxfordshire district of Oxfordshire. ... Location within the British Isles. ... The city of Worcester (pronounced Wuh-ster) is the county town of Worcestershire in England; the river Severn runs through the middle, with the citys large Worcester Cathedral overlooking the river. ... Location within the British Isles The Market Place in Evesham, circa 1904 Evesham (or the Sham as it is known to its inhabitants) is a middle-sized, rural market town in Worcestershire, England. ... Worcester Shrub Hill railway station is one of two stations serving the city of Worcester in Worcestershire, England. ... Worcester Foregate Street railway station is situated in the centre of the city of Worcester, in Worcestershire, England. ... Malvern Wells is a fairly modern village formed from parts of the parishes of Great Malvern, Hanley Castle, and Welland, in Worcestershire, England. ... For other uses, see Hereford (disambiguation). ... Location within the British Isles Ledbury (known locally as jippo)is a town in Herefordshire, England. ...

Significant civil engineering structures on the line include Campden Tunnel (875yds in length), Colwall New Tunnel (1567yds), Ledbury Tunnel {1323yds) and viaducts at Worcester and Ledbury. The Falkirk Wheel in Scotland. ...

Campaign

A petition has been created to campaign for the redoubling of the Cotswold line.

A step forward

Network Rail say that they want to redouble 20 miles of track from just east of Charlbury to Ascott-under-Wychwood, and from Moreton to around 1 mile west of Evesham Station. This will improve reliability, enable non-stop operations and allow an hourly service to run on the line. ^[1]

The Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) will decide, with the Department for Transport whether to fund the project in June 2008.

Services

Stopping patterns vary. No train calls at all the stations on the line.

First Great Western operate services between Oxford and Worcester with some continuing to Reading and London Paddington at the east end of the line and to Hereford in the west. Between Worcester and Hereford there are additional services operated by London Midland. A First Great Western service, formerly operated by Wessex Trains, runs infrequently between Great Malvern and Worcester Shrub Hill as an extension of their Bristol-Worcester service. First Great Western is the operating name of First Greater Western Ltd,[1] a British train operating company owned by FirstGroup, which operates services in the west and south west of England and South Wales. ... This article is about the city of Oxford in England. ... The city of Worcester (pronounced Wuh-ster) is the county town of Worcestershire in England; the river Severn runs through the middle, with the citys large Worcester Cathedral overlooking the river. ... , Reading is a town, unitary authority (the Borough of Reading) and urban area in the English county of Berkshire. ... Paddington station or London Paddington is the name of a major railway station in the Paddington area of London, which is the London terminus for long distance trains to the West of England and South Wales and some West London commuter services. ... For other uses, see Hereford (disambiguation). ... The city of Worcester (pronounced Wuh-ster) is the county town of Worcestershire in England; the river Severn runs through the middle, with the citys large Worcester Cathedral overlooking the river. ... For other uses, see Hereford (disambiguation). ... For the former British Railways region, see London Midland Region (British Railways). ... A Wessex Class 153 A Class 150/2 unit in West Country advertising livery. ... Great Malvern is a town in Worcestershire, England positioned at the foot of, and partly on the sides of, the Malvern Hills. ...

History

The line between Oxford and Worcester was constructed under an 1845 Act of Parliament and opened in 1851 as part of the Oxford, Worcester and Wolverhampton Railway. This article is about the city of Oxford in England. ... The city of Worcester (pronounced Wuh-ster) is the county town of Worcestershire in England; the river Severn runs through the middle, with the citys large Worcester Cathedral overlooking the river. ... 1845 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... An Act of Parliament or Act is law enacted by the parliament (see legislation). ... 1851 (MDCCCLI) was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Friday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ... The Oxford, Worcester and Wolverhampton railway was a company authorised on 4th August 1845 to construct a railway line from the Oxford & Rugby railway at Wolvercot Junction to Worcester, Stourbridge, Dudley, and Wolverhampton, with a branch to the Grand Junction Railway at Bushbury. ...

The Act required the line to be built to Brunel's broad gauge (7 ft 0¼ in / 2,140 mm) but delays, disputes and increasing costs led to its being completed as standard gauge (4ft8½). Isambard Kingdom Brunel, FRS (9 April 1806 – 15 September 1859) (IPA: ), was a British engineer. ... For other uses, see Gauge. ... As railways developed and expanded one of the key issues to be decided was that of the rail gauge (the distance between the two rails of the track) which should be used. ...

The Worcester and Hereford Railway opened in stages between 1859 and 1861 when it merged with the Oxford, Worcester and Wolverhampton Railway to form the West Midland Railway. Year 1859 (MDCCCLIX) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Thursday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... Year 1861 (MDCCCLXI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Sunday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... The Oxford, Worcester and Wolverhampton railway was a company authorised on 4th August 1845 to construct a railway line from the Oxford & Rugby railway at Wolvercot Junction to Worcester, Stourbridge, Dudley, and Wolverhampton, with a branch to the Grand Junction Railway at Bushbury. ...

The West Midland Railway became part of the Great Western Railway in 1863. The original Bristol Temple Meads station, first terminus of the GWR, is the building to the left of this picture The Great Western Railway (GWR) was a British railway company, linking South West England, the West Country and South Wales with London. ... Year 1863 (MDCCCLXIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ...

Following serious floods, which caused parts of embankments to be washed away, it was necessary to close the line for about a fortnight during July/August 2007 for repairs. Flooding near Key West, Florida, United States from Hurricane Wilmas storm surge in October 2005 For other uses, see Flood (disambiguation). ...

Poetry

The line features in two well known poems.

Adlestrop by Edward Thomas (poet) and Pershore Station, or A Liverish Journey First Class by Sir John Betjeman Edward Thomas (March 3, 1878 - April 9, 1917) was one of the best-known English poets of World War I. Thomas was of Welsh extraction but was born in London as Philip Edward Thomas. ... A collection of Betjemans poetry, published by John Murray in January 2006 Sir John Betjeman CBE (28 August 1906 – 19 May 1984) was an English poet, writer and broadcaster who described himself in Whos Who as a poet and hack. He was born to a middle-class family...

Route detail

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Image File history File links Broom_icon. ...

Oxford to Charlbury

After departing Oxford station, the Cotswold Line shares track with the Cherwell Valley Line to Banbury. About 220yds north of the station, the line crosses the Sheepwash Channel which links the Oxford Canal to the River Thames. Immediately east of the current line is a swing bridge over the channel which used to carry the LNWR line to its Rewley Road station. The swing bridge is listed as a historic structure. The former station building at Rewley Road has been dismantled and re-erected at Buckinghamshire Railway Centre. The built up area east of the railway, visible across the Oxford Canal, is Jericho, a district which originated as lodgings outside the city walls where travellers could rest if they arrived after the gates were locked. It is featured in the Inspector Morse story The Dead of Jericho by Colin Dexter. The Eagle Ironworks of W Lucy & Co, situated near the first road bridge over the track, produced many of the Lucy service boxes to be seen in the UK. The Cherwell Valley Line is the railway line from Didcot to Banbury via Oxford. ... , The modern Castle Quay Shopping Centre in Banbury alongside the Oxford Canal, with Banbury Museum in the background. ... This article is about the River Thames in southern England. ... The London and North Western Railway (LNWR) was formed in 1846 by the merger of three railway companies - the Grand Junction Railway, London and Birmingham and Manchester and Birmingham. ... Oxford Rewley Road railway station was a railway station serving the city of Oxford, England. ... The Forth Bridge, designed by Sir Benjamin Baker and Sir John Fowler, opened in 1890, and now owned by Network Rail, is designated as a Category A listed building by Historic Scotland. ... Buckinghamshire Railway Centre is a railway museum operated by the Quainton Railway Society Ltd. ... Jericho is an historic area of the English city of Oxford. ... Morse (left) as played by John Thaw in the television adaption (with Kevin Whately as Lewis (right)). Detective Chief Inspector Morse is a fictional character, who features in a series of thirteen detective novels by British author Colin Dexter, though he is better known for the 33 episode TV series... Norman Colin Dexter, OBE, (born 29 September 1930 in Stamford, Lincolnshire) is the English author of the Inspector Morse novels. ... Eagle Ironworks (or Eagle Iron Works) is a name used by a number of companies producing ironwork products. ...

After the bridge, the open area to the left is Port Meadow, a water meadow bordering the Thames with a Bronze Age round barrow. Two well known Oxford pubs, The Perch and The Trout, are visible across the meadow. The woods on the hill further west are Wytham Woods, a Site of Special Scientific Interest and mentioned in the traditional English folk song The Eynsham Poacher a version of which is included in the Fairport Convention album The Bonny Bunch of Roses and various live recordings and compilations. The former LNWR line now branches away to the north east. This line used to extend to Cambridge via Bletchley and Bedford. The line between Oxford and Bletchley closed to passengers in 1968 but a service to Bicester calling at Islip resumed in 1987. Proposals exist for re-opening the whole line and are included in the Draft Milton Keynes & South Midlands Sub-Regional Strategy, but there are many planning and funding issues to be resolved.^[2] The line passes through Wolvercote. To the west, Lower Wolvercote was a centre for paper making, mainly for the Oxford University Press from the 17th century until 1998 and is the site of Godstow abbey, a Benedictine nunnery founded in the 12th century. To the east, Upper Wolvercote includes Wolvercote Cemetery where J.R.R. Tolkien is buried and the setting of one of the gateways between universes in Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials novels. The line passes under the viaduct carrying the A34 Oxford Western bypass and 110yds) later under the A40 road linking London and Fishguard. Port Meadow is a large area of common land to the north and west of Oxford, England. ... A water-meadow (or watermeadow) is an area of grassland or pasture beside a river, subject to controlled seasonal flooding. ... The Bronze Age is a period in a civilizations development when the most advanced metalworking has developed the techniques of smelting copper from natural outcroppings and alloys it to cast bronze. ... Round barrows are one of the most common types of archaeological monuments. ... Wytham is a small village in central Oxfordshire on the south bank of the River Thames, three miles from Oxford. ... A Site of Special Scientific Interest or SSSI is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom. ... Folk music, in the original sense of the term, is music by and of the people. ... Fairport Convention are often credited with being the first English electric folk band. ... This article is about the city in England. ... Bletchley is a town in what is now Milton Keynes new city. ... Bedford is the county town of the English county of Bedfordshire. ... Year 1968 (MCMLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... , Bicester ( ; IPA ) is a town in the Cherwell district of north-eastern Oxfordshire in England, with a population of 28,672 (2001 census). ... Islip is a village in Oxfordshire, United Kingdom. ... Year 1987 (MCMLXXXVII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link displays 1987 Gregorian calendar). ... , The ruin of Godstow Nunnery. ... For other uses, see Paper (disambiguation). ... Oxford University Press (OUP) is a highly-respected publishing house and a department of the University of Oxford in England. ... Year 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar). ... The ruined Godstow Abbey. ... (11th century - 12th century - 13th century - other centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 12th century was that century which lasted from 1101 to 1200. ... J. R. R. Tolkien in 1916. ... Philip Pullman CBE (born October 19, 1946) is a British writer. ... The trilogy (U.K versions), in order of succession from left to right. ... The A34 is a major road in England. ... The A40 is a major trunk road connecting London to Fishguard, Wales. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... Lower Fishguard Fishguard (Welsh: = Mouth of the River Gwaun) is a coastal town in Pembrokeshire, Wales, with a population of 3,300 (est. ...

The line now turns west and the former link from the LNWR Cambridge line converges from the north. About four miles after Oxford station, Yarnton station was situated in the short distance between here and where the Fairford branch diverged to the south.^[3] So far, the line has been close to the River Thames but the river now swings away to the south through a landscape dotted with gravel pits where archaeological digs such as the ARC Mammoth Project have found remains of mammoth, elephant, horse, bison, bear, lion and hyaena as well as evidence of early people in the form of stone tools.^[4] The line now climbs the valley of the River Evenlode repeatedly crossing and re-crossing the river. Hanborough (sometimes, erroneously called Handborough) station serves the villages of Long Hanborough, Church Hanborough, Freeland and Bladon, the burial place of Winston Churchill. Hanborough is also the nearest station to Vanbrugh's Blenheim Palace, Churchill's birthplace, though a bus from Oxford will often be a better choice of public transport for visitors. The Oxford Bus Museum is situated next to Hanborough Station.^[5] Yarnton is a village and civil parish in the West Oxfordshire district of Oxfordshire on the A44 road. ... Location within the British Isles Fairford is a small town in Gloucestershire, England. ... Gravel (largest fragment in this photo is about 4 cm) Gravel is rock that is of a certain particle size range. ... For referencing in Wikipedia, see Wikipedia:Citing sources. ... This article is about the genus Mammuthus. ... Genera and Species Loxodonta Loxodonta cyclotis Loxodonta africana Elephas Elephas maximus Elephas antiquus † Elephas beyeri † Elephas celebensis † Elephas cypriotes † Elephas ekorensis † Elephas falconeri † Elephas iolensis † Elephas planifrons † Elephas platycephalus † Elephas recki † Stegodon † Mammuthus † Elephantidae (the elephants) is a family of pachyderm, and the only remaining family in the order Proboscidea... Binomial name Equus caballus Linnaeus, 1758 The horse (Equus caballus, sometimes seen as a subspecies of the Wild Horse, Equus ferus caballus) is a large odd-toed ungulate mammal, one of ten modern species of the genus Equus. ... Species †B. antiquus B. bison B. bonasus †B. latifrons †B. occidentalis †B. priscus Bison in winter. ... For other uses, see Bear (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Lion (disambiguation). ... Genera Crocuta Hyaena Parahyaena Proteles Hyenas (or Hyænas) are moderately large terrestrial carnivores native to Africa and Asia. ... Flint tools were made by stone age peoples worldwide. ... The Evenlode is a small river joining the Thames 5 km north-west of Oxford. ... Long Hanborough is a small village in Oxfordshire, England, on the A4095 between Witney and Woodstock. ... Bladon is a village and civil parish in the West Oxfordshire district of Oxfordshire, England. ... Churchill redirects here. ... Sir John Vanbrugh in Godfrey Knellers Kit-cat portrait, considered one of Knellers finest portraits. ... Blenheim Palace is a large and monumental country house situated in Woodstock, Oxfordshire, England. ... Mass transit redirects here. ... City of Oxford Motor Services buses at the Oxford Bus Museum A vintage Oxford bus at the museum The Oxford Bus Museum, of buses and other road transport associated with Oxfordshire, England, is in Long Hanborough, near Oxford. ...

Leaving Hanborough, the line enters the Cotswold Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and only 1 mile beyond Hanborough is Combe station. Building the line through Combe was difficult with several deep cuttings, four crossings of the Evenlode, and the diversion of a length of the river. To the south, just after the third river crossing are the remains of North Leigh Roman Villa. 0.9 miles beyond the villa, the line crosses the route of Akeman Street Roman road. The Oxfordshire Way long-distance footpath comes down Akeman Street from the north east to a point about 0.6mi north of the railway before turning to run through the village of Stonesfield and meet the line at Charlbury station. The next station is Finstock. Between Finstock and Charlbury the large deer park to the west of the line is Cornbury Park, venue for the Cornbury Music Festival. The stately home at the centre of the park is Cornbury House, currently owned by Lord Rotherwick, a Conservative politician whose father tried to claim GBP 1.6 million from Oxfordshire County Council for establishing a public footpath across the park. The woodlands south west of the park are the remains of Wychwood Forest named after the Hwicce, one of the Anglo-Saxon peoples of Britain. Charlbury station is the first stop for faster trains over the line and retains its original OWWR clapperboard building. Sir Peter Parker lived nearby at Minster Lovell and was a regular user of Charlbury station while chairman of the British Railways Board (1976 to 1983). The patronage of the head of the organisation may have helped to save the line at a time when the Serpell Report was calling for more rail closures.^[6] The Cotswolds are a range of hills in central England, sometimes called the heart of England, a hilly area reaching nearly 300 m or 1000 feet. ... -1... A Roman villa is a villa that was built or lived in during the Roman Empire. ... Akeman Street was a major Roman road in England that linked London to the Fosse Way at Cirencester. ... Not to be confused with Romans road. ... Long-distance trails (or long-distance tracks, paths, footpaths or greenways) are trails or footpaths covering large distances, typically 50 km or more, used for rambling (that is, hiking or backpacking). ... Stonesfield is a village on the eastern extremity of the Cotswolds. ... Note: This page or section contains IPA phonetic symbols in Unicode. ... Deer Park is the name of some places in the United States of America: Deer Park, Illinois Deer Park, Maryland Deer Park, New York Deer Park, Texas Deer Park, Washington Deer Park is also a neighbourhood in Toronto, site of Upper Canada College. ... A stately home is, strictly speaking, one of about 500 large properties built in England between the mid-16th century and the early part of the 20th century, as well as converted abbeys and other church property (after the Dissolution of the Monasteries). ... Baron Rotherwick is a peerage title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. ... The Conservative Party, officially though less commonly known as the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a political party in the United Kingdom. ... GBP redirects here. ... The Hwicce were one of the peoples of Anglo-Saxon Britain. ... For other uses, see Anglo-Saxon. ... Note: This page or section contains IPA phonetic symbols in Unicode. ... The Oxford, Worcester and Wolverhampton railway was a company authorised on 4th August 1845 to construct a railway line from the Oxford & Rugby railway at Wolvercot Junction to Worcester, Stourbridge, Dudley, and Wolverhampton, with a branch to the Grand Junction Railway at Bushbury. ... Sir Peter Parker KBE LVO (August 30, 1924 – April 28, 2002) was a British businessman who served as chairman of the British Railways Board from 1976 to 1983 and guided the organisation through difficult times to the beginnings of the resurgence in train travel in the United Kingdom. ... The British Railways Board (BRB) was the governing body of British Railways (later British Rail) from 1962 until privatisation in the 1990s. ... Year 1976 Pick up sticks(MCMLXXVI) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... For the Jimi Hendrix song, see 1983. ...

Charlbury to Moreton-in-Marsh

The Oxfordshire Way splits in Charlbury with one branch running north of the railway and the other south. The branches rejoin at Ascott-under-Wychwood offering a circular walk from Charlbury or a choice of routes to Ascott. The line is now heading south west and the remains of D'Oyley Castle, built around 1129 can be seen to the north west as the train enters the village of Ascott-under-Wychwood. Few trains call at the station at Ascott but there is a signal box controlling the level crossing and the points at the end of the single track section from Wolvercot Junction. The radio tower visible 1.8mi) south of Ascott station is at Leafield Technical Centre, a motorsport industry site, formerly the HQ of the Arrows Formula 1 team, and now the Super Aguri Formula 1 team. Only 1.2mi beyond Ascott is Shipton station which serves the villages of Shipton-under-Wychwood, Milton-under-Wychwood and Fifield. There is a memorial on the village green to 17 local people who died on the Cospatrick ship which caught fire off in the South Atlantic in 1874 on its way to Auckland, New Zealand. Only three of the 477 passengers survived.^[7] Ascott-under-Wychwood is a village and civil parish in the West Oxfordshire district of Oxfordshire. ... Events Emperor Toba of Japan begins his cloistered rule sharing power with Sutuku, ex-emperor Shirakawas son. ... For Signal Tower (former light house) in Arbroath, Scotland, see Signal Tower Museum. ... The term level crossing (also called a railroad crossing, railway crossing, train crossing or grade crossing) is a crossing on one level (at-grade intersection) — without recourse to a bridge or tunnel — of a railway line by a road, path, or another railroad. ... A railroad switch is a mechanical installation enabling trains to be guided from one set of rail tracks (or tramway tracks) to another. ... Arrows Grand Prix International was a Formula One team active from 1977 to 2002. ... Formula One, abbreviated to F1 and also known as Grand Prix racing, is the highest class of single-seat open-wheel auto racing. ... Super Aguri redirects here. ... Shipton under Wychwood is a village in the West Oxfordshire district of Oxfordshire. ... Just outside Milton-under-Wychwood. ... For other uses, see Atlantic (disambiguation) The Atlantic Ocean is Earths second-largest ocean, covering approximately one-fifth of its surface. ...

Still following the Evenlode, the line now turns again to head north west. There is another level crossing near Bruern Abbey, founded as a Cistercian monastery in the mid 12th century but now an Adam style country house bought in 1946 by the late Michael Astor, son of Nancy Astor. The next junction on the line was at Kingham Station from where the Banbury and Cheltenham Direct Railway routes headed west to Cheltenham via Stow-on-the-Wold and east to King's Sutton near Banbury. This branch line saw one major through train each day, the Ports to Ports Express between Newcastle-upon-Tyne and Barry, South Wales. The village of Kingham is north of the station. The village west of the station is Bledington. The Oxfordshire Way which has been close to the railway since Akeman Street now turns west to Bourton-on-the-Water but it is replaced by another long distance footpath, the Diamond Way. At Moreton-in-Marsh, the line crosses another major Roman road, the Fosse Way which linked Exeter (Isca Dumnoniorum) to Lincoln (Lindum). Moreton is the headquarters of the railway spot-hire company Cotswold Rail. Bruern or Bruern Abbey is a village and civil parish in the West Oxfordshire district of Oxfordshire, England. ... (11th century - 12th century - 13th century - other centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 12th century was that century which lasted from 1101 to 1200. ... Robert Adam Robert Adam (3 July 1728 - 3 March 1792) was a Scottish architect, interior designer and furniture designer, born in Kirkcaldy, Fife, Scotland. ... Hon. ... Nancy Witcher Astor, Viscountess Astor (May 19, 1879 - May 2, 1964) was a socialite politician and a member of the prominent Astor family. ... Oxfordshire (abbreviated Oxon, from Latin Oxonia) is a county in South East England, bordering on Northamptonshire, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire, Wiltshire, Gloucestershire and Warwickshire. ... For the parliamentary constituency, see Cheltenham (UK Parliament constituency). ... Stow-on-the-Wold, is boring as hell English market town in the county of Gloucestershire, sits on top of an 800 ft (244 m) hill, at the convergence of a number of major roads through the Cotswolds, including the Fosse Way (A429). ... Kings Sutton is a village in the west of Northamptonshire in England near to the River Cherwell that forms the boundary thereabouts with the county of Oxfordshire. ... , The modern Castle Quay Shopping Centre in Banbury alongside the Oxford Canal, with Banbury Museum in the background. ... , Newcastle upon Tyne (usually shortened to Newcastle) is a large city in Tyne and Wear, England. ... Barry (Welsh: ) is a town in the Vale of Glamorgan, Wales. ... Approximate extent of South East Wales. ... The green at Bledington (photo by Philip Halling) Bledington is a village and civil parish in the Cotswold district of Gloucestershire, England, located about six miles south-west of Chipping Norton. ... A view of Bourton-on-the-Water Location within the British Isles Bourton-on-the-Water is a town in Gloucestershire, England. ... Location within the British Isles. ... Roman roads, together with Roman aqueducts and the vast standing Roman Army (until 284 A.D., c. ... The Fosse Way was a Roman road in England which linked Exeter (Isca Dumnoniorum) in South West England, to Lincoln (Lindum) in the East Midlands, via Bath (Aquae Sulis), Cirencester (Corinium) and Leicester (Ratae Coritanorum). ... The city of Exeter is the county town of Devon, in the southwest of England, also known as the West Country. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this articles infobox may require cleanup. ... Lincoln (pronounced //) is a cathedral city and county town of Lincolnshire, England. ... Class 47, no. ...

The site of Norton Junction looking towards Oxford. The single tracked Cotswold Line branches off to the left, with the right hand branch linking to the Cross Country Line (southbound)

Moreton-in-Marsh to Hereford

About 28 miles after Oxford is Moreton-in-Marsh Station. This was once the southern end of the Stratford-upon-Avon to Moreton tramway. The line then passes the corner of the Roman town of Dorn.^[8] The Cotswold Line at last leaves the Evenlode which drains into the Thames and enters the catchment of the River Severn. The first level crossing appears. The building west of the crossing is a brick works and the neighbouring pits were the site of jurassic clay extraction for the works. The village to the north is Paxford. The large country house to the west is Northwick Park, onetime home of Edward Spencer-Churchill and site of an American Army hospital during World War II and afterwards a centre for Polish refugees. The old stone village of Chipping Campden on the Cotswold Way footpath and once had a station. From here the line goes into cutting, then the 875yd Campden Tunnel under the Cotswold escarpment. In 1851 unrest among the navvies building the tunnel resulted in a riot - the 'Battle of Campden Tunnel'. Location within the British Isles. ... The Evenlode is a small river joining the Thames 5 km north-west of Oxford. ... This article is about the River Thames in southern England. ... A catchment is any device or structure that captures water. ... “Severn” redirects here. ... The Jurassic Period is a major unit of the geologic timescale that extends from about 199. ... For other uses, see Clay (disambiguation). ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... What is Refugees? Refugees is a simple internet community that was created as a homeland and haven for the members of the message board MegaMassMedia. ... Chipping Campden is a Cotswold town in Gloucestershire, England, famous for its beautiful terraced High Street, dating from the 14th – 17th centuries. ... In geology, an escarpment is a transition zone between different physiogeographic provinces that involves an elevation differential, often involving high cliffs. ... 1851 (MDCCCLI) was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Friday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Navvy is a shorter form of the word navigator and is particularly applied to describe the manual labourers working on major civil engineering projects. ...

The next station is Honeybourne Station. From 1905 to 1977 this was the junction with the Great Western Railway's Cheltenham to Stratford line. The track to the north remains as a link to the large ex-military depot at Long Marston. The large compound to the north with high walls, chapel & floodlights is Long Lartin prison. There is another level crossing. This used to be Littleton and Badsey station. The line crosses the River Avon into Evesham. Opposite Evesham's Cotswold Line station is the former Midland Railway station, once on the Ashchurch & Barnt Green line. The line then crosses the River Avon again and follows it towards Pershore. Honeybourne is a village in Worcestershire, England. ... For other uses, see 1905 (disambiguation). ... Also: 1977 (album) by Ash. ... The original Bristol Temple Meads station, first terminus of the GWR, is the building to the left of this picture The Great Western Railway (GWR) was a British railway company, linking South West England, the West Country and South Wales with London. ... For the parliamentary constituency, see Cheltenham (UK Parliament constituency). ... Stratford-upon-Avon Stratford-upon-Avon is a town in Warwickshire, England. ... Long Marston is a village in Warwickshire, England. ... The River Avon or Avon is a river in or adjoining the counties of Leicestershire, Northamptonshire, Warwickshire, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire in the midlands of England. ... Location within the British Isles The Market Place in Evesham, circa 1904 Evesham (or the Sham as it is known to its inhabitants) is a middle-sized, rural market town in Worcestershire, England. ... Evesham railway station is in the Midlands town of Evesham. ... This article is about the historical British railway company. ...

The line crosses over the CrossCountry Line and then passes through Norton Junction (where an old station existed). The junction links the line to the CrossCountry Route. Here, double track starts. Where the two routes cross, is where the new Worcester Parkway station will be built, if it gets passed.

After about 57 miles on the line, Worcester Shrub Hill station appears. Here are connexions to commuter lines going to Birmingham. If Worcester Parkway is built, Shrub Hill station will close. Worcester Foregate Street station has transfers for the city centre and other lines to Birmingham. Six miles later, the train comes to Malvern Link station. Great Malvern station follows. A couple of miles later, the closed Malvern Wells station appears. After Malvern Wells station, the line enters the 1584yd long Colwall New Tunnel. It is a rebuilt tunnel; the entrance to the old tunnel can be seen to the north. During World War II, the old tunnel was used by the Royal Navy to store torpedoes. When the tunnel is below the ridge of the Malvern Hills, the line passes from Worcestershire to Herefordshire. The line arrives at Colwall Station. The plant next to the station is used by The Coca-Cola Company to bottle Malvern Water, a local mineral water. Next to the bridge carrying the B4218 over the railway is an unusual five sided cottage. When the railway was built one corner had to be demolished and replaced by a plain wall. After the plant, Ledbury and Hereford stations end the journey on the line. This article is about the city of Worcester in England. ... This article is about the British city. ... Malvern Link is an area of Malvern, Worcestershire, England. ... Malvern Hills in June, looking north. ... For the condiment, see Worcestershire sauce. ... For the similarly named county in the East of England, see Hertfordshire. ... Colwall is a large rural Herefordshire village and civil parish on the border with Worcestershire, nestling into the side of the Malvern Hills. ... The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE: KO) is one of the largest manufacturers, distributors and marketers of nonalcoholic beverage concentrates and syrups in the world. ... In many places, mineral water is often colloquially used to mean carbonated water (which is usually carbonated mineral water, as opposed to tap water). ...

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Cotswold Line

The Cotswold Line Promotion Group is a voluntary organisation with the aim of safeguarding and promoting improvements to rail and bus feeder services along the line. Image File history File links Commons-logo. ...

Hansard for 3 March 2004 - Record of House of Commons adjournment debate on The Cotswold Line. Hansard is the traditional name for the printed transcripts of parliamentary debates in the Westminster system of government. ... Type Lower House Speaker Michael Martin, (Non-affiliated) since October 23, 2000 Leader Harriet Harman, (Labour) since June 28, 2007 Shadow Leader Theresa May, (Conservative) since May 5, 2005 Members 659 Political groups Labour Party Conservative Party Liberal Democrats Scottish National Party Plaid Cymru Democratic Unionist Party Sinn Féin... In the Westminster System, an adjournment debate is a debate on the motion, That this House do now adjourn. ...

The Cotswold Line Railbus is a series of bus routes paid for by Oxfordshire County Council that link the villages of Finstock, Leaford, Ascott-under-Wychwood and Shipton to Charlbury station (route C1) or Chipping Norton, Churchill and Kingham village to Kingham station (route X8).

Footnotes

References

• Atterbury, Paul; See Britain By Train; AA Publishing (1989); ISBN 0-86145-760-9
• Conolly, W Philip; British Rail Pre-grouping Atlas and Gazetteer; Ian Allan Ltd (1976); ISBN 0-7110-0320-3
• New Adlestrop Railway Atlas