South Cerney Railway Station

The Swindon and Cheltenham Extension Railway was authorized by Act of Parliament 44 & 45 Vic. cap. cxlvi, 18th July 1881, from a junction with the Swindon, Marlborough and Andover Railway at Rushey Platt, near Swindon, to a junction with the Banbury and Cheltenham Direct Railway at Andoversford. On 23rd June 1884, the Swindon and Cheltenham Extension and Swindon, Marlborough and Andover Railway Companies were amalgamated under the title "Midland and South Western Junction Railway Company" by Act 47 & 48 Vic. cap. lxiv of the same date. The line between Rushey Platt and Cirencester, including the station at South Cerney, was opened for public traffic on Tuesday, 18th December, 1883. It was extended from Cirencester to Andoversford on 16th March 1891, for goods traffic and on 1st August 1891 for passenger.

Under the Railways Act 1921 (11 & 12 Geo.V, Ch.55, 19th August 1921) the Midland and South Western Junction was absorbed by the Great Western Railway as from 1st July 1923; actual control by the G.W.R. started on 29th October 1923. For administrative purposes, the section north of Rushey Platt, on which South Cerney station stood, was taken over by the G.W.R. Divisional Superintendent at Gloucester and this arrangement was continued by his successors. The Transport Act, 1947 (10 & 11 Geo. VI, Ch.49, 6th August 1947) brought nearly all the railways in Great Britain under control of the British Transport Commission as from 1st January 1948. The northern part of the former M.& S.W. Jc. Rly. was allocated to the Western Region.

When opened on 18th December 1883, the station was named "Cerney and Ashton Keynes". The name was later changed as follows:-

The station stands almost mid-way between Cirencester (Watermoor) and Cricklade stations, 3 miles 12 chains from the former and 3 miles 36 chains from the latter (all measured from the centres of the platforms), on a gradient of 1 in 880 falling towards Cricklade. When opened, the station had only one platform; a second platform, passing-loop and signal-box were added in 1891. When taken over by the G.W.R. in 1923, the signal-box was 14 x 12 ft. and had 14 levers. The passing-loop was 1,490ft. long and the platforms each 258ft. long. In the yard there were 320 feet of sidings, plus a horse-loading dock 67ft. long. Lighting was by oil lamps and water was hand-pumped from a well.

The staff at that time consisted of a grade 5 stationmaster (salary £210 per year) and two signalmen. The total revenue in the last three years of the M.& S.W. Co.'s existence was:-

Traffic consisted of a small quantity of milk (in June 1923 it averaged 9 churns a day - 7 to Vauxhall and 2 to Clapham Junction, as compared with 195 sent from Cricklade each day), general agricultural produce and round timber.

A leaflet of 1923 of the M.& S.W.J.R. offers a return fare of 6d third class from Cerney station to the Mop Fairs at Cirencester on 8th and 15th October. On Monday, 8th October, a special late train would leave Cirencester at 10.15 p.m. for Cerney, Cricklade and Swindon, but on Monday 15th the last train to Cerney was the 7.39 p.m.

Miss W. Smith remembers the train times both to Cirencester and Swindon as being inconvenient for shopping — trains in about 10 a.m. and none back until about 4 p.m.

(Mr E.C.R.Hadfield)

Mr Herbert Gassor walked into Cirencester to take the first train, and be the first passenger to alight at Cerney Station.

(Mrs Jack Painter)

People killed on railway

From the burial registers of South Cerney, 1813-1899.

John R. Wheeler, 1882. S.C. (19) Killed by fall of earth while working on the new railway in this parish.

Staff

The first station master was named Baker. Later, Mr Joseph Dix who died about 1897.

Mr Bowden was station master in the early years of this century, until January 1st, 1925.

Porter under him was Mr Frank Barnfield, and signalman Mr Ernest Cook. Mr Dennis Wheeler was a porter after the first World War.

Mr Ernest Cook:

April 2nd 1900, joined the M.S.W.J.R. at Foss Cross;
May 29th 1900, to Ludgershall;
Oct. 30th 1900, Foss Cross signal-box;
Nov. 25th 1901, South Cerney signal-box;
June 30th 1945, retired, 30 years' service medal.
During his service: General Strike May 3rd-12th, 1926; derailment of two milk tanks and one van between South Cerney and Cricklade, July 1st 1935.

(Mrs R. Webb, his daughter)

In 1893 there was only one platform. Station Master Dix got in a truck of coal and sold it to the villagers. Mr Bobby Russell and Mr John Short took the coal cart round. A second platform was built for the big milk traffic.

(Mr R. Stait)