North Section
Weston Clevedon & Portishead Railway Home

Copyright © 2004-2016

Paul Gregory  


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The Line today - Northern section - Portishead to Walton Park


Although very little of the line can be clearly seen today, if you know where to look the route of the line can be seen in places (and sometimes walked). The Main map shows the general route, and using the Detail Maps button on station pages, the route of the line and location of most stations can be found. ‘The Line Today’ is split into Northern, Clevedon section and Southern section to improve download times. This page shows the northern section i.e. Portishead to Walton Park, which formed part of the extension to Portishead.


Tip: To help to locate the route, look for electricity sub-stations. They were often positioned on the old track bed, because generally ownership of the land was unknown after the closure of the line.


The booklet “Discover Somerset’s Lost Railway” will be found useful when exploring.


Some of the places where you can still see traces of the line or the route it followed are: (going south from Portishead)                 Click a photo to enlarge

The White Lion pub in Portishead High Street


The archway where passengers walked through from the High Street to the station can be seen at the front of the pub (though now blocked off).

See also Then & now and Portishead


White Lion pub

Interpretation Board

On 29 October 2013, the WC&P Railway Group erected an Interpretation Board on Wyndham Way, opposite the White Lion, close to the station site.


Other boards have now been erected. See Interpretation Boards page for locations.

The railway bridge over a rhyne in Portishead

The remains of the metal bridge covered in undergrowth is on the left of Wyndham Way when approaching Portishead just before the current road bridge over the same rhyne. (A rhyne is a drainage ditch pronounced ‘reen’ - see Wikipedia entry). The old railway bridge can’t be seen from the road. The line actually crossed the rhyne twice in a short distance. The other bridge was roughly where the A369 crosses the rhyne today. See also Portishead bridges

Portishead bridge

Black Rock and Nightingale Quarries sidings


The loading bay on the WC&P was in the valley below the B3124, and a few years ago the ramps were removed and the ground levelled. Photo taken in 2006 shows traces of stone from the ramps in the field and old quarry workshops behind. Black rock Quarry is in woods behind. The raised banks of the narrow gauge line to Nightingale Quarry can be traced on the right side of Valley Road going uphill from the B3124, while the narrow gauge line route to Black Rock Quarry can just be made out by following a footpath in woods behind Black Rock Cottages, where some old quarry building remains can be found. See Black Rock Quarry.

Quarry loading bay site

Weston in Gordano


About half a mile of the actual route can be walked at the Clevedon side of Weston in Gordano. Approaching from Portishead, take the lane on the left just before the church. Just past a house, the track bed crosses the lane at right angles. Take the stile on the right and you’re walking on the old track bed route. This is Avon Wildlife Trust land (Weston Moor reserve) and a notice board has a map and even mentions the railway! The route is clearly marked and is a very pleasant walk. View on right is taken from Weston in Gordano looking south-west towards Clevedon. See Cadbury Road

Weston in Gordano


This view is looking north-eastwards, back towards Weston in Gordano. Note the village church on the left, and the proximity of the route of the line to the village. The halt for the village was called Cadbury Road and would have been in the far distance.

Weston in Gordano


This view is taken about half a mile to the south of Weston in Gordano looking south-west towards Clevedon. The ground is slightly raised here which seems almost certain to be exactly on the route of the line, and there is some evidence of hardcore. A further half a mile south west was Walton in Gordano halt. There is no footpath access at present across the fields.

Weston in Gordano

Gordano Valley embankment


A low embankment can be seen from the Portishead to Clevedon Road between Walton in Gordano and Clevedon, on the left going towards Clevedon.


Embankment

Conygar Quarry


The remains of the narrow gauge line embankment is still just visible though very overgrown. Photo is looking from the railway towards the quarry looking at the end of the embankment. The standard gauge siding ran from the foreground towards the left hand side of the trees. See also Conygar Quarry page.

Conygar Quarry siding

Walton Park


Walton Park halt was situated opposite the junction with Holly Lane.

Photo to come

Go to Clevedon section

Go to Southern section - Colehouse Lane to Weston-Super-Mare