{"id":30195,"date":"2019-11-27T15:01:19","date_gmt":"2019-11-27T15:01:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/shed-arts.co.uk\/?page_id=30195"},"modified":"2020-10-21T18:13:25","modified_gmt":"2020-10-21T17:13:25","slug":"branch-memories","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/shed-arts.co.uk\/branch-memories\/","title":{"rendered":"Branch Memories"},"content":{"rendered":"

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ALTHOUGH THE LINE TO KEMBLE closed more than 50 years ago, Tetbury\u2019s railway heritage lives on in the recollections of those who worked and travelled on the branch. The Goods Shed has been given a Heritage Lottery Grant to collect the memories of those still alive who used the line.<\/span><\/p>\n

Here is a brief history of the Tetbury branch, together with excerpts from our “Track Tales” video retelling the experiences of people who remember working and travelling on it. Come down to the Shed to view the whole video!<\/p>\n

Among the stories you will hear are how the Maharajah of Jaipur used the train to bring his polo ponies to Westonbirt for competitions in the 1930s, and what happened when a farmer moved his whole farm from the Scottish borders to Beverston in 1946.<\/span><\/p>\n

The video was produced by Hyde Media (<\/u><\/span>www.hyde-media.co.uk<\/a>) and Carol Paton with drone footage supplied by Integrator Drone Services (<\/span>www.i<\/span>ntegratordrones.co.uk<\/span><\/a>).<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>

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1889: The line opens<\/h2><\/h1><\/span>
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THE FIRST TRAIN to run on the Tetbury to Kemble branch line was on 2 December 1889. It followed a long campaign by local people, led by Col. Nigel Kingscote, to persuade the Great Western Railway that there was a market for a railway service.<\/p>\n

Some of the people most opposed to the idea were local landowners, afraid that the railway line would get in the way of their fox hunting! Eventually in 1884, following a Bill in Parliament, GWR agreed to build the line. Five trains were to run each day in each direction<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>

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Tetbury Station seen from near Old Rope Walk around 1900, with the Goods Shed in the distance at top right<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

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Cattle, commodities and coal<\/h2><\/h1><\/span>
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ONCE THE LINE was agreed, local farmers got together to organise a local cattle market on the Horsepool site next to the station. The first market was held in January 1890, when 120 farmers and dealers took part.<\/p>\n

The train was of vital importance to local farmers. It allowed cattle to come to market and to be sent on to their new owners. Milk could be send by train to more customers and feedstuffs brought in.<\/p>\n

Two coal companies also started trading from the goods yard in Tetbury. Local businesses thrived.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>

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Brian Blackah saw a whole farm arrive from Scotland in 1946<\/h4>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>
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\u201cIt came down into Tetbury. Forty-three wagons they brought down. And they unloaded the furniture and they took the furniture up to Beverston Castle on lorries. But when they got up there, they found they couldn\u2019t get in through the archway. So they unloaded all the furniture outside and all the boys and girls in the village and everybody helped them carry it into the castle itself.\u201d<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

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A family affair<\/h2><\/h1><\/span>
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Graham Cleaver\u2019s first job was as a cleaner in Tetbury\u2019s engine shed<\/h4>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>