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West Somerset Mineral Railway

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Adapted from the English Wikipedia article West Somerset Mineral Railway, available under CC BY-SA 4.0Updated 30 November 202525 sources
West Somerset Mineral Railway
Company typePrivate
IndustryRailway transport, Mining transport
Founded1855
FounderEbbw Vale Iron Works stakeholders
Defunct1925
FateClosed and dismantled
Headquarters
Somerset
,
England
Area served
Brendon Hills, Watchet harbour
ProductsIron ore transport, Passenger services

The West Somerset Mineral Railway was a standard gauge railway located in Somerset, England. Initially proposed at , the constructed line measured , including a branch serving Raleigh's Cross Mine. Its main function was to transport iron ore extracted from mines on the Brendon Hills to Watchet harbour on the Bristol Channel. From there, the ore was shipped to Newport and subsequently carried by rail to ironworks in Ebbw Vale. The railway commenced operations in 1861, with passenger services introduced in 1865. Both mining and railway activities prospered until 1875, but mining operations had ceased by 1883. Passenger and limited goods transport continued until the line's closure in 1898.

A resurgence in mineral extraction occurred in 1907, prompting a partial reopening and a extension. However, this effort was unsuccessful, and the railway closed again by 1910. Between 1911 and 1914, a section of track was utilized for testing an automatic signal warning system. The rails were dismantled for scrap in 1917. Subsequently, a light railway briefly operated from 1918 to 1920 to carry timber before the company was dissolved in 1925.

A notable feature of the line was a rope-operated inclined plane measuring long, descending a vertical drop of at a steep gradient of 1-in-4 (25%). Stations located below the incline included Watchet, Washford, , and . Additionally, trains stopped on request at Torre and . Above the incline, three stations were constructed but never served paying passengers. Planned extensions were not realized. The locomotive fleet comprised Neilson-built 0-4-0ST "Box" tank engines and larger Sharp, Stewart 0-6-0ST locomotives. Today, part of the inclined plane is designated as a scheduled ancient monument, with remaining structures and features still visible.

Origins

During the mid-1800s, owners of the Ebbw Vale Iron Works acquired rights to iron ore deposits situated in the Brendon Hills north of Exmoor. Although these deposits had been known for centuries, industrial-scale mining began with the establishment of the Brendon Hills Iron Ore Company in 1853. Located over above sea level and lacking road access, these remote deposits required transportation solutions to reach markets in South Wales. Thomas Brown (1803–1884), managing partner at Ebbw Vale, proposed constructing a railway to Watchet quay as an effective means of transport. The railway design was undertaken by Rice Hopkins.

The Ebbw Vale stakeholders formed the West Somerset Mineral Railway company and obtained authorization through the West Somerset Mineral Railway Act 1855 (18 & 19 Vict. c. cl) on 16 July 1855. This act permitted construction of a standard gauge line from Watchet Quay to Heath Poult (or "Exton"). The authorized capital was £50,000. Construction began at Roughmoor on 29 May 1856, with a locomotive purchased that November; however, it was sidelined by boiler damage by January 1857.

By April 1857, the route from Watchet to had opened, serving as the first mineral railhead; it extended further to Comberow ( located from the harbour) by December that year.[1] During construction work, an accident involving two locomotives resulted in three fatalities.

The continuous railway was effectively segmented into three parts running south to north:

  • from to , which included over a mile of steep gradients opposing ore trains
  • the Comberow incline, where gradients favored trains carrying ore
  • from to Watchet harbour, characterized by favorable gradients with a maximum ruling gradient of 1 in 40.

The West Somerset Mineral Railway Act 1857 (20 & 21 Vict. c. lxvi), enacted on 27 July 1857, authorized an extension toward Minehead and a branch line to Cleeve, backed by an additional £35,000 capital; however, these expansions were never executed.

Comberow incline

Referred to as the Brendon Hill Incline or Brendon Hills Incline, this cable railway operated by gravity ascended more than 1,000 feet along a steep gradient of 1 in 4 (25%) to access the mining sites. The construction, overseen by contractor Mr Gunn over a period of four years, involved extensive earthworks to maintain a uniform incline. Mining activities continued concurrently with construction, and ore transport down the incline began on 31 May 1858. However, the incline was not fully completed until March 1861, marked by the installation of two winding drums measuring 14 feet in diameter at Brendon Hill. Public freight services commenced on 28 September 1859.

A loaded wagon weighing five tons took approximately twelve minutes to descend the incline, with its speed regulated by braking systems and coordinated through railway signals. The brakesman controlled both descent and ascent by utilizing the weight of the loaded wagon positioned at the top of the hill. From 1859, the West Somerset Mineral Railway (WSMR) was leased to the Brendon Hills Iron Ore Company for a seven-year term; this lease was later extended when operations transferred to the Ebbw Vale Iron Company in June 1864. In that year, the railway offered discounted rates for transporting various goods including coal, culm, lime, grain products such as corn and flour, manure, building supplies, and other commodities.

Watchet Harbour

The railway’s terminus was located at Watchet quay. Due to the long-standing disrepair of the west pier, vessels had to be beached and loaded directly from carts on the foreshore. Responding to public demand, the Watchet Harbour Act 1857 (20 & 21 Vict. c. cxli) established harbour commissioners who undertook reconstruction of the west pier and built a new east pier. Completed in 1862, these improvements enabled ships up to 500 tons to dock. The WSMR utilized the restored west pier, while the broad gauge West Somerset Railway, which branched from the Bristol and Exeter Railway, operated from the east pier.

The West Somerset Railway arrived at Watchet on 3 March 1862. Although there was a proposal to connect it with the WSMR through mixed gauge tracks on the Mineral line, this connection was never realized.

Extensions beyond the head of the incline

Construction reaching Raleigh's Cross at the top of the incline cost £82,000—significantly surpassing the original estimate of £65,000 for the entire railway—causing delays in further expansion. Work resumed in 1863 and extended as far as Gupworthy by September 1864. Plans to continue onward to Heath Poult were abandoned. By this stage, Ebbw Vale Company Ltd had acquired both the ironworks and mines and secured a lease for the railway lasting 55 years and three months. This agreement guaranteed an annual net payment of £5,575 to the railway company until Michaelmas 1919, providing substantial financial benefit after mining operations ceased around 1880 since payments persisted for nearly four decades regardless of whether services were running.

In 1864, authorities sought authorization to extend beyond Gupworthy towards Joyce's Cleeve in Quarme Valley; however, no formal application was submitted. This proposed extension would have necessitated constructing an additional incline for ore transport before descending back towards Brendon Hill.

Passenger operation

At the summit of the incline, the railway extended eastward along the Brendon ridge to Raleigh's Cross and westward to a terminus near Gupworthy. Many miners resided in these isolated locations, and initially, the company permitted them and their families to travel without charge and at their own risk. A scheduled passenger service between Comberow and Watchet was inaugurated on 4 September 1865 amid considerable celebration. Passenger numbers grew from 13,000 in 1866 to 19,000 by 1872, reaching a peak of 19,680 in 1874. At first, four passenger trains ran daily in each direction; this was later reduced to two and eventually to a single daily service. The trip between Comberow and Watchet took approximately half an hour.

Official stations were established at Watchet, Washford, , and . The site known as , also referred to as Raleigh's Cross or "Top of Incline," was treated internally as a station but was never upgraded for fare-paying passengers due to financial considerations.

Passengers ascended the incline on wagons free of charge, with no safety guarantees from the company; they climbed aboard using ladders and sat on planks placed across the wagons. Locomotives pushed wagons along the upper section. The Ordnance Survey map labeled "Station" at , reflecting the presence of company buildings there. Additional request stops included and , where passengers could board or disembark as needed. Occasionally, special trains were organized for religious or temperance groups. For journeys below the incline, simple cardboard tickets were issued, color-coded by class.

The railway supported expanding communities drawn by mining jobs around Brendon ridge. However, fluctuations in imported ore availability undermined mining profitability; by 1883 all mines had closed and mineral traffic ceased. Staff wages were cut in 1879 as financial pressures mounted. Passenger services continued until 7 November 1898, briefly resuming from 1907 (excluding west of Brendon Hill) until final closure in 1910. The 1895 Bradshaw's Guide recorded two daily return trips from Watchet calling at Washford, Roadwater, and Comberow, each lasting about thirty minutes.

Beyond the plank-equipped wagons used south of the incline, the railway operated a small fleet of six second-hand coaches over time. Three appeared in press reports from 1865; a fourth is noted in Board of Trade returns for 1874-75; two vacuum-braked coaches were added in 1894 to complete the set. All were four-wheeled; one coach featured three compartments for first, second, and third class but was withdrawn in 1894 for storage at Watchet. No known photographs depict trains with more than two carriages.

Decline and closure

No iron mine on the Brendon Hills proved profitable during the nineteenth century, making the entire enterprise financially unsuccessful. The mining industry experienced cycles of boom and bust, with a steep downturn beginning in the early 1880s. Although mining ceased, the railway continued operating but lost its main source of freight. A second-hand Robey semi-portable steam engine powered the incline drums, hauling wagons without relying on regular gravity flow downhill.

Mine closures eliminated core freight traffic and led to depopulation south of the incline, further diminishing already minimal goods and passenger revenue. When Gupworthy Old Pit shut down, it also cut off water supply for the line’s sole water crane south of the incline, which had to be relocated to Brendon Hill.

Between 1852 and 1883, non-ore revenue was estimated at £40,000—less than £1,300 annually on average. Traffic was suspended on 7 November 1898 under an agreement with the Ebbw Vale Company, which compensated £5,000 per year.

In 1907, the Somerset Mineral Syndicate leased the railway and restarted mining operations, reopening it on 4 July with a special train accompanied by a town band. The lower line and incline resumed activity; however, the Gupworthy extension remained closed. Gravity operation was reinstated on the incline. Investments included £1,500 for a new jetty at Watchet and £2,000 for a kiln at Washford designed to convert ore into briquettes that reduced volume and impurities. A new tramway linked Brendon Hill to Colton Iron Mine’s western adit via a double-track incline powered by a stationary steam engine with twin drums. This nearly -mile tramway incorporated a wooden viaduct and transferred ore into standard gauge wagons bound for Watchet.

The Colton development sought immediate revenue while supporting plans for a larger project—a new mine near the base of the incline at Timwood. This lateral mining method reduced expensive vertical shaft operations. Both Colton and Timwood utilized underground hopper wagons; at Colton these were pushed onto narrow gauge tracks then tipped into standard gauge wagons lowered down the incline. Timwood intended to bypass both narrow and standard gauge inclines by tipping ore directly onto standard gauge wagons.

Traffic during this period was sparse; locomotives sometimes made only one trip daily or remained idle for long stretches. Timwood’s financial viability remained uncertain until underfunding forced collapse in March 1910. Assets such as the jetty and briquette kiln were sold off cheaply. Contemporary reports document this decline.

In 1911 Australian inventor A.R. Angus introduced two locomotives on the lower line to trial an automatic signal warning system. A July 1912 demonstration at Kentsford attracted local interest when two hired Great Western Railway tender locomotives successfully stopped to prevent collision—the only tender engines ever operated on this line. Testing continued intermittently until World War I.

During WWI, rails were requisitioned by the War Department for scrap in 1917. While most board members favored immediate closure, a rival board maintained operations and collected lease payments from Ebbw Vale until 1919.

Simultaneously in September 1918, permission was granted to Timber Supply Department of the Board of Trade to lay a light railway on part of the lower trackbed for mule-drawn timber transport from a government sawmill at Washford to Watchet. This track was removed by early 1920; its precise gauge remains under investigation.

The West Somerset Mineral Railway (Abandonment) Act 1923 (13 & 14 Geo. 5. c. xciv) formally authorized abandonment of the railway. Its assets were auctioned off on 8 August 1924; final company dissolution occurred on 7 July 1925. Debenture holders recovered approximately seventy percent of their nominal value while shareholders received no return.

Main line

During the railway's early years, two distinct types of locomotives were in service. Initially, smaller 0-4-0ST tank engines manufactured by Neilson and Company, known as early "box tanks" due to their water tanks positioned above the boiler, were introduced for the line's inauguration. However, one of these was replaced following a fatal accident in 1857.[2] By December 1896, the number of these smaller engines had reverted to two, primarily operating on the section above the incline. Meanwhile, larger Sharp, Stewart 0-6-0ST locomotives managed duties below the incline; these arrived in 1857 and 1866 and briefly served at Watchet during the 1890s.[3]

When the railway resumed operations in 1907, a single Beyer Peacock 4-4-0T locomotive—originally constructed in 1879 for London's Metropolitan Railway—was deployed, having been brought in via a temporary connection from the Great Western Railway at Kentsford.[4] Additionally, between 1911 and 1917, two tender locomotives (West Midland Railway 2-4-0 numbers 103 and 104) were utilized to test Angus automatic train control technology before being transferred and sold.[5]

Name/number Builder Works no. Built Wheels In use[6] Notes
 – Neilson and Co. 370 1856 0-4-0ST 1856–c.1897 Known as "The Box". Cost £1055. Suffered boiler damage in January 1857; repaired by April.[7]
 – Neilson and Co. 391 1856 0-4-0ST 1857 Involved in collision August 1857; did not return to service.[8]
Rowcliffe Sharp, Stewart 995 1857 0-6-0ST 1857–c.1883 Operated on lower section after collision; named after company solicitor.[9]
 – Neilson and Co. ? 1865 0-4-0ST 1883 Third "Box" type engine on the line.[10]
Pontypool Sharp, Stewart 1677 1866 0-6-0ST 1866–1899 Fitted with vacuum brakes at Ebbw Vale in 1894; dismantled at Newport in 1904.[11]
Esperanza Sharp, Stewart 2262 or 2263 1872 0-6-0ST c.1894 Served as a temporary substitute engine.[12]
Whitfield Sharp, Stewart 1011 or 1010 c.1857 0-6-0ST 1895 Originally built as L&NWR tender engine; scrapped at South Hetton in 1948.[13]
Newport Neilson and Co. ? 1855 0-4-0ST 1896–c.1900 Temporary replacement locomotive; rebuilt from an earlier "Box" engine.[14]
37 Beyer Peacock 1881 1879 "4-4-0T" "1907–1910" "Constructed for Metropolitan Railway; sold for £200 in 1910."[15]

Because the railway was split by an incline, it required two separate engine sheds: one serving the lower section from Watchet to Comberow, and another located on the upper level just south of the incline summit.

Initially, the lower section utilized a provisional shed at Torre siding,[16] which was later replaced during winter of 1872–73 by a permanent "Watchet" facility constructed from masonry with a slate roof, retaining workshop capabilities. This shed was extended in 1911 to accommodate locomotives involved in automatic control trials,[17][18] though this addition was dismantled once testing concluded.[19] Situated east of the track near Watchet station,[20] it functioned intermittently from April 1857 to November 1898, then again from July 1907 until approximately 1914, before becoming a residence by 2015.[21]

The upper level featured two "Brendon Hill" sheds: the first was located within Raleigh's Cross Mine premises and opened alongside public goods services in September1858 but closed prior to1880; it was subsequently used as a carpentry workshop until the mine ceased operations in1882.[22][23] The second shed stood south of Carnarvon Pit and was active from summer1884 until November1898 and again between July1907 and1910.[24][25] Both structures have since been demolished.

Colton Tramway

The Colton Tramway was operated using two small locomotives, both positioned facing the main line at Brendon Hill and stored in a locomotive shed close to the loading area.

Identification Manufacturer Works number Year built Wheel arrangement Operational period Remarks
 – W.G. Bagnall 300 or 210 Circa 1880 0-4-0T Approximately 1907–1910 Disposed of for £20 on 28 June 1910.
 – Kerr Stuart 702 Around 1900 0-4-0T Circa 1907–1910 Part of the Sirdar Class. Sold for £18 on 28 June 1910.

Signalling

At its inception, the railway was equipped with antiquated disc and crossbar signals, which remained unchanged until the line closed in 1898. During the Syndicate era, as only a single locomotive was in use, signalling was deemed unnecessary. By 1913, some signals had deteriorated, though others were still operational.

Track

Except for the incline section, the rails were of flat-bottom design with lightweight chairs, weighing 70 pounds per yard; on the incline itself, rails were fixed directly to sleepers by spikes. The steepest gradient encountered was 1 in 43.

Remains of the line

By 1920, nearly all track had been lifted except for a short stretch embedded within Watchet's quayside. Other features gradually disappeared or were altered over time. By 1940, Washford station had ceased to exist, although the level crossing gates remained intact.

Currently, sections of the former trackbed are still visible, often lying on private property. The old Watchet (WSMR) railway station has been converted into residential flats known as the "Old Station House," with its goods shed also surviving. From Watchet to Washford, the route runs alongside the West Somerset Railway and has been repurposed as a footpath. The Washford (WSMR) railway station has been demolished and replaced by a bungalow. The line continues southwest past Cleeve Abbey and Roadwater, where station buildings have been incorporated into bungalow extensions. At Comberow, remnants such as siding traces, the station master’s residence, and platform remains are still identifiable. Further north, parts of the alignment serve as a public footpath.

The incline is largely concealed by dense tree growth and restricted by private land ownership; however, a public footpath crosses it roughly two-thirds of the way up. The Grade II listed building remains of Brendon Hill railway station still stand. Nearby are accessible but unsafe ruins of the summit winding house located close to where roads B3224 and B3190 intersect. A miners’ chapel is also preserved in proximity.

Situated within Exmoor National Park, conservation initiatives funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund and other sources have supported preservation work. This includes restoration of the incline winding house, removal of overgrowth, and repairs to industrial structures.

The line extended westward to Gupworthy, where modest earthworks remain visible alongside bridge abutments at minor road crossings. The former site of Gupworthy railway station (coordinates ) is now occupied by a private residence originally built as a railway house; this location still reveals portions of the original alignment. The Grade II listed incline site is under Exmoor National Park’s ownership. Additionally, the Carnarvon New Pit iron mine together with its adjacent mineral railway track-bed have been designated as an ancient monument. These sites appear on the Heritage at Risk Register due to threats from scrub and tree encroachment.

Sources

Further reading

  • Carpenter, Roger (Winter 1988) "Comberow Incline – West Somerset Mineral Railway", British Railway Journal, issue 20, Wild Swan Publications Ltd, Didcot
  • Gathercole, Clare (2003) Watchet Archaeological Assessment, Somerset County Council
  • Leleux, S.A. (1969) West Somerset Mineral Railway, Industrial Railway Record
  • Maggs, Colin (2013) The Branch Lines of Somerset, Amberley Publishing, Stroud, ISBN 978-0-7509-0226-7
  • Moore, F. (July 1914) "The West Somerset Mineral Railway", Locomotive Magazine, vol. 20, issue 264, Locomotive Publishing Company, London, pp. 196–198
  • Smith, Martin (1995) An illustrated history of Exmoor's railways, Irwell Press, Caernarfon, ISBN 978-1-871608-66-3
  • Yorke, Stan (2007) Lost Railways of Somerset, Countryside Books, Newbury, Berkshire, ISBN 978-1-84674-057-2
  • Ordnance Survey Map: Explorer OL9 Exmoor (top of incline at Grid Reference ST023344)

External links

  1. ↑ Template:PastScape
  2. ↑ ...
  3. ↑ ...
  4. ↑ ...
  5. ↑ ...
  6. ↑ Hately (1977), p.73
  7. ↑ Jones (2011), pp.57–58
  8. ↑ Jones (2011), p.393
  9. ↑ Sellick (1970), p.43
  10. ↑ Jones (2011), p.393
  11. ↑ Jones (2011), pp.394–395
  12. ↑ Jones (2011), p.287
  13. ↑ Jones (2011), p.395
  14. ↑ Jones (2011), p.290
  15. ↑ Jones (2011), p.396
  16. ↑ Sellick (1970), p.20
  17. ↑ Sellick (1981), p.29
  18. ↑ Jones (2011), p.340
  19. ↑ Jones (2011), p.344
  20. ↑ 51°10′51″N 3°20′04″W / 51.1808°N 3.3345°W / 51.1808; -3.3345
  21. ↑ Jones (2011), pp.278–279
  22. ↑ 51°05′56″N 3°23′33″W / 51.0990°N 3.3926°W / 51.0990; -3.3926
  23. ↑ Jones (2011), pp.249–250
  24. ↑ 51°05′55″N 3°23′59″W / 51.0987°N 3.3996°W / 51.0987; -3.3996
  25. ↑ Sellick (1970), p.100; Griffiths & Smith (1999), pp.22–24

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