The Ledbury and Gloucester railway

(Historic Environment Record number 16608)

The majority of this line lay in the neighbouring county of Gloucester. Originally the line began as two concerns: the Ledbury to Ross line via Dymock, and the Newent Railway which was to leave the Ledbury to Ross line at Dymock to reach the Great Western Railway at Over Junction, west of Gloucester. Both companies gained Parliamentary approval in 1873, but due to financial difficulties nothing happened for another three years. By this time the Ross & Ledbury Railway had abandoned their plans to reach Ross and linked with the Newent Railway to provide a through route from Ledbury to Gloucester. All the intermediate stations on this line were in Gloucestershire, at Dymock, Newent and Barber's Bridge.

By the early 1920s there were five trains each way on weekdays only. On 13th July 1959 the line was closed to passenger traffic, with the section from Ledbury to Dymock closing completely. The Gloucester end of the track continued to be used for goods traffic until 30th May 1964.

[Original author: Miranda Greene, 2003]