Ruspidge Halt railway station

Ruspidge Halt
Site of the former station (now a linear park) in 2005.
General information
Location	Ruspidge, Forest of Dean England
Coordinates	51°48′41″N 2°30′34″W / 51.8115°N 2.5094°W / 51.8115; -2.5094
Grid reference	SO649126
Platforms	1
Other information
Status	Disused
History
Original company	Great Western Railway
Pre-grouping	Great Western Railway
Post-grouping	Great Western Railway
Key dates
3 August 1907 (1907-08-03)	Station opened
3 November 1958 (1958-11-03)	Station closed
Location

Ruspidge Halt railway station is a disused railway station opened by the Great Western Railway (GWR) on the former Bullo Pill Railway, later known as the GWR Forest of Dean Branch.

History

A 1911 RCH map of railways in the vicinity of Ruspidge Halt

v t e Railways and Canals of the Forest of Dean
Railways legend Waterways legend
Hereford, Ross and Gloucester Railway Mitcheldean Road Hereford, Ross and Gloucester Railway Mitcheldean Road & Forest of Dean Jn Ry Drybrook Quarry Ross and Monmouth Railway Drybrook Halt Lydbrook Junction Nailbridge Halt Steam Mills Crossing Halt Lower Lydbrook Churchway Colliery Upper Lydbrook Whimsey Halt Mineral Loop Drybrook Road Coleford Railway Serridge Platform Cinderford New Wimberry Quarry Whitecliff Quarry Bilson Halt Speech House Road Ruspidge Halt Bicslade Tramroad Staple Edge Halt Bicslade Wharf Eastern United Colliery Coleford (CR) Upper Soudley Halt Coleford (S&WR) Bullo Cross Halt Gloucester– Newport line Milkwall Newnham Parkhill Colliery Ruddle Road Halt New Fancy Colliery Howbeach Colliery Parkend Forest of Dean Central Railway Whitecroft Awre for Blakeney Tufts Junction Mineral Loop Norchard River Severn Middle Forge Jcn Lydney Town Severn Railway Bridge Severn Bridge Gloucester and Sharpness Canal St Mary's Halt Sharpness Lydney Junction Sharpness Docks Lydney Sharpness branch line Upper Forge Lydney Harbour Pidcock's Canal Lydney Canal Lower Forge Gloucester– Newport line River Severn

The Halt was located about 4 miles 4 chains (6.5 km) from Newnham on a 1 in 201 gradient.^[1]

The station opened for passenger services in August 1907. The low platform was constructed from stone and a stone building was provided from the outset.^[2]

Before the commencement of passenger services, the Forest of Dean Branch was worked by train staff in two sections - Bullo to Ruspidge and Ruspidge to Bilson. In order for the passenger services to be introduced, the former goods office was converted for use as a booking office (it had both the railway and public telephones).^[3]

The train staff working was also replaced by single line electric key token working and at this time a three-lever ground frame gave the porter control of the up and down distant signals and the gate bolts (which were interlocked).^[4]

Services

Preceding station		Disused railways		Following station
Staple Edge Halt Line and station closed		Great Western Railway Bullo Pill Railway		Bilson Halt Line and station closed

References

1. Pope, Ian; Karau, Paul (1997). The Forest of Dean Branch - Volume 2. Didcot: Wild Swan Publications Ltd. p. 235. ISBN 1-874103-36-4.
2. Pope, Ian; Karau, Paul (1992). The Forest of Dean Branch - Volume 1. Didcot: Wild Swan Publications Ltd. pp. 174, 176, 179, 182, 183. ISBN 1-874103-05-4.
3. Pope & Karau 1992, p. 174
4. Pope & Karau 1992, pp. 177, 179

Further reading

• Mitchell, Vic; Smith, Keith (2008). Branch Lines around Ross-on-Wye. Middleton Press. figs. 86-88. ISBN 9781906008307. OCLC 370350430.