Castle Cary
National Rail
General information
LocationCastle Cary, South Somerset
England
Coordinates51°05′59″N 2°31′27″W / 51.0996°N 2.5241°W / 51.0996; -2.5241
Grid referenceST634335
Managed byGreat Western Railway
Platforms3
Other information
Station codeCLC
ClassificationDfT category D
History
Original companyGreat Western Railway
Key dates
1856Opened
Passengers
2018/19Decrease 0.222 million
 Interchange Decrease 37,593
2019/20Increase 0.278 million
 Interchange Decrease 32,119
2020/21Decrease 50,758
 Interchange Decrease 10,265
2021/22Increase 0.240 million
 Interchange Increase 30,667
2022/23Increase 0.312 million
 Interchange Increase 37,749
Notes
Passenger statistics from the Office of Rail and Road

Castle Cary railway station is on the Reading to Taunton line 115.25 miles (185.48 km) south west of London Paddington and the Bristol to Weymouth line 47.75 miles (77 km) south of Bristol Temple Meads. The two routes share tracks between Westbury and Castle Cary stations and are both operated by Great Western Railway, which also manages the station. The station is 1 mile (1.6 km) north of the market town of Castle Cary and 5 miles (8 km) south of Shepton Mallet in a largely rural area of Somerset, England.

History

Platform one buildings

Castle Cary station was originally on the Wilts, Somerset and Weymouth Railway, a railway that linked the Great Western Railway (GWR) at Chippenham with Weymouth. The line was authorised in 1845, was acquired by the GWR in 1850, reached Castle Cary on 1 September 1856, and was completed throughout in 1857.

For the remainder of the 19th century, the GWR's principal route from London Paddington station to Exeter, Plymouth and Penzance was an indirect one via Bristol Temple Meads (the so-called Great Way Round). However, in 1895 the GWR directors announced that new lines were to be constructed to enable trains to reach Exeter, Plymouth and Penzance in a shorter time. The first stages involved improvements to the Berks and Hants Extension Railway and the Wilts, Somerset and Weymouth Line which reduced the distance from London to Castle Cary by 14.25 miles (23 km) and provided double track throughout.[1]

This was followed by the construction of the Langport and Castle Cary Railway, which was opened from Castle Cary to the existing Bristol to Exeter line at Cogload Junction in 1906. This transformed Castle Cary from a station on a secondary north to south line, to one on a main east to west route. The route resulting from these improvements and extensions forms the current London to Penzance line.[1]

The station was awarded the Small Station of the Year award in the National Rail Awards 2007.[2]

Stationmasters

  • Edwin Wall 1856 - 1860[3] (afterwards station master at Dorchester)
  • Peter Leach 1860[4] - 1862 (formerly station master at Dorchester)
  • Thomas Curtis from 1862[5]
  • Henry R. Fletcher 1869 - 1884[6]
  • G. Kerrick North 1884 - 1888[7] (formerly station master at Highworth, afterwards station master at Twyford)
  • William Wilcox 1888 - 1892[8] (afterwards station master at Shepton Mallet)
  • Walter Henry Gale 1892 - 1899[9]
  • Thomas Jenkins 1899 - 1903[10] (formerly station master at Witham Friary, afterwards station master at Witham Friary)
  • William Garard 1903[11] (formerly station master at Keynsham)
  • Frederick William Augustus Hallett 1903 - 1910[12] (afterwards station master at Bewdley)
  • Thomas Blea from 1912 (formerly station master at Cheddar)
  • J.W. Bennett from 1916 (formerly station master at Woodborough)[13]
  • Herbert Samuel Morrall 1919 - ca. 1921 (formerly station master at Somerton)
  • R. Davis ca. 1922
  • G.E. Nailor 1927 - 1935[14] (formerly station master at Bruton, afterwards station master at Chippenham)
  • Mr. Fawden ca. 1942
  • V. Hopkins ca. 1956 ca. 1963

Platform layout

View from the West with the main line in the left foreground, and the Weymouth branch on the right

The station has three platforms. The main station facilities are located on the London bound platform 1, as well as the main station building and ticket office which is staffed until the afternoon. Toilet facilities are available on the concourse too. In front of the building is a car park for 100 cars, a bus stop and a taxi rank. Platform 2 serves west bound services to Taunton, Exeter, Plymouth and Penzance, whilst the shorter platform 3 can only be used by trains on the Bristol to Weymouth line. Immediately to the west of the station the Weymouth line diverges from the London to Penzance Line.[2]

Location

Castle Cary station is the closest station to the site of the Glastonbury Festival, which is held near Pilton about 8 miles away. During the period of the festival additional trains are provided, and special buses are run from the station to the festival site.[2] The station also serves events at the Royal Bath and West Showground, though these are not provided with extra trains. It is also the nearest main line station to the city of Wells which lost its rail connection in 1963.

Services

A Class 165 unit arrives with a Gloucester to Weymouth service

The service on the London to Penzance line runs approximately every two hours, with 8 trains in each direction, although not all trains run as far as Penzance.[15] The service on the Bristol to Weymouth line runs on a similar frequency, again with 8 trains in each direction.[2]

Preceding station National Rail National Rail Following station
Taunton   Great Western Railway
Reading to Taunton Line		   Westbury
Yeovil Pen Mill   Great Western Railway
Heart of Wessex Line		   Bruton
Yeovil Pen Mill   South Western Railway
Heart of Wessex Line		   Bruton

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Castle Cary railway station.
  1. 1 2 MacDermot, E T (1931). History of the Great Western Railway, volume II 1863-1921. London: Great Western Railway.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Coward, Andy (30 January 2008). "Castle Cary rocks". Rail. emap active. pp. 50–53.
  3. ↑ "1835-1910 Clerks Vol.3". Great Western Railway Operating, Miscellaneous Depts: 40. 1835. Retrieved 19 June 2021.
  4. ↑ "1835-1910 Clerks Vol.3". Great Western Railway Operating, Miscellaneous Depts: 155. 1899. Retrieved 19 June 2021.
  5. ↑ "1835-1863 Clerks". Great Western Railway Operating, Miscellaneous Depts: 38. 1899. Retrieved 19 June 2021.
  6. ↑ "Castle Cary". Western Gazette. England. 2 January 1885. Retrieved 19 June 2021 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  7. ↑ "Castle Cary". Somerset County Gazette. England. 2 June 1888. Retrieved 19 June 2021 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  8. ↑ "Castle Cary". Wells Journal. England. 17 March 1892. Retrieved 19 June 2021 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  9. ↑ "Castle Cary. Suicide of the Stationmaster". Shepton Mallet Journal. England. 28 July 1899. Retrieved 19 June 2021 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  10. ↑ "Castle Cary". Shepton Mallet Journal. England. 13 February 1903. Retrieved 19 June 2021 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  11. ↑ "1835-1910 Clerks Vol.6". Great Western Railway Operating, Miscellaneous Depts: 464. 1899. Retrieved 19 June 2021.
  12. ↑ "1835-1910 Clerks Vol.6". Great Western Railway Operating, Miscellaneous Depts: 480. 1899. Retrieved 19 June 2021.
  13. ↑ "Woodborough. Presentation to the Late Station Master". Wiltshire Times and Trowbridge Advertiser. England. 15 July 1916. Retrieved 19 June 2021 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  14. ↑ "New Stationmaster". Wiltshire Times and Trowbridge Advertiser. England. 4 May 1935. Retrieved 19 June 2021 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  15. ↑ Table 135 National Rail timetable, May 2016
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