Kemble railway station

Former GWR country junction
Gloucestershire, England UK [map], Photo/article Aug 2011 Apr 2012

Opened by the Great Western Railway (GWR) in 1882, Kemble served as a busy country junction until the 1960s, serving two branch lines to Cirencester Town and Tetbury.

After both lines were closed in April 1964, the station offers connections to London Paddington to Gloucester and Cheltenham Spa and local services from Swindon to Gloucester and Cheltenham Spa.

The station has two platforms in use, with the former Cirencester platform retaining a short stub of track used for the occasional stabling of track machines.



Approaching the station from London, with the truncated Cirencester branch line to the right.



Classic GWR station design, built with local Cotswold stone.



High Speed Train train from London on platform 2.



The original covered footbridge is still in use.



View from the footbridge. Note the large water tank from steam days. The branch line to Tetbury curved off to the left of the water tower.





View of platform 2.



Another view of platform 2. Passenger (sorry, 'customer') traffic at Kemble has steadily risen over the years.

In 2002/03, a total of 195,000 passengers were recorded using the station, a figure that soared to 341,000 in 2010/11 [Source].



Looking north.



View south toward Minety and Swindon. The 'up' platform is to the left.







Looking out from platform 2 across the tracks.



The smaller station buildings by the 'down' platform. The Tetbury branch line bay platform was on the left.



Conveniently, there's an excellent pub just a few yards from the station. Where better to wait for a train?



Old station master's house.



The visit-gloucestershire site documents an interesting story behind the construction of a tunnel.

Built at the insistence of the owner of the Kemble Estate, a Mr Robert Gordon, who would only allow the line to be constructed on the payment of £250 an acre for the land involved and the building of this 400 yard tunnel so that the line couldn't be seen from his home.

The line was singled as a cost cutting measure in 1968, but following strong local campaigning, is set to be redoubled.





View of Kemble Station looking north from the bridge carrying the minor road to Tarlton.

To the right can be seen the surviving stub of the former Cirencester Branch.


1963 photo from a similar angle showing a remarkably similar scene. To the right can be seen a small diesel railbus on the Cirencester branch, introduced as a cost cutting measure. [Pic: flickr]



The attractive main station building at Kemble.



Former entrance/exit to the Cirencester branch platform.



The station has an unusual covered area between the old Cirencester platform and up platform.







Looking out on to the abandoned Cirencester platform.



The well maintained waiting area with its wooden roof, large windows and station cafe (to the right).



Surviving Great Western Railway (GWR) benches. The GWR ceased to exist on the 1 January 1948, and this bench style dates from 1934 onwards.



The station still contains a wealth of original detail.







Cast iron column detail.





Kemble's surviving large water tank complete with pumping machinery below. The structure probably dates from 1882.



The water tank is Grade II listed and used to feature an unusual 'booster tank' on top.



Archive view showing the booster tank and the Tetbury branch line curving off to the left.
[Pic: flickr]



A last look at Kemble station, taken from the end of Platform One (opposite the water tower).

Here's some interesting archive video footage of the last services from Tetbury to Kemble and Cirencester, complete with laid back voiceover.





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