Oh, Doctor Beeching…
Commemorating 60 years since the closure of Bitton railway station in Bristol
Sixty years ago today, our local railway station was closed at part of Dr. Beeching’s infamous cuts to the national rail network, shutting down 2,363 stations and over 5,000 miles of track.
Operated today as a heritage attraction — complete with the all-important tea room situation inside a static 1950s carriage — Avon Valley Railway commemorated Bitton’s closure with a special day that saw members of local theatre group, the Kingswood Players, re-enact the protests that raged along the line in 1966… including an appearance by Dr. Beeching himself!
The Mangotsfield line originally linked Bristol Temple Meads and Green Park Station in Bath — something that would be extremely useful in 2026!
Vintage cars and vehicles were also lined up at the station entrance, including this stunning Bristol Royal Blue Coach, snapped up by owner Richard Avery ten-years ago for a cool £15,000 and lovingly restored.
It was a great way to spend the morning and a fascinating piece of local history, helped along by tea, cake and a bric-a-brac stall where my long-suffering missus caught me buying yet another vintage tin that I don’t really need, but I’m sure will come in handy someday!
