The historic railway line which once connected Bath and Bournemouth is set to return to the spotlight 58 years after its closure as it features in a major new documentary, , which launches on Channel 4 on Saturday September 21. First opened in the mid-19 century, the Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway stretched from Bath, through the West Country and all the way down to the south coast. A famously rural route, it meandered through the rolling hills around Bath and its eccentricities captured the public’s imagination.
The line began to decline in the 1950s and a decision to finally close it was made in 1966, leaving its winding tracks, spectacular architecture and incredible stories to fade into history – until now. The first episode of new six-part series, Abandoned Railways From Above, focuses exclusively on the Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway – often remembered as one of Britain’s most-loved lines – and uncovers its history through some of the most beautiful countryside the nation has to offer. The programme starts at Bath Green Park station – the terminus for the abandoned line, which has since been transformed into an active retail and events space.
Talking about the iconic station, which was opened 30 years after Bath Spa and was designed to emulate the city’s Georgian splendour, the venue’s Property & Market Manager, Charles Beer, tells the programme: “It was said that whenever you came into Green Park station, there was always a steam train billowing.