North Dorset Trailway - Part 5: Charlton Marshall to Spetisbury

The final section of the Trailway begins again on the outskirts of Blandford and, once you have regained it, it is another mile or so until you come to the next station at Charlton Marshall.

This was another halt although, as it was now on double track, it had two platforms.

The top photograph is looking north, towards Blandford, with Bridge Nº 203 carrying a road across the line.The bottom photo is looking south, towards Spetisbury, and on this section of track some fast running was possible with the official speed limit of 70 mph often being exceeded by all accounts.

As with Stourpaine & Durweston, the station at Charlton Marshall had but a brief existence, opening four days before Stourpaine, on 5 July 1928, and closing on the same day - 17 September 1956.

This section of track provided the opportunity for some fast running with an official speed limit of 70 mph although I believe this was often exceeded.

The facilities provided here were extremely basic with just one seat on each platform and no shelter and no lights. As such the train guard would need to shine his lamp to guide any passengers who alighted here up the pathway to the road. After that, and still in the dark, they were on their own!

From Charlton Marshall it is less than two miles to the next station at Spetisbury, and the end of the Trailway, for now. Happily Spetisbury Halt, as it became, has survived and is slowly being restored by a group of volunteers.

It opened as a station on 1st November 1860 but became an unstaffed halt from 13 August 1934. It closed at the same time as the other two halts at Stourpaine & Durweston and Charlton Marshall.

Looking South

New Station Sign

Looking North

Station Vista

Standing on the platform, today, one can quite easily imagine trains calling at this station again although I don't believe any track will be relaid here, at least for the foreseeable future.

Beyond Spetisbury, heading south, the Trailway proceeds for a further quarter of a mile before ending where a bridge over the road has been removed.

There are plans (hopes) to one day continue the Trailway beyond the road and on towards Bailey Gate.

Sadly, however, no more stations survive beyond Spetisbury with those at Bailey Gate, Corfe Mullen and Broadstone all disappearing beneath tarmac and housing.

Such wanton destruction of a line that did, and could now, provide a useful link between the north of the country and the south coast.