Kelston railway station

Kelston for Saltford
General information
Location	Bath and North East Somerset
Owned by	London, Midland and Scottish Railway London Midland Region of British Railways
Managed by	Midland Railway
Platforms	2
Key dates
1 December 1869	Opened
1 January 1949	Closed

Railways in the Bristol area
Cross Country Route Thornbury branch line Yate South Wales Main Line New Passage Pier Westerleigh Junction New Passage Halt Cross Hands Halt South Wales Main Line via Severn Tunnel Pilning Severn Beach Coalpit Heath Severn View Industrial Park Winterbourne Chittening Industrial Estate Bristol Parkway Patchway Smoke Lane Industrial Estate Ram Hill Colliery Chittening Platform Hallen Halt Avonmouth Docks Henbury St Andrews Road Charlton Halt Avonmouth (BPR&P) North Filton Platform Avonmouth (Royal Edward) Stoke Gifford depot Avonmouth Docks Westerleigh Goods Depot Avonmouth Avonmouth Light Railway Filton Junction Avonmouth Docks Filton Portway Park & Ride Filton Abbey Wood Shirehampton Horfield Ashley Down Sea Mills Ashley Hill Clifton Down Tunnel Mangotsfield (1845–1869) Clifton Down Mangotsfield (1869–1966) Redland Staple Hill Montpelier Fishponds Hotwells Halt Warmley Hotwells Narroways Hill Junction Stapleton Road sidings Grey line represents Stapleton Road boundary of Bristol Oldland Common unitary authority area Avon Valley Railway Lawrence Hill Waste depot Bitton Bristol St Philip's Barton Hill Depot St Mary Redcliffe tunnel Avon Riverside Bristol Temple Meads Bristol Temple Meads Princes' Wharf Kelston Bristol Harbour Railway St Philip's Marsh T&RSMD SS Great Britain East Depot Bristol Docks (North) Bedminster Bristol Docks (South) Parson Street CREATE Centre Mangotsfield to Bath line South Liberty Lane Depot Ashton Gate St Anne's Park Clifton Bridge Brislington Nightingale Valley Halt Long Ashton Ham Green Halt Bristol–Exeter line Pill Whitchurch Halt Portbury shipyard Keynsham Royal Portbury Dock Bristol & North Somerset Rly Portbury Shipyard Saltford Portbury Great Western Main Line (1954–1964) Portishead Weston, Clevedon and Portishead Light Railway (1879–1954) Portishead Portishead Pier

Kelston was a small railway station about four miles west of Bath on the Midland Railway's Mangotsfield and Bath Branch Line. It lies across the fields from the village of Kelston and nearer the village of Saltford on the other side of the River Avon, to which it was connected by a footpath that ran alongside the railway on the bridge over the river. The station was known for many years as "Kelston (for Saltford)", though Saltford had its own station on the Great Western Main Line.

It was opened in 1869 when the Midland Railway's Bath branch was opened. It was served by stopping trains to Mangotsfield and the Midland Railway terminus at Bristol St Philips or Bristol Temple Meads, via Bitton and Oldland Common. The station generated little traffic apart from race days at Bath Racecourse, which could be reached by a three-mile trek over the fields, mostly uphill, or regatta days at Saltford. It closed at the end of 1948, though the line itself remained opened for passenger traffic until March 1966 and for goods to Bath gasworks until 1971.

The station was destroyed by fire in 1882.

References

• Somerset Railway stations by Mike Oakley, Dovecote Press, Wimborne, 2002.

Services

Preceding station		Disused railways		Following station
Bitton Line closed; station open		Midland Railway Mangotsfield and Bath Branch Line		Weston (Bath) Line and station closed