A key role of this website is to unearth rare and as-yet-unpublished photos of the railways in East Dorset, both to help inform the historical side of the study and for the sheer enjoyment of discovery. The district is generally well-covered in the period following World War Two, but seems much less so in the inter-war period, and rarely at all before World War One or back into the 19th Century, except for the area around Wimborne Junction. Some helpful postcard views exist, especially from the early 20th Century. We believe more images from these earlier periods must exist but will take some digging to reveal themselves. Some may lie in undiscovered collections held by families associated with the railways or by enthusiasts. If any readers are aware of such sources, please get in touch with the study directors at info@eastdorsetrailways.org
Here we outline some examples collected in recent decades and relate the stories of discovering the sources or the sometimes frustrating trails that have led to dead ends…at least for the time-being. We also plan to produce some photo features on particular themes or locations and different historical periods.
Sources and reproduction
For the study and this website, we are drawing on images from a wide variety of sources – individual photographers, private and public collections, dealerships, museums, etc. In all cases where we use an image here, we endeavour to identify the sources – primary and secondary – as rigorously as possible. We have also sought permission to reproduce an image wherever reasonably possible. This is out of respect to the photographers, collections and copyright holders as far as possible, where known. It can be a highly time-consuming and sometimes ultimately futile process where, for instance, the original photographer might have died, or the image transferred to a collection, or a collection sold and dispersed, etc., perhaps after many decades have passed.
If, even after our due diligence, any reader recognises an image where we have unintentionally contravened his/her image rights, we apologise and would welcome clarification so we may retrospectively ask permission and correct the attribution. We are placing short credits and the © copyright symbol discreetly across one corner of each image, often with more detailed attribution at the end of the extended captions. We ask readers to respect the image rights and not reproduce the images for other outlets without first seeking permission.
rarity from between the world wars looks fairly dull and unlikely to reveal much useful information for the researcher. It shows a mixed goods train passing or static in the Down platform, without even the locomotive in view. Yet it reveals two fixed features of some considerable historical interest. First, above the wagons, are the LMS company notice boards attached to the south end wall of the Down-side general waiting room, dating the picture to 1923 or after, but probably no later than 1933 (when remaining former Somerset & Dorset Joint Railway traffic to Wimborne had ceased). Second is the rarely-seen angled canopy over the ‘back road’ behind the Down-side buildings. It was probably added around 1916 to protect parcels and perishables traffic being loaded, unloaded or transferred from one train to another. This survived into the 1950s before being removed. Unknown photographer; courtesy and © Paul Bolger, Stations UK; ref. RR3A05
Rare territory
Some locations, infrastructure features and railway landscapes in East Dorset, often minor, are proving elusive in terms of finding photographs, especially from operating days. Here’s a selection; can anyone out there come up with the goods or guide us towards potential sources, please? Working out from the eastern and northern extremities of our study area:
• Ashley Crossing, near Ringwood: The original 1847 public level crossing carrying the Ringwood-Wimborne turnpike road (later A31) across the railway was soon replaced by an over-bridge, circa 1850s, and downgraded in status. We’ve only seen two photos with a brief close-up glimpse of any part of the crossing, and would like to find one showing the whole crossing and its setting.
• Ashley Heath Siding: The halt here was much photographed but not the siding and small yard on the south side, probably used mainly for timber traffic from local forestry plantations.
• West Moors Army Fuel Depot: Perhaps not surprisingly, taking and publishing photos of this sensitive military site when the railway was operational were frowned upon. Yet we’ve seen glimpses of the reception and exchange sidings from the public railway, but not any expansive views across the sidings, nor any of the depot’s internal track layout and its own diesel locomotive in action.
• Daggons Road: Again, the station area was much photographed, but only showing part of the lead into the brickworks siding. We’re seeking a view along the siding into the brickworks itself.
• Cow Bridge, Cripplestyle: No photo from operating days has surfaced of this surviving over-bridge, in a remote position on the edge of Cranborne Common, about half a mile south of Cripplestyle hamlet.
• Hibberd’s Bridge, Gotham (north of Verwood): Another over-bridge that seems to have evaded the camera.
• River Crane Bridge, south of Verwood: This under-bridge was remote from public access and we are not even sure of its form. It may well be more of a large culvert through the high embankment, rather than a full bridge, and is believed to survive. No photo has been found to date.
• Horton Common Crossing: This staffed but remote crossing, with a gatekeeper’s cottage, carried tracks across the common north of Three Legged Cross. To date we’ve not found any photo taken during operating days.
• Three Legged Cross Bridge (Horton Road): Considering that this humped over-bridge carried the Ringwood-Shaftesbury turnpike road over the Salisbury line beside a busy junction with the road from West Moors, we have so far only found photos from track level during demolition. We’re also looking for a road-side view that shows the bridge in its full setting, preferably with the railway visible and maybe even a train passing.
• Ashford Water Bridge, Fordingbridge: While Fordingbridge Station and the town are just inside the Hampshire boundary, Ashford Water formed the county boundary on the northern edge of our study area. A deep embankment crossed the river, with the bridge being in the form of a large, long culvert. Its relative inaccessibility and utilitarian appearance probably help to explain the lack of published photos.
• Newman’s Lane Crossing, West Moors: Two known views show the gatekeeper’s hut, but we’ve found no general views of the crossing from either side, especially with a passing train, nor any of the cottage during operational days.
• Dolman’s Crossing, Ameysford: In this case, we have a photo of the crossing cottage, but none of the wider setting of the crossing, nor any of a train passing.
• Uddens Abattoir and Siding: The ultimate view here would be of a cattle train using the siding and platform, but even a view of the siding itself and the abattoir building from a position well into the site would be good. The nearest we’ve managed to date is a view from west of Uddens Crossing, with the abattoir siding too distant to see details.
• Hayes Lane Crossing, Stapehill: Unlike with nearby Canford Crossing, we’re lacking any photo showing the wider setting of the whole crossing and its more immediate setting from the road on either side, including the lodge.
• Wimborne Gasworks Siding: Any photos of this siding in situ and, even better, in use, together with the works itself, would be welcome. Partly because it closed in the mid-1930s, photos are proving elusive. The site was on the Up side of the running lines just north of Leigh Arch.
• Wimborne Station: Any photos from the dawn of photography through to World War One seem difficult to find. Particular examples include: the original goods shed (removed in the 1860s or 1870s), the second, timber-built goods shed and stable (burnt down in 1879), the restaurant (closed at an unknown date, possibly 1920s or 1930s), the Up-side newspaper kiosk, and the small sheds alongside the Poole Siding in the SW corner of the station area, which we believe housed railway staff dealing with signalling, permanent way, carriages, etc.
Older material
In the following sections we highlight the work of earlier photographers who lived locally or had particular local connections. Some were professional, others amateur. They have left some remarkably rare material, often beautifully sharp images from the days of glass plate cameras. In most cases, photography was incidental to their main professions or trades. Between the world wars, cheaper, more mobile camera equipment became popular, albeit mainly still within the reach of the upper and middle classes, although cameras such as the basic Kodak Box Brownie enabled the less well-off to indulge as well. Our searches still indicate that there is far less material readily available from prior to World War Two than afterwards, and relative to other areas of the UK railway network. This situation provides both a challenge and a delight when rare items emerge.
Early days
The earliest known image unearthed so far across the study area was taken in the very early days of Wimborne’s Somerset & Dorset Railway locomotive depot, circa 1863. This is also one of the earliest taken anywhere on the S&DR network. Any earlier views would cover the Dorset Central Railway between 1860 and 1862 and the Somerset Central Railway, the first stage of which opened from Highbridge to Glastonbury in 1854 and extended to Wells in 1859. It’s a remarkably informative find, as the caption details.
Above: Wimborne Turntable: This northward view has been a revelation in respect of the earliest layout of the depot, and it’s the earliest railway photo we’ve found for Wimborne and our study area. We weren’t sure previously that this was Wimborne, although it clearly isn’t any other S&D depot of the time. We also didn’t know previously that the turntable once led directly onto three roads on its south side. Apart from the approach track from the running line (seen underneath the tender), there also seems to be another spur off the turntable, between the front wheel sets of the loco. This layout doesn’t correspond to better-known later layouts, where two roads to the left (west) side led directly into the two-road shed, the third leading directly over the turntable into the single-road shed. The second release road was very likely where the disturbed brickwork is visible at the extreme left of the well. (The L&SWR generally wanted two release roads from a turntable in case of blockages.)
Visible to the extreme right is what should be the L&SWR line to Broadstone, climbing at 1-in-100, although it seems more distant from the turntable than in later photos. The depot site looks freshly land-shaped, with little vegetation established. The turntable (the first, probably 30 feet long) also looks somewhat ‘bodged’, with overhangs and barely wide enough for even this relatively short loco plus tender. This view almost seems posed deliberately to convince the railway company that the turntable was already inadequate for turning tender locos. The second turntable was 40 feet long, probably one a slightly different site. The final one, 45 feet, probably enlarged the second on site. The key to dating this photo may be the loco itself – S&DR George England 2-4-0 No.10. We know this was delivered to Templecombe in July 1863 and possibly based there initially. It might have brought a train to Wimborne or even have been transferred there after its arrival on the S&DR. It seems likely that the date is at least 1863, possibly slightly later. We are exploring such matters in a paper looking at the overall development of the Wimborne Junction area between 1859 and 1865. Unknown photographer; originally Locomotive Publishing Company Collection (F. Moore), ref: 1523; courtesy and © National Railway Museum, via Somerset & Dorset Railway Trust
The next earliest image is probably from the 1870s (possibly earlier)and shows a George England 2-4-0 probably on the third track coming off the original turntable The likely photographer is Alfred Whitaker, the S&DR Locomotive Superintendent (or an assistant), as the best copy is an original print in his surviving ‘scrapbook’ held in a private collection.
Above: Wimborne Loco Shed: This eastward view towards Canford Park was taken from the coaling stage at Wimborne loco shed. It shows Cudworth-designed, George England-built 2-4-0 No.17, probably on the easternmost of the three tracks leading south from the original turntable. The L&SWR line to Broadstone in the background is on the rising 1-in-100 grade from Wimborne Junction towards Oakley. Eight of this loco class were delivered from England’s firm at New Cross in London to the S&DR Company in 1861, albeit initially stored by the L&SWR in the open at Salisbury, before moving to Templecombe. No.17 was a later arrival, in 1865, surviving until 1897. It is not currently known exactly when it was stationed at Wimborne, but it may have been there from its arrival on the S&D. The date of the photo is now thought to be mid-to-late-1860s, but is still uncertain. Photo: possibly Alfred Whitaker; courtesy and © D. McGhie Collection
Other known views of Wimborne depot centre on the early 1900s, some taken by Cecil H. Eden, who had been an apprenticed engineer at the L&SWR’s Nine Elms Works in London and apparently became an official company photographer with unbridled access to the railway. He produced many loco portraits, often with crew posed alongside. He also seems to have lived for some time in the Wimborne area. The quality and composition of the glass plate images are extraordinarily high.
Above: Wimborne loco shed: This beautiful portrait of Johnson’s small 4-4-0 No.68 was taken on the easternmost of two shed roads, looking south-eastwards, with the L&SWR line and Cruxton Farm (Canford Estate) in the background. This class was built by the Midland Railway under S. W. Johnson at Derby, and No.68 was delivered to the S&DJR in 1896, being withdrawn in late 1921. The likely date is early 1900s. Photo: C. H. Eden; © South Western Circle, Eyers Collection
Local studio
Another professional photographer active in the late 19th and early 20th Centuries was Job Pottle, who started a studio in Eastbrook, Wimborne between 1885 and 1890 (the building survives). Although much involved in high society photography and the recording of important community events, he occasionally captured local railway scenes, notably at Wimborne Station and the loco depot. Much of his accumulated stock of negatives survived for years in the studio after he had stopped working there and transferred the business, but we understand that a substantial part was shipped to the USA and its current whereabouts are unknown.
The studio continued under other proprietors until relatively recently, including Jimmy James post-WW2 and the last, Richard Pink. Richard has indicated that the trail to the USA had long gone cold, which is a great pity, but perhaps someone out there reading this may know more? The Museum of East Dorset holds some Pottle images and staged an exhibition in the early 2000s. Pottle himself emigrated to the USA but apparently returned in the 1920s. This one railway photo at Wimborne loco shed is attributed to him, dated as late as 1931.
Local GP and historian
Another local photographer, a competent amateur, was Ernest Kaye le Fleming, who came to Wimborne as a GP in 1901 and practised there until his death in 1946, also rising to become Chairman of the Council of the British Medical Association. He took a keen interest in local history and wrote many papers on varied subjects. He had a passing interest in the railway at Wimborne and is believed to have visited the loco depot during walks with his son Hugh. It’s quite possible that a few photos taken in the depot and nearby might have been his, but this has not been confirmed. One that is almost certainly his is shown here, dated circa 1912, with S&DR Vulcan No.15A passing Bridge 227 beside Merley Farm, between Wimborne Junction and Corfe Mullen Junction. This credit is verified by the fact that Hugh Merton le Fleming himself painted a copy of the photo, which framed version is still in the le Fleming family collection. Hugh went on to be a well-known author of railway and shipping books. The Museum of East Dorset again holds some of the le Fleming Collection and staged an exhibition from Autumn 2021, although no railway images have been found and the family says that no more seem to exist among the collection it retains.
Signalman photographer
During the inter-war period, a Wimborne signalman, Peter (‘Percy’) A. Trodd took many black-and-white photographs of the railway around Wimborne. At that time it was unusual for a railway staff member on a wage to be able to afford camera, film and processing costs, but Percy seems to have been keen. His family, including a daughter, Edith (married name Edwards) and two surviving grand-daughters – now Sue Crowfoot and Barbara Holloway – lived in one of the railway cottages at Oakley during World War Two. Percy retired in late 1956 after 53 years of railway service. A family recollection is that, some time after Percy died, an enthusiast (name unknown) with whom he had corresponded, possibly a doctor or vicar from Kent, might have been given many of Percy’s railway memorabilia by his widow. We would love to trace this source if anyone out there knows of the whereabouts. Some of Percy’s photos kept by his grand-daughters appeared in Bill Coomer’s little self-published book on the Dorset Central Railway. A few others seem to have passed to dealer collections.
Photo: Wimborne signal box: In this lovely portrait, Peter (‘Percy’) Trodd stands at the south end of the lever frame, in or before March 1933, when there was major rationalisation following the final closure of the loop to Corfe Mullen Junction and the abolition of Wimborne Junction and its signal box. This photo shows that the 29-lever frame proposed in 1911 was installed before the West ground frame was abolished. Internal views of the signal cabin and equipment have proved elusive. The appearance of the cabin looks very spartan.Photo: P. A. Trodd; courtesy and © Sue Crowfoot
Station masters
Another local member of railway staff and keen photographer between the wars and even during World War Two was G. W. Puntis, one-time station master at Broadstone between the wars. A number of his excellent photos have graced railway publications and more remain unpublished and kept by his descendants. Many were taken close to Broadstone Station and at least one at Wimborne Station. Another was J. Thornton Burge, one-time station master at Templecombe, who seems to have travelled widely across the south of England and had images published in the railway magazines of the early 1900s. One of his surveys covered the Old Road through East Dorset.
Above: Wimborne Station: Among the rarest of local railway photos, this is the only view found yet of an S&DJR Class 7F 2-8-0 in the station, the unique, tall signal box making the location unquestionable. The year is 1929 and the loco seems to be splitting a lengthy goods train, presumably from the Evercreech Junction or Bath direction. We are confident that this arrived via the loop from Corfe Mullen Junction, although that section only had four years of life left. S&DJR Officer minutes indicate that in the 1920s the Wimborne loop continued to deal with worthwhile volumes of particularly exchange traffic, especially Dorchester-bound. Wimborne was a sensible point for exchange. More locally, milk traffic continued from Bailey Gate Creamery until 1932, being forwarded to London, and as well as clay traffic from Carter’s Siding headed for a pottery beside Hamworthy Junction. A much-less-likely alternative is that the 7F-hauled train had come up from Broadstone or Poole, and it’s unlikely that it was going further east along the Old Road, such as to Ringwood. Photo: G.W. Puntis; courtesy and © R. Puntis
Victorian splendour
Family collections of photos are sometimes the source of real rarities that shed light of railway operations well back into the period before World War One and beyond into the 19th Century. Such collections are naturally often hidden to public view; others may have surfaced and passed to public archives or commercial dealers. In the case of East Dorset, the better-known family collections (e.g. Kaye le Fleming) have partially reached the Museum of East Dorset or the Dorset History Centre. The locations of others remain to be traced or to be discovered suddenly. The greatest danger is that some may be disposed of without recognition of their historical value. Mercifully, the collections of railway enthusiasts, observers and historians are generally passed to recognised repositories where they can be cared for and made available to researchers.
