Looking for Swindon's Other Railway

I go to the town of Swindon in Wiltshire to see what remains of the M&SWJ Railway.
#railway #swindon

[@user-lj8wp8qs3g]

I usually get bored watching these kind of videos with other KZbinrs but this has to be one of the most informative and interesting videos and channels I’ve ever come across🙏I’m not binge watching your channel! Thank you!🥰

[@westcountrywanderings]

Thank you! That's very kind. One of the beauties of KZbin is that there is a niche for everyone, and you can find a corner of KZbin which you find interesting. My little channel is slightly different in that I don't just try and focus on one thing (the only common theme is that they feature somewhere in wider Westcountry) like railways or canals, or seaside resorts, but an assortment of all these, and more. I try and make them as interesting as I can - glad you find them interesting too. Thanks for stopping by, watching and commenting. Cheers, Paul

[@michaelrose1839]

This is a very interesting video, and its really great to see what remains of the MSWJR. I did want to point out that it is Rushey Platt, not Rushley Platt!

[@westcountrywanderings]

Thank you! Glad you found it interesting. I do hope to cover another section of the MSWJR in a future video. Yes, many others have also pointed out the Rushey/Rushley thing - I think it stems from a mis-print in one of the books that I used when writing up my notes, but I am not sure. I do know someone local to Swindon that also refers to it as Rushley. The Platt bit means 'small piece of ground of a defined size'. The OE deriviative means flat or level, which makes sense. Paul

[@peterlewis1443]

Fascinating... some parts I recognised, others not so much. We used to drive into Swindon from the west, sometimes past the Moredon power station through the villages like Shaw. I do remember when virtually all of West Swindon was fields and farms and the M4 had yet to be built, so that area has changed out of all recognition. I remember my Mum saying that when they moved to the Swindon area in the very early 1960s they thought it was wonderful to have a line straight to the south coast! I haven't visited the Swindon and Cricklade railway since the 1970s, so it will be interesting to get back there one day... Thanks for the informative video.

[@westcountrywanderings]

Thank you Peter. I don't know Swindon very well at all, and I feel completely out of my depth filming in urban areas like this - they are very alien to me. Such a shame this line closed - now trains from the North West going to Bournemouth and the south coast have to go via the South East (Reading & Basingstoke). It also have taken freight off the roads - the M4 is at capacity (well, beyond capacity!) I have done a couple of videos on the Swindon & Cricklade Railway, and I am sure I will be back there later this year. Take care, Paul

[@peterlewis1443]

Thanks Paul, I just remembered that my grandfather was at Chiseldon camp at some point during WW1, so I'm sure he must have travelled on that line. Also, when I worked in Christchurch, I used to have to travel via Reading and Basingstoke, just as you pointed out... cheers, Peter

[@westcountrywanderings]

@@peterlewis1443 Thank you! Yes, I am hoping to explore other parts of the M&SWJR at some point, including Chedworth and the Chiseldon areas as well as around Ludgershall.

[@dianarolph1770]

I was so pleased when a bench came into view- you’d gone too long without sustenance and rest. Trouble with it,was that it wasn’t comfortable & was sodden! I enjoyed the video but it is like a big jigsaw puzzle & so much is now missing. And more clues are disappearing all the time. I’m glad it stayed dry during your walk but you could tell it was dodgy underfoot & that so-called footpath was more than hazardous- whose responsibility was that? I found that incredible in this day & age. ( I hope where you live has avoided the floods! Even here we have had floods)

[@westcountrywanderings]

Thank you Diana! Thankfully I have managed to avoid the worst of the flooding. Although I did want to go to Bewdley today I decided to give it a swerve due to the state Sabrina is in at the moment. Thanks for a lovely comment. Take care, Paul

[@faithg9766]

I shall have nightmares about that bizarre foot wide "footpath!" These investigative videos are so interesting.

[@westcountrywanderings]

Oh, gosh yes! I think there either was, or is going to be, a bridge over the river there, but at the moment it is just the parapet - eeek! Glad you found it interesting Faith. Take care, Paul

[@malcolmrichardson3881]

Very interesting exploration of what was once an important set of interconnections at Swindon. Although the line connected major centres of population, it's largely rural hinterland, almost certainly made its viability questionable from the beginning. You do wonder though, whether it would have been more viable in today's more populated landscape - particularly south of Swindon towards Southampton. I remember the bridge over the mainline at Swindon being in situ, some years ago.

[@westcountrywanderings]

Thank you Malcolm. Yes the MSWJR has a very complicated history as you are aware of - which makes giving a brief resume in a video rather tricky! Glad you enjoyed it despite the footpath closures. Take care, Paul

[@DarylW426]

Very nice walk Paul. Really enjoyed it. Two of my favorites. Railway and just a touch of Canal rolled into one. Perfect!👍

[@westcountrywanderings]

Thank you Daryl! Glad you enjoyed it 😊. It was a little frustrating to make but I'm glad you stayed with it despite the foot/cyclepath closures. Cheers, Paul

[@DonnaTaibossigai]

It's fascinating how landscapes change over the decades, but there's usually still traces of old railways. I love your attention to detail and ensuring you get the facts right. Great work, Paul! And oh, that narrow little pathway! 😮

[@westcountrywanderings]

Thank you Donna! Yes, that footpath across the parapet of the bridge! I started to video it as I was going across, but then thought that was tempting fate! I needed my other arm free to hold onto the metal fence to ensure that I didn't slip over the side! I think there may have once been a footbridge there, but there is no sigh of it now. It is a particularly complicated history with this one, and quite tricky to communicate the facts without getting too entangled with it all. Thanks so much for watching and commenting Donna. Hope all is well with you and your family. Take care, Paul

[@royedwards8713]

Hi Paul another nice canal video ,and have a good weekend😊😊

[@westcountrywanderings]

Thank you Roy! Glad you enjoyed it. Hope you are having a good weekend too. Take care, Paul

[@davidberlanny3308]

Hi Paul, It looked wet underfoot, I shudder to think what it looks like now, the TV reports gives the impression that everywhere is flooded, hope all is well with you. Your really kept the narrative going, I don't know how you manage to remember so many details. It's a complicated route out of the city and compounded by the ongoing works (well the closures anyway). Well done for persevering. The shot of the skewed bridge was perfect, a perfect oval with the sun shining through as well. All the best!!

[@westcountrywanderings]

Good morning David - well nearly afternoon. I am the Severn Valley Railway again at the moment - big steam gala, cold but the sun is out and it isn't raining! Thanks for a lovely comment. It was a bit of a frustrating adventure to be honest and I cobbled the video together as best as I could. Glad you enjoyed it all the same. Hope you have been having a great weekend! Cheers! Paul.

[@davidberlanny3308]

Hi Paul, I wish I could cobble a video together as well as you do!! The steam gala sounds great amazing to see more than one in steam at a time. By the sounds of things they haven't been flooded out this time. Snow due down here the next few days!!

[@westcountrywanderings]

@@davidberlanny3308 Just started snowing here! Only light - at the moment! Yes, there wasn't any flooding on the tracks, but the surrounding areas were. Hope you have a great week David. Thanks so much, Cheers, Paul

[@paulking9734]

When we moved to Swindon in 1959 ( I was 6) we had a trip to Marlborough and I saw a train disappearing into the cutting towards Chiseldon and I was fascinated by that line from then on. I, with friends cycled to the old town station after closure, but before the signal boxes closed and we were allowed to look into the station signalbox and had a little ride on the footplate of a tank engine pulling a few coal wagons. After that the track south to Marlborough was lifted and old town station started to decay and disintegrate and not much was left when we left Swindon in 1968. My parents moved back to Hesketh Crescent in the late 70's so when I visited I was able to walk from the old town station site to Rushey Platt.I'm pretty sure the rusty track was still in place but was unable to walk onto the bridge over the GWR as it was fenced off. It seems so odd seeing all overgrown now and like a forest. Many memories of that line..your video was very interesting.

[@westcountrywanderings]

Thank you so much for a very interesting comment! That must have been great to have seen the MSWJR in action. Yes, nature is taking it back fast these days, though, of course, the cycle way (currently long term closed courtesy of Thames Water!) follows the old trackbed. Such a wasted resource in my opinion. Would have made a great freight relief line with all the distribution centres in Swindon these days. Thanks again! Paul

[@robertfreeman7906]

My mother took me on a day trip from the Old Town station to Gloucester in the mid 50's when I was about 4 or 5 years old and the Old Town station eventually became a goods station as there was a cattle market on site

[@westcountrywanderings]

Oh wow! That must have been a fabulous trip to have gone from Swindon Old Station to Gloucester - it looks like it had far more character than the present day Swindon Station. Such a shame this line was closed as it would have been so useful in getting freight off the roads. Thank you for watching and commenting. Cheers, Paul

[@benblakey5607]

18:04 that bit of concrete is for signalling

[@westcountrywanderings]

Thank you!

[@bearded653]

this is just the best and im from swindon ,would love to meet up and you show me all the GWR lines, new sub 🙏

[@westcountrywanderings]

Thank you. Glad you enjoyed it. To be honest, it wasn't the best walk or video because of all the disruption caused by Thames Water on the former track bed. Glad you enjoyed it though. Cheers, Paul

[@janevivian-smith4578]

Doesn't surprise me that you had a bit of trouble due to works of one sort or another they take forever to do any work in this town right at the start of this video I see that the bus station upgrade still not finished that over 3 years now. So glad I left this town it's not fit to be a city love your videos ❤

[@westcountrywanderings]

Thank you 👍 Glad you enjoy the videos. Yes, this particular one was more than a little frustrating to make, and, I admit, it isn't one of my best: I hadn't realised that the Thames Water blockade would be for such a long section of the cycle path/railway trackbed and signage is poor. Thanks for watching and commenting. Cheers, Paul

[@janevivian-smith4578]

Have moved to Cornwall and also loving the ones you have done around Devon and Cornwall thank you for your efforts appreciate it we live in a beautiful country maybe not appreciated by all but I do x

[@westcountrywanderings]

@janevivian-smith4578 Thank you so much! I will be back to do a couple of videos from Cornwall later this month. All the best, Paul

[@user-nm6xp1ch1z]

Interesting feature on one of my favorite "closed" railways. I have several books on the MSWJR and have visited some sections of the line. Not sure why you pronounced "Rushey Platt" as "Rushly Platt", or is that a local pronunciation? The line to Ludgershall is still "in situ" but not sure what traffic is carried on it these days. The sidings that used to go towards Tidworth have been truncated in the last few years where a new housing estate for army personnel has been built. I look forward to future visits by yourself on this fascinating railway!

[@westcountrywanderings]

Thank you for the information on Ludgershall and Tidworth - really useful - I don't know that area at all. I have seen it spelt variously as Rushey Platt, Rushley Platt and Rushly Platt, so I am not sure of the exact pronuciation. The name has now dissapeared from the OS maps and finger signposts too, and the area is now more commonly known as West Leaze (northern part) and Wichelstowe (southern part), neither of which existed when the station and junction was there. I do hope to visit other locations on the MSWJR in the future. Thanks for watching and a great comment. Cheers, Paul

[@grahamwoodward4981]

The original name of Rushey Platt was changed from Russian Platt. It was named by men that came back from the war in Crimea. I have never heard of Rushly Platt and I was born in Swindon 70 years ago now.

[@shaunspencer6437]

Another interesting video. We really need to preserve all these small remains of the old railways and canals. Each wall, post, fence even bump tells a long lost story. I dont know whether it was some sort of A1 trickery but yes i thought i saw blue sky. I put it down to my imagination but then it happened again later in the video.. Mysterious.

[@westcountrywanderings]

Thank you Shaun! Yes, the mysterious blue sky. I think it was a figment of both our imaginations! 😂 Something strange has happened too - no more water coming out of the sky! Cheers! Paul

[@benblakey5607]

The Redpost Drive Bridge was not original, it was built when Wichelstowe was developed

[@michaelpilling9659]

Hello Paul - greetings from Poland. A great video, full of historical facts and information. It's me I think but i got very confused on which line was going where and because we couldn't follow the old track bed because of work by Thames Water, exactly what I was looking at.. Sorry old friend but not one of my favourite videos

[@westcountrywanderings]

Hi Michael, Yes, I was unaware of the work being undertaken by Thames Water in advance of my outing. There was also no signage at all until you arrived at each barricade, which meant that the video was not what I had hoped it would be. The entire former railway trackbed section from where I crossed over the River Ray to Mouldon Hill Country Park (where the Swindon & Cricklade Steam Railway, is and where I ended the video) had been blocked by Thames Water, which meant I was walking some way from the former railway at times. As I expected, there was also no work taking place by Thames Water on any of it! An extended Christmas holiday perhaps?! Swindon could really do with this railway now, as most of the roads that I saw had huge tailbacks and traffic was going slowly. It would have still made a great freight relief line from the North West and the Midlands to Southampton. Now it has to go via Basingstoke and Reading. Thanks for your feedback Michael. Take care, Paul

[@michaelmiller641]

Thanks for that video Paul. That is a fascinating railway, one that was rather doomed, I suppose. Thanks for the tour

[@abandonedrailwaya2470]

A well researched and interesting explore, Paul. The M&SWJR has a very interesting history, and was rather underused IMO. An excellent video. Thanks for sharing. Take care. Ron

[@westcountrywanderings]

@abandonedrailwaya2470 thank you Ron! Glad you enjoyed it. Yes, it certainly is a rather complicated history to unpick! Take care too, Paul

[@westcountrywanderings]

@@michaelmiller641 Thank you Michael! Glad you enjoyed the tour, even if it was not what I had hoped for. The MSWJR is certainly a fascinating and interesting railway though. Take care, Paul

[@robinearle7225]

Rushey Platt.

[@westcountrywanderings]

Indeed it is!

[@robinearle7225]

Enjoyed the Video - have actually travelled on the Swindon Junction to Old Town Station Loop 8d for a youngster c1955@@westcountrywanderings

[@westcountrywanderings]

@@robinearle7225 Tnank you.. I would have loved to have done that. Must be great to have that memory.