Handbook to the Severn Valley Railway

Handbook to the Severn Valley
Railway

The Project Gutenberg eBook, Handbook to the Severn Valley Railway,
by J. Randall
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Title: Handbook to the Severn Valley Railway Illustrative and
Descriptive of Places along the Line from Worcester to Shrewsbury
Author: J. Randall

Release Date: January 26, 2006 [eBook #17612]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-646-US (US-ASCII)
***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK
HANDBOOK TO THE SEVERN VALLEY RAILWAY***

Transcribed from a facsimile of the original printing and design of
1863 by David Price, email [email protected]

HANDBOOK TO THE SEVERN VALLEY RAILWAY
Illustrative and Descriptive of Places along the Line, FROM
WORCESTER TO SHREWSBURY.
BY J. RANDALL, F.G.S., AUTHOR OF "SEVERN VALLEY," ETC.
[Title page illustration: title.jpg]

LEGEND OF THE SEVERN, WYE, AND RHEIDOL.
(See Illustration on the Cover.)
The Welsh are justly proud of their hills and their rivers; they
frequently personify both, and attribute to them characters
corresponding with their peculiar features. Of the Severn, the Wye, and
the Rheidol, they have an apologue, intended to convey an idea of their
comparative length, and also of the character of the districts through
which they flow. It is called "The Three Sisters," and in substance is as
follows:--In some primitive period of the earth's history, Father
Plinlimmon promised to these nymphs of the mountain as much
territory as they could compass in a day's journey to the sea, by way of
dowry upon their alliance with certain marine deities they should meet
there. Sabra, goddess of the Severn, being a prudent, well-conducted
maiden, rose with the first streak of morning dawn, and, descending the
eastern side of the hill, made choice of the most fertile valleys, whilst
as yet her sisters slept. Vaga, goddess of the Wye, rose next, and,
making all haste to perform her task, took a shorter course, by which
means she joined her sister ere she reached the sea. The goddess Rhea,
old Plinlimmon's pet, woke not till roused by her father's chiding; but
by bounding down the side of the mountain, and selecting the shortest
course of all, she managed to reach her destination first. Thus the
Cymric proverb, "There is no impossibility to the maiden who hath a
fortune to lose or a husband to win."

THE SEVERN VALLEY RAILWAY.
The Severn, like other English rivers, may be said to have been the
pioneer of railways along its banks: first, in having done much to
correct the inequalities of the surface; secondly, in having indicated the
direction in which the traffic flowed; so that early in the history of
railway enterprise eminent engineers, like the late Robert Stephenson,
saw the desirability of following its course, and thus meeting the wants
of towns that had grown into importance upon its banks, wants which
the river itself was unable to supply. In 1846 the route was finally
surveyed by Robert Nicholson, with a view to a through traffic in
connection with other railways. The scheme met with opposition from
advocates of rival lines. Ultimately, however, the Bill passed the
committees of the two Houses, and the promoters were successful,
whilst the expenses of counsel and witnesses were enormous. The
original estimate for the line was 600,000 pounds: 110,000 pounds for
land, and 490,000 pounds for works. 8,500 pounds was down for a
girder bridge at Arley, 8,000 pounds for one near Quatford, 9,000
pounds for one above Bridgnorth, and 10,000 pounds for one at
Shrewsbury. The two bridges near Bridgnorth and the one near
Shrewsbury were abandoned, and a considerable saving was effected
by shortening the line at Hartlebury, by a junction, with the Oxford,
Wolverhampton, and Worcester higher up than was originally intended.
The estimated cost of the works, in consequence of these reductions,
and of the determination of the company to make it a single line, was
thus reduced to nearly one-half the original sum.
Although the Severn Valley Railway joins the Main Trunk line at
Hartlebury, Worcester is regarded as its proper terminus; and at that
point we commence our description.

WORCESTER.
[Illustration of Worcester: 4.jpg]

Population, 31,123. Returns two Members to Parliament
Market days--Wednesdays and Saturdays Fair days--Saturday before
Palm Sunday, Saturday before Easter Day, August 15th, September
19th, and first Monday in December.
Our engraving represents the "faithful city" as it appears from a point
between the bridges, with the Cathedral rising from an eminence above
the river. The venerable pile was raised by the brave and pious bishop
Wulstan, upon the site of an earlier edifice, formerly the church of a
priory founded by