Mineral Line

The West Somerset Mineral railway, together with its iron mining sites, and the communities that lived and worked on it, has been described as one of the most important industrial landscapes in the region. In 1852 a Welsh company started mining for iron-ore on the Brendon Hills. They constructed a railway to bring the ore to Watchet for shipment to South Wales. The mines closed in the 1880s but a passenger service continued until 1898. The old line is now a pleasant walk to Washford or through Kentsford Farm to the church and back to Watchet. Completed until 1861, the line ran six miles from Watchet to Comberow, at the foot of the Brendon Hills. To reach the ironstone mines at the top of the hill, an 1100 yards long incline was constructed on a gradient of one in four, lifting the railway 800ft to the top of the hill. From the top of the incline, the railway was extended westwards in 1864 to serve other ironstone mines.

Top of Comberow incline 1985 The old Mineral Line - thanks to John Lambourn

Remains of winding house Comberow 1985 - thanks to John Lambourn

Mineral trains took iron ore to Watchet Harbour, where it was loaded on to boats and sent to the EbbwVale Ironworks in South Wales. The railway was closed in 1898 due to rising imports of cheaper foreign ore. A brief reopening of the mines by a syndicate was short-lived and the railway was last used in 1914.

John Lambourn writes ' My Father's maternal Grandfather (Benjamin Nurcombe latterly of Watchet) was a stonemason and is said to have worked on the original winding house at Comberrow incline summit and also on the mineral jetty in Watchet harbour. His predecessors were stonemasons which I have traced back to the 16th century in that area, particularly Wiveliscombe. '

 See also:

http://www.westsomersetmineralrailway.org.uk

Contributed by: Jim Elliot, John Lambourn