Shropshire Routes to Roots

In 1848, the first of two railway stations opened in Oswestry. The station, later known as Oswestry GWR, (The Great Western Railway), opened on the Gobowen Road and served the single line linking Oswestry with the main Shrewsbury to Chester line to the east at Gobowen. This station closed in 1924.

The second station for Oswestry opened in 1860 a few hundred yards down the road. This station was part of the Cambrian Railways Company which ran trains from Whitchurch to Newtown. In 1865 The Cambrian Railways Company was formed through the amalgamation of four smaller companies and chose Oswestry as its new headquarters. In July 1865 the comapny was extended by an Amalgamation Act to include the Aberystwyth and Welsh Coast Railway.

The Cambrian Railways Company opened the Railway works on Gobowen Road around this time: this saw the start of Oswestry booming as a rail town. The population of Oswestry grew from around 5,500 in 1861 to nearly 10,000 40 years later. It was in the Gobowen Road works that much of the casting, fabrication, assembly and repairs were undertaken for the Cambrian Railways. The power to the machines was provided by a large steam engine via overhead shafting and belts. The 150 foot chimney is still a local landmark.

Read part of an interview (opens in a new window) with Mr Charles Sherwood Denniss, General Manager of Cambrian Railways in 1898. In this interview he very succinctly descibes the initial formation of the Cambrian Railways and captures some of the convoluted confusion of the time.

Link to a map of the Cambrian Railways Company network (Opens in a new window).

Link to a 1909 Cambrian Railways Company poster (opens in a new window) advertising Easter excursions including trips to see Everton Football Club Reserves play Blaenau Ffestiniog.