London Paddington to Bristol Temple Meads

The Route of the Bristolian

London Paddington is one of London's grandest and most elegant stations and is an important monument to the work of Isambard Kingdom Brunel. It was built by the Great Western Railway in 1854 and was designed by the legendary engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel. This famous engineer also designed the S.S. Great Britain, the Clifton Suspension Bridge and the Royal Albert Bridge at Saltash. The concourse of the station is called "The Lawn" and has a statue of Paddington Bear. On Platform 1 by the entrance there is a statue of Isambard Kingdom Brunel. The former goods depot can be seen on the right as trains leave the station. This is now redeveloped as Paddington Waterside and links the station with the canalside of the Grand Union Canal. The route from London to Bristol follows Brunel’s original famous Great Western Railway. The station is fronted by the magnificent former Great Western Royal Hotel, which remains a prestigious hotel known as the Hilton London Paddington. In its heyday and even today, London Paddington was the “Gateway to the West” and the starting point for journeys to the Thames Valley, West Country, the Cotswolds and South Wales. From 1998 London Paddington also became the gateway to the world’s busiest airport when it became the terminus of the Heathrow Express service to London Heathrow Airport.

Throughout this “Through the Window” guide we describe views as being left or right from the train facing in the direction of travel out of London.

London Paddington to Reading:

On leaving London Paddington, the train follows the elevated M40 motorway seen on the right briefly before emerging into an area of high rise development. Royal Oak station and Westbourne Park station are passed within a few minutes of departure from Paddington. Kensal Green cemetery and Old Oak Common train depot are passed to the right, while to the left can be seen the pinnacles of Wormwood Scrubs. Kensal Green cemetery is where Thackeray, Leigh Hunt, Isambard Kingdom Brunel and other famous people are buried. Wormwood Scrubs is the big prison. The prison was originally built by convict labour and houses 1400 prisoners. During the First World War, however, Wormwood Scrubs was an important airfield for the RAF. To the left as you pass the Old Oak Common train depot can be seen North Pole Depot which was built for the maintenance of the Eurostar trains through the Channel Tunnel. Next Acton Main Line station is passed through. London Underground trains share the route for much of the way to Ealing Broadway and then the surroundings become more suburban. Beyond West Ealing, Hanwell Recreation Ground can be seen on the right, and beyond Hanwell & Elthorne station the tower of Hanwell Church can be seen on the right. In its churchyard lies Jonas Hanway, the man who introduced the umbrella to Britain in 1750. Soon the line is carried high over the River Brent on the 8 arched Warncliffe Viaduct built in 1837. Soon Southall is reached and to the left can be seen the former Southall Locomotive Depot now home to the GWR Preservation Group's Southall Railway Centre. Just beyond Southall the line crosses the Grand Junction Canal and soon Hayes & Harlington is reached. After West Drayton station the River Colne is crossed. Shortly after this the line to Heathrow Airport can be seen diverging from the mainline via a flyover to the left. Then Iver station is reached. The Grand Junction Canal soon draws up close to the line on the right just as Langley station is reached.

The French style, domed station at Slough dates from 1838 in parts. Here the branch line to Windsor & Eton Central can be seen branching off to the left soon after the station. Before this branch line was opened in 1850 Queen Victoria used Slough station when she travelled to Windsor Castle. The River Thames divides Windsor from its close but no less famous neighbour Eton. After leaving Slough a number of interesting factories line the route, notably the impressive brick home of Horlicks to the right.

After Slough the landscape becomes more rural, while to the left can be seen the continuous stream of planes on their final approach to London Heathrow airport.  Soon Burnham station is passed and then Taplow. To the right is Taplow’s 1912 church with its distinctive green spire, and then the train makes its first crossing of the River Thames. Maidenhead Bridge with its two graceful shallow brick arches spanning the river is one of Brunel’s masterpieces. Opened in 1837, it confounded its critics, who firmly believed that such flat arches would surely collapse. The bridge also features in J.M.W. Turner’s famous painting, Rain, Steam and Speed. Maidenhead still retains echoes of its Edwardian charm by the river. Maidenhead station is where the branch to Bourne End and Marlow can be seen branching off to the right.

To the right of the line after Twyford station, where the branch to Henley on Thames can be seen joining the mainline on the right, are the lakes and flooded gravel pits that surround the River Loddon, a River Thames tributary. A deep cutting, the Sonning Cutting, south of Sonning then takes the line towards Reading. The railway enters the town with the River Thames right next to the line on the right hand side. To the right can be seen the white façade of Caversham Park, a 1850s mansion that now houses the BBC’s foreign language section. Before it arrives at Reading station, the line crosses the River Kennet, the River Thames’ link with the Kennet & Avon Canal and the recently reopened waterway route to Bath and Bristol. On the left the great gas holders are passed. Also the line from London Waterloo can be seen on the left as the train enters Reading station.

Reading is a thriving university town and shopping and business centre. Reading still has a good variety of 19^th century architecture, notably the Royal Berkshire Hospital of 1837 and the 1870s municipal buildings by Waterhouse. The ruins of the Cluniac abbey, founded by King Henry I in the 12^th century, underline the town’s historic importance.

Reading station is an important junction with lines running to Oxford and the Midlands, the West Country and the South West via Basingstoke. Another line to London Waterloo also connects with routes to Surrey and Kent. Reading station has a gracious Italianate façade of 1870 on Platform 4, crowned with a decorative clock tower, but however to the side is the new station complete with shopping arcade.

Reading to Swindon:

On leaving Reading the line to the West Country diverges from the mainline to the left while we continue on the mainline to Bristol, Oxford and the Midlands which continues straight ahead past the Reading train depot which can be seen to the left. To the right are the fields alongside the River Thames that every year around the August Bank Holiday weekend are host to the Reading Festival which is one of the UK's major summer music festivals. The line then turns west to follow the Thames Valley. Just west of Tilehurst station there is a glimpse of Mapledurham House to the right, sited by the river, and there are fine views of the Thames at Pangbourne. West of Pangbourne, the 18^th century Basildon Park can be seen on the left to the south west. The scenery is at its best as the line and the river, pass through the Goring Gap, with rolling hills to the south and wooded banks of the river to the north. The train crosses the river before reaching Goring and Streatley, and again shortly after, and then the landscape becomes more open as the River Thames swings away northwards. After Cholsey, the former branch line to Wallingford can be seen diverging off to the right. This is now home to the Cholsey & Wallingford Railway. On the left to the south can be seen the distant Downs that mark the route of the Ridgeway. As the line approaches Didcot, distinctive features to the north are the twin, rounded mounds of the Sinodun Hills with their Iron Age fort. At Didcot Parkway, another major junction, the Oxford line diverges to the right northwards, while the mainline to Bristol continues westwards.

On the right of the station in the centre of the triangle of lines is the old steam locomotive sheds that are now home to the Great Western Society's Didcot Railway Centre. Some Oxford trains bypass Didcot station and pass round the triangle on the far side of Didcot Railway Centre and on to Oxford. To the north of Didcot is the dominating sight of Didcot Power Station with its vast cooling towers.

The train to Bristol continues on through the station and the Didcot Power Station complex is seen to the right. As the train heads westwards along the M4 corridor the village of Steventon is passed on the left. Further on the village of Shrivenham is visible to the right. This is home to Cranfield University and the Defence College of Management & Technology. Soon the line passes under the A419 main road and enters Swindon station.

Swindon is famous as a railway town and home to Isambard Kingdom Brunel’s legendary Swindon Works. Swindon Works was the main railway works for the Great Western Railway and many famous locomotives were built here including the King and Castle classes. The works opened in 1842 and along with the railway works a small railway village was created to house some of the railway workers. This area became the present day area known as New Town (or the Town Centre). The original Railway Village houses are still standing and are occupied. In the second half of the 19^th century the new area (Swindon New Town) created by the railway works and the original area from the market trading years (Swindon Old Town) were merged to become Swindon. During much of the 20^th century the famous railway works was the largest employer in the town. Sadly in 1985 the works closed down. Many of the historic buildings on the site of the famous railway works have now been converted into the McArthur Glen's Swindon Designer Outlet shopping village. The site is also the headquarters of the National Trust and English Heritage and is home to the National Monuments Record and the STEAM – Museum of the Great Western Railway which honours the railway history of the town and the story of the famous railway works and the Great Western Railway.

Swindon to Bristol Temple Meads:

On leaving Swindon station our train continues westwards to Bristol. Shortly after the station the line to Gloucester and Cheltenham diverges off to the right and soon the site of the former railway works is seen on the right. The line then passes under the M4 motorway and leaves the suburbs of Swindon behind and the train speeds westwards. Soon the village of Wooten Basset is seen on the right and shortly after this the mainline to Bristol Parkway and South Wales via the Severn Tunnel diverges off to the right. The village of Lynham is seen to the south as the line enters the Avon Valley. Lynham is home to RAF Lynham. The River Avon meanders alongside the railway to the left southwards as the train arrives at Chippenham station.

Shortly after Chippenham the line to Trowbridge and Westbury diverges off to the left southwards. The village of Corsham is then seen to the right before the line enters the famous Box Tunnel. It is thought that the sun only shines directly through this tunnel on Isambard Kingdom Brunel’s birthday. After speeding out into the sunlight once more the train briefly enters a second shorter tunnel before continuing through the rolling landscape of the Avon Valley. The village of Batheaston is then visible on the right before the line from Westbury can be seen joining the mainline from the left as we enter the magnificent historic city and spa town of Bath. The train passes through the famous cutting next to Sidney Gardens and then rolls into Bath Spa station on a viaduct crossing the River Avon with magnificent views of the city and the City of Bath World Heritage Site to the right towards the famous Putteney Bridge and Bath Cathedral. Then as the train leaves the station there are further fine views of the city to the right. The train continues on through the suburbs of Bath passing Oldfield Park station. As the train passes through the rolling landscape of the Avon Valley, the village of Saltford is seen to the left before the train passes Keysham station with the Cadburys chocolate factory visible to the right. The urban areas of Bath and Bristol are very close together so tend to merge into one. Soon the train passes through a tunnel under Broom Hill and enters the outskirts of Bristol. The River Avon is crossed before Barton Hill train depot comes into view on the right with the triangle of lines forming the junction for the line heading towards Bristol Parkway. All too soon the train sweeps round the final curve and enters Bristol Temple Meads station and journeys end.

Bristol Temple Meads station is the terminus of Brunel’s famous Great Western Railway from London Paddington. The original part of the station can be seen to the right and now houses the British Empire & Commonwealth Museum. On the far left hand side of Bristol Temple Meads station is the newer Great Western platforms, then in the centre is the magnificent arched trainshed roof and on the right is Brunel’s original station.

Bristol was a major port and with the 17th-century rise of England's American colonies and the rapid 18th-century expansion of England's part in the Atlantic trade in Africans taken for slavery in the Americas, Bristol, along with Liverpool, became a significant centre for the slave trade although few slaves were brought to Britain. During the height of the slave trade, from 1700 to 1807, more than 2000 slaving ships were fitted out at Bristol, carrying a (conservatively) estimated half a million people from Africa to the Americas and slavery. Sadly the port of Bristol declined with competition from Liverpool from c.1760, the disruption of maritime commerce through war with France (1793) and the abolition of the slave trade (1807) contributed to the city's failure to keep pace with the newer manufacturing centres of the North and Midlands. The long passage up the heavily tidal Avon Gorge, which had made the port highly secure during the middle ages, had become a liability by this time and the construction of a new "Floating Harbour" between 1804 and 1809 failed to overcome this obstacle. Bristol also has a great many associations with Isambard Kingdom Brunel. As well as being the terminus of his Great Western Railway from London Paddington, Bristol is also home to his Clifton Suspension Bridge and his pioneering ocean liner the S/S Great Britain is now preserved in the original dry dock where it was built.

Whilst Bristol is a well known maritime city, it also is an important aviation centre as well. In the 20th century, Bristol's manufacturing activities expanded to include aircraft production at Filton (to the north of the city), by the Bristol Aeroplane Company, and aero-engine manufacture by Bristol Aero Engines (later Rolls-Royce) at Patchway. In the 1950s it became one of the country's major manufacturers of civil aircraft. The Bristol Aeroplane Company diversified into car manufacturing in the 1940s, building luxury hand-built cars at their factory in Filton, under the name Bristol Cars, which became independent from the Bristol Aeroplane Company in 1960. This company still continues to produce cars today as Bristol Cars Ltd.

In the 1960s Filton played a key role in the Anglo-French Concorde supersonic airliner project. Concorde components were manufactured in British and French factories and shipped to the two final assembly plants, in Toulouse and Filton. The French manufactured the centre fuselage and centre wing and the British the nose, rear fuselage, fin and wingtips, while the Rolls-Royce/Snecma 593 engine's manufacture was split between Rolls-Royce (Filton) and SNECMA (Paris). The British Concorde prototype made its maiden flight from Filton to RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire on the 9^th April 1969, five weeks after the French test flight. In 2003 the British Airways and Air France who operated Concorde made the decision to cease flying the aircraft and to retire them to locations (mostly museums) around the world. On the 26^th November 2003, Concorde 216 made the historic final Concorde flight, returning to Filton airfield to be kept there permanently as the centrepiece of a projected aviation museum. However for the time being it is housed at a temporary visitor centre called Concorde at Filton.

The major aerospace companies in Bristol today in the 21^st century are BAE Systems, Airbus and Rolls-Royce all based at Filton. Another important aviation company in the city is Cameron Balloons, the world's largest manufacturer of hot air balloons. Annually, in August, the Bristol is host to the famous Bristol International Balloon Fiesta, which is one of Europe's largest hot air balloon events. Bristol is a truly great city with a rich cultural history and continues to be an important railway, maritime and aviation centre.