The main railway line from London Paddington to Taunton, Exeter and South-West England runs through The Charltons, but sadly the trains no longer stop here.
In 2006 we, and the other parishes along the route, celebrated the centenary of the opening of this GWR cut-off line through from Castle Cary to Durston, near Taunton, and the years from 1905 (when Charlton Mackrell station first opened and was briefly the terminus) until the 1960s when all the intermediate stations were closed.
The Railway Centenary Committee obtained Heritage Lottery funding for this project, which produced a book with a detailed history of the line and all the stations, including maps, construction photos, and memories. Unfortunately "Castle Cary to Durston - The Story of a Railway" is now sold out, but second-hand copies may be found.
The then Secretary of The Charltons Historical Society also compiled a book from information, photographs and stories collected by the Society over a number of years. It includes some material contributed to the main Railway Centenary book, and some additional information on engineers who planned the line, but also extends to the general history of the villages of Charlton Adam and Charlton Mackrell and many people's memories of a different way of life in the last century.
The then Secretary of The Charltons Historical Society also compiled a book from information, photographs and stories collected by the Society over a number of years. It includes some material contributed to the main Railway Centenary book, and some additional information on engineers who planned the line, but also extends to the general history of the villages of Charlton Adam and Charlton Mackrell and many people's memories of a different way of life in the last century.
"Life in The Charltons - The Station Years 1905 -1962" costs just £5.
It has recently been reprinted and is also available to order - see Publications page.
