History of Dorset

Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 60. Chapters: Edward the Martyr, Milton Abbey School, Maiden Castle, Dorset, Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway, List of monastic houses in Dorset, Salisbury and Dorset Junction Railway, High Sheriff of Dorset, List of poor law unions in Dorset, RAF Hurn, Dorset Cursus, Tolpuddle Martyrs, Portland Branch Railway, List of sanitary districts in Dorset, Abbotsbury Abbey, Solar Pyramid, Tyneham, Southampton and Dorchester Railway, Tucktonia, Durotriges, Bridport Railway, Lyme Regis branch line, The Old Malthouse School, Abbotsbury Railway, Lambert's Castle, Hambledon Hill, Bindon Hill, Tilly Whim Caves, MV Aeolian Sky, Hod Hill, Hinton St Mary Mosaic, Boscombe railway station, Dorset County Cricket Club, Anvil Point, Winspit, List of liberties in Dorset, Badbury Rings, Milton, Dorset, Mount Pleasant henge, Osmington White Horse, Waddon Hill, Lyme Bay canoeing tragedy, Flagstones, Bokerley Dyke, Dorset County Museum, Jordan Hill Roman Temple, Western Rising, Abbotsbury Castle, Dorchester Castle, Municipal Borough of Weymouth and Melcombe Regis, Council of the West, Ringmoor, Dorset History Centre, Signals Research and Development Establishment, Ringwood and Fordingbridge Rural District, Battle of Loaders. Excerpt: The Somerset & Dorset Joint Railway - almost always referred to as "the S&D" - was an English railway line connecting Bath in north east Somerset and Bournemouth now in south east Dorset but then in Hampshire. It was never a high speed line: its winter business was carrying freight and local passenger traffic over the Mendips, but in the summer season the S&D came into its own, carrying a heavy service of Saturday holiday trains from northern towns to Bournemouth. It was often referred to as "the Slow and Dirty" or sometimes "the Slow and Doubtful". It always commanded a considerable loyalty from railway enthusiasts, and when it closed in 1966 it was widely mourned. The S&D Joint Railway was jointly operated by the Midland Railway and the London and South Western Railway (L&SWR). After the 1 January 1923 Grouping joint ownership of the S&D passed to the LMS and the Southern Railway. Its attractions were its quirky individuality, its fascinating and varied scenery (captured particularly by the photographs and pioneering cine films taken by Ivo Peters), and the way it seemed to struggle against overwhelming odds. Its main line climbed to 811 feet (247 m) above sea level at Masbury, and it contained several single line sections, but on summer Saturdays it managed to handle a considerable volume of holiday trains, when it seemed every possible locomotive was drafted into service to handle heavy trains requiring double-heading and banking over the steep gradients. Its origins lay in times before the railway network in England had settled, and both local and strategic aspirations structured the line's earliest days. Work has now started to restore some remnants of the S&DJR to working condition. The fame of the Somerset & Dorset line reached its peak in the first years of the 1960s, just before final closure as part of the nationwide reduction of railway services, usually called the Beeching Axe. The main line was still active, carrying local passenger trains and a daily