Wargrave Local History Society began its new programme year with an illustrated presentation by Richard Marks on the Arrival of the Railways in Reading.
The first line built to serve the town was the Great Western. Construction had begun from both the Bristol and Paddington ends, reaching Twyford from London in 1839, and Reading in 1840.
The next was the Reading, Guildford and Reigate Railway, which (unusually) actually served all the towns in its name.
The line opened in 1847, and was actually operated by the much larger South Eastern Railway, rather than directly by its promotor. This was followed by the Staines, Wokingham and Woking Railway, which was operated by the London and South Western Railway, using the tracks of the Reigate line from Wokingham to reach Reading.
In due course, these both became part of the Southern Railway in 1923.
The next major change was in 1948, when the Southern and the Great Western, together with the LMS and LNER, were combined to form the nationalised British Railways, but in 1996 the railways were privatised again, with Thames Trains, First Great Western and South Western Trains serving the Reading area.
It is hoped that the new Crossrail line will fully open in 2022, although it has been severely delayed, apparently due to different signalling systems needed in the underground and open-air sections.
The commonly held view is that building the early railways caused a lot of destruction of property.
While true in some areas, such as London or Manchester, in rural areas, such as East Anglia or Berkshire, it was rather different, and Richard drew a comparison between two locations – Bath and Reading.
Although in many ways similar – on a river, on the Bath road and the canal, and involved in the wool cloth trade – the effect of the railway was different.
The maps and documents prepared for the Act of Parliament to build the GWR detail every property affected. Whereas the geography of Bath meant hundreds of properties were affected and more than 600 people displaced, in Reading only 47 people had to move, and 97 properties affected – mostly cowsheds.
The railway even replaced those, as farms were seen as a potential source of traffic on the railway. When the line opened, there were no refreshment facilities on trains, but an enterprising local firm saw that if passengers bought their product, they would then ask their local grocers to stock it – and so Huntley and Palmer grew to be a major Reading business.
On the other hand, when the railway extended north from Oxford, giving access to Northampton, the eight Reading footwear factories could not compete with the economies of scale in the Midlands – for Reading shoemakers the arrival of the railway was a disaster, and many other towns and their industries were affected in a similar way.
The Society’s new programme is at www.wargravehistory.org.uk, where the latest information can be found, or email info@wargravehistory.org.uk to confirm meeting details.
PETER DELANEY
