Published: March 19, 2008
150th anniversary of railway extension to Burnham jetty to be marked

This May sees the 150th anniversary of the extension of the Somerset Central Railway to Burnham-On-Sea jetty, a major step in the original promoters' dream of a link from South Wales to Northern France by train and boat.

The Somerset and Dorset Railway Trust is to commemorate the occasion with a special exhibition at Burnham Tourist Information centre on the South Esplanade during April and May.

In addition, Mike Beale, a well-known historian of the Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway, will give an illustrated talk entitled "Cardiff to Paris - via Burnham-On-Sea!" at the Baptist Church Hall in Burnham on 3rd May at 7.30pm.

The event will be free and open to everyone with an interest in the railway and the area.

Mike told Burnham-On-Sea.com: "I am pleased to be able to make a further contribution to the memory of the much loved Somerset & Dorset line through these talks, and look forward to meeting lots more people with the same interest during the course of the evening."

The photo above shows the departure from Burnham-On-Sea of the paddle steamer Sherbro, the largest S&D ship, which was in use between 1884 and 1888 (Pic: SDRT)