The Blandford Express

Beaminster Tunnel opened on 29th June 1832. It is reckoned to be the only pre-railway road tunnel in the country still in use. The tunnel was built to take the road under Horn Hill thus avoiding a 1 in 6 gradient which was particularly difficult for horse-drawn traffic. Teams of horses were required to pull the wagons and carts up and over the hill. Engineer Michael Lane on this project also worked with the Brunels on the Thames Tunnel linking Rotherhithe with Wapping. Lane rose from foreman bricklayer to become one of Isambard Kingdom Brunel’s most trusted assistants because of the quality of his work. He almost lost his life when the Thames Tunnel flooded. Michael Lane later became Chief Engineer on the Great Western Railway. The tunnel was opened with much ceremony with the day being regarded in Beaminster, according to the Dorset County Chronicle,  as something of a holiday. Promoter of the project was local solicitor, Giles Russell who raised £13,000 by public subscription. Ce...

Beaminster Tunnel is said to be the oldest pre-railway road tunnel still in use in Britain. It opened with great ceremony on 29th June 1832. Yet not too far away there was another even earlier tunnel. This opened in January 1832 with equally resplendent ceremony. This was Charmouth Tunnel built by the Bridport Turnpike Trust through Thistle Hill which eased the climb over the ridge on the road from Charmouth to Axminster. On the centenary of Charmouth Tunnel’s opening, the Western Gazette of January 8th 1932 reproduced  a 100 years-old report from the  Hants Advertiser: ‘The opening of the tunnel between Charmouth and Axminster took place on Monday last. It was arranged that His Majesty’s royal mail should first traverse the tunnel. About one o’clock both coaches were seen approaching the tunnel in opposite directions the one from London was first to pass through, and was almost instantly succeeded by the other from Exeter, amidst the loud cheers and congratulations of a delig...

Today, most rail  travellers cannot buy a cup of tea or even a packet of crisps on a train. Yet in days gone by, in the era of the  Bournemouth Belle, things were quite different. With full onboard dining facilities, this named train from July 1931 was made up of De Luxe  Pullman car, chocolate and cream coloured    rolling stock. Each car was given a name such as Topaz, Ruby or Philomel. Smartly dressed stewards would show passengers to their seats. In the 1930s even an Inspector was employed to taste the quality of the travellers fare. Tasty afternoon teas were a speciality which could be ordered for just three shillings (15p) in the early 1960s. ‘How nice to live at Bournemouth And come up on the Belle. So chic with pale pink lamp shades A golden name as well.’ (G.B. Berry.) The Bournemouth Belle ran daily from London-Waterloo to Bournemouth and then back to the capital. Initially it was non-stop to its destination but then a Southampton stop was incorporated...

In April 1819, a notice was posted up in one of Blandford’s main shops. It stated that a fifty Guineas bet had been wagered that a newly invented and fashionable hobby horse would make the journey from London to the Crown Hotel, Blandford quicker than the mail coach. The hobby horse was the forerunner of the bicycle. It was invented in France in 1817 and introduced into England the following year. It had no pedals or brakes and was propelled along by the rider pushing on the ground with his feet and dragging the feet to slow the machine down. From about an hour before the mail coach was due to arrive in Blandford, a large crowd began to gather outside the Crown Hotel to witness the event. However, upon the arrival of the mail coach, it was discovered the whole thing was a hoax. A small boy appeared carrying a placard on a pole which read, ‘This is the first of April!’ That year fashionable society had become gripped by the new craze of hobby horse riding.

  Going for a spin around the Market Place - reckoned to be Blandford's first motor car. North of the town - Blandford's airfield in the 1930s. West Country locomotive Blandford Forum. 1919 transport to Blandford Camp for clerical staff. Bere Regis coaches - gone but not forgotten. Sprackling of Winterborne Stickland's double decker in the Market Place (1930s). Wilts & Dorset bus depot - no More!

  At Lydlynch, near Sturminster Newton on the A357 road there is an unusual but unassumingly modest yet strong steel bridge of some local historical significance. It crosses the River Lydden and can be found alongside an older and more traditional crossing which it is believed dates back to the early 18 th century. The more modern bridge takes traffic one way while the older stone bridge takes it the other way. This steel construction is known as a Callender-Hamilton bridge. It was assembled in 1942 by Canadian army engineers as it was evident that the old stone bridge would not be able to bear heavy loads. At the time, it was only envisaged as a temporary feature. It was a Canadian armoured regiment that was the first major military user of the bridge prior to the raid on Dieppe in August 1942. The same route was later used by tanks and other military equipment which moved south to Poole for the D Day Normandy Invasion. This Callender-Hamilton bridge was assembled on site and...

Bere Regis coaches no longer ply their journeys along the highways and byways of Dorset but they are not forgotten. Thousands of now grown up ex-Dorset school kids remember them as this company took them regularly to and from school. Down some of the county’s lanes on such journeys, low hanging branches could be a particular hazard. Nicknamed the ‘ brown bombers’, because of their distinctive brown livery, others remember Bere Regis & District coaches for their remarkably low fares. Founded in 1929 and trading for over 60 years, the company was, at one time, one of the largest independent coach businesses in the country. In the 1960s, it had over 90 vehicles. Bere Regis & District’s business model enabled it to offer some fares at up to 50% below other companies. Many of the vehicles were second hand and therefore were beginning to come towards the end of their working lives. Engineering staff would take parts from one vehicle to ensure another remained roadworthy. It was s...

  Sandbanks Ferry has provided a vehicle and passenger crossing between Sandbanks and Studland since 1926. This avoids the 25 mile journey around Poole Harbour. First ferry crossing was on 15 th July 1926 and was coal fired and steam driven. In 1904, the Branksome & Swanage Light Railway Scheme had proposed the construction of a tramway between Canford Cliffs and Swanage. A tower was to be erected on either side of the water and by means of a gondola the tram cars would be swung across the water enabling them to continue on their way onto Swanage. The Branksome & Swanage Light Railway Scheme was unable to obtain the approval of the Poole Harbour Commissioners for their plan and as there was strong local opposition it was never built. Also, early in the 20 th century, there had been a rowing boat crossing which operated only during the summer. Built by an Isle of Wight shipbuilder, the first Sandbanks Ferry remained in service for more than 30 years. Despite only able ...

In the 1920s and 30s, Blandford had its own airfield known as the Blandford Aerodrome. It could be found next to Blandford Cemetery along Salisbury Road where today there is housing. Apparently, it had three grass landing strips and was on the Automobile Association’s Register of Approved Landing Grounds all of which were inspected monthly. For an annual subscription, each AA member was provided with a site plan and airfield map reference. Facilities such as hangers were listed together with any hazards such as overhead power lines. Fuel supply details and suitable overnight accommodation were also detailed. The AA also provided a box for messages to be left which would be collected by an AA motorcyclist who would pass them on, as required. In November 1931, a Bryanston schoolmaster crashed at Blandford when he lost control of his aircraft.  In Blandford Hospital with concussion and severe cuts, he laconically commented, ’luckily it did not burst into flames or I wouldn’t be te...

Known as the ‘ Hovis Boy-on-the-bike’ , it is reckoned to be one of the most iconic and heart warming advertisements ever made. Despite its northern styled voice over and brass band soundtrack, this masterpiece was filmed in Dorset – at Gold Hill, Shaftesbury. First aired in 1973, it featured a young lad pushing his bicycle laden with loaves of bread up the steep cobblestoned hill. After making delivery, he mischievously freewheels back down Gold Hill. Director Sir Ridley Scott combined the strains of the New World Symphony by Antonin Dvorak with one of the most romantic and picturesque views in England. While the music was already well-known, it became even more familiar after the advert. After beginning his career making commercials, Sir Ridley Scott became a leading Hollywood director. His films include Gladiators, Alien and Thelma & Louise. He once remarked: ‘You combine the appropriate music with the appropriate picture and you’ve got lift off.’ Carl Barlow was the you...

In the early days of the Dorset Police Force, the arrival of the bicycle made quite a difference to the working life of the average copper. To perform his constabulary duties, he would have to walk many, many miles every day. This was the case particularly when he had to accompany a prisoner part or all the way to Dorchester Jail. The County Force issued its first bicycle to the Dorchester Division in 1894. It had solid tyres and cost eight pounds & ten shillings (£8.50). The next year another six were bought for other Divisions. Then in 1896, officers were paid an annual allowance of three pounds to use their own machine. By then it was reckoned that half of Dorset’s constables could ride a bike. Wary of the safety hazards of the new machine, Chief Constable Captain Amyatt Brown insisted strict compliance with the following regulation. ‘Upon overtaking any cart or carriage, horse, mule or other beast of burden or any foot passenger every such person shall within reasonable d...

Many of the first cars seen in Dorset carried the unfortunate number plate ‘BF ’ which caused considerable embarrassment to the drivers. This is because they became nicknamed the ‘ BFs ’ or ‘ Bloody Fools’ . Dorset car owners strongly objected to these ‘ obnoxious initials ’. Many had their vehicles registered in Somerset, Hampshire or London instead which resulted in a loss of revenue to the county. To prevent any further driver embarrassment, the county stopped using the ‘ BF’ registration in 1904. An order of the Local Government Board dated 27th December 1904 allocated Dorset  ’ FX’ instead.  Motorists who already had a ‘BF’ mark could swop it for a ‘FX’ one. ‘BF’ marks still in use in 1921 were re-registered with ‘FX’ . Featured in the Market Place is one of Blandford’s earliest vehicles which was a 1903 two-seater Humberette with Arthur Conyers at the wheel. This was reckoned to be a well-made and sturdy vehicle with a two-speed gear box and a single spoke steering wheel...

  Branksome & Swanage Light Railway was a proposal to build a 13 miles line from the County Gates through Branksome Park to Canford Cliffs. From there it would travel to Sandbanks and then to the entrance to Poole Harbour. This would be crossed by a transporter bridge so that the line could make its way onto Swanage. Promoters of the Scheme argued that it would open up the health giving opportunities of the Isle of Purbeck to Bournemouth & Poole residents as well as making Swanage less isolated. A representative of the promoters was reported as saying that they wanted a pretty route because they ‘ did not want to flood Branksome Park with rif-raf!’ A suspended gondola would carry the tram cars across the water at a height of 90 metres so as not to interfere with shipping. There are similar transporter bridges built in both Newport and Middlesbrough. The intended drive system would have used electric motors under the gondola to draw the platform across the harbour mouth ...

Wilts & Dorset double-decker buses were red and Hants & Dorset double-decker buses were green and both companies operated in Blandford. This was during an era when there was a proper bus network in Dorset. Bus timetables rarely changed from year to year and apart from Summer Saturdays there were few problems of traffic congestion in the county. With their open platforms at the rear, each double-decker had both a driver and a conductor. Between Salisbury and Weymouth via Dorchester there was a daily (no.34) hourly service operated jointly by Wilts & Dorset and Weymouth based, Southern National. Blandford’s bus station could be found just south of the Salisbury Road railway bridge and right next to a fish & chips shop. Hants & Dorset ran two routes to Bournemouth. One from Blandford was via Corfe Mullen ( 10) while the other (24 ), originating from Shaftesbury, journeyed via Blandford and Wimborne to Bournemouth. However, the latter took an interminably long time to...

                                                                          Bere Re gis & District Motor Services was a privately owned company that operated between 1929 and 1995. Its brown coloured coaches, known as the ‘ Brown Bombers’ were a familiar sight around Blandford for many years. From its depot in East Street, the company offered its bargain basement-priced coach trips. Mystery tours were a popular Bere Regis speciality when customers would be taken to an unknown destination by a route that was designed to confuse. The aim was to leave the passenger’s discovery of the journey’s end to as late in the trip as possible. A lady from Blandford, who worked as a glove maker, decided to take a well-earned week’s holiday in Bournemouth. As a treat, she booked herself on a Bere Regis mystery tour....