Description:

This Video Archive clip was digitised from original film footage held in the Herefordshire Libraries collection, and was subsequently posted on the internet in Vimeo and on Facebook.

The video of about 5 ¾ minutes duration is titled ‘Last Train at Peterchurch’ and was filmed by Godfrey C. Davies. However, the video is in sections filmed at different dates. The first part is of excursion trains filmed at Peterchurch including one in August 1950 taking local schoolchildren on an outing, possibly to Porthcawl which local people remember as a popular destination for such excursions. The second part is of the last train between Pontrilas and Dorstone in January 1953 marking the official closure of the Golden Valley branch line. This film seems to have been mainly shot at Peterchurch but also includes some footage from Dorstone, suggesting the cameraman travelled on the last train along with the Mayor of Hereford and other local dignitaries who were present to mark the occasion. The Dorstone footage includes a brief glimpse of a group of local people protesting against the closure of the line. The closure was extensively reported in the Hereford Times and was also marked with a formal dinner hosted by the Mayor of Hereford. There are still photographs of the events of that day in the Digital Images Archive.

 

Observations:

None