List of our projects

Great Western Railway Project

Project coordinator: Steve Pearce

Designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel, and opened in 1841, part of this railway runs through Brislington. It cuts across Nightingale Valley, and Steve Pearce is not alone in regarding the ornate facing of the tunnel as the track disappears under Broomhill, as being one of the finest on the whole of the line. The Friends of Nightingale Valley have been active in improving public amenities at the site.

Brunel was so impressed with two large nodules of sandstone excavated during construction of this line's Number 1 Tunnel, that he had them mounted on plinths at St Anne's Park station (now demolished). The nodules remained until 1983 when one was given to Bristol University by British Rail. The university acquired the other in 2009, and their website announced the fact with a news bulletin entitled "Brunel's balls reunited" (eventually rebranded to "Brunel's nodules reunited").

The removal of the remaining historic nodule from Nightingale Valley aroused some upset in the local community, which was shocked when the loss was discovered. Perhaps inspired by the Brunel's Balls gag, people started talking about The Brislington Marbles with apt reference to the infamous Elgin Marbles. To paraphrase the immortal Oscar Wilde: "To lose one may be regarded as a misfortune; to lose both looks like carelessness." (The Importance of Being Earnest, 1895, Act I.)

The nodules date to the Late Carboniferous period more than 300 million years ago, and were excavated by Brunel in 1837. They now reside in a floral setting at the junction of Woodland Road and Cantocks Close, on the university's complex at Tyndall's Park, Bristol. The smaller of the two nodules (the one taken from Nightingale Valley in 2009) weighs approximately five tons, the other is considerably heavier.

In 1999 parts of the GWR railway line between Bristol and London were submitted to UNESCO as a candidate to be considered for classification as a World Heritage Site. The website of the World Heritage Centre describes it as the world's best surviving example of the primary phase of railway development. In 2010 the bid had lapsed but was revived by Bath Heritage Watchdog and the nomination was registered anew. In 2011 though, our government failed to include it on their official Tentative List for consideration by UNESCO. Some reasons for that decision are availalbe online (Department for Culture, Media and Sport), but there can be little doubt that the railway has lost much of its original merit through changes to the line and its environment — such as the demolition of small stations and the removal of other features Brunel put in place that once made the line special. However, enthusiasm for this project remains strong, and the official report recommends that the government should commisison a study of early railway remains, so a future application may be made.

Many people have an interest in railway heritage, but few local people realise there is such a gem here in Brislington. In addition to railway enthusiasts, there is scope here for social historians, geologists, and others as well as archaeologists to investigate the area. Anyone interested is invited to contact the project coordinator, above.



Credits
1st photo — St Anne's Tunnel (© Steve Pearce 2009).
2nd photo — nodule removed in 1983 (© Ken Taylor 2010).
3rd photo — nodule removed in 2009 (© Ken Taylor 2010).
4th photo — old graffiti on 1983 nodule "VW" (© Ken Taylor 2010).
5th photo — site of the two nodules in 2010 (© Ken Taylor 2010).

Text — Ken Taylor (updated 10.04.11)