Editing Cotswold Line (section)

=== Detail===

====Oxford to Charlbury====
After departing Oxford station, the Cotswold Line shares track with the [[Cherwell Valley Line]] to [[Banbury railway station|Banbury]]. About {{convert|220|yd|m}} north of the station, the line crosses the [[Sheepwash Channel]] which links the [[Castle Mill Stream]] and [[Oxford Canal]] with the [[River Thames]].<ref name="canalplan">{{cite web| url=http://canalplan.org.uk/waterway/edm8| title=River Thames (Sheepwash Channel)| website=CanalPlanAC| location=UK| access-date=15 September 2012}}</ref> Immediately east of the current line is the [[Rewley Road Swing Bridge]] over the channel which used to carry the [[London and North Western Railway]]'s (LNWR) [[Buckinghamshire Railway]] line to its terminus at [[Oxford Rewley Road railway station|Oxford Rewley Road]].<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.movablebridges.org.uk/BridgePage.asp?BridgeNumber=269| title=Sheepwash Channel – Oxford Canal /River Thames| website=Movable Bridges in the British Isles| location=UK| access-date=15 September 2012}}</ref> The swing bridge is a [[listed building]]. The Rewley Road station building has been dismantled and re-erected at [[Buckinghamshire Railway Centre]]. The built up area east of the railway, visible across the Oxford Canal, is [[Jericho, Oxford|Jericho]], a district which originated as lodgings outside the city walls where travellers could rest if they arrived after the gates were locked. The [[Eagle Ironworks, Oxford|Eagle Ironworks]] of William Lucy & Co. was near the first road bridge over the track on [[Walton Well Road]].

After the bridge, the open area to the left is [[Port Meadow]], a [[water meadow]] bordering the Thames with a [[Bronze Age]] [[round barrow]]. The former LNWR Buckinghamshire Railway branches away to the north east. The section from Oxford to Bicester has been connected to the Chiltern Main Line by a new chord at Bicester, enabling through trains from Oxford to [[Marylebone railway station|London Marylebone]] to run from September 2015. Proposals exist for re-opening the whole line and are included in the Draft Milton Keynes & South Midlands Sub-Regional Strategy, but there are many planning and funding matters to be resolved.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.goem.gov.uk/goem/psc/suscom/mksm/| title=Draft Milton Keynes & South Midlands Sub-Regional Strategy| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050423213346/http://www.goem.gov.uk/goem/psc/suscom/mksm/| archive-date=23 April 2005}}</ref>

The line passes through [[Wolvercote]]. To the west, Lower Wolvercote was a centre for paper making, mainly for the [[Oxford University Press]] from the 17th century until 1998 and is the site of [[Godstow|Godstow Abbey]], a [[Order of Saint Benedict|Benedictine]] convent founded in the 12th century. The line passes under the viaduct carrying the [[A34 road (England)|A34]] Oxford Western Bypass and {{convert|100|yd}} further under the [[A40 road]] linking London and [[Fishguard]].
[[File:Wolvercote Jnc.jpg|thumb|An HST leaving the Cotswold Line at Wolvercot Junction, about {{convert|3|mi|0}} north of Oxford]]

The line now turns west; here the former [[Buckinghamshire Junction Railway]] link with the Buckinghamshire Railway used to converge from the east. About {{convert|4|mi}} after Oxford station, {{rws|Yarnton}} station was in the short stretch between here and where the [[Witney Railway]] diverged to the south-west.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.martin.loader.btinternet.co.uk/Yarnton_Junction.htm |title=Yarnton Junction |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040722181033/http://www.martin.loader.btinternet.co.uk/Yarnton_Junction.htm |archive-date=22 July 2004 }}</ref> So far, the line has been close to the River Thames but the river now swings away to the south through a landscape dotted with gravel pits. The line now climbs the valley of the [[River Evenlode]] repeatedly crossing and re-crossing the river. {{rws|Hanborough}} station serves the villages of [[Long Hanborough]], [[Church Hanborough]], [[Freeland, Oxfordshire|Freeland]] and [[Bladon]]. The [[Oxford Bus Museum]] is next to Hanborough station.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.oxfordbusmuseum.org.uk| website=Oxford Bus Museum| title=Home}}</ref>

From Hanborough the line enters the Cotswold [[Cotswolds AONB|Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty]] and {{convert|1|mi}} beyond Hanborough is {{rws|Combe}} station. Building the line through Combe was difficult with several deep cuttings, four crossings of the Evenlode, and the diversion of a length of the river. To the south, just after the third river crossing are the remains of [[North Leigh Roman Villa]]. About {{convert|1|mi}} beyond the villa the line crosses the course of [[Akeman Street]] [[Roman road]]. The [[Oxfordshire Way]] [[long-distance footpath]] follows Akeman Street from the north east to a point about {{convert|0.6|mi|0}} north of the railway before turning to run through [[Stonesfield]] and meet the line at Charlbury station. The next station is {{rws|Finstock}}. Between Finstock and Charlbury the [[Medieval deer park|deer park]] to the west of the line is [[Cornbury Park]], original venue for the [[Cornbury Music Festival]], which has now been replaced by the Wilderness Festival. The woodlands south west of the park are the remains of [[Wychwood Forest]] named after the [[Hwicce]], one of the [[Anglo-Saxons|Anglo-Saxon]] peoples of Britain. Charlbury station is the start of the redoubled track and is first stop for faster trains over the line and retains its original Oxford, Worcester and Wolverhampton Railway clapperboard building. [[Peter Parker (British businessman)|Sir Peter Parker]] lived nearby at [[Minster Lovell]] and was a regular user of Charlbury station while chairman of the [[British Railways Board]] (1976 to 1983). The patronage of the head of the organisation may have helped to save the line at a time when the Serpell Report was calling for more rail closures.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.railwaysarchive.co.uk/docSummary.php?docID=29| title=Railway Finances – Report of a Committee chaired by Sir David Serpell KCB CMG OBE| website=Railways Archive}}</ref> This is section of track has a maximum speed of {{convert|100|mph|abbr=on}}<ref>{{Cite web| url=http://www.networkrail.co.uk/browse%20documents/baseline%20capability/track%20and%20route%20mileage,%20permissible%20line%20speeds/table%20a_track_and_route%20miles_linespeed_western%20route.pdf| title=Baseline Capacity – Western| date=31 March 2009| access-date=28 August 2014| website=Network Rail| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131014210923/http://www.networkrail.co.uk/browse%20documents/baseline%20capability/track%20and%20route%20mileage,%20permissible%20line%20speeds/table%20a_track_and_route%20miles_linespeed_western%20route.pdf| archive-date=14 October 2013| url-status=dead}}</ref>

====Charlbury to Moreton-in-Marsh====
The line is now heading south-west and the site of [[Ascot d'Oilly Castle]] is to the north-west as the train enters [[Ascott-under-Wychwood]]. Few trains call at {{rws|Ascott-under-Wychwood}} station, but there is a [[signal box]] controlling the [[level crossing]] and the [[Railroad switch|points]] that were formerly the end of the single track section from Wolvercot Junction. {{convert|1.2|mi}} beyond Ascott is {{rws|Shipton}} station which serves the villages of [[Shipton-under-Wychwood]], [[Milton-under-Wychwood]] and [[Fifield, Oxfordshire|Fifield]].

Still following the Evenlode, the line now turns north-west. There is another level crossing near [[Bruern Abbey]]. The next junction on the line was at {{rws|Kingham}} from where the [[Banbury and Cheltenham Direct Railway]] went west to [[Cheltenham Spa St. James railway station|Cheltenham]] via {{rws|Stow-on-the-Wold}} and east to {{rws|King's Sutton}} near {{rws|Banbury}}. [[Kingham]] village is north of the station. The village west of the station is [[Bledington]]. The Oxfordshire Way which has been close to the railway since Akeman Street now turns west to [[Bourton-on-the-Water]] but it is replaced by another long-distance footpath, the Diamond Way. Beyond Kingham, the line passes through the site of the former {{rws|Adlestrop}} railway station, closed in 1966. At Moreton-in-Marsh the line crosses the course of another major Roman road, the [[Fosse Way]] which linked ''[[Isca Dumnoniorum]]'' ([[Exeter]]) and ''[[Lindum Colonia]]'' ([[Lincoln, Lincolnshire|Lincoln]]). Moreton-in-Marsh was the headquarters of the railway spot-hire company [[Cotswold Rail]] until the company moved to Gloucester.

====Moreton-in-Marsh to Hereford====
[[File:166202 at Evesham.JPG|180px|right|thumb|A [[First Great Western Link]] [[British Rail Class 166|Network Express Turbo unit]] at {{rws|Evesham}} station on 19 September 2004, with a service for {{rws|London Paddington}}]]

About {{convert|28|mi}} after Oxford is Moreton-in-Marsh. This was once the southern end of the [[Stratford and Moreton Tramway]]. The line then passes the corner of the Roman town of [[Dorn, Gloucestershire|Dorn]].<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.roman-britain.org/places/dorn.htm| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120204043915/http://www.roman-britain.org/places/dorn.htm| archive-date=4 February 2012| title=Romano-British Town: Dorn, Moreton-in-Marsh, Gloucestershire| website=Roman Britain}}</ref> The Cotswold Line leaves the Evenlode which drains into the Thames and enters the [[drainage basin|catchment]] of the [[River Severn]]. The first level crossing appears. The building west of the crossing is a brick works and the neighbouring pits were the site of [[Jurassic]] clay extraction for the works. The village to the north is [[Paxford]]. The large country house to the west is [[Northwick Park, Gloucestershire|Northwick Park]], former home of Edward Spencer-Churchill and site of a [[Medical Corps (United States Army)|United States Army]] hospital during [[World War II]] and afterwards a centre for Polish refugees. The line the passes the site of {{rws|Chipping Campden}} station, about {{convert|1|mi}} east of [[Chipping Campden]] itself. From here the line goes into cutting, then the {{convert|887|yd}} Campden Tunnel under the Cotswold [[escarpment]]. In 1851 unrest among the [[navvies]] building the tunnel resulted in a riot – the 'Battle of Campden Tunnel'.<ref>{{cite web| last1=Coldicott| first1=Fred| title=The Battle of Campden (or Mickleton) Tunnel| url=http://chippingcampdenhistory.org.uk/page/the_battle_of_campden_or_mickleton_tunnel| website=Chipping Campden History| access-date=16 July 2015| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160109135945/http://chippingcampdenhistory.org.uk/page/the_battle_of_campden_or_mickleton_tunnel| archive-date=9 January 2016}}</ref>

The next station is Honeybourne. From 1905 until 1977 this was the junction with the GWR line between [[Cheltenham Spa Malvern Road railway station|Cheltenham]] and {{rws|Stratford-upon-Avon}}. The track to the north remains as a link to the large former military depot at [[Long Marston, Warwickshire|Long Marston]].  There is a good business case for the restoration of the Stratford-Cotswolds link.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.railnews.co.uk/news/2012/10/22-restored-line-south-of-stratford.html| website=Railnews| title=Good business case for Stratford-Cotswolds link| date=22 October 2012 |access-date=2 June 2014}}</ref> The large compound to the north with high walls, chapel, and floodlights is [[Long Lartin (HM Prison)|Long Lartin prison]]. There is another level crossing, where {{rws|Littleton and Badsey}} station used to be. The line crosses the [[River Avon, Warwickshire|River Avon]] into Evesham. Opposite Evesham's Cotswold Line station is the former [[Midland Railway]] station, once on the [[Gloucester Loop Line|Ashchurch & Barnt Green line]]. The line becomes single track again about {{convert|1|mi}} west of Evesham and then crosses the River Avon twice more and follows it towards {{rws|Pershore}}.
[[Image:Junction2.jpg|thumb|The site of Norton Junction looking towards Oxford. The single tracked Cotswold Line branches off to the left, with the right hand branch linking to the [[Cross Country Route]] (southbound).]]

West of Pershore, where the line crosses over the [[Cross Country Route]], the new [[Worcestershire Parkway railway station|Worcestershire Parkway station]] has been opened. Just beyond, the line passes through Norton Junction where there was formerly a station. The junction links the line to the Cross Country Route. Here double track restarts.

About {{convert|57|mi}} after Oxford is Worcester Shrub Hill station. Here are connections to commuter lines going to {{rws|Birmingham New Street}}. Worcester Foregate Street station gives connections to the city centre and other lines to Birmingham. {{convert|6|mi|0}} later the line reaches Malvern Link station. Great Malvern station follows, and {{convert|2|mi|0}} later is the site of the former Malvern Wells station. After Malvern Wells the line enters the {{convert|1584|yd}} long [[Colwall New Tunnel]]. This is the second Colwall tunnel; the entrance to the original tunnel can be seen to the north. When the tunnel is below the ridge of the [[Malvern Hills AONB|Malvern Hills]], the line crosses the boundary between [[Worcestershire]] and [[Herefordshire]]. The line reaches [[Colwall railway station|Colwall station]], where [[The Coca-Cola Company]] plant (now demolished) next to the station used to bottle [[Malvern Water (bottled water)|Malvern Water]], a local [[mineral water]]. Next to the bridge carrying the B4218 road over the railway is an unusual five-sided cottage.{{citation needed|date=January 2011}} When the railway was built one corner had to be demolished and replaced by a plain wall. After passing through another tunnel, Ledbury station is passed and Hereford station ends the journey on the line.