Forest of Dean Local History Society
OS Grid Reference: ST550947
Wye Valley Junction was where the Wye Valley Railway joined the one-time South Wales Railway about ½ mile northeast of Chepstow bridge over the River Wye. The latter line opened from Grange Court, near Gloucester, to Chepstow East on 19 September 1851, and was amalgamated with the Great Western Railway on 1 August 1863. The WVR contractors were Messrs Reed Bros. & Co. of London, and the line opened to traffic on 1 November 1876. The WVR left the South Wales-Gloucester main line on a rising gradient of 1 in 66 and turned north over Snipehill Bridge (over the Sedbury-Woodcroft road) towards Tidenham Station and ultimately Monmouth. It was originally double tracked near the junction, which was controlled by a signal box, but was later singled and the box replaced by a ground frame. Although the WV line closed to through (goods) traffic in January 1964, the southern section remained open to serve Tintern and Dayhouse Quarries. The last train to use the junction was a train from Dayhouse Quarry, which ran in September 1992. The South Wales Railway is still part of a busy route between the Midlands and North of England and South Wales.