More information : The Railway Village is situated opposite the main entrance to the railway works, 1.6 km north of Old Town. It was designed by Brunel and comprised housing, churches, schools and social insitutions for employees of Great Western Railways. Construction was originally the responsibly of constructors J D and C Rigby, who were to ensure that 300 houses were to be completed by Christmas 1842. However only 130 cottages were completed by the end of 1843, the remainder were finished by 1855.
Construction started on the western side in 1843 and comprised mainly two roomed cottages. Houses in Bristol Street which faced the railway were very visible, and were built to impress and had ornate exteriors. The second block of housing, formed by Bath Street and Exeter Street, comprise two-roomed and double cottages. The double cottages are larger dwellings and may have been used for senior employees or as tenements. These are plainer in appearance than those in Bristol Street mainly due to the need for rapid development and to keep construction costs to a minimum. The third block of housing, formed by Exeter Street and Taunton Street was constructed in 1843 by sub contractors Cooper and Griffiths, and comprise two roomed and double cottages much plainer in appearance than those described above.
Housing on the eastern side of the village started in 1845 and comprised predominantly larger houses, mainly five roomed cottages. intended for single family occupancy, mainly the families of foremen. Housing in London Street faced villas and gardens of work's managers and were very ornate in appearance, the remainder in the western half are much plainer in appearance.
The original village plans had provisions for shops, however construction did not take place until 1847 when building work was carried out by William Slocombe. The shops were located on either side of the High Street on the eastern end on Bristol Street/Bath Street and Bath Street/Exeter Street, and on the western end of London Street/Oxford Street and Oxford Street/Reading Street. Additional housing and tenements were also constructed, linking the shops to the existing houses.
The final phase of building took place during the early 1850s and included the completion of the Barracks - lodgings for single men and and the construction of an additional 50 houses. The houses included end block cottages for the the east and west sides of the village which closed off exposed cottage yards and formed ornamental entrance ways to the back alleys, the last of these were completed in 1862. A terrace south of Taunton Street was also constructed.
The construction of the railway village lead to the expansion of the surrounding area including Westcott and the area south of the railway station during the 1850s and 1860s. (1) |