The Sun.
London, England, 1845-10-16 00:00:00

COUNTRY BANKERS.

Stuckey's Banking Company, at their various branches
The West of England and South Wales' District Bank, at their
various branches
Messrs. Williams and Co., Bridport, Dorchester, and at their variou
branches

Messrs. S. and W. E. Gundry, Bridport, and at their various
branches
Messrs. H. It. and I. Badcock, jun., Taunton.
STANDING COUNSEL—A. W. Kinglake, Esq., 24, Old-square,
Lincoln's Inn.
SECRETARY-Mr. Charles P. Meryon.
...

SOLICITORS IN LONDON—Messrs. Keddell, Baker, and Grant, 34
Lime•street.
PARLIAMENTARY AGENTS—MeSS[S. Sudlow and Kingdon,
Palace-yard.

SOLICITORS IN THE COUNTRY.
Mr. Edwin Nicholetts, Bridport
Mr. Baruch Fox, Beamister
Messrs. Rowcliffe and Son, Stogumber, near Watchet.

LOCAL SOLICITORS.
Mr. Samuel Walter, Chard
Mr. Woodland, Taunton
Mr. NV. Bridge, Dorchester
Mr. F. Napier Bower, Wiveliscombe
Mr. J. F. Knight, Axminster.
The object of this Company is to establish a direct line of rail-
way for passengers, goods, and commercial, mining, and agricul.
tural produce between the harbour of Watchet on the Bristol
Channel, and the harbour of Bridport on the English Channel, and
provide means of inland transit for a large proportion of the pro-
duce at present necessarily sent by the dangerous and uncertain
passage round the Land's End, and at the same time afford to the
intermediate rich and populous districts ready and convenient rail.
way communication.
The direct line will be 48 miles in length, and will proceed from
Watchet to Taunton, and thence by Hatch Beauchamp, and by
Ilminster to Chard, and by Crewkerne and Beaminster to Bridport
harbour. A branch will proceed out of the line, about mid-way
between Watchet and Taunton, directly to Wiveliscombe. All
these towns and their neighbourhoods are populous and opulent,
and many of them very much so, and the localities are remarkable
for their richness, fertility, beauty, and numerous resident gentry.
At Wiveliscombe this line will avail itself of the North Devon
Railway to Taunton, and also westward; at Taunton it will
enter the station of the Bristol and Exeter Railway, and thence
proceed to Mangerton, four miles short of Bridport, where it will
unite with the Wilts, Somerset, and Weymouth, one of the
Great Western lines of Railway, and thence proceed on that line
to Bridport Harbour,
It will also Cross the proposed line from Yeovil to Exeter
about two miles west of Crewkerne.
The junction of the two Channels was long since deemed an im-
portant cliject. To effect it, surveys were successively made for a
sh.p canal by the late Mr. Rennie, Mr. Telford, and other scientific
men, who concurred in the importance of such a work in a na.
tional point of view ; the design was matured, and in 1824 an Act
of Parliament was passed ; and it stands recorded as the opinions of
Mr. Telford and Captain Nichols, that the canal would afford a
remuneration to the subscribers of 16% per cent. on a capital of
1,712,844/.
The sum required for this work, being so much less than that
for the Ship canal ; the increased demand of a greatly increased
population, and the present vast commercial energies of the
country, make it manifest that goods may be conveyed by this
railway at far less than half the charge upon which Mr. Telford
and Captain Nichols formed their opinion.
The intended line from Minehead to Bridgewater, will meet
and cross this line near Watchet.
No railway, either made, or being made, or projected, will serve
the purposes which this important and favoured line will serve.
The country it will pass through possesses a population exceed-
ing 150,000. It leads to marine watering places of much resort-..
Weymouth, Lyme, and Seaton on the English Channel shore, and
Linton, Minehead, and Blue Anchor on the shore of the Bristol
Channel. Taunton, which may now be considered the county
town of Sornersetshire, has always been the market and trading
town of the country north-west of it, including Watchet and its
surrounding district ; the route to which, from London and the
north, is through Taunton.
A well remunerating passenger traffic may hence be expected.
The country also contains between 80 and 100 mills and fac.
tories, many of which are worked by steam in aid of water-power,
and many more of the proprietors will avail themselves of steam.
power when coals shall be procurable at a reduced rate by this
railway. The millers are most desirous of having the markets of
South Wales opened to them. Several influential coal proprietors
of South Wales are members of the Provisional Committee.
The country also possesses several extensive lime quarries, for
manure; the lime is burnt with culm brought from Wales ;
the conveyance both of the culm and lime is at present attended
with much expense to the agriculturist. The line will also be of
high importance to this agricultural district by opening to it the
markets of Taunton, Tiverton, South Molton, Barnstaple, in the
north of Devon, Exeter, and London. the towns of Taunton,
Ilminster, Chard, Crewkerne, Beaminster, Broadwindsor, /arid.
port, Axminster, Charmouth, and Lyme Regis, will be connected
by the line, and derive from it supplies of coals, cola), timber, dry
goods, and other articles of import. The line will afford to those
towns and their populous neighbourhoods, increased facilities of
communication with other lines of railroad.
The usual prevalence of westerly winds during the winter months
is so great as to render the passage round the Land's-end very un-
certain. The facilities offered by the proposed railway will obviate
such uncertainty, save many hundred miles of dangerous sea pas-
sage, and more than compensate for the charges attending r;e-ship-
ment at Bridport from Watchet, particularly in the a rticle of
Welsh coals, new in great demand in and about London f at steam.
engines, steam-boats, and other purposes.
The harbour of Bridport admits vessels at spring.tid es of 350
tons burthen; it receives large supplies of coals, culrn, ax, hemp,
Baltic and American timber, iron, slate, tallow, staves, and nu-
merous other articles ; which, in the aggregate, last year, amounted
to nearly 40,000 tons, a large portion of which consist ed of Sax
and hemp, for the numerous manufactories of yarns,aailcloth,
sacks, nets, lines, twines, and linen goods, whichtiw, hceard,c
a wrought
would pass along the line to the two ports, for ship.
.
other railways. nent, or to
The harbour of Watchet, at spring-tides, admit`
vessels of 200
tons burthen, and carries on an extensive and impor
Cant tlaily trade
with the ports of Tenby, Llanelly, Swansea, Neat
port, and Merthyr Tydvil, in coals, culm, corn, New.
ur,
provisions, cattle, sheep, salt, timber, slates, iron, Ho
4nd other
of merchandise ; employing twelve vessels be'- other arti. 'lea
regularly and exclusively ; one tradir
...Aging to the ar
also a considerable corn, malt, floe-
and employs theridn leveral Vey'trade wl
and h:::
-if with Liverpootli,
nrbisot It hal
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