The Brill Tramway

A railway did not reach Brill until 1872 - far too late to revive the fortunes of Dorton Spa. In that year, the last section of the then-called Wooton Tramway was finished, completing seven miles of single track linking the Aylesbury & Buckingham Railway main line at Quainton Road to the foot of what is still called Tram Hill in Brill. This line was the private property of the third and last Duke of Buckingham and Chandos and, as such, did not require an Act of Parliament.

The word tramway indicates that the track was of relatively light construction and predominantly for agricultural use. In the early years, horses were used to pull the trucks along the tramway, later to be replaced with locomotives.

The Duke originally intended that the line should be used merely to transport workmen, livestock and produce. Milk was delivered daily to London, and manure transported back from the streets of the metropolis. Cattle arrived from Hereford for fattening, and bricks were dispatched from the Brill Brick and Tile Works. However, it was not long before the Duke bowed to popular demand and a special carriage was laid on for the convenience of passengers.

According to a timetable of 1887, the average speed achieved between Brill and Quainton was 4mph, due to the necessity of stopping at five intervening stations and many farm gates. Even so, the Duke and his partners originally had ambitious plans to extend the line through to Oxford, via a tunnel under Muswell Hill and villages such as Horton-cum-Studley. These plans were not implemented. In 1899, the Brill Tramway came under the management of the Metropolitan Railway, and eventually a part of London Transport.

By 1935, the Brill Tramway was no longer financially viable, its demise precipitated by such factors as the coming of a bus service between Brill and Aylesbury. The last train to run from Brill to Quainton wound its leisurely way across the countryside on November 30^th, 1935.

Today, although no track remains, one can (with a large-scale map and a little imagination) follow the route of the Brill tramway across the fields. The large oak tree that shaded the simple platform at Wood Siding still stands, and memories live on in place names such as Tramway Farm, Tram Hill, Wood Side and 'Sleepers'. Two of the line's engines, are preserved in the London Transport Museum.

London Transport Museum: www.ltmuseum.co.uk

There are two steam locomotives associated with the Brill tramway/branch in the London Transport Museum. The locomotives are: a) An Aveling & Porter 0-4-0T geared locomotive No.807 (1872), which was one of the first locomotives to work on the tramway. b) A Metropolitan Railway 4-4-0T locomotive No.23 (1866), which was one of the last locomotives to work on the Brill branch.

Quainton Road main line:

From 1868 the main line at Quainton Road was the Aylesbury & Buckingham Railway, from 1890 the Metropolitan, and from 1905 the Metropolitan & Great Central Joint. However, the impoverished A&BR did hire GWR stock and crew to run its services.

Look out for:

The Brill Tramway, by Bill Simpson, a hardback book published by the Oxford Publishing Company, date 1985. Available from libraries, and good bookshops, price then £10.95. A fascinating publication containing many original photographs, maps, historical detail and personal memories of the time.
Another book to look out for is The Wotton Tramway (Brill Branch) by Ken Jones, published by The Oakwood Press as No.75 in their Locomotion Papers series, price £1-05 when published in 1974.
Also, it is still possible to buy 1" Ordnance Survey maps from second-hand map dealers which show the tramway, including the Kingswood branch. One is entitled Bicester, which is No.94 of the Popular Edition and is dated 1919. It is in current catalogues at about £6-£8.

(thanks to Ken Munday for supplying additional information and photos)

We have attempted to get permission from the copyright owners of these photos, but have not been able to find/contact them. Please accept our apologies and thanks.


	The Brill Tramway A railway did not reach Brill until 1872 - far too late to revive the fortunes of Dorton Spa. In that year, the last section of the then-called Wooton Tramway was finished, completing seven miles of single track linking the Aylesbury & Buckingham Railway main line at Quainton Road to the foot of what is still called Tram Hill in Brill. This line was the private property of the third and last Duke of Buckingham and Chandos and, as such, did not require an Act of Parliament. The word tramway indicates that the track was of relatively light construction and predominantly for agricultural use. In the early years, horses were used to pull the trucks along the tramway, later to be replaced with locomotives. The Duke originally intended that the line should be used merely to transport workmen, livestock and produce. Milk was delivered daily to London, and manure transported back from the streets of the metropolis. Cattle arrived from Hereford for fattening, and bricks were dispatched from the Brill Brick and Tile Works. However, it was not long before the Duke bowed to popular demand and a special carriage was laid on for the convenience of passengers. According to a timetable of 1887, the average speed achieved between Brill and Quainton was 4mph, due to the necessity of stopping at five intervening stations and many farm gates. Even so, the Duke and his partners originally had ambitious plans to extend the line through to Oxford, via a tunnel under Muswell Hill and villages such as Horton-cum-Studley. These plans were not implemented. In 1899, the Brill Tramway came under the management of the Metropolitan Railway, and eventually a part of London Transport. By 1935, the Brill Tramway was no longer financially viable, its demise precipitated by such factors as the coming of a bus service between Brill and Aylesbury. The last train to run from Brill to Quainton wound its leisurely way across the countryside on November 30^th, 1935. Today, although no track remains, one can (with a large-scale map and a little imagination) follow the route of the Brill tramway across the fields. The large oak tree that shaded the simple platform at Wood Siding still stands, and memories live on in place names such as Tramway Farm, Tram Hill, Wood Side and 'Sleepers'. Two of the line's engines, are preserved in the London Transport Museum. London Transport Museum: www.ltmuseum.co.uk There are two steam locomotives associated with the Brill tramway/branch in the London Transport Museum. The locomotives are: a) An Aveling & Porter 0-4-0T geared locomotive No.807 (1872), which was one of the first locomotives to work on the tramway. b) A Metropolitan Railway 4-4-0T locomotive No.23 (1866), which was one of the last locomotives to work on the Brill branch. Quainton Road main line: From 1868 the main line at Quainton Road was the Aylesbury & Buckingham Railway, from 1890 the Metropolitan, and from 1905 the Metropolitan & Great Central Joint. However, the impoverished A&BR did hire GWR stock and crew to run its services. Look out for: The Brill Tramway, by Bill Simpson, a hardback book published by the Oxford Publishing Company, date 1985. Available from libraries, and good bookshops, price then £10.95. A fascinating publication containing many original photographs, maps, historical detail and personal memories of the time. Another book to look out for is The Wotton Tramway (Brill Branch) by Ken Jones, published by The Oakwood Press as No.75 in their Locomotion Papers series, price £1-05 when published in 1974. Also, it is still possible to buy 1" Ordnance Survey maps from second-hand map dealers which show the tramway, including the Kingswood branch. One is entitled Bicester, which is No.94 of the Popular Edition and is dated 1919. It is in current catalogues at about £6-£8. (thanks to Ken Munday for supplying additional information and photos) We have attempted to get permission from the copyright owners of these photos, but have not been able to find/contact them. Please accept our apologies and thanks.