CAN you guess where this week’s Mystery Photograph was taken?

Each week, the Journal invites readers to test their local knowledge by identifying a historic location from days gone by.

Last week's Mystery Photograph was taken at Binegar Station. Congratulations to Paul Hancock, who got it correct!

Binegar Station was once a small but important stop on the Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway (S&DJR), serving the rural community of Binegar and the surrounding Mendip area.

Opened in 1874, the station lay between Chilcompton and Masbury, on a line known for its steep gradients and scenic views across the Somerset countryside. It had two platforms, a small station building, and a goods yard that handled both passenger and freight traffic.

The station formed part of the Bath extension of the S&DJR, a line jointly operated by the Midland Railway and the London and South Western Railway, and later under British Railways. Despite its remote location, Binegar saw regular use by local residents and businesses, and the line itself became a favourite among railway enthusiasts for its picturesque route and historic charm.

However, like many rural stations across the country, Binegar fell victim to the Beeching cuts in the 1960s—a government-backed plan to reduce the rail network’s losses by closing underused or unprofitable lines. The station closed to passenger services in March 1966, marking the end of nearly a century of service.

Today, little remains of Binegar Station. The platforms and buildings have long since disappeared, and the site has been reclaimed by nature and private development. Yet the memory of the station lives on among railway historians and enthusiasts, many of whom continue to walk the former trackbed and celebrate the heritage of the Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway.

The Midsomer Norton Journal, in association with Radstock Museum, would like to thank all our readers for taking part in our weekly Mystery Photograph column.