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 a disused Somersetshire Coal Canal bed in Radstock (near S&D Station).

Congratulations to Jeff Parsons, who got that correct and provided some great insight. Jeff said: “This week’s picture shows the remains of the Radstock Tramway, part of the Somerset Coal Canal, located close to the former S&D Station at Radstock, with the former Radstock North Box in the background.”

The tramway was originally, I believe, set up as a branch of the canal from Midford, but due to a lack of water it was subsequently converted into a tramway. Eventually, the section between Radstock and Midford was purchased by the S&D Railway for the construction of their extension from Evercreech Junction to Bath around 1870.”

The Somerset Coal Canal, located close to the former S&D Station at Radstock, was originally built in the late 18th century to transport coal from the Somerset coalfields to the River Avon at Bath. It featured a series of branches, including one to Radstock, designed to connect the local mines to the main canal route.

Due to engineering challenges, including water supply issues, some sections of the canal were later converted into tramways to continue transporting coal efficiently. The route near Radstock eventually became part of the area served by the Somerset & Dorset Railway, which purchased sections of the canal corridor in the 19th century to extend its line from Evercreech Junction to Bath.

Remnants of the canal and tramway can still be seen today near the former Radstock station, serving as a reminder of the region’s industrial heritage.

Today, much of the Somerset Coal Canal near Radstock has fallen into disuse, but its remains are still visible and form part of the local industrial heritage landscape.