Heritage railways · South East England
Sonning Cutting
In or near Sonning.
Sonning Cutting is on the original Great Western Railway built by Isambard Kingdom Brunel. It is to the east of Reading station and to the west of Twyford station near the village of Sonning in Berksh
Mike McMillan — CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons licence
Plan your visit
- Typical visit
- 1.5 h–3 h
- Best time of year
- Spring – autumn
- Nearest railway station
- Earley · 2.3 km
Getting there & planning your visit
To visit Sonning Cutting, the nearest railway station is Earley, located 2.3 km away. The postcode for navigation is RG4 6SY. Entry information is not provided, so please check ahead for details on accessibility and any potential fees.
About
Sonning Cutting is on the original Great Western Railway built by Isambard Kingdom Brunel. It is to the east of Reading station and to the west of Twyford station near the village of Sonning in Berkshire, England. Originally planned to route around the north of Sonning Hill past the village, the railway instead bypasses the village due to local objections. The resulting route follows a cutting over 1-mile (1.6 km) and up to 60 feet (18 m) deep, through the hill, giving a more direct route between Twyford and Reading. The cutting was hand-dug without machinery and the spoil removed in wheelbarrows and horse-drawn carts. It took two years to complete and there were several casualties in the process. The line was opened on 30 March 1840. After the ending of the broad gauge in 1892, the railway was widened to four tracks. This involved a major rebuilding of the cutting, during which the slope of the sides was reduced.
Photo gallery
See it from the streetimagery from 2023
Imagery © Mapillary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0
From the Wikipedia article
Sonning Cutting is on the original Great Western Railway built by Isambard Kingdom Brunel. It is to the east of Reading station and to the west of Twyford station near the village of Sonning in Berkshire, England. Originally planned to route around the north of Sonning Hill past the village, the railway instead bypasses the village due to local objections. The resulting route follows a cutting over 1-mile (1.6 km) and up to 60 feet (18 m) deep, through the hill, giving a more direct route between Twyford and Reading. The cutting was hand-dug without machinery and the spoil removed in wheelbarrows and horse-drawn carts. It took two years to complete and there were several casualties in the process. The line was opened on 30 March 1840. After the ending of the broad gauge in 1892, the railway was widened to four tracks. This involved a major rebuilding of the cutting, during which the slope of the sides was reduced.
Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.
- Coordinates
- 51.4617, -0.9132
- District
- Wokingham
- Parish
- Sonning
- Postcode
- RG4 6SY
- Parliamentary constituency
- Earley and Woodley
- Nearest railway station
- Earley — 2.3 km
- Official site
- www.nrmfriends.org.uk
Sources
- wikipedia: Sonning Cutting (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Other places nearby
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Frequently asked questions
- Where is Sonning Cutting?
- Sonning Cutting is in South-East England, United Kingdom (postcode RG4 6SY), in the parish of Sonning.
- What is Sonning Cutting?
- Sonning Cutting is on the original Great Western Railway built by Isambard Kingdom Brunel. It is to the east of Reading station and to the west of Twyford station near the village of Sonning in Berksh
- How do I get to Sonning Cutting?
- The nearest railway station is Earley, about 2.3 km away. Drivers can use postcode RG4 6SY.
- How do I get to Sonning Cutting?
- The nearest railway station is Earley, about 2.3 km away. Drivers can navigate to postcode RG4 6SY.