The Ballaso

Continuing west from South Leigh, after 1¼ miles the Cogges to Stanton Harcourt road crosses the line by a substantial stone bridge locally known as The "Ballaso" (SP377080). This was probably a corruption of "ballast hole", for indeed there was a large quarry just to the south of the line which was almost certainly used in the line's construction. The Witney Railway Company obviously had aspirations that their line would one day become part of an important through route, as this bridge was clearly constructed with double track in mind - alas it was not to be.

The Ballaso in 1979

The bridge is pictured (above) looking east on 15 May 1979, just before the owner of the nearby cottage reclaimed the trackbed for a garden (note the freshly leveled soil in the foreground). Note that various minor repairs to the bridge have been carried out with blue engineers bricks, rather than stone. The ballast hole from which the bridge presumably takes its name was situated to the right of the willow trees visible behind the bridge.
Martin Loader

The original ballast hole has been filled in and is now a completely open field, which is rather a reversal of the normal situation, where a formerly open trackbed becomes an impenetrable jungle! It was still a water filled crater surrounded by trees when this photo (left) was taken in the early 1970s. Most of the overbridges on the line at one time had some evidence of excavations nearby to provide material for the approach embankments. It was only on the former Witney Railway that these were extensive, as the East Gloucestershire Railway's bridges were somewhat skimped in construction by comparison. Looking at this picture of a gloomy pond surrounded by trees it is easy to understand how the place locally acquired a rather sinister reputation.
Stanley C. Jenkins

The Ballaso is pictured again on 27 June 1978, shortly before it was filled in. Nowadays the only clue to its existence is the triangular plot of land bounded by the road, old trackbed and a short farm track that leads between the two. This marks the extent of the former pond. Although something of a haven for wildlife, as can be seen from both these pictures its close proximity to the road made it an easy dumping ground for various items of domestic rubbish.
Martin Loader

The Ballaso in 1978

6326 The Ballaso

Class 22 diesel hydraulic 6326 passes beneath the "Ballaso" bridge with a lengthy train of coal wagons during the final year of the line's life. The train is the twice weekly Hinksey Yard to Witney freight. The track has gone, all the Class 22s have long since been scrapped but the bridge still survives, although it cannot be viewed from this angle, as not only is the land now private property, but a belt of Leylandii fir trees now block the view.
Stanley C. Jenkins

The Ballaso is pictured shortly after track lifting from a little further back than the previous two views. Note the clean ballast highlighted here by the low winter sun. Cogges Bridge Cottage is just out of view to the left.
Stanley C. Jenkins

By 4 April 1980 the area in front of Cogges Bridge Cottage had become a lawn, as this view from the "Ballaso" shows. Although the new lawn takes its boundaries from the old trackbed (note the railway fence on the left), it can clearly be seen that all trace of the line has obliterated beyond the cottage. The Stanton Harcourt to Cogges road can be seen curving to the right in the background. From the "Ballaso" the line curved to the right, then the approach to Witney was on a straight section of nearly a mile, with the spire of St. Mary's church visible on the horizon.
Martin Loader

View from the Ballaso in 1980