Memories of Willsbridge

historybuff, on August 9, 2007, said:

The former Railway inn looking towards the junction with Keynsham and Hanham roads from Bitton this public house was once used by workers on the Kingswood coal line that crossed over the main road and on to the River Avon this buiding was pulled down in the 1960s and a modern day mini traffic roundabout now stands in its place.

The much loved Railway Inn was built in the 18th century as a turnpike tollhouse by the Bath Road-Keynsham Road junction. The tollhouse closed in 1867 and was gradually converted into a shop.

Widowed grocer Rachel Bence married another Willsbridge butcher-grocer, Francis Neads, and they established a thriving business there, adding an off licence in 1890 to cater for the men who worked on the nearby Dramway. It was an Aladdin's Cave of a shop, with groceries, pots, pans, nails, batteries and all sorts packed inside, but it was demolished in 1962 for a road scheme.

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