Welcome to Wool
Railway Station
The Railway arrived in Wool in 1847, but sadly the main station building was demolished in 1969 and replaced by the prefabricated structure that you see today.
All that remains of the old station is the small goods shed next to the car park. A branch line to the Army Camp at Bovington was constructed just after World War I, but the track had been lifted long before the beginning of WWII.
The villages of Bovington and Wool are home to some of Dorset’s most loved attractions including the Tank Museum with interactive displays, Monkey World and its unique collection of primates and Clouds Hill – the former home of T.E. Lawrence (also known as Lawrence of Arabia) which is now owned by the National Trust.
Wool Information Board
The Purbeck Community Partnership (PCRP) in collaboration with the Friends of Wool Station have produced an information board at the front of the station. The idea was to promote onward and active travel in the surrounding area and signpost places of interest. There was also a focus on the village of Wool itself often transited by the many visitors going on to other locations. Wool has many local attractions and rich heritage, and we are aiming to highlight these and generate spending in the local economy. As well as these historic attractions the board highlights many waking routes and wildlife in the vicinity. Local shops and hospitality venues also feature. So, spending time in Wool could be informative, inspiring and rewarding.
Welcome Point at Wool Railway Station
Several years ago, the Friends of Wool Station commissioned a village map for the front wall of the station building. The finishing touch was the addition of a LOCAL INFORMATION sign above the map.
Tony Smale, who set up the station adoption group in 2010, says “we felt the map was being mistaken for just another advertising poster. Our new enamelled sign is clearly visible from the main road, so now anyone passing the station will clearly see that the station forecourt is a good place to seek out information about the local area.”
The sign was produced at Dorset Highway’s workshop and the cost was largely met by a grant from Dorset AONB’s 60th Anniversary Fund. South Western Railway staff helped fit the sign in place on the station wall. In awarding the grant, Dorset AONB acknowledged the station’s importance as an ideal setting-off point for exploring the glorious countryside around Wool.
Places of interest in and around Wool
Monkey World
The Tank Museum
Holme for Gardens
- Further Information on the local area:
FoWS Friends of Wool Station email: woolfarer@tiscali.co.uk
www.woolparishcouncil.com
www.woolparishcouncil.com/travel
