A vintage maroon and black steam locomotive, marked with yellow lettering as No. 5, sitting on railway tracks next to a brick building.

The Wantage Tramway – Britain’s first and worst steam tramway

Name: The Wantage Tramway – Britain’s first and worst steam tramway
Start: 2027-03-25T14:00:00+00:00
End: 2027-03-25T15:15:00+00:00
Location: Webinar

In 1871, under the newly minted Tramways Act, a modest railway was proposed that would quietly make history. The Wantage Tramway Company became the first tramway in the world to be hauled by steam power — a light railway in name, but a heavyweight in influence. From its earliest days, the company embraced experimentation, trialling a range of traction methods and pushing the boundaries of what a rural tramway could be. But this was more than just a transport story. The Wantage Tramway was deeply woven into the fabric of the town — supporting local businesses, caring for its staff, and fostering a close, collaborative relationship with the mighty Great Western Railway.

This talk explores its social, economic, and technical legacy. Find out how a small railway left a big mark and why its story still resonates today.

This is the last of three talks in the Winter Potpourri Talks Series. The other talks take place on 28th January and 25th February. You may book tickets for individual events or for all three talks in the series for a reduced price.

To book

Pre-booking is required, because the event link will be sent in advance.

First-time users of Zoom, will be asked to download a small piece of software, before joining the talk.

Image: Wantage Tramway Car no. 5 at the Didcot Railway Centre, nzsteam, CC BY 2.0 (cropped)

To book, scroll down.

Book Event

Member

£4

Available Tickets: 60

For members of Berkshire Family History Society

The "Member" ticket is sold out. You can try another ticket or another date.

Non-Member

£5

Available Tickets: 60

For non-members of Berkshire Family History Society

The "Non-Member" ticket is sold out. You can try another ticket or another date.

Total: 0

Tags: berkshire, great western railway, light railways, local history, steam tramway, tramways act 1871, transport history, Wantage, wantage tramway

Date

Thu 25 Mar 2027

Time

14:00 - 15:15

Tickets

£5.00

Location

Webinar

Zoom Video Conference

Website https://berksfhs.org

Organiser

The Family Research Centre

Email

booking@berksfhs.org.uk

Website

https://berksfhs.org/local-teams/

Book Now!

Speaker

Dr Richard Marks Industrial, Military and Railway Historian

Dr Richard Marks

Industrial, Military and Railway Historian

Richard is a published historian based in Berkshire who specialises in industrial, military, and railway history and also the history of science. His current areas of research are industrial development in the Victorian period, the development of the railway and canal systems in Britain in the mid to late 19th Century and the history of British Rail. He has a PhD in economic history. Richard’s books on British Rail Engineering and the Wantage Tramway Company were both published by Pen and Sword in 2024.