The Cheltenham to Kingham line formed part of a through route between Cheltenham and Kings Sutton near Banbury.
The stretch which we will deal with started from Lansdown Jct in Cheltenham and made its through the suburbs of the town, calling at Leckhampton and Charlton Kings.  A stiff climb past the reservoir at Dowdeswell, through a tunnel and we come to Andoversford Jct where the old Midland & South Western Jct line veers off to Andover by way of Swindon and Marlborough.  The Kingham trains still faced severe gradients to reach the lonely station at Notgrove. This was the highest through station on the GWR and it's easy to see why if you travel to the site today!
On leaving Notgrove a steep downward grade is encountered virtually all the way to Bourton-on-the-Water.
The station building here was replaced in the mid-30's by a cotswold stone structure which still stands today.
A brief canter sees us arrive at the small station at Stow-on-the-Wold.  The station building here was renewed at the same time as that at Bourton.
Soon after leaving Stow we would arrive at the junction station of Kingham where we meet the main Oxford to Worcester line.
The last passenger working left Cheltenham St. James at 6.50pm on the 13th of October 1962.  Goods traffic between Cheltenham and Bourton ceased at the same time but carried on for a short period between Bourton and Kingham.
One day I hope to be able to incorporate as many of the stations as possible into a model layout depicting the route.
I only wish I was born about 20 years or more earlier so I could have experienced the line first hand.

   Leckhampton station, the first stop on the journey

   Andoversford Jct looking towards Cheltenham

   Bourton-on-the Water station looking towards Stow