On 3 April 1856 Miss Seymour, sister of the company’s chairman, dug the first ceremonial sod for the Salisbury and Yeovil Railway (S&YR) at Gillingham.

Three years later, on 2 May 1859, the railway from Salisbury opened to Gillingham, and was completed to Hendford station at Yeovil on 1 June 1860.

Trains were provided for the S&YR by the London and South Western Railway (LSWR), which bought out the smaller company in 1878.

In the twentieth century the LSWR operated motor bus services from Gillingham station to Mere, Zeals and Shaftesbury.

South Western Railway operate hourly services between London Waterloo and Exeter St Davids.