The argument about where to put the station predates the railway. In the Worcester Journal of 8 August 1839, we read:
"On Monday, at a large meeting of the inhabitants of Chjeltenham and its neighbourhood at the Assembly Rooms, it was unanimously resolved to raise money by subscription and otherwise for the purpose of bringing the terminus of the Great Western Railway to Cheltenham, instead of Lansdowne [sic], where it is at present intended by the Company to stay their works."
That’s interesting, but I have a hunch as to why that might have been the case.
In 1839 Lansdown was on the edge of the town. There are additional earthworks and quite a deep cutting beyond where the
GWR▸ and
MR▸ lines diverge, and there would also probably be the cost of purchasing buildings and knocking them down to take the line any further.
As an aside, the old GWR formation between Lansdown and St James, and also onwards from Malvern Road towards the Racecourse (but not all the way to Racecourse)’is now a footpath and cycle track