The New Murrey and Blue blog

This locomotive ‘Fair Rosamund’ was the only one of its class to carry a name. It was, of course, named after Rosamund Clifford and usually worked on the Great Western Railway’s Woodstock branch, near Oxford.

Rosamund Clifford (mistress of Henry II) came from Clifford Castle near Hay in the Marches. This castle was associated with the ‘White Rose’ symbol which may well have been a reference to Rosamund. (Rose of the world). Later this castle passed to the Mortimers, and later still to the Yorks. It is the source of the ‘White Rose’ which the first two dukes did not use as a symbol.

I hope the loco was usually kept in better nick than in this photo – an Edwardian photo would probably show her sparkling.