The Wantage Tramway was built as a standard gauge horse tramway to connect the Great Western Railway's (GWR) station at Wantage Road with the town of Wantage, two and a half miles away. It opened for passenger service on 11th October 1875. At Wantage Road the tramway started just outside the GWR station with a connection to the adjacent goods yard to enable the through running of wagons. It ran by the side of what is now the A338 and ended at a station in Wantage just off Mill Street in the town centre where there was also the depot and a goods yard.