Banbury Merton Street railway station
Encyclopedia
Banbury Merton Street was the first railway station to serve the Oxfordshire
market town
of Banbury
in England
. It opened in 1850 as the northern terminus of the Buckinghamshire Railway
providing connections to Bletchley and Oxford
and closing for passengers in 1961 and goods in 1966.
to Oxford. Construction of the line had begun in July 1847 but was beset by delays and financial problems; priority was given to the construction of the line to Banbury and this was completed on 30 March 1849, with the section from Claydon
to Banbury being built to single track rather than double as had been intended. The Oxford branch was opened on 1 October 1850 as far as Islip
, reaching a temporary station at Oxford Road
on 2 December.
The line was to be worked from the outset by the London and North Western Railway
(LNWR) which had supported the building of the line and which was represented on the board of the Buckinghamshire Railway by Edward Watkin
who, together with the Duke of Buckingham
and local landowner Sir Harry Verney M.P.
, was one of the driving forces behind the line.
which attracted 7,072 passengers. Goods traffic was carried as from 15 May and the railway soon became an important factor in the development of the farm machinery industry which continued until right up to the early 1930s.
Four months after the opening of Banbury Merton Street, the Great Western Railway
(GWR) opened a second station in Banbury on its London to Birmingham line
. The station, later to be known as Banbury General
, opened on 2 September 1850 and is today Banbury's only remaining station. The walking distance between the two stations was 350, actual distance 20m. The GWR had unsuccessfully opposed the Act of Parliament
authorising the construction of the Buckinghamshire Railway, promoting instead the Birmingham & Oxford Junction Railway scheme which included a series of loop lines into Buckinghamshire. The scheme was authorised without the loop lines which became the basis of the Buckinghamshire Railway.
Although the Buckinghamshire Railway enjoyed moderate prosperity in its early years, it slipped into the red as a result of a decision to re-route freight through Oxford
and Didcot
, as well as the depression which affected railway shares in the late 1850s. It was finally absorbed by the LNWR on 23 February 1878. By this point it was accepted that Banbury Merton Street was unlikely to develop to anything more than the terminus of a rural branch, the territory to the north and west having been secured by the GWR.
railway system extending to 3.5 miles of track. The factory closed in 1919 and the site was taken over by Messrs Cohen of London who converted it into a factory to break-down thousands of tons of war materials, a process which continued until 1924. In addition to the munitions traffic, Banbury Merton Street also handled troop trains converging from north to south.
The 1920s also coincided with a period of growth in Banbury's industries. United Dairies
had made Banbury a collecting centre for milk in 1920 and later introduced a system of glass-lined tanks to carry milk in bulk from Banbury General. This was so successful that the dairy company began using Merton Street to transport milk north via the Great Central Railway
. Another business to take root during that time was the Midland Marts Company which opened a stockyard alongside the station in 1921 where cattle could be loaded and unloaded from the railway to be taken on to market.
The growth in Merton Street's freight traffic was however matched by a fall in passenger numbers, with Banbury General becoming the town's principal passenger railhead. By 1938, the London, Midland and Scottish Railway
(which had taken over the station upon the 1923 railway grouping
) attempted to phase out Merton Street by agreeing with the Great Western to rebuild the two stations as a single unit situated on the road bridge to the north of the present Banbury station. Owing to the outbreak of the Second World War, this plan was never put into action and Merton Street was once again busy with troop trains.
began to phase them out.
In August 1956 the Banbury - Buckingham
section of the line became the subject of a railcar
experiment which saw two new halts open on the line at Radclive
and Water Stratford
. After three years of service, the railcar had not succeeded in stemming the line's losses and a proposal to withdraw passenger services was published in July 1960, with the last passenger train running on 31 December. Whereas trains had run virtually every half-an-hour, the replacement bus services provided by the Midland Red Bus Company
ran only twice a day: at 7.25am and 3.31pm.
The line remained open to Buckingham for the purposes of cattle traffic until 1963 with traffic then using the connecting spur to Banbury "General" station until 1966. Track-lifting commenced the following year. The remaining station, Banbury General, was subsequently renamed as simply "Banbury".
the track curved round to the west to run nearly parallel with the Great Western's line from Oxford to Banbury before entering Merton Street (21.75 miles from Bletchley). The wooden main station building was frugally built with a timber island platform
covered by a glazed roof supported by steel columns. A timber goods shed was initially provided to be later rebuilt in brick. The locomotive shed had capacity for eight engines and up to 1934 acted as a sub-depot for Bletchley with men rostered there. A cattle dock and sidings were provided to handle the substantial agricultural traffic; sidings also led to the nearby gasworks and the Great Western's Banbury yard. The timber boarding on the station roof had by 1956 reached such a condition that it posed a danger to passengers and it was removed leaving the metal supports and piping which were painted white.
as a storage depot. The station site has been redeveloped for housing. One of the roads on the estate is "Marshall Road", so-named after Merton Street's last stationmaster Arthur Marshall.
Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ....
market town
Market town
Market town or market right is a legal term, originating in the medieval period, for a European settlement that has the right to host markets, distinguishing it from a village and city...
of Banbury
Banbury
Banbury is a market town and civil parish on the River Cherwell in the Cherwell District of Oxfordshire. It is northwest of London, southeast of Birmingham, south of Coventry and north northwest of the county town of Oxford...
in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It opened in 1850 as the northern terminus of the Buckinghamshire Railway
Buckinghamshire Railway
The Buckinghamshire Railway was a railway company in Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire, England that constructed railway lines connecting Bletchley, Banbury and Oxford...
providing connections to Bletchley and Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
and closing for passengers in 1961 and goods in 1966.
Context
Banbury Merton Street was the northern terminus of the Buckinghamshire Railway which consisted of two lines: one from Bletchley to Banbury and another from Verney JunctionVerney Junction railway station
Verney Junction was a railway station at a junction serving four directions between 1868 and 1968 and from where excursions as far as Ramsgate could be booked...
to Oxford. Construction of the line had begun in July 1847 but was beset by delays and financial problems; priority was given to the construction of the line to Banbury and this was completed on 30 March 1849, with the section from Claydon
Claydon railway station
Claydon railway station is a former railway station serving the village of Steeple Claydon in Buckinghamshire.-Claydon Junction:Claydon Junction, about east of Claydon station and about north of Calvert railway station, is where the former Great Central Main Line met the Varsity Line...
to Banbury being built to single track rather than double as had been intended. The Oxford branch was opened on 1 October 1850 as far as Islip
Islip railway station
Islip railway station serves the village of Islip, Oxfordshire, England. Islip is north-east of Oxford. Services run south to away and north-east to .Islip is served by Chiltern Railways using Class 165 Diesel Multiple Units.-History:...
, reaching a temporary station at Oxford Road
Oxford Rewley Road railway station
Oxford Rewley Road railway station was a railway station serving the city of Oxford, England, located immediately to the north of what is now Frideswide Square on the site of the Saïd Business School. It was the terminus of the Buckinghamshire Railway, which was worked, and later absorbed, by the...
on 2 December.
The line was to be worked from the outset by the London and North Western Railway
London and North Western Railway
The London and North Western Railway was a British railway company between 1846 and 1922. It was created by the merger of three companies – the Grand Junction Railway, the London and Birmingham Railway and the Manchester and Birmingham Railway...
(LNWR) which had supported the building of the line and which was represented on the board of the Buckinghamshire Railway by Edward Watkin
Edward Watkin
Sir Edward William Watkin, 1st Baronet was an English railway chairman and politician.- Biography :Watkin was born in Salford, Lancashire, the son of a wealthy cotton merchant, Absalom Watkin who was noted for his involvement in the Anti-corn Law League.After a private education, he returned to...
who, together with the Duke of Buckingham
Richard Temple-Grenville, 3rd Duke of Buckingham and Chandos
Richard Plantagenet Campbell Temple-Nugent-Brydges-Chandos-Grenville, 3rd Duke of Buckingham and Chandos GCSI, PC , styled Earl Temple until 1839 and Marquess of Chandos from 1839 to 1861, was a British soldier, politician and administrator of the 19th century...
and local landowner Sir Harry Verney M.P.
Sir Harry Verney, 2nd Baronet
Sir Harry Verney, 2nd Baronet PC, DL, JP was an English soldier and Liberal politician who sat in the House of Commons variously between 1832 and 1885.-Background and education:...
, was one of the driving forces behind the line.
Opening and early years
The opening of the line on 1 May 1850 took place amid great celebrations in Banbury; the first train departed at 6.30am to a crowd of onlookers but with few paying passengers. More passengers joined the later trains at 9.45am and 1.45pm which were bound for Bletchley where they were met by flags and a brass band. The LNWR provided an initial service of four trains per day, with special excursion trains being laid on for major events such as the 1851 Great ExhibitionThe Great Exhibition
The Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of all Nations or The Great Exhibition, sometimes referred to as the Crystal Palace Exhibition in reference to the temporary structure in which it was held, was an international exhibition that took place in Hyde Park, London, from 1 May to 15 October...
which attracted 7,072 passengers. Goods traffic was carried as from 15 May and the railway soon became an important factor in the development of the farm machinery industry which continued until right up to the early 1930s.
Four months after the opening of Banbury Merton Street, the Great Western Railway
Great Western Railway
The Great Western Railway was a British railway company that linked London with the south-west and west of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament in 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838...
(GWR) opened a second station in Banbury on its London to Birmingham line
Chiltern Main Line
The Chiltern Main Line is an inter-urban, regional and commuter railway, part of the British railway system. It links London and Birmingham on a 112-mile route via the towns of High Wycombe, Banbury, and Leamington Spa...
. The station, later to be known as Banbury General
Banbury railway station
Banbury railway station serves the town of Banbury in Oxfordshire, England. The station is currently operated by Chiltern Railways, on the Chiltern Main Line, and has four platforms in use.-History:...
, opened on 2 September 1850 and is today Banbury's only remaining station. The walking distance between the two stations was 350, actual distance 20m. The GWR had unsuccessfully opposed the Act of Parliament
Act of Parliament
An Act of Parliament is a statute enacted as primary legislation by a national or sub-national parliament. In the Republic of Ireland the term Act of the Oireachtas is used, and in the United States the term Act of Congress is used.In Commonwealth countries, the term is used both in a narrow...
authorising the construction of the Buckinghamshire Railway, promoting instead the Birmingham & Oxford Junction Railway scheme which included a series of loop lines into Buckinghamshire. The scheme was authorised without the loop lines which became the basis of the Buckinghamshire Railway.
Although the Buckinghamshire Railway enjoyed moderate prosperity in its early years, it slipped into the red as a result of a decision to re-route freight through Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
and Didcot
Didcot
Didcot is a town and civil parish in Oxfordshire about south of Oxford. Until 1974 it was in Berkshire, but was transferred to Oxfordshire in that year, and from Wallingford Rural District to the district of South Oxfordshire...
, as well as the depression which affected railway shares in the late 1850s. It was finally absorbed by the LNWR on 23 February 1878. By this point it was accepted that Banbury Merton Street was unlikely to develop to anything more than the terminus of a rural branch, the territory to the north and west having been secured by the GWR.
Zenith
Banbury Merton Street reached its peak of passenger and goods traffic upon the outbreak of the First World War. In 1916, the Ministry of Munitions constructed a large shell filling factory on the northern side of the line near Warkworth Crossing approximately 1.5 miles from the station platforms. The factory was linked to the line by a standard gaugeStandard gauge
The standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
railway system extending to 3.5 miles of track. The factory closed in 1919 and the site was taken over by Messrs Cohen of London who converted it into a factory to break-down thousands of tons of war materials, a process which continued until 1924. In addition to the munitions traffic, Banbury Merton Street also handled troop trains converging from north to south.
The 1920s also coincided with a period of growth in Banbury's industries. United Dairies
United Dairies
This article is about the former dairy products manufacturing and distribution company. For the United Dairies record label, see Steven Stapleton...
had made Banbury a collecting centre for milk in 1920 and later introduced a system of glass-lined tanks to carry milk in bulk from Banbury General. This was so successful that the dairy company began using Merton Street to transport milk north via the Great Central Railway
Great Central Main Line
The Great Central Main Line , also known as the London Extension of the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway , is a former railway line which opened in 1899 linking Sheffield with Marylebone Station in London via Nottingham and Leicester.The GCML was the last main line railway built in...
. Another business to take root during that time was the Midland Marts Company which opened a stockyard alongside the station in 1921 where cattle could be loaded and unloaded from the railway to be taken on to market.
The growth in Merton Street's freight traffic was however matched by a fall in passenger numbers, with Banbury General becoming the town's principal passenger railhead. By 1938, the London, Midland and Scottish Railway
London, Midland and Scottish Railway
The London Midland and Scottish Railway was a British railway company. It was formed on 1 January 1923 under the Railways Act of 1921, which required the grouping of over 120 separate railway companies into just four...
(which had taken over the station upon the 1923 railway grouping
Railways Act 1921
The Railways Act 1921, also known as the Grouping Act, was an enactment by the British government of David Lloyd George intended to stem the losses being made by many of the country's 120 railway companies, move the railways away from internal competition, and to retain some of the benefits which...
) attempted to phase out Merton Street by agreeing with the Great Western to rebuild the two stations as a single unit situated on the road bridge to the north of the present Banbury station. Owing to the outbreak of the Second World War, this plan was never put into action and Merton Street was once again busy with troop trains.
Decline and closure
The post-war period saw a further decline in passenger numbers at Merton Street, but freight receipts remained steady thanks to Midland Mart's continued activities. Around 200 cattle vans were handled during an ordinary week, the cattle being sorted on arrival and then dispatched for the sheep fair on Tuesday and the T.T. cattle on Wednesday; Thursday brought further cattle traffic as it was market day in Banbury. These activities continued until the early 1960s when British RailwaysLondon Midland Region of British Railways
The London Midland Region was one of the six regions created on the formation of the nationalised British Railways and consisted of ex-London, Midland and Scottish Railway lines in England and Wales. The region was managed first from buildings adjacent to Euston Station and later from Stanier...
began to phase them out.
In August 1956 the Banbury - Buckingham
Buckingham railway station
Buckingham was a railway station which served Buckingham, the former county town of Buckinghamshire, England, between 1850 and 1966.- Opening :...
section of the line became the subject of a railcar
Railcar
A railcar, in British English and Australian English, is a self-propelled railway vehicle designed to transport passengers. The term "railcar" is usually used in reference to a train consisting of a single coach , with a driver's cab at one or both ends. Some railways, e.g., the Great Western...
experiment which saw two new halts open on the line at Radclive
Radclive Halt railway station
Radclive Halt was a railway station on the Banbury to Verney Junction Branch Line which served the village of Radclive in Buckinghamshire, England, from 1956 to 1961.- History :...
and Water Stratford
Water Stratford Halt railway station
Water Stratford Halt was a railway station on the Banbury to Verney Junction Branch Line which served the village of Water Stratford in Buckinghamshire, England, from 1956 to 1961.- History :...
. After three years of service, the railcar had not succeeded in stemming the line's losses and a proposal to withdraw passenger services was published in July 1960, with the last passenger train running on 31 December. Whereas trains had run virtually every half-an-hour, the replacement bus services provided by the Midland Red Bus Company
Midland Red
Midland Red was a bus company which operated in the English Midlands from 1905 to 1981. It was the trading name used by the Birmingham and Midland Motor Omnibus Company , which was renamed Midland Red Omnibus Company in 1974...
ran only twice a day: at 7.25am and 3.31pm.
The line remained open to Buckingham for the purposes of cattle traffic until 1963 with traffic then using the connecting spur to Banbury "General" station until 1966. Track-lifting commenced the following year. The remaining station, Banbury General, was subsequently renamed as simply "Banbury".
Station buildings and track layout
From FarthinghoeFarthinghoe railway station
Farthinghoe was a railway station which served the Northamptonshire village of Farthinghoe in England. It opened in 1851 as part of the Buckinghamshire Railway's branch line to Verney Junction which provided connections to Bletchley and Oxford and closed in 1963.- History :Situated in an isolated...
the track curved round to the west to run nearly parallel with the Great Western's line from Oxford to Banbury before entering Merton Street (21.75 miles from Bletchley). The wooden main station building was frugally built with a timber island platform
Island platform
An island platform is a station layout arrangement where a single platform is positioned between two tracks within a railway station, tram stop or transitway interchange...
covered by a glazed roof supported by steel columns. A timber goods shed was initially provided to be later rebuilt in brick. The locomotive shed had capacity for eight engines and up to 1934 acted as a sub-depot for Bletchley with men rostered there. A cattle dock and sidings were provided to handle the substantial agricultural traffic; sidings also led to the nearby gasworks and the Great Western's Banbury yard. The timber boarding on the station roof had by 1956 reached such a condition that it posed a danger to passengers and it was removed leaving the metal supports and piping which were painted white.
Present day
The main station building was swept away soon after closure, leaving the brick goods shed to be used for some time by British Road ServicesBritish Road Services
The National Freight Corporation was a major British transport business. It was listed on the London Stock Exchange and at one time, as NFC plc, it was a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index.-History:...
as a storage depot. The station site has been redeveloped for housing. One of the roads on the estate is "Marshall Road", so-named after Merton Street's last stationmaster Arthur Marshall.