Chipping Norton railway station
Encyclopedia
Chipping Norton railway station served the town of Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire, England
. The station had two platforms and a signal box
.
, which linked the town to the Oxford, Worcester and Wolverhampton Railway
by a junction at Kingham
. The line was promoted by William Bliss and its traffic included freight to and from his tweed mill at Chipping Norton.
Goods trains started running to the station in June 1855 and the official opening to passengers took place on 10 August 1855. Initially there were three trains each way, but by January 1856 this had increased to six each way, the first and last of which continued along the main line to Shipton
.
The station comprised a single platform and two-storey building. No photographs exist, but Bliss Tweed publicity material includes drawings of the station. A single-road engine shed, water tank and goods shed were also provided. Following complaints by passengers of the exposed state of the station a wooden overall roof was added. In 1872 a siding was added to serve the gasworks
adjacent to the tweed mill.
In 1860 the OW&WR amalgamated with two other railway companies to form the West Midland Railway. In 1863 the WMR amalgamated with the GWR and Chipping Norton became part of the Great Western system.
In 1875 work began at Chipping Norton on the building of the Banbury and Cheltenham Direct Railway
between Chipping Norton and Kings Sutton. A bridge was built to take the new line under the Worcester Road, although it would be twelve years before the first train passed under it. Work also started on the Chipping Norton Tunnel. However, the B&CDR experienced financial difficulties and the building work ceased in 1877 with the tunnel uncompleted. Construction work re-commenced six years later in 1883 with the line to Banbury
finally opening on 6 April 1887. The GWR operated the services over the new line. In 1897 the B&CDR was purchased by the GWR.
The old station was no longer required and was demolished, the area it had occupied becoming the new goods yard. The engine shed remained for many years; it was closed in 1922 and was demolished by 1947. The small weighbridge
building survived until the closure of the line, the only original building to do so.
The new station was sited on a curve. The main station building was on the down side with a small shelter on the up side. A lattice girder footbridge linked the two platforms. There were two signal box
es: Chipping Norton East on the station platform and Chipping Norton West near to the Bliss Tweed Mill. The West box was abolished in August 1929 and the East Box was renamed Chipping Norton Signal Box.
In 1904 a 6-stall stable
was built for the railway's horses. It was no longer required for this purpose after 1921 as delivery work had been contracted out. In 1929 a large door was added in the end wall and the building was used to house GWR motor buses. In 1948 it continued in use as a garage but for the Zonal Delivery Scheme lorries. The stable is the only railway building at Chipping Norton to survive to the present day.
There was a dramatic fall in passenger traffic during the 1920s. 30,455 tickets were sold in 1923 but by 1929 this had fallen to 9,951. Parcels and goods traffic increased slightly over the same period. Jenkins, Brown and Parkhouse attribute the fall in passenger traffic to the transfer of railway road transport services to the local bus company.
In 1948 Chipping Norton became a railhead for the Zonal Delivery Scheme. The goods shed was modified with a series of loading bays constructed enabling goods to be unloaded from wagons straight into lorries for local delivery.
When Britain's railways were nationalised in 1948
the Banbury and Cheltenham line became part of the Western Region of British Railways
. British Railways withdrew passenger services from the Chipping Norton - Kings Sutton section in 1951. In April 1958 a landslide
blocked the line between Hook Norton
and Rollright
. The landslide was never cleared and after this time the only trains running north from Chipping Norton were occasional goods services to Rollright Siding. The Kingham to Chipping Norton line was listed in the Beeching Report
, although with an asterisk to indicate that closure had already been decided before compilation of the report. The final passenger train ran on 1 December 1962. BR withdrew freight traffic from the line in 1964 and it was dismantled in 1965.
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...
. The station had two platforms and a signal box
Signal box
On a rail transport system, signalling control is the process by which control is exercised over train movements by way of railway signals and block systems to ensure that trains operate safely, over the correct route and to the proper timetable...
.
History
The station was opened in 1855 as the terminus of the Chipping Norton RailwayChipping Norton Railway
The Chipping Norton Railway opened in 1855, first linking the town of Chipping Norton with the Oxford, Worcester and Wolverhampton Railway.-History:...
, which linked the town to the Oxford, Worcester and Wolverhampton Railway
Oxford, Worcester and Wolverhampton Railway
The Oxford, Worcester and Wolverhampton railway was a company authorised on 4 August 1845 to construct a railway line from the Oxford and Rugby Railway at Wolvercot Junction to Worcester, Stourbridge, Dudley, and Wolverhampton, with a branch to the Grand Junction Railway at Bushbury...
by a junction at Kingham
Kingham railway station
Kingham railway station in Oxfordshire is between the Oxfordshire village of Kingham and the Gloucestershire village of Bledington, to which it is closer...
. The line was promoted by William Bliss and its traffic included freight to and from his tweed mill at Chipping Norton.
Goods trains started running to the station in June 1855 and the official opening to passengers took place on 10 August 1855. Initially there were three trains each way, but by January 1856 this had increased to six each way, the first and last of which continued along the main line to Shipton
Shipton railway station
Shipton railway station serves the villages of Shipton-under-Wychwood and Milton-under-Wychwood in Oxfordshire, England. The station and all trains serving it are operated by First Great Western.-Services:...
.
The station comprised a single platform and two-storey building. No photographs exist, but Bliss Tweed publicity material includes drawings of the station. A single-road engine shed, water tank and goods shed were also provided. Following complaints by passengers of the exposed state of the station a wooden overall roof was added. In 1872 a siding was added to serve the gasworks
Gasworks
A gasworks or gas house is a factory for the manufacture of gas. The use of natural gas has made many redundant in the developed world, however they are often still used for storage.- Early gasworks :...
adjacent to the tweed mill.
In 1860 the OW&WR amalgamated with two other railway companies to form the West Midland Railway. In 1863 the WMR amalgamated with the GWR and Chipping Norton became part of the Great Western system.
In 1875 work began at Chipping Norton on the building of the Banbury and Cheltenham Direct Railway
Banbury and Cheltenham Direct Railway
The Banbury and Cheltenham Direct Railway is a former railway in the Cotswold Hills in Gloucestershire and Oxfordshire, England.-Origins and development:...
between Chipping Norton and Kings Sutton. A bridge was built to take the new line under the Worcester Road, although it would be twelve years before the first train passed under it. Work also started on the Chipping Norton Tunnel. However, the B&CDR experienced financial difficulties and the building work ceased in 1877 with the tunnel uncompleted. Construction work re-commenced six years later in 1883 with the line to Banbury
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:...
finally opening on 6 April 1887. The GWR operated the services over the new line. In 1897 the B&CDR was purchased by the GWR.
The old station was no longer required and was demolished, the area it had occupied becoming the new goods yard. The engine shed remained for many years; it was closed in 1922 and was demolished by 1947. The small weighbridge
Truck scale
Truck scales or weigh bridges are large scales, usually mounted permanently on a concrete foundation, that are used to weigh entire vehicles and their contents. By weighing the vehicle both empty and when loaded, the load carried by the vehicle can be calculated...
building survived until the closure of the line, the only original building to do so.
The new station was sited on a curve. The main station building was on the down side with a small shelter on the up side. A lattice girder footbridge linked the two platforms. There were two signal box
Signal box
On a rail transport system, signalling control is the process by which control is exercised over train movements by way of railway signals and block systems to ensure that trains operate safely, over the correct route and to the proper timetable...
es: Chipping Norton East on the station platform and Chipping Norton West near to the Bliss Tweed Mill. The West box was abolished in August 1929 and the East Box was renamed Chipping Norton Signal Box.
In 1904 a 6-stall stable
Stable
A stable is a building in which livestock, especially horses, are kept. It most commonly means a building that is divided into separate stalls for individual animals...
was built for the railway's horses. It was no longer required for this purpose after 1921 as delivery work had been contracted out. In 1929 a large door was added in the end wall and the building was used to house GWR motor buses. In 1948 it continued in use as a garage but for the Zonal Delivery Scheme lorries. The stable is the only railway building at Chipping Norton to survive to the present day.
There was a dramatic fall in passenger traffic during the 1920s. 30,455 tickets were sold in 1923 but by 1929 this had fallen to 9,951. Parcels and goods traffic increased slightly over the same period. Jenkins, Brown and Parkhouse attribute the fall in passenger traffic to the transfer of railway road transport services to the local bus company.
In 1948 Chipping Norton became a railhead for the Zonal Delivery Scheme. The goods shed was modified with a series of loading bays constructed enabling goods to be unloaded from wagons straight into lorries for local delivery.
When Britain's railways were nationalised in 1948
Transport Act 1947
The Transport Act 1947 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Under it the railways, long-distance road haulage and various other types of transport were acquired by the state and handed over to a new British Transport Commission for operation...
the Banbury and Cheltenham line became part of the Western Region of British Railways
Western Region of British Railways
The Western Region was a region of British Railways from 1948. The region ceased to be an operating unit in its own right in the 1980s and was wound up at the end of 1992...
. British Railways withdrew passenger services from the Chipping Norton - Kings Sutton section in 1951. In April 1958 a landslide
Landslide
A landslide or landslip is a geological phenomenon which includes a wide range of ground movement, such as rockfalls, deep failure of slopes and shallow debris flows, which can occur in offshore, coastal and onshore environments...
blocked the line between Hook Norton
Hook Norton railway station
Hook Norton railway station served the village of Hook Norton in northern Oxfordshire, England.-History:The station was built for the Banbury and Cheltenham Direct Railway, which was operated by the Great Western Railway before complete takeover in 1897...
and Rollright
Rollright Halt railway station
Rollright Halt railway station served the village of Great Rollright in Oxfordshire, England.- History :The station was built by the Great Western Railway. Local residents had campaigned for a station to serve Great Rollright since 1875. When Britain's railways were nationalised in 1948 the B&CDR...
. The landslide was never cleared and after this time the only trains running north from Chipping Norton were occasional goods services to Rollright Siding. The Kingham to Chipping Norton line was listed in the Beeching Report
Beeching Axe
The Beeching Axe or the Beeching Cuts are informal names for the British Government's attempt in the 1960s to reduce the cost of running British Railways, the nationalised railway system in the United Kingdom. The name is that of the main author of The Reshaping of British Railways, Dr Richard...
, although with an asterisk to indicate that closure had already been decided before compilation of the report. The final passenger train ran on 1 December 1962. BR withdrew freight traffic from the line in 1964 and it was dismantled in 1965.