Hook Norton railway station
Encyclopedia
Hook Norton railway station served the village of Hook Norton
in northern Oxfordshire
, England
.
, which was operated by the Great Western Railway
before complete takeover in 1897. Following the passing of the Act of Parliament in 1873 authorising the construction of the B&CDR, it was announced in 1874 that a station would be provided at Hook Norton. The location originally proposed was north of the Milcombe Road and a start had been made on construction at this site but this was abandoned in 1883 in favour of a site to the south, slightly nearer the village. On 2 June 1884 it was reported that "Hook Norton Station is built nearly up to the level of the doors". The entire station and goods yard
were built on a large embankment containing 120,000 cubic yards of earth, which led onto the first of Hook Norton's two viaduct
s. In order to provide solid foundations, the platforms were supported on iron girders and the station building had a 20-foot deep cellar. Hook Norton was a passing place with two platforms. The main station building containing booking office, waiting rooms and toilets was on the up
platform while the down
platform had a small waiting shelter. The first train ran on 6 April 1887.
There were a number of ironstone
quarries around Hook Norton. In the 1890s the Hook Norton Ironstone Partnership
were dispatching ore by rail, with sidings on the south side of the down platform. From the sidings a steep standard gauge
line ran in a curve, passing under the viaduct to a tipping dock where ore was tipped from a 1'8" gauge tramway line. This line was operated by an 0-6-0 Manning Wardle
locomotive named Hook Norton The sidings were subsequently turned into loops with the addition of a connection at the west end. The partnership was wound up in 1903 and the sidings became the property of the GWR. In 1907 they were extended towards Banbury
, forming a loop which could hold sixty mineral wagons. A new signal box was opened on the up platform at this time. The GWR also acquired the locomotive Hook Norton which was subsequently used on the Weymouth Harbour Tramway
for many years. In 1899 the Brymbo Ironworks
of Wrexham
established a new quarry at Hook Norton, which it connected to the railway at Council Hill Sidings, mile east of the station, with the narrow gauge
Brymbo Ironworks railway
. The Brymbo Ironworks closed in 1946 and was dismantled in 1948. In 1929 the GWR began operating a bus service between Chipping Norton and Banbury via Hook Norton. In the early 1930s this service was transferred to Midland Red
and became a serious competitor to the railway's passenger service, having the advantage of a direct journey to Banbury compared to the circuitous route taken by the railway. In the period 1935-9 only 40-64 rail tickets per week were sold. In 1930 the station had a staff of four: a stationmaster, two porters and two signalmen.
When Britain's railways were nationalised in 1948
the B&CDR became part of the Western Region of British Railways
. Passenger numbers remained low - a teacher who travelled to Hook Norton from Chipping Norton once a week recalled that on several occasions he was given consecutively-numbered tickets. In 1951 British Rail
ways withdrew passenger services from the line through Hook Norton. In 1958 A landslide at Hook Norton caused freight services to be discontinued between Hook Norton and Chipping Norton. On 4 November 1963 BR closed the railway to freight traffic and the line was dismantled in 1965.
Hook Norton
Hook Norton is a village and civil parish in the Cotswold Hills in Oxfordshire, England. It is northeast of Chipping Norton.-Toponym and early history:...
in northern Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ....
, 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...
.
History
The station was built for the Banbury and Cheltenham Direct RailwayBanbury 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:...
, which was operated by 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...
before complete takeover in 1897. Following the passing of the Act of Parliament in 1873 authorising the construction of the B&CDR, it was announced in 1874 that a station would be provided at Hook Norton. The location originally proposed was north of the Milcombe Road and a start had been made on construction at this site but this was abandoned in 1883 in favour of a site to the south, slightly nearer the village. On 2 June 1884 it was reported that "Hook Norton Station is built nearly up to the level of the doors". The entire station and goods yard
Goods station
A goods station is, in the widest sense, a railway station which is exclusively or predominantly where goods of any description are loaded or unloaded from ships or road vehicles and/or where goods wagons are transferred to local sidings.A station where goods are not specifically received or...
were built on a large embankment containing 120,000 cubic yards of earth, which led onto the first of Hook Norton's two viaduct
Viaduct
A viaduct is a bridge composed of several small spans. The term viaduct is derived from the Latin via for road and ducere to lead something. However, the Ancient Romans did not use that term per se; it is a modern derivation from an analogy with aqueduct. Like the Roman aqueducts, many early...
s. In order to provide solid foundations, the platforms were supported on iron girders and the station building had a 20-foot deep cellar. Hook Norton was a passing place with two platforms. The main station building containing booking office, waiting rooms and toilets was on the up
Railroad directions
Railroad directions are used to describe train directions on railroad systems. The terms used may be derived from such sources as compass directions, altitude directions, or other directions...
platform while the down
Railroad directions
Railroad directions are used to describe train directions on railroad systems. The terms used may be derived from such sources as compass directions, altitude directions, or other directions...
platform had a small waiting shelter. The first train ran on 6 April 1887.
There were a number of ironstone
Ironstone
Ironstone is a sedimentary rock, either deposited directly as a ferruginous sediment or created by chemical repacement, that contains a substantial proportion of an iron compound from which iron either can be or once was smelted commercially. This term is customarily restricted to hard coarsely...
quarries around Hook Norton. In the 1890s the Hook Norton Ironstone Partnership
Hook Norton Ironstone Partnership
The Hook Norton Ironstone Partnership was the first company to quarry ironstone at Hook Norton on a large scale. Although only in operation for twelve years, its quarries subsequently became part of the Brymbo Steelworks quarries and relics of the Partnership's railways and tramways can still be...
were dispatching ore by rail, with sidings on the south side of the down platform. From the sidings a steep standard gauge
Standard gauge
The standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
line ran in a curve, passing under the viaduct to a tipping dock where ore was tipped from a 1'8" gauge tramway line. This line was operated by an 0-6-0 Manning Wardle
Manning Wardle
Manning Wardle was a steam locomotive manufacturer based in Hunslet, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England.- Precursor companies :The city of Leeds was one of the earliest centres of locomotive building; Matthew Murray built the first commercially successful steam locomotive, Salamanca, in Holbeck, Leeds,...
locomotive named Hook Norton The sidings were subsequently turned into loops with the addition of a connection at the west end. The partnership was wound up in 1903 and the sidings became the property of the GWR. In 1907 they were extended towards 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:...
, forming a loop which could hold sixty mineral wagons. A new signal box was opened on the up platform at this time. The GWR also acquired the locomotive Hook Norton which was subsequently used on the Weymouth Harbour Tramway
Weymouth Harbour Tramway
The Weymouth Harbour Tramway is a goods and passenger railway constructed almost entirely on the streets of Weymouth, England...
for many years. In 1899 the Brymbo Ironworks
Brymbo Ironworks railway
The Hook Norton ironstone quarries were ironstone quarries near Hook Norton in Oxfordshire. The quarries were in operation from 1899 to 1946 supplying ironstone to the Brymbo Steelworks in Wrexham and were served by an extensive narrow gauge industrial railway.- History :The original Brymbo...
of Wrexham
Wrexham
Wrexham is a town in Wales. It is the administrative centre of the wider Wrexham County Borough, and the largest town in North Wales, located in the east of the region. It is situated between the Welsh mountains and the lower Dee Valley close to the border with Cheshire, England...
established a new quarry at Hook Norton, which it connected to the railway at Council Hill Sidings, mile east of the station, with the narrow gauge
Narrow gauge
A narrow gauge railway is a railway that has a track gauge narrower than the of standard gauge railways. Most existing narrow gauge railways have gauges of between and .- Overview :...
Brymbo Ironworks railway
Brymbo Ironworks railway
The Hook Norton ironstone quarries were ironstone quarries near Hook Norton in Oxfordshire. The quarries were in operation from 1899 to 1946 supplying ironstone to the Brymbo Steelworks in Wrexham and were served by an extensive narrow gauge industrial railway.- History :The original Brymbo...
. The Brymbo Ironworks closed in 1946 and was dismantled in 1948. In 1929 the GWR began operating a bus service between Chipping Norton and Banbury via Hook Norton. In the early 1930s this service was transferred to Midland Red
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...
and became a serious competitor to the railway's passenger service, having the advantage of a direct journey to Banbury compared to the circuitous route taken by the railway. In the period 1935-9 only 40-64 rail tickets per week were sold. In 1930 the station had a staff of four: a stationmaster, two porters and two signalmen.
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 B&CDR 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...
. Passenger numbers remained low - a teacher who travelled to Hook Norton from Chipping Norton once a week recalled that on several occasions he was given consecutively-numbered tickets. In 1951 British Rail
British Rail
British Railways , which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was the operator of most of the rail transport in Great Britain between 1948 and 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the "Big Four" British railway companies and lasted until the gradual privatisation of British Rail, in stages...
ways withdrew passenger services from the line through Hook Norton. In 1958 A landslide at Hook Norton caused freight services to be discontinued between Hook Norton and Chipping Norton. On 4 November 1963 BR closed the railway to freight traffic and the line was dismantled in 1965.