Welford and Kilworth railway station
Encyclopedia
Welford and Kilworth railway station was a railway station serving Welford
and North
and South Kilworth
in the English
county of Leicestershire
. It was opened as Welford on the Rugby and Stamford Railway in 1850.
Parliamentary approval was gained in 1846 by the directors of the London and Birmingham Railway
for a branch from Rugby
to the Syston and Peterborough Railway
near Stamford.
In the same year the company became part of the London and North Western Railway
. The section from Rugby to Market Harborough
, which included Welford, opened in 1850. Originally single track, it was doubled at the end of 1878.
Originally the plan had been to build a station at Husbands Bosworth
but due to objections it was situated a couple of miles westward near the village of North Kilworth. Originally, the station was named "Welford" after the larger village of that name two and a half miles further south. Later the name "Lutterworth" was added in an attempt to attract custom from that town even though it was some six miles from the station.
The original station was built - as was normal at that time - at ground level. Later, when a platform was added the building's windowsill facing the platform was at ankle level. This original building was of brick, but a variety of additions and extensions in different materials and styles were added over the years.
A cottage was built on the opposite side of the line near to the road crossing and the box. Consequently the signal box had to be high enough to give a view over it. There were two sidings on the up side behind the station building, with a loading dock and goods shed, and, in the opposite direction, beside the up line there were two long sidings. On the other side of the road crossing towards Stamford a further siding catered for a dairy. A milk train would arrive from Rugby at about 3.30 in the morning, returning empty at 5.00 a.m. Welford also proved handy for parking defective wagons.
At grouping
in 1923 it became part of the London Midland and Scottish Railway. The station was closed on the sixth of June 1966 and all trackwork lifted shortly afterwards. Although the main station buildings were demolished, the 1878 built down platform shelter is preserved at the Coventry Railway Centre
. There is still a Station Road and the trackbed can still be traced crossing the A4304 road.
Welford, Northamptonshire
Welford is a village and civil parish in England. It is located on the River Avon border between the counties of Northamptonshire and Leicestershire. At the time of the 2001 census, the parish's population was 1,016 people....
and North
North Kilworth
North Kilworth is a village in south Leicestershire, England, north of South Kilworth. Largely bypassed by the A4304 road, the village consists of a mix of old and new housing and includes a primary school and the parish church of St...
and South Kilworth
South Kilworth
South Kilworth is a village and civil parish in the southern part of Leicestershire, England, south of North Kilworth. The parish has a population of 430, according to the 2001 Census, and is part of the district of Harborough.-History:...
in the English
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...
county of Leicestershire
Leicestershire
Leicestershire is a landlocked county in the English Midlands. It takes its name from the heavily populated City of Leicester, traditionally its administrative centre, although the City of Leicester unitary authority is today administered separately from the rest of Leicestershire...
. It was opened as Welford on the Rugby and Stamford Railway in 1850.
Parliamentary approval was gained in 1846 by the directors of the London and Birmingham Railway
London and Birmingham Railway
The London and Birmingham Railway was an early railway company in the United Kingdom from 1833 to 1846, when it became part of the London and North Western Railway ....
for a branch from Rugby
Rugby railway station
Rugby railway station serves the town of Rugby in Warwickshire, England. It opened during the Victorian era, in 1885, replacing earlier stations situated a little further west...
to the Syston and Peterborough Railway
Syston and Peterborough Railway
The Syston and Peterborough Railway was an early railway in England opened between 1845 and 1848 to form a branch from the Midland Counties Railway at Syston just north of Leicester to Peterborough.-Origins:...
near Stamford.
Stamford railway station
Stamford railway station serves the town of Stamford in Lincolnshire, England. The station is west of Peterborough on the Syston and Peterborough Railway, the line is now part of the much bigger Birmingham to Peterborough Line. CrossCountry operate the majority of services as part of their...
In the same year the company became part of 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...
. The section from Rugby to Market Harborough
Market Harborough railway station
Market Harborough railway station serves the town of Market Harborough in Leicestershire, England. It lies on the Midland Main Line, 16 miles south-east of Leicester and is served by the fast and semi-fast East Midlands Trains Class 222 "Meridian"/HST services...
, which included Welford, opened in 1850. Originally single track, it was doubled at the end of 1878.
Originally the plan had been to build a station at Husbands Bosworth
Husbands Bosworth
Husbands Bosworth is a large crossroads village in South Leicestershire on the A5199 road from Leicester city to Northampton and the A4304 road from Junction 20 of the M1 motorway to Market Harborough....
but due to objections it was situated a couple of miles westward near the village of North Kilworth. Originally, the station was named "Welford" after the larger village of that name two and a half miles further south. Later the name "Lutterworth" was added in an attempt to attract custom from that town even though it was some six miles from the station.
The original station was built - as was normal at that time - at ground level. Later, when a platform was added the building's windowsill facing the platform was at ankle level. This original building was of brick, but a variety of additions and extensions in different materials and styles were added over the years.
A cottage was built on the opposite side of the line near to the road crossing and the box. Consequently the signal box had to be high enough to give a view over it. There were two sidings on the up side behind the station building, with a loading dock and goods shed, and, in the opposite direction, beside the up line there were two long sidings. On the other side of the road crossing towards Stamford a further siding catered for a dairy. A milk train would arrive from Rugby at about 3.30 in the morning, returning empty at 5.00 a.m. Welford also proved handy for parking defective wagons.
At 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...
in 1923 it became part of the London Midland and Scottish Railway. The station was closed on the sixth of June 1966 and all trackwork lifted shortly afterwards. Although the main station buildings were demolished, the 1878 built down platform shelter is preserved at the Coventry Railway Centre
Coventry Railway Centre
The Electric Railway Museum is located in Warwickshire, south of Coventry city, outside Baginton, and near to Coventry Airport. The heritage railway centre was also known as "The Airfield Line" as the railway was built on the site of a greenfield...
. There is still a Station Road and the trackbed can still be traced crossing the A4304 road.