Salcey Forest railway station
| Salcey Forest | |
|---|---|
| Location | |
| Place | Salcey Forest nr Horton |
| Area | South Northamptonshire |
| Grid reference | SP813535 |
| Operations | |
| Original company | Stratford-upon-Avon, Towcester and Midland Junction Railway |
| Platforms | 1 |
| History | |
| 1 December 1892[1] | Opened |
| 31 March 1893 | Closed to passengers |
| 1 July 1908[2] | Goods facilities withdrawn |
| Disused railway stations in the United Kingdom | |
| Closed railway stations in Britain A B C D–F G H–J K–L M–O P–R S T–V W–Z |
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Salcey Forest was a short-lived railway station on the Stratford-upon-Avon and Midland Junction Railway which opened in 1893 near the Northamptonshire forest of the same name. The station was not situated near any settlement and only saw passenger services for four months, it being most likely an error of judgement by the railway company which had provided substantial station facilities in expectation of traffic which never came. The station eventually closed in 1908.
[edit] History
The station opened in 1893[1] in an isolated spot of open country to the north of Salcey Forest in Northamptonshire. It formed part of the Stratford-upon-Avon and Midland Junction Railway's (SMJ) east-west line from Broom to Olney. The reason for the station's construction is not entirely clear as it served no nearby settlement. One theory is that it was provided on the request of the Duke of Grafton whose lived at nearby Salcey Lawn.[3] As with Stoke Bruern station, an imposing brick station building was provided which became the home to employees of the railway until the line's closure. The approach to the station consisted of no more than a simple bridle path from what is now the B526 from Northampton to Newport Pagnell.[4] The station never justified a more significant means of access as it never saw any kind of traffic, and its provision seems to have been an error of judgement by the SMJ.[5]
Passenger services began on 1 December 1892 with four stopping trains a day, but traffic was so poor that this was withdrawn four months later. On the first service, it was reported that one person alighted at Salcey Forest, but no-one joined, whilst at Stoke Bruern, seven joined and one alighted. The service attracted no more than twenty passengers a week and the SMJ incurred a loss of £40.[6] The station finally closed to goods in 1908[2]; the single loop goods siding was lifted by 1915[7], whilst the signal box was removed in September 1912.[8]
| Preceding station | Disused railways | Following station | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stoke Bruern Line and station closed |
Stratford-upon-Avon and Midland Junction Railway Stratford-upon-Avon, Towcester and Midland Junction Railway |
Olney Line and station closed |
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[edit] Present day
No traces of the station remain, the buildings having been cleared away in the 1950s. The trackbed is now a mud track running between fields which forms part of the Midshires Way long-distance footpath.[9]
[edit] References
- ^ a b Butt, R.V.J. (1995). The Directory of Railway Stations, Patrick Stephens Ltd, Sparkford, ISBN 1-85260-508-1, p. 204.
- ^ a b Clinker, C.R. (October 1978). Clinker's Register of Closed Passenger Stations and Goods Depots in England, Scotland and Wales 1830-1977. Bristol: Avon-AngliA Publications & Services. p. 119. ISBN 0-90546-619-5.
- ^ Kingscott, Geoffrey (2008). Lost Railways of Northamptonshire (Lost Railways Series). Newbury, Berkshire: Countryside Books. p. 115. ISBN 978-1-84674-108-1.
- ^ Riley, R.C.; Simpson, B. (1999). A History of the Stratford-upon-Avon & Midland Junction Railway. Witney, Oxon: Lamplight Publications. p. 84. ISBN 9781899246205.
- ^ Mitchell, Vic; Smith, Keith (November 2008). Branch Lines Around Towcester. Midhurst, West Sussex: Middleton Press. p. Plate 7. ISBN 9781906008390.
- ^ Davies, R.; Grant, M.D. (1984). Forgotten Railways: Chilterns and Cotswolds. Newton Abbot, Devon: David St John Thomas. p. 133. ISBN 0-946537-07-0.
- ^ Riley, R.C. and Simpson, B., p. 85
- ^ Mitchell, V. and Smith, K., plate 8.
- ^ Kingscott, G., p. 117.
Coordinates: 52°10′27″N 0°48′40″W / 52.174288°N 0.811234°W
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