Winchcombe railway station

Heritage railway station in Gloucestershire, England

Winchcombe

Station on heritage railway

View from Platform 1

General information
Location| Greet, Tewkesbury
England
Coordinates| 51°57′59″N 1°57′48″W﻿ / ﻿51.96645°N 1.96345°W﻿ / 51.96645; -1.96345
Grid reference| SP027297
Operated by| Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway
Platforms| 2
History
Original company| Great Western Railway
Post-grouping| Great Western Railway
Western Region of British Railways
Key dates
1 February 1905| Opened
7 March 1960| Closed to passengers
2 November 1964| Goods facilities withdrawn
2 August 1987| Reopened

Winchcombe railway station is a heritage railway station which serves the town of Winchcombe in Gloucestershire, England. The stations itself is actually located in the nearby village of Greet. It is located on the Honeybourne Line which linked Cheltenham and Stratford-upon-Avon and which was opened by the Great Western Railway in 1906. The station closed to passengers in 1960, although the line itself remained open for freight and diversionary use until 1976, when a freight train derailed near Winchcombe and damaged the track.

By the late 1970s, the line had been dismantled. The stretch between Toddington and Cheltenham Racecourse, including Winchcombe, has since been reconstructed and reopened by the heritage Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway. A new station has been erected in Greet, Winchcombe, on the site of the original building, the building being the former station at Monmouth Troy. Nearby is the 693-yard (634 m) Greet Tunnel, the second longest on any preserved line in Britain.

## History[edit]

On 9 July 1859, the Oxford, Worcester and Wolverhampton Railway opened a line from Stratford-upon-Avon to Honeybourne.[1][2] The OW&W became the West Midland Railway in 1860 and was acquired by Great Western Railway in 1883 with a view to combining it with the Birmingham to Stratford Line to create a high-speed route from the Midlands to the South West.[3][4] The GWR obtained authorisation in 1899 for the construction of a double-track line between Honeybourne and Cheltenham and this was completed in stages by 1908.[5]

Winchcombe was opened on 1 February 1905.[6] It is situated close to the small village of Greet but 3⁄4-mile (1.2 km) to the north of Winchcombe.[7] Two 400 ft (122 m) facing platforms were provided; the original station building built of red brick on a plinth of blue brick was situated on the Down platform.[8][7] A verandah canopy, similar to that at Broadway, extended from the front of the building to a covered footbridge linking the two platforms.[9][7] On the Up platform was a passenger waiting shelter and gentlemen's lavatory.[7] The goods yard lay on the south-eastern side of the station and comprised cattle pens, a goods shed, weighbridge and 6-ton crane.[10] A brick-built 31-lever signal box controlled access to the yard,[11][12] while a 50-wagon Up refuge siding led to the rear of the Up platform.[13] As with Toddington, the station was lit by acetylene lamps with the gas hut situated behind the weighhouse.[14]

From February 1905 to June 1906, Winchcombe was the southern terminus of the line and buses to Cheltenham were provided pending the extension south.[15] From June 1906, eight local services each way ran between Honeybourne and Cheltenham (St James).[16] The completion of the North Warwickshire Line in July 1908 saw the first through services from Wolverhampton to Penzance.[17] By 1938, nine Down and ten Up services ran daily, with three on Sundays.[18] Traffic receipts for 1913 showed that 21,824 passengers had been carried, representing £1,436 in fares collected (equivalent to £150,327 in 2021[nb 1]), whilst 11,828 tons of goods traffic had been handled (mainly coal/coke and livestock), giving a total income of £5,837 (equivalent to £611,044 in 2021[nb 1]).[19][8] By 1933, both of these figures had fallen: receipts to £4,436 (equivalent to £335,043 in 2021[nb 1]) and goods tonnage to 8,320.[19] The Second World War however saw tonnage peak at 17,045,[20] with the bulk of it consisting in agricultural machinery, fertilisers and foodstuffs.[19]

Winchcombe closed to passenger traffic on 7 March 1960,[6] the distance between the town and its station contributing to its demise.[21] The goods yard remained open for a further four years until 2 November 1964.[22] By March 1965, the station site had been levelled, leaving only the weighhouse, goods shed and residential accommodation.[23] The signal box remained in operation until 24 February 1965,[13] shortly after which it was demolished.[19] The line remained open to goods and diversionary traffic until 25 August 1976 when the 06.35 Toton to Severn Tunnel Junction derailed at a point east of the bridge carrying the B4632 road linking Winchcombe and Toddington over the line.[19] The incident prompted British Rail to announce the line's closure.[24]

### Stationmasters[edit]

* William Joseph Edwards 1905[25] \- ca. 1911 (formerly station master at Leckhampton)
* Mr. Price from 1915 (afterwards station master at Bourton on the Water)
* William Henry Rabjohns ca. 1923
* Percy William Tow ca. 1928
* W. Williams ca. 1928 - 1932[26] (afterwards station master at Chipping Norton)
* Mr. Jilkes from 1932
* S. Woodward 1940 - 1946[27] (afterwards station master at Moreton-in-Marsh)
* William Maurice Jennings 1946 - 1952 (afterwards station master at Littleton and Badsey)

## Present day[edit]

LMS 8F 8274 at Winchcombe awaiting departure with the diner special, May 2014

The Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway reopened the line between Toddington and Winchcombe on 2 August 1987.[28][29] A signal box was obtained from Hall Green and rebuilt on the foundations of the original structure,[30] with the 37-lever frame coming from Honeybourne West Loop Box.[31] The former Great Western Railway station building at Monmouth Troy was dismantled stone-by-stone and re-erected at Winchcombe in 1986.[32] The platform slabs came from Birmingham Snow Hill and Cheltenham St James.[31] The only original buildings left are the old goods shed, now the main workshop for the carriage and wagon group on the railway, and the weighbridge. Bidirectional signalling has been installed as has a passing loop through the station, which has been operational since 12 July 1997. [33] Since 2012, the station, and indeed parts of the line itself, have been used for scenes in the television series Father Brown.

Preceding station  |  Heritage railways | Following station

|
|

Hayles Abbey Halt |  | Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway |  | Gotherington
| Historical railways |
Hayles Abbey Halt
Line open, station open |  | Great Western Railway
Honeybourne Line |  | Gretton Halt
Line open, station closed

## References[edit]

1. ^ Yorke 2009, p. 82.
2. ^ Maggs & Nicholson 1985, p. 7.
3. ^ Kingscott 2009, p. 97.
4. ^ Oppitz 2004, p. 33.
5. ^ Oppitz 2004, pp. 33–35.
6. ^ a b Butt 1995, p. 251.
7. ^ a b c d Baker 1994, p. 103.
8. ^ a b Maggs & Nicholson 1985, p. 30.
9. ^ Yorke 2009, p. 88.
10. ^ Mitchell & Smith 2005, Map above fig. 73.
11. ^ Maggs & Nicholson 1985, p. 31.
12. ^ Baker 1994, p. 105.
13. ^ a b Mitchell & Smith 2005, fig. 77.
14. ^ Mitchell & Smith 2005, fig. 74.
15. ^ Mitchell & Smith 2005, fig. 73.
16. ^ Baker 1994, pp. 31–32.
17. ^ Baker 1994, p. 33.
18. ^ Maggs & Nicholson 1985, p. 59.
19. ^ a b c d e Baker 1994, p. 106.
20. ^ Mitchell & Smith 2005, fig. 76.
21. ^ Mitchell & Smith 2005, fig. 84.
22. ^ Clinker 1978, p. 136.
23. ^ Mitchell & Smith 2005, fig. 78.
24. ^ Yorke 2009, p. 92.
25. ^ "1835-1910 Clerks Vol.6". Great Western Railway: 359. 1835. Retrieved 29 September 2021.
26. ^ "Promotion for Winchcombe Stationmaster". Gloucestershire Echo. England. 17 October 1932. Retrieved 29 September 2021 - via British Newspaper Archive.
27. ^ "Winchcombe to Moreton". The Tewkesbury Register, and Agricultural Gazette. England. 1 June 1946. Retrieved 29 September 2021 - via British Newspaper Archive.
28. ^ Baker 1994, p. 139.
29. ^ Mitchell & Smith 2005, fig. 79.
30. ^ Maggs & Nicholson 1985, p. 87.
31. ^ a b Mitchell & Smith 2005, fig. 81.
32. ^ Yorke 2009, p. 93.
33. ^ Mitchell & Smith 2005, fig. 82.

1. ^ a b c UK Retail Price Index inflation figures are based on data from Clark, Gregory (2017). "The Annual RPI and Average Earnings for Britain, 1209 to Present (New Series)". MeasuringWorth. Retrieved 11 June 2022.

## Sources[edit]

* Baker, Audie (1994). The Stratford on Avon to Cheltenham Railway. Grasscroft, Oldham: Irwell Press. ISBN 978-1-871608-62-5.
* Butt, R.V.J. (1995). The Directory of Railway Stations. Yeovil: Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN 1-85260-508-1. R508.
* 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. ISBN 0-905466-19-5.
* Kingscott, Geoffrey (2009). Lost Railways of Warwickshire. Newbury, Berkshire: Countryside Books. ISBN 978-1-84674-174-6.
* Maggs, Colin G.; Nicholson, Peter (1985). The Honeybourne Line: The continuing story of the Cheltenham to Honeybourne and Stratford upon Avon Railway. Cheltenham, Glos.: Line One Publishing. ISBN 978-0-907036-12-8.
* Mitchell, Victor E.; Smith, Keith (August 2005) [1998]. Stratford upon Avon to Cheltenham. Country Railway Routes. Midhurst: Middleton Press. ISBN 1-901706-25-7.
* Oppitz, Leslie (2004) [2002]. Lost Railways of Herefordshire & Worcestershire. Newbury, Berkshire: Countryside Books. ISBN 978-1-85306-754-9.
* Yorke, Stan (2009). Lost Railways of Gloucestershire. Newbury, Berkshire: Countryside Books. ISBN 978-1-84674-163-0.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Winchcombe railway station.

* v
* t
* e

Railway stations in Gloucestershire

Birmingham–Bristol|

* Ashchurch for Tewkesbury
* Cheltenham Spa
* Gloucester
* Cam and Dursley
* Yate
* Bristol Parkway
* Filton Abbey Wood

Birmingham–Cardiff|

* Ashchurch for Tewkesbury
* Cheltenham Spa
* Gloucester
* Lydney

Cardiff–London
and Bristol Temple Meads|

* Pilning
* Patchway
* Bristol Parkway
* Filton Abbey Wood

Cheltenham–London|

* Cheltenham Spa
* Gloucester
* Stonehouse
* Stroud
* Kemble

Hereford–London|

* Moreton-in-Marsh

Heritage railway stations

Avon Valley Railway|

* Warmley (proposed)
* Oldland Common
* Bitton
* Avon Riverside

Dean Forest Railway|

* Lydney Junction
* adjacent to Lydney railway station
* St Mary's Halt (closed)
* Lydney Town
* Norchard
* Whitecroft
* Parkend
* Bicslade Wharf (proposed)
* Speech House Road (proposed)

Gloucs-Warks Steam Railway|

* Cheltenham Racecourse
* Bishops Cleeve (proposed)
* Gotherington
* Winchcombe
* Hayles Abbey Halt
* Toddington
* Broadway

* v
* t
* e

Transport in Gloucestershire

Road|

| Motorways|

* M4
* M5
* M32
* M48
* M49
* M50

|

A-roads|

* A38
* A40
* A46
* A48
* A403
* A417
* A419
* A429
* A431
* A432
* A433
* A466
* A4032
* A4103
* A4135
* A4136
* A4174

Service stations|

* Gloucester services
* Michaelwood services
* Severn View services

Other|

* B4008
* E30
* Icknield Street
* Westgate Street

Airports and heliports|

* Cotswold Airport
* Gloucestershire Airport
* Cheltenham Racecourse Heliport

Rail|

| Main lines|

* Cotswold Line
* Cross Country Route
* Gloucester-Newport line
* Golden Valley line
* Henbury Loop line

|

Closed lines|

* Avon and Gloucestershire Railway
* Banbury and Cheltenham Direct Railway
* Bicslade Tramroad (Tram)
* Bristol and Gloucester Railway
* Bristol and Gloucestershire Railway
* Bullo Pill Railway
* Cheltenham and District Light Railway
* Cheltenham and Great Western Union Railway
* Cirencester branch line
* Coleford Railway
* Coleford, Monmouth, Usk and Pontypool Railway
* Dursley and Midland Junction Railway
* Evesham loop line
* Forest of Dean Central Railway
* Forest of Dean Railway
* Gloucester and Cheltenham Tramroad (Tram)
* Hereford, Ross and Gloucester Railway
* Ledbury and Gloucester Railway
* Midland and South Western Junction Railway
* Mitcheldean Road & Forest of Dean Junction Railway
* Monmouth Railway
* Oxford, Witney and Fairford Railway
* Oxford, Worcester and Wolverhampton Railway
* Severn and Wye Railway
* Severn Bridge Railway
* Sharpness Branch Line
* South Wales Railway
* Stonehouse and Nailsworth Railway
* Stratford and Moreton Tramway (Tram)
* Tetbury branch line
* Tewkesbury and Malvern Railway
* Wye Valley Railway

Stations|

* Ashchurch for Tewkesbury
* Cam and Dursley
* Cheltenham Spa
* Gloucester
* Kemble
* Lydney
* Moreton-in-Marsh
* Pilning
* Stonehouse
* Stroud

Closed stations|

* Adlestrop
* Andoversford and Dowdeswell
* Andoversford Junction
* Awre for Blakeney
* Badminton
* Barbers Bridge
* Berkeley
* Berkeley Road
* Bilson Halt
* Bishops Cleeve
* Blaisdon Halt
* Bourton-on-the-Water
* Bowbridge Crossing Halt
* Brimscombe Bridge Halt
* Brimscombe
* Bullo Cross Halt
* Cam
* Cashes Green Halt
* Chalford
* Charfield
* Charlton Kings
* Charlton Halt
* Chipping Sodbury
* Chedworth Halt
* Cheltenham High Street Halt
* Cheltenham High Street
* Cheltenham Leckhampton
* Cheltenham Spa Malvern Road
* Cheltenham Spa St. James
* Chepstow East
* Chesterton Lane Halt
* Chipping Campden
* Churchdown
* Cinderford New
* Cirencester Town
* Cirencester Watermoor
* Cleeve
* Downfield Crossing Halt
* Drybrook Road
* Dudbridge
* Dursley
* Dymock
* Ebley Crossing Halt
* Fairford
* Foss Cross
* Four Oaks Halt
* Frocester
* Gloucester Eastgate
* Grange Court
* Greenway Halt
* Gretton Halt
* Hallen Halt
* Ham Mill Halt
* Haresfield
* Hayles Abbey Halt
* Henbury
* Iron Acton
* Jackament's Bridge Halt
* Laverton Halt
* Lechlade
* Longhope
* Lydbrook Junction
* Malswick Halt
* Mangotsfield
* Mickleton Halt
* Nailsworth
* Netherhope Halt]
* New Passage Halt
* New Passage Pier
* Newent
* Newnham
* North Filton Platform
* Notgrove
* Park Leaze Halt
* Redbrook on Wye
* Rodmarton Platform
* Ruspidge Halt
* Ryeford
* St Mary's Crossing Halt
* Severn Bridge
* Sharpness
* South Cerney
* Speech House Road
* Staple Edge Halt
* Staple Hill
* Stonehouse (Bristol Road)
* Stow-on-the-Wold
* Stroud (Midland)
* Tetbury
* Tetbury Road
* Tewkesbury
* Thornbury
* Tidenham
* Trouble House Halt
* Tutshill for Beachley Halt
* Tytherington
* Upper Soudley Halt
* Warmley
* Weston-sub-Edge
* Wickwar
* Whitecroft
* Willersey Halt
* Winterbourne
* Withington
* Woodchester

Heritage stations|

* Bitton
* Cheltenham Racecourse
* Gotherington
* Hayles Abbey Halt
* Heywood
* Lydney Junction
* Lydney
* Norchard
* Oakiron
* Oldland Common
* Parkend
* Perrygrove
* Rookwood
* St Mary's Halt
* Toddington
* Whitecroft
* Winchcombe

Heritage railways|

* Avon Valley Railway
* Dean Forest Railway
* Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway
* Lea Bailey Light Railway
* Perrygrove Railway
* Toddington Narrow Gauge Railway

Proposed|

* Gloucestershire Parkway

Buses|

| Stations|

* Gloucester Transport Hub

|

Companies|

* First West of England
* Stagecoach West

Waterways|

| Rivers|

* River Avon, Bristol
* River Avon, Warwickshire
* River Boyd
* Bybrook River
* River Cam
* River Chelt
* River Churn
* River Coln
* River Dikler
* River Evenlode
* River Eye
* River Frome, Bristol
* River Frome, Stroud
* Hazel Brook
* River Isbourne
* Lam Brook
* River Leach
* River Leadon
* Little Avon River
* Nailsworth Stream
* Painswick Stream
* River Severn
* Siston Brook
* Stoke Brook
* River Swilgate
* Tetbury Avon
* River Thames
* River Trym
* River Windrush
* River Wye

|

Canals|

* Cinderford Canal
* Coombe Hill Canal
* Gloucester and Sharpness Canal
* Hereford and Gloucester Canal
* Lydney Canal
* Pidcock's Canal
* Stroudwater Navigation
* Thames and Severn Canal

Docks and ports|

* Gloucester Docks
* Sharpness

Footpaths|

| National Trails|

* Cotswold Way
* Thames Path

|

Long-distance footpaths|

* Celtic Way
* Geopark Way
* Gloucestershire Way
* Heart of England Way
* Limestone Link
* Macmillan Way
* Monarch's Way
* Oxfordshire Way
* Sabrina Way
* Severn Way

Other|

* Frome Valley Walkway
* Wysis Way

Cycle paths|

* Route 42
* Route 44

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template