Berkhamsted railway station
Encyclopedia
Berkhamsted railway station is in the town of Berkhamsted
, Hertfordshire
, in the United Kingdom
. It is located just beside Berkhamsted Castle
, overlooking the Grand Junction Canal
. The station is 45 km (28 mi) north west of London Euston on the West Coast Main Line
. The London Midland
service operates from Berkhamsted towards London and Northampton
.
There are 4 platforms of 12-car length on both the fast and slow lines, arranged around a central island and two side platforms. The station is relatively unusual on the route in that most of the original buildings have been retained.
The present Berkhamsted station dates from 1875, and is located on the Lower King's road on the junction with Brownlow Road. The original station building, opened in 1838, was located approximately 100 m (328.1 ft) south-east of the present structure, near the bridge onto Castle Street. It was designed in an Elizabethan
style of architecture with a brick gabled booking hall. The building was replaced by a new station with additional sidings in 1875 when the railway was widened, the sidings replacing an earlier goods yard near Gravel Path. In 1887, the fastest train would depart at 08:54 and arrive at London Euston at 09:35, with one stop at , a 41-minute journey.
During the building of the of the London and Birmingham Railway
(the L&BR, today's West Coast Mainline) in the 1830s, Berkhamsted was for a few years a centre of railway construction. The armies of navvies, bricklayers and miners brought in from the English Midlands, Ireland, London and the North of England led to overcrowding in Berkhamsted and the rowdy behaviour of the labourers was said to have offended the genteel townsfolk. Seven young men aged 18–26 were killed while working on the Berkhamsted section of the railway.
Before construction work on the Berkhamsted section of the L&BR began, the project was subject to public protest. Many landowners and turnpike trustees in Hertfordshire were opposed to the new railway line, and protest meetings were held at the King's Arms Hotel in Berkhamsted. Although local opposition to the iron horse was led by noblemen such as the Earls of Essex
, Clarendon
and Brownlow
, the railway line received Royal Assent
in 1833.
Led by chief engineer Robert Stephenson
, works commenced in 1834 to build a high railway embankment on top of the ruined barbican and moat of Berkhamsted Castle
. The brick embankment was built on deep foundations using earth taken from the Sunnyside cutting a mile further south. Once railway tracks were laid, it was possible to use a steam locomotive to move earth and bricks: the Harvey Coombe (or Harvey Combe) was brought up from London by barge on the Grand Junction Canal to assist construction work, and was assembled at Pix Farm in Bourne End
. When this locomotive began running on the line works, it was the first time any local people had seen a railway engine.
The L&BR line opened in 1837, with trains running between London and Boxmoor
in July, with service extended to Tring in October of that year. The first passenger train passed through Berkhamsted on October 16, 1837, 59 minutes after leaving London.
also considered a proposal to extend the branch from Chalfont Road
to Chesham further north to Berkhamsted and Tring. This proposal was abandoned.
In 1887 there was a proposal to build a narrow-gauge steam tramway along the main road from Hemel Hempstead to Bourne End, and then along the Bourne Gutter Valley to Chesham. Campaigners sought to extend this route via Berkhamsted, but the project also came to nothing.
.
On Sundays there are hourly services towards Milton Keynes, Tring and Northampton, and three an hour towards London Euston.
Berkhamsted
-Climate:Berkhamsted experiences an oceanic climate similar to almost all of the United Kingdom.-Castle:...
, Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England. The county town is Hertford.The county is one of the Home Counties and lies inland, bordered by Greater London , Buckinghamshire , Bedfordshire , Cambridgeshire and...
, in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. It is located just beside Berkhamsted Castle
Berkhamsted Castle
Berkhamsted Castle is a ruined Norman motte-and-bailey castle at Berkhamsted in Hertfordshire, England.The original fortification dates from Saxon times. Work on the Norman structure was started in 1066 by William the Conqueror who later passed the castle to his half-brother, Robert, Count of...
, overlooking the Grand Junction Canal
Grand Junction Canal
The Grand Junction Canal is a canal in England from Braunston in Northamptonshire to the River Thames at Brentford, with a number of branches. The mainline was built between 1793 and 1805, to improve the route from the Midlands to London, by-passing the upper reaches of the River Thames near Oxford...
. The station is 45 km (28 mi) north west of London Euston on the West Coast Main Line
West Coast Main Line
The West Coast Main Line is the busiest mixed-traffic railway route in Britain, being the country's most important rail backbone in terms of population served. Fast, long-distance inter-city passenger services are provided between London, the West Midlands, the North West, North Wales and the...
. The London Midland
London Midland
London Midland is a train operating company in the United Kingdom. Legally named London and Birmingham Railway Ltd, it is a subsidiary of Govia, and has operated the West Midlands franchise since 11 November 2007....
service operates from Berkhamsted towards London and Northampton
Northampton railway station
Northampton railway station is a railway station serving the large town of Northampton and other parts of Northamptonshire in England. Other parts of South Northamptonshire are better served by Kings Sutton, Banbury and Milton Keynes Central stations....
.
There are 4 platforms of 12-car length on both the fast and slow lines, arranged around a central island and two side platforms. The station is relatively unusual on the route in that most of the original buildings have been retained.
History
Elizabethan architecture
Elizabethan architecture is the term given to early Renaissance architecture in England, during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. Historically, the period corresponds to the Cinquecento in Italy, the Early Renaissance in France, and the Plateresque style in Spain...
style of architecture with a brick gabled booking hall. The building was replaced by a new station with additional sidings in 1875 when the railway was widened, the sidings replacing an earlier goods yard near Gravel Path. In 1887, the fastest train would depart at 08:54 and arrive at London Euston at 09:35, with one stop at , a 41-minute journey.
During the building of the 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 ....
(the L&BR, today's West Coast Mainline) in the 1830s, Berkhamsted was for a few years a centre of railway construction. The armies of navvies, bricklayers and miners brought in from the English Midlands, Ireland, London and the North of England led to overcrowding in Berkhamsted and the rowdy behaviour of the labourers was said to have offended the genteel townsfolk. Seven young men aged 18–26 were killed while working on the Berkhamsted section of the railway.
Before construction work on the Berkhamsted section of the L&BR began, the project was subject to public protest. Many landowners and turnpike trustees in Hertfordshire were opposed to the new railway line, and protest meetings were held at the King's Arms Hotel in Berkhamsted. Although local opposition to the iron horse was led by noblemen such as the Earls of Essex
George Capel-Coningsby, 5th Earl of Essex
George Capel-Coningsby, 5th Earl of Essex FSA was an English aristocrat and politician, styled Viscount Malden until 1799.-Life:...
, Clarendon
John Villiers, 3rd Earl of Clarendon
John Charles Villiers, 3rd Earl of Clarendon PC , styled The Honourable until 1824, was a British peer and Member of Parliament....
and Brownlow
John Cust, 1st Earl Brownlow
John Cust, 1st Earl Brownlow, GCH was a British Peer and Tory politician.Cust was the eldest son of the 1st Baron Brownlow and his second wife, Frances. In 1802, he was elected as MP for Clitheroe and held the seat until he succeeded to his father's title in 1807. In May, 1805 he was elected a...
, the railway line received Royal Assent
Royal Assent
The granting of royal assent refers to the method by which any constitutional monarch formally approves and promulgates an act of his or her nation's parliament, thus making it a law...
in 1833.
Led by chief engineer Robert Stephenson
Robert Stephenson
Robert Stephenson FRS was an English civil engineer. He was the only son of George Stephenson, the famed locomotive builder and railway engineer; many of the achievements popularly credited to his father were actually the joint efforts of father and son.-Early life :He was born on the 16th of...
, works commenced in 1834 to build a high railway embankment on top of the ruined barbican and moat of Berkhamsted Castle
Berkhamsted Castle
Berkhamsted Castle is a ruined Norman motte-and-bailey castle at Berkhamsted in Hertfordshire, England.The original fortification dates from Saxon times. Work on the Norman structure was started in 1066 by William the Conqueror who later passed the castle to his half-brother, Robert, Count of...
. The brick embankment was built on deep foundations using earth taken from the Sunnyside cutting a mile further south. Once railway tracks were laid, it was possible to use a steam locomotive to move earth and bricks: the Harvey Coombe (or Harvey Combe) was brought up from London by barge on the Grand Junction Canal to assist construction work, and was assembled at Pix Farm in Bourne End
Bourne End, Hertfordshire
Bourne End is a village in Hertfordshire, England. It is situated on the A41 between Berkhamsted and Hemel Hempstead. There was a rail disaster on the West Coast Main Line at Bourne End on September 30, 1945 when an express train was derailed with many fatalities.Its name comes from the Bourne...
. When this locomotive began running on the line works, it was the first time any local people had seen a railway engine.
The L&BR line opened in 1837, with trains running between London and Boxmoor
Boxmoor
Boxmoor, or Boxmoor Village, is a district of Dacorum in Hertfordshire, England. It is now part of Hemel Hempstead. It is a district of mainly nineteenth century housing and meadowland, repeatedly cut through by transport links from London to the The Midlands....
in July, with service extended to Tring in October of that year. The first passenger train passed through Berkhamsted on October 16, 1837, 59 minutes after leaving London.
Extension plans
Various plans were put forward in the 1880s by the LNWR (successor to the L&BR) to built a branch line from Berkhamsted to , but these were not realised. The Great Central RailwayGreat Central Railway
The Great Central Railway was a railway company in England which came into being when the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway changed its name in 1897 in anticipation of the opening in 1899 of its London Extension . On 1 January 1923, it was grouped into the London and North Eastern...
also considered a proposal to extend the branch from Chalfont Road
Chalfont & Latimer station
Chalfont & Latimer station is a London Underground and National Rail station in Travelcard Zone 8 on the Metropolitan Line, in Buckinghamshire. It is the junction between the through service to and a shuttle service every half an hour to...
to Chesham further north to Berkhamsted and Tring. This proposal was abandoned.
In 1887 there was a proposal to build a narrow-gauge steam tramway along the main road from Hemel Hempstead to Bourne End, and then along the Bourne Gutter Valley to Chesham. Campaigners sought to extend this route via Berkhamsted, but the project also came to nothing.
Services
From Berkhamsted, Monday to Saturdays there are 4 trains per hour southbound to London Euston. There are two trains an hour north to Tring, along with two to Milton Keynes Central, one of which is operated by Southern. There is also an hourly service to Northampton, which often extends to Birmingham New Street. (On Saturdays, 4 per hour to Tring, two of which continue to Milton Keynes, and hourly to Northampton). Also, Southern operate one hourly service to East CroydonSouth Croydon railway station
South Croydon railway station is in the London Borough of Croydon in south London, in Travelcard Zone 5. It is on the Brighton Line at its junction with the Oxted Line. The station and all trains serving it are operated by Southern.-History:...
.
On Sundays there are hourly services towards Milton Keynes, Tring and Northampton, and three an hour towards London Euston.