Blakesley railway station
Encyclopedia
Blakesley was a railway station on the Stratford-upon-Avon and Midland Junction Railway
(SMJ) which served the Northamptonshire
village of Blakesley
between 1873 and 1962. It was linked to nearby Blakesley Hall
by a miniature railway which ran from a terminal adjacent to the station.
and the junction with the Great Western Railway
's Honeybourne branch line
was first authorised in June 1864, but due to a lack of funds it took a further nine years for the line, built by the East and West Junction Railway, to be fully open to traffic. A station was opened at Blakesley
, a Northamptonshire
village 8.5 miles (13.7 km) from Blisworth
, with two platforms enclosing the running line as well as a loop line which also served as a goods siding
. A signal box
was located between the east end of the down platform and the loading dock
, and to the west a road overbridge carried Blakesley High Street over the line. The station buildings, a one-storey brick building, were demolished by 1952 leaving the station as little more than a halt. Passenger services were withdrawn later that year, with goods continuing for a further ten years.
Blakesley station was linked to nearby Blakesley Hall
by a 15 inches (38.1 cm) gauge
which ran from a terminal located to the west of the station at the rear of the down platform. The railway conveyed coal
, farm supplies and guests to the Hall over a distance of 0.75 miles (1.2 km). It was opened in 1903 by the owner of Blakesley Hall, Charles Bartholomew, a Yorkshire
colliery owner and shareholder
in the East and West Junction Railway. Two Cagney 4-4-0
locomotives and rolling stock
were obtained from the United States
. The miniature railway, which was fully signalled
using Sykes electric banner signals, was particularly popular on Blakesley Fete days. Following Bartholomew's death in 1919, his widow allowed the line to remain and be used by tourists on special occasions. The track was lifted in 1940 after being sold to an estate
in Yorkshire.
has been across the trackbed and blocks the eastern side of the High Street overbridge. A derelict Blakesley Hall was demolished in 1957, but one of the locomotives, a 4-4-4
tank engine known as "Blacolvesley" and designed by Henry Greenly
, was used at a miniature railway in Haswell Lodge
in County Durham
, and is now with the Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway
.
Stratford-upon-Avon and Midland Junction Railway
The Stratford Upon Avon & Midland Junction Railway was a small independent railway company which ran a line across the empty, untouched centre of England. It visited the counties of Northamptonshire, Warwickshire, Oxfordshire and a little of Buckinghamshire, only existing as the SMJR from 1909 to...
(SMJ) which served the Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire is a landlocked county in the English East Midlands, with a population of 629,676 as at the 2001 census. It has boundaries with the ceremonial counties of Warwickshire to the west, Leicestershire and Rutland to the north, Cambridgeshire to the east, Bedfordshire to the south-east,...
village of Blakesley
Blakesley
Blakesley is a village and civil parish in the South Northamptonshire district of Northamptonshire, England. It is about = west of Towcester. It is about above sea level according to Ordnance Survey...
between 1873 and 1962. It was linked to nearby Blakesley Hall
Blakesley Hall (Northamptonshire)
Blakesley Hall was a 13th century manor house situated near the village of Blakesley in Northamptonshire, England.It was demolished in 1957-58.-History:...
by a miniature railway which ran from a terminal adjacent to the station.
History
A line from Greens Norton junction near to Stratford-upon-AvonStratford-upon-Avon
Stratford-upon-Avon is a market town and civil parish in south Warwickshire, England. It lies on the River Avon, south east of Birmingham and south west of Warwick. It is the largest and most populous town of the District of Stratford-on-Avon, which uses the term "on" to indicate that it covers...
and the junction with 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...
's Honeybourne branch line
Honeybourne railway station
Honeybourne railway station serves the village of Honeybourne in Worcestershire, England. It is on the Cotswold Line and was formerly a junction with four platforms.-History:...
was first authorised in June 1864, but due to a lack of funds it took a further nine years for the line, built by the East and West Junction Railway, to be fully open to traffic. A station was opened at Blakesley
Blakesley
Blakesley is a village and civil parish in the South Northamptonshire district of Northamptonshire, England. It is about = west of Towcester. It is about above sea level according to Ordnance Survey...
, a Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire is a landlocked county in the English East Midlands, with a population of 629,676 as at the 2001 census. It has boundaries with the ceremonial counties of Warwickshire to the west, Leicestershire and Rutland to the north, Cambridgeshire to the east, Bedfordshire to the south-east,...
village 8.5 miles (13.7 km) from Blisworth
Blisworth
Blisworth is a village and civil parish in the South Northamptonshire district of Northamptonshire, England. The West Coast Main Line, from London Euston to Manchester and Scotland, runs alongside the village partly hidden and partly on an embankment...
, with two platforms enclosing the running line as well as a loop line which also served as a goods siding
Rail siding
A siding, in rail terminology, is a low-speed track section distinct from a running line or through route such as a main line or branch line or spur. It may connect to through track or to other sidings at either end...
. A signal box
Signal box
On a rail transport system, signalling control is the process by which control is exercised over train movements by way of railway signals and block systems to ensure that trains operate safely, over the correct route and to the proper timetable...
was located between the east end of the down platform and the loading dock
Loading dock
A loading dock is a recessed bay in a building or facility where trucks are loaded and unloaded. They are commonly found on commercial and industrial buildings, and warehouses in particular....
, and to the west a road overbridge carried Blakesley High Street over the line. The station buildings, a one-storey brick building, were demolished by 1952 leaving the station as little more than a halt. Passenger services were withdrawn later that year, with goods continuing for a further ten years.
Blakesley station was linked to nearby Blakesley Hall
Blakesley Hall (Northamptonshire)
Blakesley Hall was a 13th century manor house situated near the village of Blakesley in Northamptonshire, England.It was demolished in 1957-58.-History:...
by a 15 inches (38.1 cm) gauge
Rail gauge
Track gauge or rail gauge is the distance between the inner sides of the heads of the two load bearing rails that make up a single railway line. Sixty percent of the world's railways use a standard gauge of . Wider gauges are called broad gauge; smaller gauges, narrow gauge. Break-of-gauge refers...
which ran from a terminal located to the west of the station at the rear of the down platform. The railway conveyed coal
Coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
, farm supplies and guests to the Hall over a distance of 0.75 miles (1.2 km). It was opened in 1903 by the owner of Blakesley Hall, Charles Bartholomew, a Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
colliery owner and shareholder
Shareholder
A shareholder or stockholder is an individual or institution that legally owns one or more shares of stock in a public or private corporation. Shareholders own the stock, but not the corporation itself ....
in the East and West Junction Railway. Two Cagney 4-4-0
4-4-0
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 4-4-0 represents the wheel arrangement of four leading wheels on two axles , four powered and coupled driving wheels on two axles, and no trailing wheels...
locomotives and rolling stock
Rolling stock
Rolling stock comprises all the vehicles that move on a railway. It usually includes both powered and unpowered vehicles, for example locomotives, railroad cars, coaches and wagons...
were obtained from the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The miniature railway, which was fully signalled
Railway signal
A signal is a mechanical or electrical device erected beside a railway line to pass information relating to the state of the line ahead to train/engine drivers. The driver interprets the signal's indication and acts accordingly...
using Sykes electric banner signals, was particularly popular on Blakesley Fete days. Following Bartholomew's death in 1919, his widow allowed the line to remain and be used by tourists on special occasions. The track was lifted in 1940 after being sold to an estate
Estate (house)
An estate comprises the houses and outbuildings and supporting farmland and woods that surround the gardens and grounds of a very large property, such as a country house or mansion. It is the modern term for a manor, but lacks the latter's now abolished jurisdictional authority...
in Yorkshire.
Routes
Present day
Nothing remains of the station. A modern bungalowBungalow
A bungalow is a type of house, with varying meanings across the world. Common features to many of these definitions include being detached, low-rise , and the use of verandahs...
has been across the trackbed and blocks the eastern side of the High Street overbridge. A derelict Blakesley Hall was demolished in 1957, but one of the locomotives, a 4-4-4
4-4-4
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 4-4-4 represents the wheel arrangement of four leading wheels on two axles, four powered and coupled driving wheels on two axles, and four trailing wheels on two axles. In the United States, this arrangement was named the...
tank engine known as "Blacolvesley" and designed by Henry Greenly
Henry Greenly
Henry Greenly was amongst the foremost miniature railway engineers of the 20th century, remembered as a master of engineering design.-Miniature railways:...
, was used at a miniature railway in Haswell Lodge
Haswell, County Durham
Haswell is a village in County Durham, in England. It is situated between Durham and Peterlee.It is notable as the birthplace of English world champion road racing cyclist Tom Simpson, born 30 November 1937....
in County Durham
County Durham
County Durham is a ceremonial county and unitary district in north east England. The county town is Durham. The largest settlement in the ceremonial county is the town of Darlington...
, and is now with the Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway
Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway
The Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway is a minimum gauge heritage railway in Cumbria, England. The line runs from Ravenglass to Dalegarth Station near Boot in the valley of Eskdale, in the Lake District...
.