Crewkerne railway station
Encyclopedia
Crewkerne railway station is located in Misterton
, Somerset
, England, and serves the area around the town of Crewkerne
. It is 131.4 miles (211.5 km) from London Waterloo on the West of England Main Line
to Exeter
. The main building is listed Grade II and is surrounded by several other old railway buildings.
was erected in 1875 on the eastbound platform, just east of the main offices.
In 1923 the LSWR became became part of the Southern Railway
following the Railways Act 1921
, and on 1 January 1948 the Southern Railway was itself nationalised to become the Southern Region of British Railways
. On 24 April 1953 it was the scene of an accident when an axle of Merchant Navy Class
35020 Bibby Line broke while it was passing the station. This caused the platform canopy to be demolished.
A new signal box was built in 1960 a little to the east of the old one, which was then demolished. In January 1963 all the lines in the area transferred to the Western Region
and on 7 May 1967 the main line was rationalised. The 21.5 miles (34.6 km) section between and was reduced to just a single track, although this has since been shortened to just 16.8 miles (27 km) between and Chard Junction.
and railway on a bridge. The entrance and platform are on the north side of the line, which is climbing westwards at 1 in 80 (1.25%) to the 206 yards (188.4 m) Crewkerne Tunnel. The main building was deigned by Sir William Tite
and has been designated as a Grade II listed building. North of the station is a builder’s yard which is on the site of the old railway goods yard. The office by the main road was used to operate the weighbridge, and the old goods shed
can be seen near the railway line. Between this and the platform is the disused signal box
.
who operate an hourly service throughout most of the week between and London Waterloo station.
Misterton, Somerset
Misterton is a village and civil parish south-east of Crewkerne, Somerset, England.-History:The village was previously known as Minsterton as a result of its links with the "mother church" in Crewkerne....
, Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
, England, and serves the area around the town of Crewkerne
Crewkerne
Crewkerne is a town in Somerset, England, situated south west of Yeovil and east of Chard in the South Somerset district close to the border with Dorset. The civil parish of West Crewkerne includes the hamlets of Woolminstone and Henley...
. It is 131.4 miles (211.5 km) from London Waterloo on the West of England Main Line
West of England Main Line
The West of England Main Line is a British railway line that runs from , Hampshire to Exeter St Davids in Devon, England. Passenger services run between London Waterloo station and Exeter...
to Exeter
Exeter St Davids railway station
Exeter St Davids station is the most important of seven National Rail stations in the city of Exeter in southwest England. Today the station is owned by Network Rail and operated by First Great Western.-History:...
. The main building is listed Grade II and is surrounded by several other old railway buildings.
History
The station was opened on 19 July 1860 when the LSWR opened its Yeovil and Exeter Railway. A wooden signal boxSignal 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 erected in 1875 on the eastbound platform, just east of the main offices.
In 1923 the LSWR became became part of the Southern Railway
Southern Railway (Great Britain)
The Southern Railway was a British railway company established in the 1923 Grouping. It linked London with the Channel ports, South West England, South coast resorts and Kent...
following the Railways Act 1921
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...
, and on 1 January 1948 the Southern Railway was itself nationalised to become the Southern Region of British Railways
Southern Region of British Railways
The Southern Region was a region of British Railways from 1948. The region ceased to be an operating unit in its own right in the 1980s and was wound up at the end of 1992. The region covered south London, southern England and the south coast, including the busy commuter belt areas of Kent, Sussex...
. On 24 April 1953 it was the scene of an accident when an axle of Merchant Navy Class
SR Merchant Navy class
The SR Merchant Navy class , was a class of air-smoothed 4-6-2 Pacific steam locomotives designed for the Southern Railway of the United Kingdom by Oliver Bulleid...
35020 Bibby Line broke while it was passing the station. This caused the platform canopy to be demolished.
A new signal box was built in 1960 a little to the east of the old one, which was then demolished. In January 1963 all the lines in the area transferred to the Western Region
Western Region of British Railways
The Western Region was a region of British Railways from 1948. The region ceased to be an operating unit in its own right in the 1980s and was wound up at the end of 1992...
and on 7 May 1967 the main line was rationalised. The 21.5 miles (34.6 km) section between and was reduced to just a single track, although this has since been shortened to just 16.8 miles (27 km) between and Chard Junction.
Description
The station is about a mile south of Crewkerne on the A356 road, which crosses the platformRailway platform
A railway platform is a section of pathway, alongside rail tracks at a train station, metro station or tram stop, at which passengers may board or alight from trains or trams. Almost all stations for rail transport have some form of platforms, with larger stations having multiple platforms...
and railway on a bridge. The entrance and platform are on the north side of the line, which is climbing westwards at 1 in 80 (1.25%) to the 206 yards (188.4 m) Crewkerne Tunnel. The main building was deigned by Sir William Tite
William Tite
Sir William Tite, CB was an English architect who served as President of the Royal Institute of British Architects. He was particularly associated with various London buildings, with railway stations and cemetery projects....
and has been designated as a Grade II listed building. North of the station is a builder’s yard which is on the site of the old railway goods yard. The office by the main road was used to operate the weighbridge, and the old goods shed
Goods shed
A goods shed is a railway building designed for storing goods before or after carriage in a train.A typical goods shed will have a track running through it to allow goods wagons to be unloaded under cover, although sometimes they were built alongside a track with possibly just a canopy over the door...
can be seen near the railway line. Between this and the platform is the disused 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...
.
Services
The station is managed by South West TrainsSouth West Trains
South West Trains is a British train operating company providing, under franchise, passenger rail services, mostly out of Waterloo station, to the southwest of London in the suburbs and in the counties of Surrey, Hampshire, Dorset, Devon, Somerset, Berkshire, and Wiltshire and on the Isle of Wight...
who operate an hourly service throughout most of the week between and London Waterloo station.