Lord's Bridge railway station
Encyclopedia
Lord's Bridge was a railway station on the Varsity Line
which ran between Oxford
and Cambridge
. Situated in the north of the parish of Harlton
on the western outskirts of Cambridge
, it was the penultimate station before the line's eastern terminus at Cambridge
. The station opened in 1862 and closed more than a century later in 1968. It is now the home to the Mullard Radio Astronomy Observatory
's rail-mounted radio-telescopes.
, Lord's Bridge was built in open country. It was principally a stop for the local Lord of the Manor
. The station's platforms were lengthened on 17 July 1907 to accommodate the longer trains running on the line.
The station was equipped with a LNWR type 4 signal box
from which a key could be obtained to unlock the Toft & Kingston siding
to the west which handled sugar beet
and hay
traffic. The traffic through Lord's Bridge was to change during the Second World War when a large ammunition store was built up at the station which brought many new workings to the line including an ex-Midland 2F tank locomotive
which was kept permanently there for the purposes of shunting each train into the depot as they arrived and preparing the empties for return.
became the site of the University of Cambridge
's Mullard Radio Astronomy Observatory
. The long and level stretch of line, the nearest suitable abandoned line to Cambridge, was ideal for the Observatory's CLFST
, AMI
, One-Mile
and Ryle
rail-mounted radio-telescopes which move along a 4.8 km length of track of approximately 20 in gauge
.
The goods shed
remains as does a single length of the eastbound platform.
Varsity Line
The Varsity Line is an informal name for the railway route that formerly linked the English university cities of Oxford and Cambridge, operated successively by the London and North Western Railway, the London, Midland and Scottish Railway, and British Railways...
which ran between Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
and Cambridge
Cambridge
The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
. Situated in the north of the parish of Harlton
Harlton
Harlton is a village and civil parish in the East of England region and the county Cambridgeshire in the United Kingdom. The village is south-west of Cambridge.-History:...
on the western outskirts of Cambridge
Cambridge
The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
, it was the penultimate station before the line's eastern terminus at Cambridge
Cambridge railway station
Cambridge railway station is a railway station serving the city of Cambridge in Cambridgeshire, England. It is located at the end of Station Road, off Hills Road, 1 mile south-east of the city centre...
. The station opened in 1862 and closed more than a century later in 1968. It is now the home to the Mullard Radio Astronomy Observatory
Mullard Radio Astronomy Observatory
Mullard Radio Astronomy Observatory is home to a number of large aperture synthesis radio telescopes, including the One-Mile Telescope, 5-km Ryle Telescope, and the Arcminute Microkelvin Imager...
's rail-mounted radio-telescopes.
History
As with the neighbouring Old North Road stationOld North Road railway station
Old North Road was a railway station on the Varsity Line which served the small village of Longstowe near Bourn in Cambridgeshire. As its name suggests, the station was located on the eastern side of the Old North Road - a major Roman road which linked London with Lincoln...
, Lord's Bridge was built in open country. It was principally a stop for the local Lord of the Manor
Lord of the Manor
The Lordship of a Manor is recognised today in England and Wales as a form of property and one of three elements of a manor that may exist separately or be combined and may be held in moieties...
. The station's platforms were lengthened on 17 July 1907 to accommodate the longer trains running on the line.
The station was equipped with a LNWR type 4 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...
from which a key could be obtained to unlock the Toft & Kingston 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...
to the west which handled sugar beet
Sugar beet
Sugar beet, a cultivated plant of Beta vulgaris, is a plant whose tuber contains a high concentration of sucrose. It is grown commercially for sugar production. Sugar beets and other B...
and hay
Hay
Hay is grass, legumes or other herbaceous plants that have been cut, dried, and stored for use as animal fodder, particularly for grazing livestock such as cattle, horses, goats, and sheep. Hay is also fed to pets such as rabbits and guinea pigs...
traffic. The traffic through Lord's Bridge was to change during the Second World War when a large ammunition store was built up at the station which brought many new workings to the line including an ex-Midland 2F tank locomotive
Midland Railway Class 2F 0-6-0
The Midland Railway 2F was a class of 0-6-0 steam tender locomotive built for freight work. It was designed by Samuel W. Johnson and introduced in 1875. Many of these locomotives were rebuilt by Henry Fowler from 1917 with Belpaire firebox....
which was kept permanently there for the purposes of shunting each train into the depot as they arrived and preparing the empties for return.
Present day
Following closure of the line between Bedford and Cambridge on New Year's Eve 1967, the section between Lord's Bridge station and the junction with the West Anglia Main LineWest Anglia Main Line
The West Anglia Main Line is one of the two main lines which run from London Liverpool Street, the other being the Great Eastern Main Line. It runs generally north from London, through the towns of Cheshunt, Broxbourne, Harlow, Bishop's Stortford and Audley End station before reaching Cambridge,...
became the site of the University of Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
's Mullard Radio Astronomy Observatory
Mullard Radio Astronomy Observatory
Mullard Radio Astronomy Observatory is home to a number of large aperture synthesis radio telescopes, including the One-Mile Telescope, 5-km Ryle Telescope, and the Arcminute Microkelvin Imager...
. The long and level stretch of line, the nearest suitable abandoned line to Cambridge, was ideal for the Observatory's CLFST
Cambridge Low Frequency Synthesis Telescope
The Cambridge Low-Frequency Synthesis Telescope is an east-west aperture synthesis radio telescope currently operating at 151 MHz. It consists of 60 tracking yagis on a 4.6 km baseline, giving 776 simultaneous baselines. These provide a resolution of 70×70 cosec arcsec2, with a sensitivity of...
, AMI
Arcminute Microkelvin Imager
The Arcminute Microkelvin Imager consists of a pair of interferometric radio telescopes - the Small and Large Arrays - located at the Mullard Radio Astronomy Observatory near Cambridge. AMI was designed, built and is operated by the Cavendish Astrophysics Group...
, One-Mile
One-Mile Telescope
The One-Mile Telescope at the Mullard Radio Astronomy Observatory is an array of radio telescopes designed to perform aperture synthesis interferometry.- History :The One Mile Telescope was completed by the Radio Astronomy Group of Cambridge...
and Ryle
Ryle Telescope
The Ryle Telescope was a linear east-west radio telescope array at the Mullard Radio Astronomy Observatory. In 2004 three of the telescopes were moved to create a compact two-dimensional array of telescopes at the east end of the interferometer. The remaining five antennas were switched off on 19...
rail-mounted radio-telescopes which move along a 4.8 km length of track of approximately 20 in 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...
.
The 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...
remains as does a single length of the eastbound platform.