Upton and Blewbury railway station

Upton and Blewbury
Location
Place Upton
Area Vale of White Horse, Oxfordshire
Grid reference SU511869
Operations
Original company Didcot, Newbury and Southampton Railway
Pre-grouping Didcot, Newbury and Southampton Railway
Post-grouping Great Western Railway
Western Region of British Railways
Platforms 2
History
13 April 1882 (1882-04-13) Opened as Upton
16 January 1911 Renamed Upton and Blewbury
4 August 1942 Closed
8 March 1943 Re-opened
10 September 1962 Closed
Disused railway stations in the United Kingdom
Closed railway stations in Britain
A B C D–F G H–J K–L M–O P–R S T–V W–Z
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Upton and Blewbury railway station was a station on the Didcot, Newbury and Southampton Railway in England. It served Upton, with Blewbury and West Hagbourne being only a mile from the station. It was opened in 1883 to serve military camps in the area.[1]Originally named Upton; Blewbury was added to the name of the station in 1911 to recognise the more distant but larger village in the Vale of the White Horse. In the latter part of the station's history it also served the Atomic Energy Research Establishment at Harwell. The station closed in 1962.

Facilities

The station comprised two platforms, with the ticket office and station buildings located on the southbound platform on a passing loop. The northbound platform, linked by two paths across the tracks at either end for access, had a small wooden shelter and a signal box at its northern end. To the North of the station was a headshunt and two sidings, one flanking the southbound platform used for loading horses and other goods, the other siding curving to the east.

The site today

The station building is still in excellent condition with a recent extension in the original style. It even retains its original canopy, although it has also been recently surrounded by further housing. The original station approach and car park area has been ironically named "Beeching Close".[2]

Routes

Preceding station Disused railways Following station
Didcot
Line closed, station open
  Great Western Railway
Didcot, Newbury and Southampton Railway
  Churn
Line and station closed

References

  1. Ditchfield, P.H and Page, W., A History of the County of Berkshire: Volume 3 (1923)
  2. Karau, P., Parsons, M. and Robertson, K. (1984) An illustrated history of the Didcot, Newbury and Southampton Railway, Wild Swan Publications, ISBN 0-906867-04-5

Coordinates: 51°34′43″N 1°15′50″W / 51.5787°N 1.2640°W / 51.5787; -1.2640

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