Blisworth railway station

Blisworth railway station was a junction station on the London and North Western Railway (today, the West Coast Main Line), the Northampton and Banbury Junction Railway, and the Northampton and Peterborough Railway. As well as providing interchange between the lines, the station served the village of Blisworth in Northamptonshire and its environs. The station was opened by the London and Birmingham Railway (L&BR) in 1838.

Blisworth
View eastward, towards Bletchley and London on the West Coast Main Line
General information
LocationBlisworth, West Northamptonshire
England
Grid referenceSP721545
Platforms4
Other information
StatusDisused
History
Original companyLondon and Birmingham Railway
Pre-groupingLondon and North Western Railway
Post-groupingLondon, Midland and Scottish Railway
London Midland Region of British Railways
Key dates
17 September 1838Station opened
1853replaced by new station
4 January 1960Station closed
Location
Map

History edit

The station was opened on 17 September 1838.[1] In 1845 the L&BR opened its Northampton and Peterborough Railway, a line which connected Peterborough East and Northampton Bridge Street from a junction nearby.[citation needed] The station was rebuilt 805 metres (880 yd) to the north in 1853,[1] closer to the junction, to facilitate changing trains.

In 1846 the line, along with the L&BR, became part of the London and North Western Railway.[citation needed]

In 1866 a line was opened to Banbury by the Northampton & Banbury Junction Railway.[2] This railway built a small corrugated iron motive power depot at the station in 1882, together with a turntable and other servicing facilities.[3] This was closed in 1929, but locomotives continued to be serviced in the yard until the closure of the station.

At grouping in 1923 it became part of the London Midland and Scottish Railway.[citation needed]

During the 1950s the morning express from Windermere to Euston stopped at Blisworth for a connection to Northampton and to make use of the water tower on the up platform.[citation needed]

The station closed on 4 January 1960,[1] and was demolished soon afterward. The Blisworth Hotel facing the station, now The Walnut Tree Inn, remains in business.[4][5]

Routes edit

 
A 1911 Railway Clearing House map of railways in the vicinity of Blisworth (middle right, in red and blue)
Former services
Preceding station   Disused railways   Following station
Weedon   London and Birmingham Railway   Roade
Terminus   Northampton and Peterborough Railway   Northampton Bridge Street
Terminus   SMJR
Northampton and Banbury Junction Railway
  Tiffield

References edit

  1. ^ a b c Butt, R.V.J. (1995). The Directory of Railway Stations. Yeovil: Patrick Stephens Ltd. p. 37. ISBN 1-85260-508-1. R508.
  2. ^ J M Dunn, The Stratford-upon-Avon and Midland Junction Railway, Oakwood Press, South Godstone, 1952
  3. ^ Griffiths, Roger; Smith, Paul (1999). The directory of British engine Sheds and Principal Locomotive Servicing Points: 1. Oxford: Oxford Publishing Co. p. 157. ISBN 0-86093-542-6.
  4. ^ "Blisworth Hotel". Blisworth Images and History. Retrieved 19 September 2022.
  5. ^ "History". Walnut Tree Inn, Northampton. Retrieved 19 September 2022.

52°11′05″N 0°56′44″W / 52.18479°N 0.94561°W / 52.18479; -0.94561