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 1882 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 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.
Upton and Blewbury | |
|---|---|
.JPG) Upton and Blewbury station seen in 1976 | |
| General information | |
| Location | Upton, Vale of White Horse, Oxfordshire England |
| Grid reference | SU511869 |
| Platforms | 2 |
| Other information | |
| Status | Disused |
| History | |
| Original company | Didcot, Newbury and Southampton Railway |
| Pre-grouping | Didcot, Newbury and Southampton Railway |
| Post-grouping | Great Western Railway Western Region of British Railways |
| Key dates | |
| 13 April 1882 | Opened as Upton |
| 16 January 1911 | Renamed Upton and Blewbury |
| 4 August 1942 | Closed |
| 8 March 1943 | Re-opened |
| 10 September 1962 | Closed |
Facilities edit
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 edit
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 named "Beeching Close".[2]
Routes edit
| 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 edit
- ^ Ditchfield, P.H and Page, W., A History of the County of Berkshire: Volume 3 (1923)
- ^ 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