Wood Green (Old Bescot) railway station

Wood Green (Old Bescot) railway station was a railway station that opened on the Grand Junction Railway in 1837. It served the Wood Green area of Wednesbury and Walsall. It closed in 1941. It was located near to where junction 9 of the M6 motorway has been located since the late 1960s.

Wood Green (Old Bescot)
Wood Green railway station
General information
LocationBescot, Walsall
England
Coordinates52°34′00″N 2°00′15″W / 52.5668°N 2.0041°W / 52.5668; -2.0041
Grid referenceSO998965
Platforms2
Other information
StatusDisused
History
Original companyGrand Junction Railway
Pre-groupingLondon and North Western Railway
Post-groupingLondon, Midland and Scottish Railway
Key dates
4 July 1837Opened as Bescot Bridge
1 August 1850Closed
1 February 1881Re-opened as Wood Green (Old Bescot)
5 May 1941Closed
Location
Map

First station

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It opened as Bescot Bridge on 4 July 1837, and was the Grand Junction Railway's main station for Walsall and Wednesbury being located between the two towns. The station was also known as Walsall station and this is how it was initially called in Bradshaw's guides.[1][2] There is some confusion as to the station name and on what dates it changed. Neele (1904) recalls that it was originally Bescot Bridge, became Walsall and reverted to the original Bescot Bridge in 1847 when the South Staffordshire Railway opened the line between Bescot Junction and Walsall.[a][4]

The station was a second class station and therefore not all the trains stopped there, in 1837 there were two trains in each direction, by 1839 there were four trains in each direction that stopped.[2][5]

Bescot Bridge station closed on 1 August 1850 when it was effectively replaced by Bescot Junction.[6]

The station was located approximately 9¼ miles from Birmingham Curzon Street in a shallow cutting that was crossed by the Walsall to Wednesbury turnpike road, the station was slightly north of the boundary between the two towns.[7] It would appear that Walsall provided the most passengers as a light van ran between the station and the town.[5]

Second station

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Wood Green (Old Bescot) station was opened by the London and North Western Railway on the same site on 1 February 1881.[8]

The station had two platforms, one either side of the double running line, both platforms were access from the road overbridge, there were no goods facilities, the station only dealt with passengers and parcels.[7][9]

The station closed on 5 May 1941.[8] The line remains open.[10]

Preceding station Historical railways Following station
Darlaston James Bridge   Grand Junction Railway
1837-1846
  Newton Road
  London and North Western Railway
Grand Junction Railway
1846-1850
 


  Station closed
1850-1881
  Bescot Junction
  Station re-opened as Wood Green (Old Bescot)
1881-1941
 


  Existing situation  
Darlaston James Bridge
Station closed, Line open
  Wood Green (Old Bescot)
Station closed 1941, Line open
  Bescot Stadium
Station open, Line open

References

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Notes

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  1. ^ There are several examples of Bescot being spelt Bescott, see for example Freeling (1841).[3]

Citations

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  1. ^ Baggs, Baugh & Johnston 1976, pp. 165–169.
  2. ^ a b Bradshaw 1839, p. 13.
  3. ^ Freeling 1841, p. 19.
  4. ^ Neele 1904, p. 16.
  5. ^ a b Drake 1837, p. 88.
  6. ^ Quick 2022, p. 78.
  7. ^ a b "Wood Green Station on OS 25 inch map Staffordshire LXIII.14 (Walsall; Wednesbury; West Bromwich)". National Library of Scotland. Retrieved 26 October 2020.
  8. ^ a b Quick 2022, p. 489.
  9. ^ The Railway Clearing House 1970, p. 591.
  10. ^ Network Rail. "Table CC04-Stetchford to Bushbury Jn via Bescot" (PDF). Network Rail. Retrieved 26 October 2020.

Bibliography

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Further reading

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