Aston Cantlow Halt

GWR Route: Hatton to Bearley and Alcester Branch

A station in the vicinity of Aston Cantlow had been proposed in June 1874, but had never been constructed. However when the line reopened after the First World War the residents of Aston Cantlow persuaded the GWR that a small station would be a viable proposition. The Halt was built 1 mile 37 chains from Bearley station and opened on opened on 18th December 1922. The Halt was of a standard GWR structure comprising a simple 200 foot long by 8 foot wide wooden platform built from railway sleepers on the 'down' side of the single track line. An arc-roofed corrugated-iron waiting room was located on the platform flanked on either side by post and rail type of fencing. The Halt was lit at night by GWR styled tapered glass lanterns (see image 'gwrac3014') the oil and other ancillary items to trim the lamps, etc were accommodated in a corrugated iron lamp hut provided at the Bearley end of the platform.

Public access was by means of a sloping pathway from the adjacent Bearley to Aston Cantlow Road. There was no sidings or goods facilities, but lighting was provided. The Halt was unstaffed and for administrative purposes was under the control of Great Alne, including reporting its traffic returns as part of Great Alne's. The Halt was closed when the line closed at the start of Second World War, on 25th September 1939, and reopened again briefly in 1941, before finally closing to passenger and goods traffic on 1st March 1951. During the Second World War the line was used to store crippled wagons, as can be seen in image 'gwrac2' which was taken in March 1940. After closure in March 1951 the line was again used for storage, as can be seen in 'gwrac812', but this was only for a short period of time and soon the track was removed and the site was reclaimed by nature. Stanley C Jenkins and Roger Carpenter noted the very rural setting because in their book The Alcester Branch, Wild Swan, ISBN-10 1905184050 they write 'that at this point the railway drew close to the River Alne which lay some 150 yards or so on the opposite side of the line to the Halt, whilst elm trees grew near the T-junction of the roads near the road overbndge, flanking the verges of the lane up to Little Alne and the land adjacent to the railway boundary fence in front of the Halt'.

Views of Aston Cantlow Halt

Ref: gwrac1 P Hopkins View of the single line Halt showing the 200 ft long by 8 ft wide wooden platform and small corrugated iron shelter

Ref: gwrac1a P Hopkins Close up showing how timber was used for all aspects of the construction of the Halt at Aston Cantlow

Ref: gwrac792 J Edgington A reverse view of Aston Cantlow's 200 ft long timber platform and its corrugated iron shelter

Ref: gwrac793 C Gilbert A ground level view looking towards Great Alne showing Aston Cantlow Halt's open framed timber construction

Ref: gwrac795 Lens of Sutton Another view of the basic facilities at Aston Cantlow Halt as seen from the road over bridge in the late 1930s

Ref: gwrac3014 S Turner Circular and a photo of one of the four original oil lamp outer cases which equipped Aston Cantlow Halt

Ref: gwrac794 C Gilbert GWR Collett class 48xx 0-4-2T engine No 4801 with an auto trailer approaches Aston Cantlow Halt

Ref: gwrac2 P Hopkins View looking towards Bearley showing mainly privately owned coal wagons 'as far as the eye can see'

Ref: gwrga812 Anon Looking towards Great Alne and Alcester with both crippled open wagons and vans stretching in the distance

Ref: gwrga813 Anon View showing the platform collapsed following years of neglect with nature starting to reclaim the site

Ref: gwrac464 Anon View from the overbridge adjacent to the future Aston Cantlow Halt showing the bare trackbed

Ref: gwrac2297 RS Carpenter Looking along the line towards Bearley near the 2½ milepost circa 1950 with a PW hut in the distance circa 1950

Ref: gwrac2301 JH Moss View from the road bridge adjacent to Aston Cantlow Halt looking along the branch line towards Bearley in 1949

Ref: gwrac2299 RS Carpenter Looking towards Bearley showing a minor road bridge crossing the branch line at 2 miles 53 chains

Ref: gwrac2300 JH Moss The road bridge viewed from Aston Cantlow Halt looking towards Bearley as seen on 28th February 1953

Ordnance Survey Maps

Ref: gwrac2298 Ordnance Survey Ordnance Survey Map showing the location of the minor bridge crossing the railway at 2 miles 53 chains

Ref: gwrac2302 National Library of Scotland A 1904 25 inch to the mile OS Map of the site of Aston Cantlow Halt when opened on 18th December 1922