GWR Route: Banbury to Wolverhampton

Lapworth Station

Lapworth Station was opened as Kingswood when the Oxford & Birmingham line was opened by the GWR in 1854 and was not renamed Lapworth until 1st May 1902 allegedly to avoid confusion with a station of the same name in Surrey. The O&BR was initially built as a broad gauge line (7ft 0¼ inches) so when the line was converted to standard gauge (4ft 8½ inches) the extra space between the two set of rails (known to railwaymen as the 'six foot') was considerably wider than lines which adopted standard gauge from the outset. Lapworth was originally provided with a small goods yard consisting of one siding which was located on the up side of the station and accessed off a loop line which was also used as a refuge siding for up freight trains. A refuge siding performing the same function was sited on the Leamington side of the station on the down line. There were two bay platforms which were located at the opposite end of the station to the two refuge sidings. The station was rebuilt with four platforms when the line between Lapworth and Tyseley was quadrupled in the 1930s. The quadrupling of the line was to accommodate the increase in commuter traffic to Birmingham as well as release the pressure on goods services. The post-Second World War decline in both goods and passenger traffic saw the goods yard closed in the 1960s and in the early 1970s the station's passenger facilities were reduced to two platforms to eventually become an unmanned station with limited passenger facilities.

Robert Ferris has transcribed the an extract from the Great Western Railway Development Works (Published December 1933) which is available via this link Olton to Lapworth - Quadrupling Birmingham Main Line.

Diane Lovatt writes 'I grew up in Lapworth during the 1950's and was very familiar with Lapworth Station. Dad was a signalman there for a few years and my brother and I used to be allowed to go on Sundays (not a lot of traffic) we were allowed to pull the detonator handles as they were the only ones we could move. The brass was kept immaculate and woe betide us if we touched any brass without the yellow duster to keep finger prints off. We also got to ride on the footplate of engines that came from Birmingham and turned around on the 3rd line'.

Lapworth Station prior to the quadrupling of the line

Ref: gwrl2501 Warks County Records Office View of the original Lapworth Station's forecourt from Station Road at the turn of the twentieth century

Ref: gwrl1865 J Alsop View looking to Birmingham showing the main station building on the left with the goods yard in the distance

Ref: gwrl1865a J Alsop Close showing Lapworth Signal Box, the station's small goods yard opposite and the station's name board

Ref: gwrl1866 J Alsop Looking to Birmingham from the London end of the up platform as a local passenger train arrives at the station

Ref: gwrl132 Postcard An early view looking towards Leamington with main station buildings on the left with the Henley in Arden bay behind

Ref: gwrl132b Real Photographs Close up showing a lamppost lying on the platform seeming to indicate the probability they were being replaced

Ref: gwrl132a Postcard Close up of the footbridge and the down platform structure which appears to be an amalgam of two buildings

Ref: gwrl135 Postcard Looking towards Leamington from the Birmingham end of the down platform with the up refuge siding on the left

Ref: gwrl947 Lens of Sutton Looking towards Leamington with a view of a GWR 0-4-2T class 517 on an Autotrain standing in the down platform

Ref: gwrl947a Lens of Sutton Close up of the up platform and main building housing the station master, booking office and passenger facilities

Ref: gwrl947b Lens of Sutton Close up of the unidentified GWR 517 class at the head of a down Autotrain and the buffer beam of the down bay

Ref: gwrl948 Lens of Sutton Looking towards Birmingham from the down platform with a GWR Autotrain standing in the up platform

Ref: gwrl948a Lens of Sutton Close up of the Autotrain headed by an 0-4-2T with its 'Henley-in-Arden' sign fixed above the centre window

Ref: gwrl948b Lens of Sutton Close up which provides an indication of the size of the station building and the various passenger facilities

Ref: gwrl2502 H Bromwich Lapworth Station staff photographed on the forecourt in the year before the First World War

Lapworth Station after the quadrupling of the line

Ref: gwrl1825 D Churchill View from Station Road of the left hand side of Lapworth station showing its entrance and footbridge

Ref: gwrl1826 D Churchill View of the right hand side of Lapworth station with the corrugated hut seen on the right of the photograph

Ref: gwrl3182 Anon Another view of Lapworth station's forecourt showing the main station facilities located on the up platform

Ref: gwrl3181 Anon An oblique angled view of the forecourt of Lapworth station showing the entrance to the goods yard on the right

Ref: gwrl133 Real Photos Panoramic view of station looking towards Birmingham with the signal box located in the centre of the tracks

Ref: gwrl1828 D Churchill Looking along Platform 1 towards Leamington with Station road and the main station building on the left

Ref: gwrl3180 Anon Looking along a platform one with platforms two and three on the left and the footbridge at the end of the canopies

Ref: gwrl2505 RS Carpenter Looking north towards Birmingham along the bay platform line and adjacent down goods loop in 1960

Ref: gwrl133a Real Photos Close up of the new signal box and some of the track layout at the Birmingham end of the station

Ref: gwrl1827 D Churchill The rear of the corrugated hut standing on the Birmingham end of Platform 1 as viewed from Station Road

Ref: gwrl1829 D Churchill View of Platform 1 from the passenger footbridge showing the main station building and on the left the corrugated hut

Ref: gwrl134 Anon View of the Lapworth station's name board which was erected in the 1930s when the station was rebuilt

Ref: gwrl1441 A Cooper Photograph of Lapworth' station master Mr Ted Giles and the station's taxi driven by Edward Giles

Post 1970 views of the station

Ref: gwrl1834 D Churchill Looking towards Leamington showing the fencing erected on Lapworth station's platform 2 as seen on 3rd June 1972

Ref: gwrl1830 D Churchill View from Platform 1 of Lapworth station's original station building as seen on 3rd June 1972

Ref: gwrl1831 D Churchill View looking towards Leamington showing the building erected on Platform 1 when the line was quadrupled

Ref: gwrl1832 D Churchill View of Platform 1 looking towards Birmingham with the new building seen nearest to the camera on 3rd June 1972

Ref: gwrl1833 D Churchill Platform 1 after the station was rebuilt which included a replacement structure to the original building

Ref: gwrl1835 D Churchill Looking towards Birmingham along Platform 2 with the fence separating it from platform 3 on the left

Ref: gwrl1836 D Churchill View of the Birmingham end of Platform 2 showing the passenger building still in use on 3rd June 1972

Ref: gwrl1837 D Churchill View of the underside of the canopy erected in the 1930s to cover Lapworth station's platform 2 and 3

Ref: gwrl1838 D Churchill View from the passenger footbridge of Lapworth station's disused platform 3 as seen on 3rd June 1972

Lapworth Signal Box and Diagrams

Ref: gwrl1438 W Wrightl Looking towards Birmingham with Lapworth signal box on the left one month before the signal box was closed

Ref: gwrl3174 Anon An interior view of Lapworth Signal Box showing the lever frame and instrument below the display panel circa 1956

Ref: gwrl3220 M Crane An interior view of Lapworth Signal Box showing both levers and Signal Diagram in the mid-1960s

Ref: gwrl3219 M Crane A diagram of Lapworth Signal Box showing the various sections of track, signals and points under its control

Ref: gwrl2499 Signalling Record Society The Signalling Diagram for Lapworth Signal Box showing the track layout after the 1930s quadrupling

Ref: gwrl3282 P Sankey A shunting ground signal, known as a Tommy Dodd, is next to Lapworth Signal Box on 2nd December 1961

Ordnance Survey Maps

Ref: gwrl3176 National Library of Scotland An 1886 Ordnance Survey map of Lapworth station showing the station without bay platform or goods yard

Ref: gwrl3175 National Library of Scotland A 1903 OS map of Lapworth station showing the station with the bay platform, goods yard and refuge siding

Ref: gwrl3177 National Library of Scotland A 1914 OS map of the station showing no change to the layout of bay platform, goods yard and refuge siding

Ref: gwrl3178 National Library of Scotland A 1923 OS map of the station showing no change to the layout of bay platform, goods yard and refuge siding

Ref: lapworth_map Ordnance Survey Layout of Lapworth station in its original form prior to the quadrupling of the tracks in the 1930s

Ref: gwrl3999 Great Western Railway This Great Western Railway Land Survey Plan dated 1878, shows the original Kingswood Station

Locomotives, trains and rolling stock seen at or near Lapworth station

Ref: gwrl950 Anon GWR 2-8-2T 72xx class No 7247 is seen entering the station at the head of a short through fast freight train

Ref: gwrl949 Anon Ex-GWR 2-6-2T 5101 class 'Large Prairie' No 5198 stands at Platform 3 on a terminating service from Birmingham

Ref: gwrl1437 S Blencowe Ex-GWR 2-8-0 28xx class No 3837 approaches on the Up Main Line with a freight of mostly mineral open wagons

Ref: gwrl1439 M Mensing British Railways built 2-6-2T No 4172 is seen on a local all stations service to Birmingham

Ref: gwrl1442 R Darlaston Ex-GWR 4-6-0 No 6026 'King John' passes Lapworth at the head of an up Paddington express on 25th August 1962

Ref: gwrl1444 M Mensing Ex-WD 2-8-0 No 90585 reverses into the relief line to allow a Wolverhampton - Paddington service to pass

Ref: gwrl1445 A Bromwich An unidentified GWR 4-6-0 Saint class locomotive passes through on a Wolverhampton to Weymouth express

Ref: gwrl1461 TE Williams Ex-GWR 4-6-0 No 6019 ‘King Henry V’ approaches Lapworth Station with a Birkenhead to Paddington express

Ref: gwrl1483 TE Williams Ex-ROD 2-8-0 No 3012 on a northbound class H unfitted through freight south of Lapworth Station

Ref: gwrl1861 R Postill Rebuilt ex-SR West Country 4-6-2 No 34040 'Crewkerne' on a football special near Lapworth on 27th April 1963

Ref: gwrl1868 R Postill An unidentified ex-GWR King Class locomotive is seen on an up express service near Lapworth on 14th April 1962

Ref: gwrl1869 R Postill British Railways built 4-6-0 No 7919 'Runter Hall' is seen on a football special near Lapworth on 27th April 1963

Ref: gwrl1870 R Postill British Railways built 4-6-0 No 7014 'Caerhays Castle' heads a football special near Lapworth on 27th April 1963

Ref: gwrl1871 R Postill Ex-LMS 2-8-0 8F No 48414 is seen at the head of a Class 7 service near Lapworth on 27th April 1963

Ref: gwrl1872 R Postill Ex-GWR 4-6-0 Castle Class No 5089 'Westminster Abbey' works an up train near Lapworth on 27th April 1963

Ref: gwrl2322 C Gorton British Railways built 4-6-0 No 7029 Clun Castle heads a SLS special after crossing to the up main 24th January 1965

Ref: gwrl2327 C Gorton An ex-GWR 4-6-0 Hall class locomotive races through Lapworth on the down main line with an express

Ref: gwrl1860 R Postill British Railways built West Country Class No 34094 'Mortehoe' heads through Lapworth on a football special

Ref: gwrl1864 R Postill Ex-SR 4-6-2 Battle of Britain class No 34052 'Lord Dowding' heads a football special near Lapworth

Ref: gwrl1867 R Postill West Country Class 4-6-2 No 34098 'Templecombe' near Lapworth with a football special on 27th April 1963

Ref: gwrl1862 R Postill Ex-SR 4-6-2 West Country class No 34028 'Eddystone' heads a football special near Lapworth on 27th April 1963

Ref: gwrl1863 R Postill British Railways built Battle of Britain Class No 34088 '213 Squadron' heads through Lapworth on a football special

Ref: gwrl2500 M Mensing Ex-GWR 2-8-0 47xx class locomotive No 4701 stands in the bay platform at Lapworth on Sunday 8th October 1961

Ref: gwrl2503 R Siviter Ex-SR 4-6-2 Merchant Navy Class No 35026 'Lampart and Holt Line' with the return leg of 'The Aberdonian' rail tour

Ref: gwrl2504 R Siviter BR built 4-6-0 'Black 5' No 44661 is seen heading a south-bound parcels train for Leamington and Banbury

Ref: gwrl2522 M Mensing Ex-GWR 4-6-0 No 6001 'King Edward VII' approaches Lapworth with a Paddington to Wolverhampton express

Ref: gwrl2523 M Mensing Ex-GWR 4-6-0 No 5031 'Totnes Castle' on the Wolverhampton to Paddington express on 8th October 1961

Ref: gwrl1440 A Cooper The Blue Pullman passes through Lapworth station's up main platform on a service from Paddington to Snow Hill

Ref: gwrl3896 TE Williams Ex-GWR 4-6-0 No 6007 ‘King William III’ on the 2:35pm Birkenhead to Paddington express

Ref: gwrkd3915 TE Williams Ex-GWR 4-6-0 No 5088 Llanthony Abbey is seen on the 12.15 SX Kingswear to Wolverhampton service

Rolling stock seen at or near Lapworth Station

Ref: gwrl2498 HMRS AEL225 Great Western Railway steel ballast wagon No 60926 is seen standing in Lapworth yard in July 1947

Ref: gwrl3283 RCTS CUL3618 Ex-Bristol and Exeter (B&E) Railway coach converted to a Divisional Engineer's Inspection Saloon by the GWR