LMS Route: Nuneaton to Birmingham New Street

Stockingford Station

Stockingford station was one of three provided when the line from Nuneaton to Whitacre Junction was opened on 1st November 1864 as part of the Midland Railway's Nuneaton to Birmingham route. The other two stations were Shustoke and Arley & Fillongley, all three having the same standard designed station building and with two facing platforms with the running lines in between. The main station buildings were sited on the up (Nuneaton) platform and comprised of a two storey structure at one end of the building (the Nuneaton end) and a large single storey structure at the other end (the Whitacre end). The single storey portion of the structure was divided architecturally into two; a rear section, being a substantial brick built structure, and a front section facing on to the platform constructed using timber. The two storey structure accommodated the station master and possible some staff and was built of brick. Both parts of the building were topped by sloping slate covered roof. The single storey section provided the station master's booking office, at least two waiting rooms, one being dedicated for ladies, and a storage room. In addition, accessed off the platform was a gentlemen's urinal which had a flat roof. The ladies convenience was provided off the ladies only waiting room. There was a small brick built waiting room on the down platform with a roof which sloped downwards towards the platform but with no canopy fitted and which was open on the side facing the platform.

A goods yard with three sidings was provided and was situated off the up (Nuneaton) line. A siding at the back of the goods yard, for use primarily by coal merchants, ran more or less for the full length of the yard and was accessed from the sidings used to marshal the wagons coming from, or returning to, the collieries off the the Stockingford branch. This siding is not in evidence on the 1886 Ordnance Survey map but is on the 1902 Ordnance Survey map. Unlike the other two intermediate stations, Stockingford was provided with a small goods shed from the outset and one of the sidings served the shed which had two doors at either end so wagons could be released by being moved forward when off loaded. The short third siding, which was nearest to the running lines, split into two with one section serving the cattle dock and the other serving a landing dock for road vehicles. At the entrance to the yard, which was off Whittleford Road, was public weighbridge and office. The Nuneaton end of the marshalling yard sidings joined together and in turn accessed the main up line via a loop line which ran in between the sidings and the up line. This loop line was also the means of entering Stockingford's goods yard as can be seen in image 'mrs424' and on the 1902 Ordnance Survey map.

The station was closed to passenger services on 4th March 1968, the goods yard having been closed on 11th April 1960. The Railway Clearing House's 1929 Handbook of Railway Stations states Stockingford station provided the general public and businesses with the following services: Goods traffic; Passenger and Parcels traffic; Furniture Vans; Horse Boxes and Prize Cattle Vans; and Carriages (Horse-drawn - Ed) by Passenger Trains (GPFHC). Cranage facilities were provided within the goods shed via a fixed manually operated 1 ton 10 cwt (1.5 ton) crane. The 1894 edition of The Railway Clearing House Handbook of Railway Stations did not provide information to the same detail e.g. the number of categories listed, and only recorded (GPF), however its reasonable to assume that the same facilities recorded in 1929 were offered from the outset.

The marshalling yard handled the area's coal traffic and brick trains from the nearby Haunchwood Brick & Tile Company premises. At the Whitacre end of the marshalling yard a steeply graded mineral line ran to Ansley Hall Colliery a few miles away, connecting en-route with, Stockingford Colliery and Nuneaton (New) Colliery. Ansley Hall Colliery opened in 1874 whereas Stockingford Colliery, originally called Chapel End pit, was opened in 1871. To connect these pits to the MR the first portion of the single line branch opened 3rd April 1876 with the second section opening on 5th September 1876. The branch was used every weekday until Ansley Hall Colliery closed on 30th October 1959. For a number of years a stud of Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway 0-6-0s were allocated to Nuneaton for working the branch, this being their only booked duly. The L&Y engines used were all left-hand drive as the men preferred these for shunting at the pit top and for travelling tender-first up the branch with a load of empties. The last L&Y engine to work the branch was No 52201 in 1956, being replaced by Midland 3F and 4F O-6-Os. The largest engines allowed on the line were the ex-LMS Ivatt 4MT 2-6-Os which had to have good brakes to stop any runaway situations arising, when descending with a train of loaded wagons.

Much of the information provided on this page has been derived from an article in British Railways Journal No 9 - Autumn 1985, together with other books written by Peter Lee of the Nuneaton Local History Group (www.nuneatonhistory.com). For railway books written by Peter, please visit our bibliography section. Peter can be contacted via nuneatonian@gmail.com.

Ref: mrs396 P Lee Collection Looking towards Nuneaton Abbey Street with passengers waiting for a Birmingham bound train

Ref: mrs1083 WA Camwell Looking in the direction of Nuneaton with Haunchwood Brickwork's chimneys seen in the distance

Ref: mrs1083a WA Camwell Close up showing Stockingford station and its sparse furniture a few months before it was to close

Ref: mrs1084 Coventry Evening Telegraph Stockingford station seen after its March 1968 closure and now displaying a 'To Let' sign

Ref: mrs1082 WA Camwell Looking towards Birmingham from beneath the bridge carrying Whittleford Road over the railway in the 1950s

Ref: mrs1891 A Donaldson An unidentified ex-MR 3F 0-6-0 locomotive is piloting an unknown locomotive at the head of a down coal train

Ref: mrs1888 P Lee Looking towards Water Orton along the down line towards the closed goods yard and station circa 1969

Ref: mrs1075 P Lee Looking towards Nuneaton with Stockingford Goods shed on the left and Stockingford Signal Box on the right

Ref: mrs1085a MH Billington Close up showing the absence of the goods shed and other buildings at Stockingford station

Ref: mrs424 RS Carpenter Looking towards Nuneaton with the locomotive shed on the right behind Stockingford signal box

Ref: mrs424a RS Carpenter Close up of Stockingford's Goods Shed and its simple goods yard viewed from the branch line's sidings

Ref: mrs424b RS Carpenter Close up showing Stockingford Shed and Stockingford Signal Box seen shortly after opening

Ref: mrs1080 E Barnsby View of Stockingford Sidings Signal Box which was sited on the down line opposite Stockingford Branch

Ref: mrs1892 R Atkins Staff pose with soldiers of the 1st Dorset Regiment outside Stockingford Sidings Signal Box in 1911

Ref: mrs1076 W Wright View of Stockingford Ground Frame which appears to have been decommissioned some time previous

Locomotives seen at or near Stockingford Station

Ref: mrs1078 E Barnsby Both the locomotive's crew and the shunters on Stockingford branch shunt pose before the camera

Ref: mrs404 M Billington An unidentified ex-MR 0-6-0 locomotive heads a coal train on the steeply graded Stockingford branch

Ref: mrs1889 M Billington Ex-L&Y 0-6-0 No 52465 stands by the water crane during shunting duties in Stockingford marshalling yard

Ref: mrs398 MJ Lee Ex-LMS 'Stanier Crab' No 42946 is seen standing in Stockingford sidings ready to depart on an up freight

Ref: mrs1887 M Billington Ex-L&Y 0-6-0 No 52141 stands by the water crane during shunting duties in Stockingford marshalling yard

Ref: mrs1085 MH Billington Ex-LNWR G2a 0-8-0 No 49142 is seen standing on the reception road used by Stockingford branch line

Ref: mrs405 HB Priestley Looking towards Water Orton with the goods yard on the right and the former shed on the left

Ref: mrs406 M Mensing A two-car DMU is seen arriving on the diverted 1:10pm New Street to Rugby local train on 8th December 1963

Miscellaneous

Ref: mrs1081 GRC&W Co A 1902 Stockingford Colliery 7-plank open wagon built by Gloucester Railway Carriage & Wagon Company Ltd

Ref: kt350 K Turton Ansley Hall Colliery, Stockingford in Nuneaton Wagon No 260 builder unknown

Ref: mr-misc001 J Griffiths Illustration of the variety of the oil lamps employed along the route between Castle Bromwich and Stockingford

Ordnance Survey Maps and Schematic Drawings

Ref: mrs1893 National Library of Scotland An 1886 25 inch to the mile Ordnance Survey Map of Stockingford Sidings, Station & Haunchwood Works

Ref: mrs1894 National Library of Scotland An 1886 25 inch to the mile Ordnance Survey Map showing Stockingford Sidings and Station

Ref: mrs1895 National Library of Scotland A 1902 25 inch to the mile Ordnance Survey Map of Stockingford Sidings, Station & Haunchwood Works

Ref: mrs1896 National Library of Scotland An 1902 25 inch to the mile Ordnance Survey Map showing Stockingford Sidings and Station

Ref: mrs1897 National Library of Scotland A 1913 25 inch to the mile Ordnance Survey Map of Stockingford Sidings, Station & Haunchwood Works

Ref: mrs1898 National Library of Scotland A 1913 25 inch to the mile Ordnance Survey Map showing Stockingford Sidings, Station and Engine Shed

Ref: mrs1077 National Library of Scotland A 1924 25 inch to the mile Ordnance Survey Map showing Stockingford Sidings, Station and Engine Shed

Ref: mrs1900 National Library of Scotland A 1924 25 inch to the mile Ordnance Survey Map showing Stockingford Sidings, Station and Engine Shed

Ref: mrs1079 P Lee Schematic drawing showing Stockingford Station in relation to the branch and the LNWR's Trent Valley line

Ref: mrs1086 P Lee Diagram for Stockingford Sidings Signal Box which controlled Stockingford branch line and the station