GWR Route: Moreton-in-Marsh to Shipston-on-Stour

Moreton-in-Marsh Station

Gloucestershire

Moreton-in-Marsh station was originally the headquarters of the Moreton-in-Marsh to Stratford upon Avon Tramway which opened on 5th September 1826 and was worked by horse drawn single wagons. The arrival of the Oxford, Worcester & Wolverhampton Railway (OW&WR) on 4th June 1853 saw the tramway bisected at an angle with the terminal being isolated by the new railway. Initially it seems that a level crossing was installed enabling tramway wagons to reach their terminus on the far side of the railway. A new connection was later installed on the up side of the OW&WR, but the tramway goods wagons still had to be manhandled across the main line. The original OW&WR station had just the one platform as the line was initially a single line the only two platform passing place between Evesham and Wolvercote Junction being at Charlbury. The second platform was quickly added and was certainly in place by 1858 when the line through Moreton-in-Marsh was doubled. This second platform was built as an island platform and provided a third platform able to receive traffic from the Moreton-in-Marsh to Stratford upon Avon Tramway. Mr Bull's passenger horse-drawn conveyance was therefore able to start and terminate without the dangers inherent in crossing the new railway on the level.

Brunel-type wooden buildings were provided on both platforms, the main building on the down side being a rectangular gabled structure measuring approximately 32 feet by 18 feet. The up side waiting rooms were slightly taller than their counterparts on the opposite platform but of the same general design. Jenkins and Carpenter speculate that the buildings were pre-fabricated or semi prefabricated 'kits' as most OW&WR stations had buildings of the same size and shape. They believed that the main building consisted of just two rooms accessed only from the platform through a pair of doors. There was large open plan booking hall had a counter on the left. A waiting room was on the right (when viewed from the platform) whilst a small projection at the rear contained the ladies waiting room. It appears no public lavatories were made available to the travelling public. In 1872 the GWR started to erect a new set of buildings alongside the original timber structure. The new station building was erected to the south of the original and because of delays in the rebuilding programme the two stood alongside each other for several months.

The new down platform structure was of a standard GWR hip-roofed design, said to be one of the earliest examples of its type. It had three internal divisions; a slightly recessed central portion with both front and rear entrances used as the booking hall; a ticket office and a ladies waiting room. An extension, accommodating additional staff and parcels facilities was added in 1874, a few months after the main building had been completed. This time a ladies and Gentlemens WC was provided, accommodated in a small block projecting at the northern end of the building. To protect passengers from inclement weather a large canopy stretching the full width of the building, and deep enough to reach the platform edge, was provided. The new station building was built using whitish-yellow bricks, with red brick quoins and window surrounds. Vitrified black bricks provided further decoration, resulting in what was to many, a pleasing structure. The opposite platform retained its original structure but photographic evidence indicates it too was extended. The GWR passenger footbridge appears on the 1900 Ordnance Survey map so clearly some time during the 1890s this facility was added. The goods yard was provided with a timber Brunel designed goods shed located to the south of the down platform. To the north of the same platform a loading dock was provided, both facilities being served by a dedicated siding. On the up side to the north of the up platform a siding was installed to serve the Creamery which was founded in the late 19th century. A loading platform was erected in 1918 to better assist in the transfer of full milk churns. Robert Ferris writes, 'the 1907 work on Moreton-in-Marsh station is detailed as: Extension of both platforms, provision of a ladies waiting room on the up side and of a porters' room and enlargement of the booking office. Two additional sidings to be laid in and the down refuge siding extended. [The Winter 1927 STT (this is the earliest one I have) and all my subsequent STTs identify this siding as being capable of holding 54 wagons plus engine and brake van.]'.

The upgrading of the branch line to Shipston-on-Stour in 1889 saw passenger services being introduced on the branch although this was made available by using a mixed trains service, where passenger and goods traffic are handled by the same train. Passenger services only lasted just forty years and which saw the limited passenger facilities at Moreton-in-Marsh for the branch being taken over solely for the use of up passenger traffic. Goods traffic however remained for thirty years and the exchange sidings sited adjacent to the branch platform remained in use although often as much for non-branch traffic as for wagons accessing the branch. The closure of goods traffic to Shipston-on-Stour in 1960 also coincided with a major down turn in goods traffic across the railway network and Moreton-in-Marsh's goods facilities was soon reduced. The Tramway terminus which had become the goods yard was sold off to become the site for a supermarket although the branch's exchange sidings remained as a single truncated engineer's siding.

External view of Moreton-in-Marsh Station

Ref: gwrmm3068 M Turner View of the original 1853 Moreton-in-Marsh station built by the Oxford, Worcester & Wolverhampton Railway

Ref: gwrmm3068a M Turner Close up showing the main building accommodating the booking hall and station masters' office

Ref: gwrmm3058 Lens of Sutton View of Moreton-in-Marsh's main station building located on the down side of the railway circa 1890s

Ref: gwrmm3058a Lens of Sutton Close up showing the main station building with only a short canopy protecting the entrance to the booking hall

Ref: gwrmm979 Lens of Sutton A general view of the wide access road to both the main passenger buildings and goods facilities

Ref: gwrmm979a Lens of Sutton This close up shows the unusual and intricate porch added to the main passenger structure after originally built

Platform views of Moreton-in-Marsh station

Ref: gwrmm999 Lens of Sutton The station's new buildings being built in 1872-3 with a PW gang putting the finishing touches to the trackwork

Ref: gwrmm999a Lens of Sutton Close up showing the main station building on the down platform after the work had been completed in 1873

Ref: gwrmm989 Mr Keen Moreton-in-Marsh's station staff, shunting horse and the PW gang with the branch train standing in the background

Ref: gwrmm3069 Lens of Sutton A gang of men from the GWR's Civil Engineering Department working on both the platform and track bed

Ref: gwrmm994 C Gilbert Looking towards Worcester with a substantial number of milk churns standing on the down platform

Ref: gwrmm994a C Gilbert Close up of the up platform building which after 1929 was only used by Oxford bound passengers

Ref: gwrmm975a PJ Garland Close up of a few features on the up platform including the sculptured fascia board and arched topped gas lamppost

Ref: gwrmm986 PJ Garland Looking along the down platform towards Worcester with the station's main passenger building on the left

Ref: gwrmm986a PJ Garland Close up of the main building showing the entrance to the station master's office and luggage carts on the platform

Ref: gwrmm986b PJ Garland Close up showing the up platform's 'Brunel' type timber waiting room on the station's island platform

Ref: gwrmm977 PJ Garland Looking north with the Fosse Way road bridge in the distance with the original Tramway terminus on the left

Ref: gwrmm991 Lens of Sutton Looking towards Worcester viewed from the passenger footbridge with the Creamery building on the right

Ref: gwrmm988 Lens of Sutton A 1930s view looking across from the up platform to the station's main brick built building on the down platform

Ref: gwrmm990 Lens of Sutton Looking towards Oxford from the passenger footbridge with the tramway interchange sidings on the right

Ref: gwrmm3070 Lens of Sutton Looking north along the up platform towards Worcester with the tramway offices and workshops to the left

Ref: gwrmm3077 Lens of Sutton Moreton-in-Marsh's two distinctive types of GWR architecture are visible in this view of the station

Ref: gwrmm3077a Lens of Sutton The up platform's waiting room thought to have been extended in 1872-3 when the station was modernised

Ref: gwrmm998 PJ Garland View of the down main starter, fitted with a central pivoted arm, situated between the up and down running lines

Morton-in-Marsh Goods and Milk Traffic Facilities

Ref: gwrmm980 AWV Mace An unidentified GWR 0-6-0 'Dean Goods' locomotive is seen shunting wagons into the goods shed

Ref: gwrmm976 JH Moss Looking towards Oxford Street bridge with the signal box on the left and the goods shed on the right

Ref: gwrmm976a JH Moss Close up showing the goods shed in more detail including the central transit area and the road and rail entrances

Ref: gwrmm987 Lens of Sutton Looking south from the Fosse Way road bridge with the Creamery on the left and the goods yard on the right

Ref: gwrmm991a Lens of Sutton Close up showing the inspection pit located in the centre of the tracks at the end of the down platform

Ref: gwrmm991b Lens of Sutton Close up of Moreton-in-Marsh's milk pasteurisation and bottling plant which was established in 1889

Ref: gwrmm987a Lens of Sutton Close up of three empty Great Western Railway Siphons standing in Moreton-in-Marsh's creamery

Ref: gwrmm987b Lens of Sutton Close up showing the Worcester end of the down platform and the landing dock located to the right

Ref: gwrmm995 JH Russell Two empty Milk tank wagons standing in the siding of Moreton-in-Marsh's Creamery ready to be loaded

Ref: gwrmm1000 JH Russell A six-wheel milk tank wagon stands in the siding alongside the Creamery with milk churns in the goods bay

Ref: gwrmm3088 HF Wheeler Ex-GWR Brake Van W56361, the designated branch brake van at the time, is seen on 31st August 1952

Aerial views of Moreton-in-Marsh station

Ref: gwrmm982 Aerofilms An aerial view of Moreton-in-Marsh showing the station layout with the original tramway buildings

Ref: gwrmm982a Aerofilms Close up showing the main station building, the exchange sidings, the cattle pens and the goods shed

Ref: gwrmm982b Aerofilms Close up showing the Fosse Way bridge with the tramway offices and workshops immediately adjacent

'Change here for the Shipston-on-Stour Tramway'

Ref: gwrmm996 Railway Magazine The station name board which informed passengers to 'change here for the Shipston-on-Stour Tramway'

Ref: gwrmm975 PJ Garland View of the up platform looking towards Worcester with the branch platform and track on the right

Ref: gwrmm975b PJ Garland This close up shows some of the Shipston-on-Stour branch platform with the branch line curving away to the right

Ref: gwrmm997 JH Russell The branch line taken from the platform with Todenham Road level crossing keeper's house in distance

Ref: gwrmm997a JH Russell Close up of the boarded crossing which formed part of the right of way from the footbridge and across the line

Ref: gwrmm978 RK Cope The original Moreton-in-Marsh to Stratford Tramway terminus buildings which housed offices, workshops, stables

Ref: gwrmm3140 GES Parker The original warehouses built from Cotswold stone at the Tramway terminus in Moreton-in-Marsh

'Heroes of Moreton'

Ref: gwrmm3138 A Wood Territorial soldiers line up for their photograph on the London bound platform in August 1914

Ref: gwrmm3139 A Wood Territorial soldiers line up for their photograph outside Moreton in Marsh station in August 1914

Locomotives seen at or near Moreton-in-Marsh

Ref: gwrmm984 Railway Magazine GWR 0-6-0ST No 47, the Shipston-on-Stour branch locomotive, standing under the water tank at the station

Ref: gwrmm3072 Lens of Sutton A GWR 0-6-0ST locomotive stands at the station's up platform with express headlamps on the buffer

Ref: gwrmm3071 HGW Household GWR Atlantic 4-4-2 No 102 'La France' is seen on a Worcester to Paddington express on 7th August 1923

Ref: gwrmm3073 HC Casserley Ex-MSWJR 2-4-0 No 1335 is seen on a SLS Special Shipston Branch Tour on Saturday 31st August 1952

Ref: gwrmm985 HF Wheeller GWR 4-6-0 No 4088 'Dartmouth Castle' is seen passing through on an up Worcester to Paddington express

Ref: gwrmm981 PJ Garland GWR 4-6-0 'Castle class' No 5063 'Earl Baldwin' passes through on an up Worcester to Paddington service

Ref: gwrmm3074 HF Wheeler Ex-GWR 4-6-0 49xx class No 6922 'Burton Hall' passes through Moreton-in-Marsh with the 'Up Perishables'

Ref: gwrmm3076 HF Wheeler British Railways 2-6-0 2MT No 78008 is seen on a down stopping train north of the station on 11th October 1958

Miscellaneous

Ref: gwrmm3075 British Railways A copy of British Railways' November Timetable for week day services to London, Oxford, Worcester & Hereford

Ref: gwrmm3086 Great Western Railway The January 1907 Service Timetable for Shipston-on-Stour and Moreton-in-Marsh Locomotive Tramway

Ref: gwrmm3087 British Railways The number of wagons sent to Shipston from Moreton-in-Marsh between November 1958 and May 1960

Ref: gwrmm1001 Great Western Railway GWR Appendix to the March 1950 STT detailing the local instructions to occupy the Shipston-on-Stour Branch

Ref: gwrmm3173 Signalling Record Society A low resolution version of the Signalling Diagram, dated 1952, for Moreton-in-Marsh Signal Box erected in 1883

Ordnance Survey maps

Ref: gwrmm3080 National Library of Scotland A large scale view of the 1884 OS map showing Moreton-in-Marsh station and it's three approach roads

Ref: gwrmm3081 National Library of Scotland A close up of the 1884 Ordance Survey map showing Moreton-in-Marsh station and the exchange sidings

Ref: gwrmm3084 National Library of Scotland A large scale view of the 1900 OS map showing the station, the Shipston on Stour branch, and the exchange sidings

Ref: gwrmm3085 National Library of Scotland A close up view of the 1900 Ordnance Survey map showing the station has now had its footbridge installed

Ref: gwrmm3083 National Library of Scotland A large scale view of the 1918 OS map showing the station, the Shipston on Stour branch, and the exchange sidings

Ref: gwrmm3082 National Library of Scotland A close up of the 1919 revised OS map showing Moreton in Marsh station and the two sets of sidings

Ref: gwrmm3137 Great Western Railway An 1882 GWR map of the station showing the original line of the tramway passing in front of Blenheim Farm