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GWR Route: Stratford on Avon to Honeybourne

Sancta Lane Station / East & West Junction

Sancta Lane Station

Sancta Lane (the original name of what is now Sanctus Road) was the Oxford, Worcester & Wolverhampton Railway's (OWWR) branch terminus built in a field called 'Ladye Meadow' and was the first station to open in Stratford upon Avon. It was constructed from the outset as a 'narrow gauge' (4 foot 8½ inches) railway and was a simple layout comprising engine shed, 40 foot turntable, goods shed and single platform with a run round loop to release the locomotive. The second railway to arrive in Stratford upon Avon was the mixed gauge line from Hatton opened on 9th October 1860 by the independent Stratford on Avon Railway Company with its terminal being adjacent to Birmingham Road. It was apparent to both companies that joining the two lines opened up considerable commercial benefits so a new station was built between the two existing termini. This resulted in Sancta Lane being only operational for a very brief period of time, from 12th July 1859 to 24th July 1861. From the 1st August 1861 through services commenced between Leamington and Malvern. Some facilities were still used, the engine shed and turntable was still required and is thought to have existed until a new shed built on the down side to the south of Alcester Road was erected (see image 'gwrsa3041'). A bridge carrying Sancta Lane across the extended line was erected in 1864 replacing the gated crossing previously provided.

The site of Sancta Lane station was near to where the exchange line from the former SMJ station met the GWR's West of England route and where the Sanctus Road bridge is today. Sancta Lane has become Sanctus Street on one side of the bridge and Sanctus Road on the other. There are no known photographs of Sanctus Lane station due in part to its brief existence and being at the dawn of photography. We have however included photographs taken nearly a century later as they were taken within yards of the site of the former Sanctus Lane station.

A schematic plan of the OW&WR Railway's 1859 branch terminus at Stratford on Avon
Ref: gwrsanct3160
A Baker
A schematic plan of the OW&WR Railway's 1859 branch terminus at Stratford on Avon

East & West Junction

The Act for making the East & West Junction Railway (E&WJR) from the Northampton and Banbury Junction Railway to the Great Western Railway at Stratford-on-Avon was passed on 23rd June 1864. The new railway planned to use the Stratford branch terminus of the Oxford Worcester and Wolverhampton Railway (OWWR) at Sancta Lane. Running powers were obtained and a simple junction was constructed between the two railways just to the south of the terminus location. However on 1st January 1863, eighteen months before this Act had been passed, Sancta Lane station had been shut to passengers. The closure of the terminus was the inevitable consequence of the connection between the OWWR branch and the Stratford-on-Avon Railway (SoAR), which entered the town from the north. The connection between these two railways had been completed on 24th July 1861 and they started to rationalise their passenger facilities in the following year. This initially involved the construction of a new temporary station structure adjacent to the Alcester Road, which was nearer to the centre of town than the Sancta Lane site. Then at the end of 1865, the station building from the (SoAR) terminus at Birmingham Road was moved and re-erected at the Alcester Road station forming a more permanent replacement structure.

By the time the E&WJR finally opened their line from Kineton to Stratford on 1st July 1873, they no longer wanted to use the junction with the Great Western Railway (GWR) for their passenger services. The E&WJR had plans to extend west from Stratford to connect with the Evesham & Redditch Railway at Broom and had commenced construction of a temporary passenger terminus on their own line. This Stratford station was incomplete when the official inspection of their line occurred on 28th June 1873. While when a second inspection took place on 4th July 1873, it was noted that the link to the GWR was only for goods and minerals. Goods traffic on the E&WJR had been expected to be heavy. In particular, iron ore quarried in Northamptonshire was being transported by the LNWR, via Birmingham, to the blast furnaces in South Wales. The E&WJR provided a more direct route, so to facilitate this traffic the E&WJR constructed exchange sidings adjacent to the junction with the GWR at Stratford. Wagons were to be deposited here before being collected by GWR goods trains and taken south to Honeybourne junction and onwards to South Wales. The GWR objected to the extra traffic on their single track branch insisting that this traffic should instead be transferred to their main line at Fenny Compton (this would be financially better for the GWR as a greater proportion of the mileage would be on GWR tracks). An alternative route over the Midland Railway became available when the E&WJR extension to Broom was opened on 2nd June 1879, but by then higher quality and cheaper Spanish ore was being directly imported to South Wales.

Plans from 1873 show that although the junction with the GWR at Stratford was authorised as a double track junction (This was in accordance with Board of Trade requirements for running junctions – even between single track lines), only a single line connection had been made. At some time prior to 1885, the authorised double track junction arrangement was constructed, as seen in the plan 'gwrsanct2465'. Signalling for the junction was provided by McKenzie & Holland and they built a signal box with 14 levers to control the switches (points) and signals at the junction. This signal box was called ‘East & West Junction Signal Box’ and initially had a wooden nameplate. A replacement cast iron nameplate was ordered for the signal box on 18th July 1899 (order 210). The signal box was constructed to their type 1 design with a twelve foot three inch square locking room on the ground floor. This locking room was brick built with a wide arched window on each side. The operating floor above was reached by an external staircase and had two up / two across pane windows on three sides (see 'gwrsanct2481' and 'gwr-smjsa1552'). The signal box had a hipped roof. This design dates the signal box to before 1876 and it was most probably opened at the same time that the authorised double track junction was completed.

In July 1888 GWR letters identify the goods traffic from the exchange sidings as being light (see 'gwrsanct3922'). One suggested locking the frame with an Annett’s Key (which would be attached to the relevant single line train staffs). This would save the wages of the signalman. Another letter dated December 1888 suggested the track could be simplified, dispensing with the double junction arrangement (see 'gwrsanct3920'). The work was agreed in January 1889, but before it could be actioned, the Armagh rail disaster had resulted in the passing of the Regulation of Railways Act on 30th August 1889. The planned work was reviewed in the light of these Regulations and initially complete disconnection of the junction was proposed. Correspondence with the E&WJR during 1890 shows that they did not want the junction to be disconnected, but also refused to pay anything towards the any alterations or the annual operating costs, which were estimated as £107 (see 'gwrsanct3921'). In September 1891 analysis of the goods traffic receipts were used to justify retaining the junction (see 'gwrsanct3919'). Receipts from the E&WJR Loco Coal alone had amounted to £924 for the preceding year, while the estimated cost of interlocking the switches and signals was only £325. As a result the junction was retained but became a gated exchange siding.

In April 1896, concerns was raised regarding the East & West Junction signal box (see 'gwrsanct3918'). What was done is unknown, but the signal box was still in situ when the branch line was doubled in 1908. The doubling required more switches and signals at the junction and a replacement GW stud frame with 18 levers at 5½ inch centres was installed in the existing signal box. The signal box name was changed to ‘S&M Junction Signal Box’, with the replacement nameplate ordered on 8th February 1917 (order 281).

The Great Western Railway issued operating instructions for specific locations when these were required. Those issued in March 1921 for working traffic to and from the E&WJR Exchange Sidings at Stratford can be seen at 'gwrsanct3923'. After the grouping in 1923 the signal box at the junction was again renamed, becoming ‘Stratford-upon-Avon LMS Junc.’.

Major changes occurred in April 1960 with the construction of a new curve to the south which provided a direct route for iron ore traffic from Banbury to South Wales. The original junction was reduced to a single facing switch connection on the ex-GWR down line with a trailing cross-over provided to the up line. The Stratford-upon-Avon LM Junc. signal box was closed on Sunday 24th April 1960 when the new Evesham Road Crossing Signal Box opened. This replaced the three existing signal boxes at; Evesham Road Crossing, Stratford-upon-Avon LM Junc. and Stratford-upon-Avon Old Town (see Evesham Road Crossing for more details).

The junction was closed on Monday 1st March 1965.

Robert Ferris

East & West Junction

Looking south from Sanctus Road bridge towards the junction with the SMJ during Sunday engineering work
Ref: gwrsanct3159
AT Locke
Looking south from Sanctus Road bridge towards the junction with the SMJ during Sunday engineering work
Looking south from Sanctus Street bridge with the signal box controlling access to the junction with the SMJ seen on the left in 1957
Ref: gwrsanct2481
RC Riley
Looking south with the signal box controlling access to the junction with the SMJ seen on the left in 1957
Looking south towards Stratford Race Course Platform with the now lifted connection to the SMJ line seen the left on 17th July 1966
Ref: gwrsanct2464
J Evans
Looking south to Stratford Race Course Platform with the now lifted connection to the SMJ line seen the left

A warning that if something is not done very shortly Mr TI Allen is afraid the Signal Box will tumble down
Ref: gwrsanct3918
Great Western Railway
A warning that if something is not done very shortly Mr TI Allen is afraid the Signal Box will tumble down
Exchange traffic over the junction is now sufficiently heavy to warrant GWR continuing to keep it open
Ref: gwrsanct3919
Great Western Railway
Exchange traffic over the junction is now sufficiently heavy to warrant GWR continuing to keep it open
Approval of the tracing prepared by Mr Robotham subject to distant signals being provided for the Level Crossing
Ref: gwrsanct3920
Great Western Railway
Approval of the tracing prepared subject to distant signals being provided for the Level Crossing
E&WJ object to bear any footing of the expense of altering the junction and to its proposed closure by the GWR
Ref: gwrsanct3921
Great Western Railway
E&WJ object to bear any footing of the expense of altering the junction and to its proposed closure by the GWR
Internal correspondence from Mr E Murphy dated 4th July 1888 relating to alternative to there being a signal box
Ref: gwrsanct3922
Great Western Railway
Internal correspondence from Mr E Murphy dated 4th July 1888 relating to alternative to there being a signal box

Extract from the Great Western Railway Birmingham Division Appendix to Service Time Tables (sections No12 and No14) dated March 1921
Ref: gwrsanct3923
Great Western Railway
Extract from the GWR Birmingham Division Appendix to STTs (sections No12 and No14) dated March 1921
An 1885 Ordnance Survey map showing the layout and juxtaposition of Evesham Road Crossing and Sanctus Street
Ref: gwrsanct2465
National Library of Scotland
An 1885 OS map showing the layout and juxtaposition of Evesham Road Crossing and Sanctus Street
An 1885 OS map showing the junction and connecting line from Sanctus Road to the East & West Junction station
Ref: gwrsanct3161
National Library of Scotland
An 1885 OS map showing the junction and connecting line from Sanctus Road to the East & West Junction station
A 1913 Ordnance Survey map showing the layout and juxtaposition of Evesham Road Crossing and Sanctus Street
Ref: gwrsanct1522
National Library of Scotland
A 1913 OS map showing the layout and juxtaposition of Evesham Road Crossing and Sanctus Street
A 1939 Ordnance Survey map showing the layout and juxtaposition of Evesham Road Crossing and Sanctus Street
Ref: gwrsanct2468
National Library of Scotland
A 1939 OS map showing the layout and juxtaposition of Evesham Road Crossing and Sanctus Street

A 1913 OS map showing the junction and connecting line from Sanctus Road to the East & West Junction station
Ref: gwrsanct3163
National Library of Scotland
A 1913 OS map showing the junction and connecting line from Sanctus Road to the East & West Junction station
Looking south towards Stratford Race Course Platform with the now lifted connection to the SMJ line seen the left on 17th July 1966
Ref: gwrsanct3162
National Library of Scotland
A 1939 OS map showing the junction and connecting line from Sanctus Road to the East & West Junction station
Schematic plan of the SMJ line and the connections to the GWR line in 1960 after the lifting of the SMJ line to Broom
Ref: gwrsanct2467
RA Cooke
Schematic of the SMJ line & the connections to the GWR line in 1960 after the lifting of the SMJ line to Broom

Locomotives seen at Sanctus Road

British Railways built 4-6-0 Modified Hall No 7918 'Rhose Wood Hall is seen on a Class  A five-coach up express passing the SMJ junction
Ref: gwrsanct1483
RC Riley
BR built 4-6-0 No 7918 'Rhose Wood Hall is seen on a Class A five-coach up express passing the SMJ junction
Ex-GWR 2-6-0 43xx class No 6306 is seen passing Stratford on Avon Junction Signal Box with a four-coach Worcester to Birmingham service
Ref: gwrsanct1523
Millbrook House
Ex-GWR 2-6-0 No 6306 passes Stratford on Avon Junction Signal Box with a service to Birmingham
British Railways built 4-6-0 6959 class No 6995 'Benthall Hall' is seen on the 7:40am St Austell to Wolverhampton Saturdays Only service
Ref: gwrsanct1496
AWV Mace
BR built 4-6-0 No 6995 'Benthall Hall' is seen on the 7:40am St Austell to Wolverhampton S.O. service
Ex-GWR 0-6-0PT 94xx class No 9401 is seen on a local passenger working as it approaches the bridge carrying the former SMJ line
Ref: gwrsanct1485
RC Riley
Ex-GWR 0-6-0PT No 9401 on a local passenger working approaches the bridge carrying the former SMJ line
Ex-GWR 2-8-0 28xx class No 2818 is seen passing Stratford on Avon Junction Signal Box on an up Class G freight service
Ref: gwrsanct1552
P Tandy
Ex-GWR 2-8-0 No 2818 is passing Stratford on Avon Junction Signal Box on an up Class G freight service

British Railways built 4-6-0 Modified Hall class No 6996 'Blackwell Hall' is seen at the head of an up West Country express service to Snow Hill
Ref: gwrsanct1557
AWV Mace
BR built 4-6-0 class No 6996 'Blackwell Hall' is seen at the head of an up West Country express service to Snow Hill
BR built 4-6-0 No 7908 'Henshall Hall' approaches Sanctus Road bridge with a Ramblers Association special
Ref: gwrsanct2480
M Mensing
BR built 4-6-0 No 7908 'Henshall Hall' approaches Sanctus Road bridge with a Ramblers Association special
An unidentified ex-GWR 4-6-0 Castle Class locomotive is seen approaching Sanctus Street bridge with the southbound Cornishman in 1958
Ref: gwrsanct2482
RC Riley
An ex-GWR 4-6-0 Castle Class locomotive approaches Sanctus Street bridge with the southbound Cornishman
Ex-GWR 0-6-0 2251 class No 2211 is seen at the head of the 'Tiddly Dyke' as it gets ready to leave the former SMJ station via the exchange lines
Ref: gwrsanct1545
TE Williams
Ex-GWR 0-6-0 No 2211 at the head of the 'Tiddly Dyke' as it leaves the former SMJ station via the exchange lines
A three-car Swindon built Cross Country DMU passes the junction with the SMJ on the 13:25pm Worcester Shrub Hill to Leamington Spa service on 25th May 1963
Ref: gwrsanct2479
M Mensing
A three-car Cross Country DMU passes the SMJ on the 13:25pm Worcester Shrub Hill to Leamington Spa service

A Cross-Country nine-car DMU on the 09:00am Snow Hill to Swansea High Street service passes beneath Sanctus Road
Ref: gwrsanct2466
M Mensing
A Cross-Country nine-car DMU on the 09:00am Snow Hill to Swansea High Street service passes beneath Sanctus Road
Ex-GWR 4-6-0 4073 (Castle) Class No 4086 ‘Builth Castle’, heading south from Stratford-on-Avon under Sanctus Road bridge
Ref: gwrsamct3914
M Mensing
Ex-GWR 4-6-0 4073 No 4086 ‘Builth Castle’, heading south from Stratford-on-Avon under Sanctus Road bridge