Coughton Station

LMS Route: Evesham to Birmingham

Coughton station was just over 2 miles down the line from Studley and Aston station and opened on 4th May 1868. The station has the same standard single platform configuration, the same as most other intermediate stations on the line. The station facilities were basic comprising just a single storey structure housing the booking office and passenger facilities. The goods yard was also a simple affair being a single siding connected at both ends.

Bob Essery records that unusually the station had signal box in the earlier part of its life, opening some time before 16th August 1877 but it was short lived closing on 11th October 1891, when the home and distant signals were dispensed with. After the signal box was closed entry to the siding was gained via the two ground stages by using the single-line token. The siding could accommodate twenty-six wagons with some loads requiring the use of the end loading dock that was part of the station.

Bob Essery further describes that at the south end of the siding a trap point was employed to safeguard the running line from run away vehicles. Bob further notes that in the Railway Clearing House Official Handbook of Railway Stations live stock could be handled by the station, but with the lack of a fixed cattle dock this must have been either executed by using the end dock or a mobile ramp as seen at Wixford. The station was situated in a very rural location with little potential for generating business and traffic was down to four down and five up workings per day as early as 1901. Surprisingly the station lasted for another fifty years before closing to all traffic on 30th June 1952.

Views of Coughton station

Ref: mrcou374 Disused Station View of the simple station building bedecked with flowers with the Station Master and a porter posed on the platform

Ref: mrcou375 Disused Station Coughton railway station looking towards Alcester with passengers and milk churns standing on the platform

Ref: mrcou593 RS Carpenter View of Coughton station from the opposite side with Station Master and porter posed with other passengers

Ref: mrcou1368 RJ Essery An oblique view of Coughton station looking to Studley with the station covered with flowers on 4th May 1930

Ref: mrcou592 RJ Essery View of the station five days prior to its closure with the station still looking neat and tidy

Miscellaneous Views

Ref: mrcou1366 RJ Essery View of Mr Percy Duckett, Coughton's last stationmaster and the British Railway's closure notice poster

Ref: mrcou376 WoW Ex-LMS 4MT 2-6-0 Mogul No 43013 stands at the head of an Ashchurch to Birmingham train

Ref: mrcou591 RJ Essery Looking north to Studley and Astwood Bank and the goods siding with the end dock partially seen on the left

Ref: mrcou594 J Moss A view of the station looking towards Studley and Astwood Bank showing the curve of the line and the goods yard

Ordnance Survey maps and schematic drawings

Ref: mrcou1367 AE Overton A schematic drawing of a 1905 25 inch Ordnance Survey map of Coughton station's simple track layout

Ref: mrcou1369 Ordnance Survey An undated Ordnance Survey map showing the access road to the station and the basic facilities available

Ref: coughton_map Disused Station Ordnance Survey map of Coughton station showing its relative remoteness to any village or other communities