LMS Route: Birmingham West Suburban Railway

Bournville Station: mrb1436

This is thought to be the only photograph of the Birmingham West Suburban Railway's Stirchley Street station. It was taken in 1879, the year that Cadburys built their new factory on an nearby greenfield site. The following year the station was renamed Stirchley Street and Bournville, to publicise its proximity to the new development. The view looks very different to all subsequent ones, with a modest wooden station building, single track with no passing loop, unfamiliar looking bridge and tall lower quadrant signal. The bridge was built to clear a double track line, as were all those over the BWSR. A map dated 1882 shows that it provided access to Lea House Farm (see image 'mrb1510').

A more permanent looking station was erected when the BWSR was upgraded to a double track main line by the Midland Railway in 1885 and, when the surrounding area was urbanised, a new stronger bridge was built to carry a public road across the line. A good view of the replacement station from the other side of the bridge was taken circa 1911 (see image 'mrb1484').

John Dews

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