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London North Western
Railway:
 Midland
Railway:
 Stratford
Midland Junction Railway
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LMS Route: Birmingham New Street to Tamworth
Wilnecote Station: mrw1284
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View of Wilnecote station's timber waiting shelter which was
close to the pedestrian path which sloped down from the main road (seen behind
the building). It was the only accommodation provided on the platform for
northbound trains to Tamworth, Burton and Derby. The shelter was unheated and
open to the elements, the steeply sloping roof and shallow plan strongly
suggest that it was provided with a bench seat along the back wall (where it
was not tall enough to stand up). It also served as the support for the up
platform's fire buckets. Whilst being primitive in terms of passenger comfort,
closer inspection reveals a surprising degree of ornament in its detail. The
opening in the front is framed with an arched moulding flanked by two gothic
windows with decorative glazing bars. The top of the front wall is finished
with a coved moulding surmounting a deep panel of typical decorative platform
canopy valencing, fixed directly to the wall really quite extraordinary
in view of the building's basic nature. Perhaps the directors wanted to give
the commuters waiting for their Birmingham train something more than a rude
wooden hut to look at? A large poster board was fitted to the right hand side
of the doorway and windows, provided with a gaslight above to illuminate the
timetables on the board. The 1884 Ordnance survey suggests that this building
was already in situ at the time. Photograph taken on 21st March 1967.
Toby Clempson
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