Station Name: BLENHEIM AND WOODSTOCK[Source: Darren Kitson]
In the 1950s Young's Garage was next door to Woodstock station. After closure of the line Jack Young bought the old station building which he used to store damaged vehicles and those awaiting repair. In 1966 he relocated his petrol station to the former station forecourt. I have included this picture as it shows Young's filling station before it moved to the station forecourt, Young's Garage at 2 Oxford Street, Woodstock seen here sometime in the 1950s. One of the pumps is surmounted by a 'Regent' globe; Regent Petroleum did not come into being until February 1953 so this is the earliest possible date for the photograph. Today we refer to 'Petrol Station' or 'Filling Station' but at one time 'garage' was the proper and commonly used term. This is because they really were garages, offering repairs and servicing as well as other products such as paraffin and the charging of accumulators for wireless sets. Many of these businesses began life as bicycle dealers and repairers, later venturing into motor vehicles from which a logical step was the provision of kerbside petrol pumps. Today petrol stations trade under a single brand but back in the day and as this view shows there was often a choice with Young's offering, left to right, Shell, Regent, Esso and Fina. The modern motorist usually hunts for the cheapest fuel but at one time motorists tended to have preferred brands and this is the reason for the four brands offered by Young's. Pumps were of various makes with Avery Hardoll and Beckmeter being common among them. Even Ruston & Hornsby, better known for their shunting locomotives, broke into the kerbside pump market at one time but apparently not very successfully. The Fina pump seen here can be identified as a Beckmeter but the identity of the other three is uncertain. The Regent globe is mounted on a rather older pump, perhaps from circa 1930, while the other two, with pointer dials, date from the late 1940s - early 1950s period. Motorists simply pulled up at the kerbside and the pump attendant, seen here on the right, would emerge. Typically the motorist would say "Fill 'er up please" and when filled up would pay the attendant, obtain a receipt if required, and drive away. The dispenser surmounted by a disc is for 'Carburol', a cylinder lubricant. The attendant would likely ask the motorist if he wanted a shot of Carburol in his petrol tank, usually paid for but was sometimes free providing one also purchased a tank of petrol. Today 'Redex' is perhaps the best known fuel additive but many such products were of dubious benefit and especially when an engine was becoming worn out which at one time usually happened well before 100,000 miles was reached. Of the four petrol (there is no obvious sign of diesel being available) brands seen here, only Shell and Esso are familiar today. Regent eventually became Texaco and Fina (Petrofina) became Total. This scene is very differenttoday and where the attendant stands is now Ashford Close, a modern road leading to new housing and named after Thomas Ashford, a former long-serving stationmaster at Woodstock. The original and somewhat ramshackle garage in this view was rebuilt into a modern but small car showroom. The business folded sometime in the early 21st century.
Photo from AL Chapter With the station being behind the camera, this is part of Woodstock goods yard during track lifting. The operation was completed in early 1958 so this view likely dates from late 1957. The contractor, Messrs. Pittrail, has removed the rails but the sleepers and rail chairs remain and these will obviously be taken away by road. The water tower complete with bag still stands on the right and to the left part of the goods shed can be seen, which is obscuring the goods yard entrance from Hensington Road. The small hut left of centre was a coal office, the weighbridge and its hut were further left and again are obscured by the goods shed. To the immediate right of the coal office but standing further back are the cattle pens, although this is not immediately obvious. The short siding which served the cattle pens was known to railway staff as 'Glove Factory Siding' (the factory was the building in the background, directly ahead of the camera) but the reason is unclear. The various shadows tell us the photograph was taken not long after dawn and the shadow cast by the water tower is doing its best to hide what appears to be sleepers laid across the trackbed as if something required access to the water tower but precisely what was going on has to remain a mystery.
Photo received from Linda Sturt  The desolate sight that was the former Woodstock station on 24 March 1961. The basic fabric of the station was extant and a number of vehicles take advantage of the canopy, among which is a horse-box which has a look of Commer about it. On the right stands a badly damaged Ford Consul and in the foreground a cement mixer and vehicle chassis of unidentified origin. Young's Garage was using the site for storage of damaged or life expired vehicles and others awaiting attention. It became, in essence, a scrapyard.
Photo by Ben Brooksbank 
By 1985 Young's Garage filling station had been operating on the Woodstock station forecourt for over 20 years. The station building had been extended at the back to include a car showroom and workshop.
Photo by Kevin Sullivan 
Woodstock station forecourt in 2010. By this time the station also included a Spar store.
Photo by Dan Lockton 
Young's vacated the Woodstock station building in 2011 and the site was fenced awaiting redevelopment.
Photo
by Simon Somerscales
Looking south west along New Road at the south side of the Woodstock station building in 2011. The platform canopy is still in place but has been converted into a partially open car workshop.
Photo by Simon Somerscales Looking north east along New Road at the south side of Woodstock station building in 2011.
Photo by Kevin Reed  There would have been several of these markers around the site, this one is in New Road. This is a GWR design marker but cast with the Woodstock Co's name.Photo by Kevin Reed By 2011 the main station building at Woodstock was intact but surrounded by new buildings. This view is looking south east across the platform at the east end of the station building. The warehouse on the right has been built on the site of the track, run-round loop and carriage dock.
Photo by Kevin Reed 
Looking south west along the platform towards the surviving Woodstock station building in 2011. Young's Garage only occupies the station site. Young's have built a large workshop (seen here) that incorporates the platform area under the canopy which has been retained.
Photo by Kevin Reed  Woodstock station looking north east along along the platform in 2011. The south wing of the station building remains largely unaltered although the canopy has been strengthened. Young's car repair workshop, which has been built alongside largely on the site of the run round loop and carriage dock, has been built at platform height to allow the platform and station rooms to be used. Photo by Kevin Reed Click here for Blenheim and Woodstock Station Gallery 5:
2011 - April 2018
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