Notes: The station was opened as Chappel but was renamed Chappel
& Wakes Colne on 1.10.1914. Chapel & Wakes Colne Station
is now home to the East
Anglian Railway Museum
BRIEF HISTORY OF THE STOUR VALLEY
RAILWAY (Marks Tey - Sudbury)
In 1846 the Colchester, Stour Valley, Sudbury & Halstead Railway
was authorised by parliament to build a 12 mile line between Marks
Tey and Sudbury. On 1.6.1847 further Acts were obtained allowing
the company to extend from Sudbury to Clare with a branch from
Melford to Bury St. Edmunds. The company was leased to the Ipswich
& Bury St. Edmunds Railway which was in turn absorbed by the
Eastern Union Railway the following month.
The line from Marks Tey to Sudbury opened on 2.7.1849 with intermediate
stations at Bures and Chappel & Wakes Colne. In 1865 the line
was extend to Shelford to allow through running to Cambridge.
In April 1965, the British Railways Board gave notice of their
intention to close the line from Marks Tey to Cambridge with total
closure planned for 31.12.1966. The Minister of Transport refused
permission to close the Sudbury to Marks Tey section because of
commuter needs and planned development at Sudbury.
The line to Sudbury survived several further attempts to close
it and after the 1974 energy crisis and the threat of petrol rationing
it was reprieved in the interests of the local community.
For further reading see: 'The
Stour Valley Railway' by B D J Walsh. Published 1978 by Stour
Valley Railway Preservation Society. ISBN 0 95064733 0 (£1.20
from Amazon)
To see the other
stations on the Stour Valley Railway line click on the station
name: Pampisford,
Linton,
Bartlow, Haverhill,
Sturmer, Stoke,
Clare, Cavendish,
Glemsford, Long
Melford, Sudbury
& Bures
See also Colne
Valley Railway
Long Melford - Bury St.
Edmunds Branch Line
Bartlow - Audley
End Branch Line
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