Disused Stations: Shipston on Stour Station

Shipston-on-Stour Station: Gallery 4
October 1959 - October 1961

Looking south along the platform in October 1959. By now the horse landing, right, has lost its gates and fencing. These structures were also known as 'Carriage Docks', meaning where horse-drawn and, latter, road motor vehicles could be loaded or unloaded onto or from railway wagons. On the 11th of May 1959 a train formed of fourteen machinery wagons (a type of well wagon) arrived at Shipston-on-Stour from Lavenham, Suffolk conveying a farmer's entire inventory of farm machinery. No other details are known although the horse landing may be assumed to have been used for unloading, the use of machinery wagons would have required unloading via a crane and presumably in the goods yard. The buildings in the background no longer exist and with a small number of exceptions the entire station area is now covered by modern housing.
Copyright photo from National Railway museum

A rather bleak view looking due south towards the buffer stop sometime in the 1950s. A van stands on the track on the right.
Photo from John Mann collection

In this view from circa 1959 we have a good view of the walkway on the platform ramp and of the approach pathway which appears, logically, to have been laid with setts. The pathway was only wide enough for pedestrians and small barrows, hence the muddy ruts in the grass caused, presumably, by road vehicles reversing up to the gate. The ‘Levers Stone’ sign suggests that the station building was being used as an office although other photographs from around this time show no evidence of this. At far left the roof of Hutchings coal office, a wooden hut, is partially visible. It is worth mentioning that at least one early photograph shows a horse-drawn road vehicle on the platform while some written works mention road vehicles reversing onto the platform. Quite how this was possible when looking at this view is puzzling and it can only be assumed the arrangement of gates and fencing was altered at some point in time.
Photo from John Mann collection

The second view showing the Levens Stone sign, presumed both taken at the same time circa 1959. The amount of sag to the platform canopy, seen in various photographs, is an aid to approximate dating when actual dates are not known. The fleet of internal user Iron Mink vans had expanded by this time; it all began with just one. A train is at the platform and on this occasion the regular brake van, 'Toad' No. W56361 was not in use. The train is very short and on a larger version of the photograph, the ghostly-looking person at the far end of the platform is seen to be standing adjacent to the locomotive's cab. Coupled behind the locomotive is some sort of engineering or departmental vehicle but identification is not possible. Perhaps the train was a special, working to recover some equipment prior to closure in 1960. That may explain the absence of the regular 'Toad' brake van. There is no obvious sign of any revenue goods vehicles being present either. Note the bicycle leaning against the end of the goods shed. The bicycle appears in several photographs.
Photo from John Mann collection

On Tuesday the 26th of April 1960, the branch goods was caught at Shipston shunting a flat wagon carrying some sort of sheeted-over plant. The final digit of the locomotive number is partially obscured although it would appear to be No.78009 again. By this time the goods train ran on Tuesdays and Thursdays only, therefore this view shows the penultimate revenue train on the branch. No.78009 is known to have worked the final train two days later. Note, on the right, the grounded Iron Mink van complete with wheels. Next to it is the body of a Dean 40ft Full Brake, this body being a familiar sight at Shipston-on-Stour for many years. The Iron Mink had replaced the wooden body of a much older van which like the Full Brake had stood on stilts. One might assume the older wooden body and its stilts had rotted, hence the reason for the Iron Mink being grounded on its wheels.

Photo by Geoffrey Skelsey

Another view taken on the 26th of April 1960, this time looking north from the end of the platform. A goods brake van stands on the running line in the distance and what looks suspiciously like a cloud of steam suggests the locomotive is lurking behind the van. By this time the station building was looking quite decrepit and an entrance has appeared at the bottom of the end wall for rats and mice to go in and out. The canopy is beginning to sag and later photographs show the sag worsened but was then corrected, probably by a tenant. The platform was adorned with delightful little rock gardens, such floral activities being common at rural stations and, of course, at Shipston-on-Stour the staff had plenty of time for this sort of thing.

Photo by Geoffrey Skelsey

This photograph looks for all the world that it dates from around the turn of the 20th century but in fact it is another from the November 1961 series. A gate to the horse landing is seen roughly centre picture and in front of it the ramped path which led to the station platform, this being the public entrance and exit. The layout seen here does not match that shown on much earlier maps as subsequent to 1914 there was a longer and therefore less steep ramp leading to the street from the horse landing. The ramped path for public access existed pre 1914 but it appears that sometime subsequently the ramp from the horse landing was cut back and the ramped path restored but at a different angle to the platform. This detail is, though, by no means clear. The goods yard entrance is seen on the left and beyond it the weigh office. Beyond the weigh office had stood Hutchings coal office and adjacent to the near end of the weigh office had stood Hudson's sack office. The latter has certainly gone and unless the photograph has a major defect Hutchings office has also gone. Both of these were merely small wooden huts.
Photo by Bryan Hicks copyright Anthony Hicks

Another in a series of photographs from November 1961, this time looking north-east at the station building. That canopy does not look safe at all. Dilapidated the building may well have been, given that this one dates from 1889 it had survived quite well although one advantage of timber buildings was their ease of repair.
Photo by Bryan Hicks copyright Anthony Hicks

The station building photographed in November 1961. The annex on the left is thought to have been the Gentlemen's lavatory. The Ladies was in the near end of the main building, with the ventilation louvres. Next to it was the Ladies waiting room, believed followed by a general waiting room and finally the ticket office. Note the fire buckets; one is still lettered G.W.R. and at least two of the others are lettered B.R.
Photo by Bryan Hicks copyright Anthony Hicks

November 1961 again and this time from the track which, as can be seen, was still in situ at this time. The Ladies lavatory could, as is evident, only be accessed from the adjacent Ladies waiting room and this was a standard arrangement. Just left of the second door there is a small sign affixed to the framing but what it says is impossible to determine.

Photo by Bryan Hicks copyright Anthony Hicks

A trackside view of the station on the 29th of October 1961. There is, unsurprisingly, little difference to the photographs taken the following month. One wonders if that was Mrs Photographer standing in front of the telegraph pole with a somewhat disinterested pose!
Photo by Bryan Hicks copyright Anthony Hicks

Click here for Shipston-on-Stour Station: Gallery 5
October 1961 - September 1974

[Source: Darren Kitson]

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Station Name: SHIPSTON ON STOUR