Blenheim and Woodstock Branch Line
Encyclopedia
The Blenheim and Woodstock Branch Line was a 4 miles (6.4 km) long railway branch line that ran from Kidlington railway station
along the Cherwell Valley Line
north to Shipton-on-Cherwell
where the line branched off west past towards Woodstock
.
Constructed by the 7th Duke of Marlborough
, the line opened in 1874 and was privately run until 1897 when it became part of the Great Western Railway
. In 1929, a halt was added to the line at Shipton-on-Cherwell
primarily to serve the Oxford and Shipton Cement Company limestone quarry and cement works. The number of trains serving the station was cut in the late 1930s, and again in 1952 down to only six trains a day. These cuts in the frequency of trains along the Woodstock branch line produced two-hour waits at Kidlington for a connection. British Rail
ways closed the branch line in early 1952 with the last train adorned with a wreath. The track was lifted in 1958.
Kidlington railway station
Kidlington railway station opened in 1852 on the Oxford and Rugby Railway to serve the adjacent Oxfordshire village of Kidlington, and act as a railhead for the town of Woodstock, away...
along the Cherwell Valley Line
Cherwell Valley Line
The Cherwell Valley Line is the railway line between Didcot and Banbury via Oxford. It links the Great Western Main Line and the south to the Chiltern Main Line and the Midlands...
north to Shipton-on-Cherwell
Shipton-on-Cherwell
Shipton-on-Cherwell is a village on the River Cherwell north of Kidlington in Oxfordshire, England. The village is part of the civil parish of Shipton-on-Cherwell and Thrupp.-Manor:...
where the line branched off west past towards Woodstock
Woodstock, Oxfordshire
Woodstock is a small town northwest of Oxford in Oxfordshire, England. It is the location of Blenheim Palace, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.Winston Churchill was born in Blenheim Palace in 1874 and is buried in the nearby village of Bladon....
.
Constructed by the 7th Duke of Marlborough
John Spencer-Churchill, 7th Duke of Marlborough
John Winston Spencer-Churchill, 7th Duke of Marlborough, KG, PC , styled Earl of Sunderland from 1822 to 1840 and Marquess of Blandford from 1840 to 1857, was a British statesman and nobleman...
, the line opened in 1874 and was privately run until 1897 when it became part of the Great Western Railway
Great Western Railway
The Great Western Railway was a British railway company that linked London with the south-west and west of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament in 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838...
. In 1929, a halt was added to the line at Shipton-on-Cherwell
Shipton-on-Cherwell Halt railway station
Shipton-on-Cherwell Halt was a railway halt constructed in 1929 by the Great Western Railway to serve the Oxfordshire village of Shipton-on-Cherwell as well as the adjacent Oxford and Shipton Cement Company limestone quarry and cement works.-History:...
primarily to serve the Oxford and Shipton Cement Company limestone quarry and cement works. The number of trains serving the station was cut in the late 1930s, and again in 1952 down to only six trains a day. These cuts in the frequency of trains along the Woodstock branch line produced two-hour waits at Kidlington for a connection. British Rail
British Rail
British Railways , which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was the operator of most of the rail transport in Great Britain between 1948 and 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the "Big Four" British railway companies and lasted until the gradual privatisation of British Rail, in stages...
ways closed the branch line in early 1952 with the last train adorned with a wreath. The track was lifted in 1958.