Leominster and Kington Railway
Encyclopedia
Leominster and Kington Railway was one of four branches which served the Welsh Marches
border town of Kington
, Herefordshire
.
Opened in August 1857, its peak was during World War II
, when it served two US Army hospitals. Decling post war due to competition from bus
es, it closed to passengers in 1955, and freight from 1964.
Today, a 1 miles (1.6 km) section is preserved at Titley Junction railway station.
of Shobdon Court. It received Royal Assent
as a broad gauge
line in July 1854, subject to provision for a junction with the standard gauge
Kington and Eardisley Railway be provided.
On 14 November 1854 the company agreed the offer of Thomas Brassey
and William Field to construct the line for £70,000. Further, they would work from opening and pay the shareholders a 4% dividend per annum. Engineered by David Wylie of Shrewsbury, Lady Bateman cut the first sod at Kington, with a silver spade into a special built barrow that can be seen preserved today at the Leominster Folk Museum. Section from the Leominster railway station
of the Shrewsbury and Hereford Railway
to Pembridge, opened for goods traffic on the 18th October, 1855, at a cost of £7,000 per mile.
But, with additional costs, the company was struggling, and in April 1856 Brassey and Field, who held £20,000 or one quarter of the company's stock, advanced the company £10,000 at 5%. The second section from Pembridge to Kington opened in August 1857. There were no tunnels or viaducts on the entire single track line of 13 miles (20.92142 km) in length, which had cost £80,000 to construct.
Inspected by Colonel Yolland for the Board of Trade
on the 22nd July, 1857, a certificate authorising the opening was withheld because a level crossing had been built at Pembridge instead of the overbridge authorised by the Act of Parliament.
to Kington, stopping briefly at all stations along the line. When they reached Kington, the directors retired to the Oxford Arms Hotel, where with 300 guests then Rear Admiral
Sir Thomas Hastings CB presided over lunch. The return journey was completed with diner for the same 300 guests at the Royal Oak Hotel, Leominster, presided over by Lord Bateman. Bateman remained chairman for 22years, and had a private station built at Ox House.
In 1862 the line was leased to the West Midland Railway, which taken over by the Great Western Railway
, amalgamated the line on 1 July 1898. This meant that by 1874 a journey from Kington to Leominster took 40 minutes, to Hereford
1 hour 20 minutes, and to Shrewsbury
3 hours and 30 minutes.
As the line was rural, and based in the Welsh Marches
farm district, the main revenue was earned from transporting goods to the various markets. Sheep and cattle
which had been driven to Kington on the various drovers trails, were now transported to their original destination of Hereford by train. Often on market days, seven or eight cattle trucks were attached to the Hereford bound passenger service, specifically for bull transportation.
Titley Junction was the busiest intermediate station on the line with up to 30 trains a day passing through. It was the connection point for the LK&R with the Kington and Eardisley Railway south to the Hay Railway
, and the L&KR's own line to Presteigne
.
After completion of this extension, the K&ER extended north from Kington to a small station at New Radnor
, in the hope of completing a cross-Wales mainline to Aberystwyth
, but this never happened.
. The passenger service on this line ended in 1951, but a freight service continued to run every other day until the line was finally closed for good in 1961.
bombers, the British Government looked at sites in the Welsh Marches, which had the convenience of being accessible.
A hospital camp was built by the British Army
at Hergest, which later acted as a clearing point for two general hospitals built by the US Army in 1943. The first dedicated hospital train arrived shortly after the Battle of Dunkirk in 1940. After the US Army Artillery
arrived in late 1943, the camp had received 11 hospital trains for one hospital, carrying up to 300 patients per train. Between the 4th January and the 28th April, 1945 the other hospital had received 10 trains and admitted 2,413 patients. All the hospital trains arrived from Southampton
.
The camp was developed as RAF Shobdon, a glider
training camp for both the Normandy and Arnhem
campaigns.
Welsh Marches
The Welsh Marches is a term which, in modern usage, denotes an imprecisely defined area along and around the border between England and Wales in the United Kingdom. The precise meaning of the term has varied at different periods...
border town of Kington
Kington
- Places :In England* Kington * Kington, Herefordshire* Kington, Worcestershire* Kington Langley, Wiltshire* Kington Magna, Dorset* Kington St Michael, Wiltshire* West Kington, Wiltshire- People :* L. Brent Kington, American Artist and Metalsmith...
, Herefordshire
Herefordshire
Herefordshire is a historic and ceremonial county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire" NUTS 2 region. It also forms a unitary district known as the...
.
Opened in August 1857, its peak was during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, when it served two US Army hospitals. Decling post war due to competition from bus
Bus
A bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. Buses can have a capacity as high as 300 passengers. The most common type of bus is the single-decker bus, with larger loads carried by double-decker buses and articulated buses, and smaller loads carried by midibuses and minibuses; coaches are...
es, it closed to passengers in 1955, and freight from 1964.
Today, a 1 miles (1.6 km) section is preserved at Titley Junction railway station.
Construction
Proposed in 1853, the company was formed by William Bateman-Hanbury, 2nd Baron BatemanWilliam Bateman-Hanbury, 2nd Baron Bateman
William Bateman Bateman-Hanbury, 2nd Baron Bateman , styled The Honourable from 1837 until 1845, was a British peer and Conservative politician.-Background and education:...
of Shobdon Court. It received Royal Assent
Royal Assent
The granting of royal assent refers to the method by which any constitutional monarch formally approves and promulgates an act of his or her nation's parliament, thus making it a law...
as a broad gauge
Broad gauge
Broad-gauge railways use a track gauge greater than the standard gauge of .- List :For list see: List of broad gauges, by gauge and country- History :...
line in July 1854, subject to provision for a junction with the standard gauge
Standard gauge
The standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
Kington and Eardisley Railway be provided.
On 14 November 1854 the company agreed the offer of Thomas Brassey
Thomas Brassey
Thomas Brassey was an English civil engineering contractor and manufacturer of building materials who was responsible for building much of the world's railways in the 19th century. By 1847, he had built about one-third of the railways in Britain, and by time of his death in 1870 he had built one...
and William Field to construct the line for £70,000. Further, they would work from opening and pay the shareholders a 4% dividend per annum. Engineered by David Wylie of Shrewsbury, Lady Bateman cut the first sod at Kington, with a silver spade into a special built barrow that can be seen preserved today at the Leominster Folk Museum. Section from the Leominster railway station
Leominster railway station
Leominster railway station lies on the Welsh Marches Line serving the Herefordshire town of Leominster in England.Leominster has 2 Platforms for North and South bound trains respectively.-History:...
of the Shrewsbury and Hereford Railway
Shrewsbury and Hereford Railway
The Shrewsbury and Hereford Railway was an independently developed English railway, the first to run train services in Herefordshire.Built between 1850 and 1853, it crossed a number of services by both the Great Western Railway and London and North Western Railway companies, became a joint...
to Pembridge, opened for goods traffic on the 18th October, 1855, at a cost of £7,000 per mile.
But, with additional costs, the company was struggling, and in April 1856 Brassey and Field, who held £20,000 or one quarter of the company's stock, advanced the company £10,000 at 5%. The second section from Pembridge to Kington opened in August 1857. There were no tunnels or viaducts on the entire single track line of 13 miles (20.92142 km) in length, which had cost £80,000 to construct.
Inspected by Colonel Yolland for the Board of Trade
Board of Trade
The Board of Trade is a committee of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom, originating as a committee of inquiry in the 17th century and evolving gradually into a government department with a diverse range of functions...
on the 22nd July, 1857, a certificate authorising the opening was withheld because a level crossing had been built at Pembridge instead of the overbridge authorised by the Act of Parliament.
Operations
Eventually, it was agreed to open the line under a temporary order, subject to retrospective application and government approval of the level crossing. The line opened on Tuesday July 28, 1857, with a train consisting of 32 coaches and 2 engines travelling from the joint GWR/LNWR station at LeominsterLeominster railway station
Leominster railway station lies on the Welsh Marches Line serving the Herefordshire town of Leominster in England.Leominster has 2 Platforms for North and South bound trains respectively.-History:...
to Kington, stopping briefly at all stations along the line. When they reached Kington, the directors retired to the Oxford Arms Hotel, where with 300 guests then Rear Admiral
Rear Admiral
Rear admiral is a naval commissioned officer rank above that of a commodore and captain, and below that of a vice admiral. It is generally regarded as the lowest of the "admiral" ranks, which are also sometimes referred to as "flag officers" or "flag ranks"...
Sir Thomas Hastings CB presided over lunch. The return journey was completed with diner for the same 300 guests at the Royal Oak Hotel, Leominster, presided over by Lord Bateman. Bateman remained chairman for 22years, and had a private station built at Ox House.
In 1862 the line was leased to the West Midland Railway, which taken over by 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...
, amalgamated the line on 1 July 1898. This meant that by 1874 a journey from Kington to Leominster took 40 minutes, to Hereford
Hereford railway station
Hereford railway station serves the city of Hereford, England. Managed by Arriva Trains Wales, it lies on the Welsh Marches Line between Leominster and Abergavenny and is the western terminus of the Cotswold Line.The station has four platforms...
1 hour 20 minutes, and to Shrewsbury
Shrewsbury railway station
Shrewsbury railway station is the railway station serving Shrewsbury, county town of Shropshire, England. It is the only remaining railway station in the town; Shrewsbury Abbey, as well as other small stations around the town, having long closed. The station was built in 1848 and has been extended...
3 hours and 30 minutes.
As the line was rural, and based in the Welsh Marches
Welsh Marches
The Welsh Marches is a term which, in modern usage, denotes an imprecisely defined area along and around the border between England and Wales in the United Kingdom. The precise meaning of the term has varied at different periods...
farm district, the main revenue was earned from transporting goods to the various markets. Sheep and cattle
Cattle
Cattle are the most common type of large domesticated ungulates. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae, are the most widespread species of the genus Bos, and are most commonly classified collectively as Bos primigenius...
which had been driven to Kington on the various drovers trails, were now transported to their original destination of Hereford by train. Often on market days, seven or eight cattle trucks were attached to the Hereford bound passenger service, specifically for bull transportation.
Titley Junction was the busiest intermediate station on the line with up to 30 trains a day passing through. It was the connection point for the LK&R with the Kington and Eardisley Railway south to the Hay Railway
Hay Railway
The Hay Railway was an early Welsh narrow gauge horse tramwaythat connected Eardisley Hay-on-Wye with Watton Wharf on the Brecknock and Abergavenny Canal.-Parliamentary authorisation, construction and opening:...
, and the L&KR's own line to Presteigne
Presteigne
Presteigne is a town and community in Powys, Wales. It was the county town of the historic county of Radnorshire, and is in the Diocese of Hereford...
.
After completion of this extension, the K&ER extended north from Kington to a small station at New Radnor
New Radnor
New Radnor is a village in Powys, mid Wales. It was the original county town of Radnorshire. The population today is around 400, a higher than normal proportion of which are pensioners...
, in the hope of completing a cross-Wales mainline to Aberystwyth
Aberystwyth
Aberystwyth is a historic market town, administrative centre and holiday resort within Ceredigion, Wales. Often colloquially known as Aber, it is located at the confluence of the rivers Ystwyth and Rheidol....
, but this never happened.
Kington & Presteigne Railway
The Kington & Presteigne Railway opened on 9 September 1875. Commencing at Titley Junction, it passed through Leen farm, to Staunton-on-Arrow, in front of the Rodd farm via Corton into Presteigne. By 1929 it was possible to join one of the three steam trains a day - each way - and make the 6 hour journey to LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. The passenger service on this line ended in 1951, but a freight service continued to run every other day until the line was finally closed for good in 1961.
World War 2
With need for new hospital capacity out of the reach of Nazi LuftwaffeLuftwaffe
Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
bombers, the British Government looked at sites in the Welsh Marches, which had the convenience of being accessible.
A hospital camp was built by the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
at Hergest, which later acted as a clearing point for two general hospitals built by the US Army in 1943. The first dedicated hospital train arrived shortly after the Battle of Dunkirk in 1940. After the US Army Artillery
Artillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
arrived in late 1943, the camp had received 11 hospital trains for one hospital, carrying up to 300 patients per train. Between the 4th January and the 28th April, 1945 the other hospital had received 10 trains and admitted 2,413 patients. All the hospital trains arrived from Southampton
Southampton
Southampton is the largest city in the county of Hampshire on the south coast of England, and is situated south-west of London and north-west of Portsmouth. Southampton is a major port and the closest city to the New Forest...
.
The camp was developed as RAF Shobdon, a glider
Military glider
Military gliders have been used by the military of various countries for carrying troops and heavy equipment to a combat zone, mainly during the Second World War. These engineless aircraft were towed into the air and most of the way to their target by military transport planes, e.g...
training camp for both the Normandy and Arnhem
Battle of Arnhem
The Battle of Arnhem was a famous Second World War military engagement fought in and around the Dutch towns of Arnhem, Oosterbeek, Wolfheze, Driel and the surrounding countryside from 17–26 September 1944....
campaigns.