_railway_station.gif)
Millbrook (Bedfordshire) railway station
Encyclopedia
Millbrook railway station serves the villages of Millbrook
and Marston Moretaine
in Bedfordshire
, England
. It is on the Marston Vale Line
, between Stewartby
and Lidlington
. Millbrook is also the principal stop for the Marston Vale Millennium Country Park
.
Partnership, which aims to increase use of the line by involving local people.
. The opening of a second and more conveniently-sited Ampthill station
by the Midland Railway
in 1868 on its Midland Main Line
gave rise to confusion which was only resolved in 1877 when the original Ampthill station was renamed "Millbrook for Ampthill". The station is the fourth and final on the Marston Vale Line to be built in a half-timbered Gothic Revival style
that had been insisted upon by the 7th Duke of Bedford
for stations situated in the vicinity of the Woburn Estate
. The two station platforms are east of a level crossing
.
The station developed substantial coal traffic, as well as trade in cattle and goods with stables in its goods yard and a wagon repairers. A public house
called the Morteyne Arms opened opposite the station. Traffic increased still further with the development of the brick industry in the area; a siding
was opened on 7 May 1928 to cater for the trade in bricks, the towers of the Millbrook Brick Company could be seen from the station. The brick traffic peaked in the 1930s, with a second brickworks
called "Marston Moretaine" being opened a mile from the station; although it was too far for a siding, bricks were transported by road to the station where they were loaded on to rail wagons.
The station, whose name was changed to "Millbrook" in 1910, was reduced to an unstaffed halt in 1968, having lost its formerly substantial goods facilities four years previously. The station building was restored in the early 1980s and converted into a private residence. In 1999, the low station platforms — the last of their type remaining on the line — were rebuilt to the standard height appropriate to modern trains.
Millbrook, Bedfordshire
Millbrook is a small village and civil parish near Bedford. It has a population of 130. Millbrook railway station, on the Marston Vale Line is about two miles from the village....
and Marston Moretaine
Marston Moretaine
Marston Moretaine is a large village and civil parish located on the A421 between Bedford and Milton Keynes. It has a population of 3,684, and is served by Millbrook railway station, which is about a mile away, on the Marston Vale Line....
in Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire is a ceremonial county of historic origin in England that forms part of the East of England region.It borders Cambridgeshire to the north-east, Northamptonshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the west and Hertfordshire to the south-east....
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It is on the Marston Vale Line
Marston Vale Line
The Marston Vale Line is the railway line from Bletchley to Bedford in England. It is one of two surviving passenger-carrying sections of the "Varsity Line" between Oxford and Cambridge....
, between Stewartby
Stewartby railway station
Stewartby railway station serves the Bedfordshire village of Stewartby in England. It is also the nearest station to the Marston Vale Millennium Country Park.-Services:...
and Lidlington
Lidlington railway station
Lidlington railway station serves the village of Lidlington in Bedfordshire, England. The station's two platforms once faced each other, either side of the double tracks...
. Millbrook is also the principal stop for the Marston Vale Millennium Country Park
Forest of Marston Vale
The Forest of Marston Vale is an evolving community forest in Marston Vale, which runs south west from the towns of Bedford and Kempston in Bedfordshire, England towards the M1 motorway. It is operated by a registered charity called the Marston Vale Trust....
.
Services
Millbrook station, in common with others on the Marston Vale Line, is covered by the Marston Vale Community RailCommunity rail
In the United Kingdom, a community rail line is a local railway which is specially supported by local organisations. This support is usually through a Community Rail Partnerships – comprising both the railway operator, local councils and other community organisations – or sometimes by...
Partnership, which aims to increase use of the line by involving local people.
History
First opened in 1846 by the Bedford Railway, the station was originally named "Marston", but changed to "Ampthill (Marston)" in 1850 after the nearby villageAmpthill
Ampthill is a small town and civil parish in Bedfordshire, England, between Bedford and Luton, with a population of about 6,000. It is administered by Central Bedfordshire Council. A regular market has taken place on Thursdays for centuries.-History:...
. The opening of a second and more conveniently-sited Ampthill station
Ampthill railway station
This article is about the former Midland Railway station in Bedfordshire. For the similarly named Ampthill station see the article on Millbrook railway station...
by the Midland Railway
Midland Railway
The Midland Railway was a railway company in the United Kingdom from 1844 to 1922, when it became part of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway....
in 1868 on its Midland Main Line
Midland Main Line
The Midland Main Line is a major railway route in the United Kingdom, part of the British railway system.The present-day line links London St...
gave rise to confusion which was only resolved in 1877 when the original Ampthill station was renamed "Millbrook for Ampthill". The station is the fourth and final on the Marston Vale Line to be built in a half-timbered Gothic Revival style
Gothic Revival architecture
The Gothic Revival is an architectural movement that began in the 1740s in England...
that had been insisted upon by the 7th Duke of Bedford
Francis Russell, 7th Duke of Bedford
Francis Russell, 7th Duke of Bedford KG, PC , styled Marquess of Tavistock from 1802 to 1839, was a British peer and Whig politician.-Background and education:...
for stations situated in the vicinity of the Woburn Estate
Woburn Abbey
Woburn Abbey , near Woburn, Bedfordshire, England, is a country house, the seat of the Duke of Bedford and the location of the Woburn Safari Park.- Pre-20th century :...
. The two station platforms are east of a level crossing
Level crossing
A level crossing occurs where a railway line is intersected by a road or path onone level, without recourse to a bridge or tunnel. It is a type of at-grade intersection. The term also applies when a light rail line with separate right-of-way or reserved track crosses a road in the same fashion...
.
The station developed substantial coal traffic, as well as trade in cattle and goods with stables in its goods yard and a wagon repairers. A public house
Public house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
called the Morteyne Arms opened opposite the station. Traffic increased still further with the development of the brick industry in the area; a siding
Rail siding
A siding, in rail terminology, is a low-speed track section distinct from a running line or through route such as a main line or branch line or spur. It may connect to through track or to other sidings at either end...
was opened on 7 May 1928 to cater for the trade in bricks, the towers of the Millbrook Brick Company could be seen from the station. The brick traffic peaked in the 1930s, with a second brickworks
Brickworks
A brickworks also known as a brick factory, is a factory for the manufacturing of bricks, from clay or shale. Usually a brickworks is located on a clay bedrock often with a quarry for clay on site....
called "Marston Moretaine" being opened a mile from the station; although it was too far for a siding, bricks were transported by road to the station where they were loaded on to rail wagons.
The station, whose name was changed to "Millbrook" in 1910, was reduced to an unstaffed halt in 1968, having lost its formerly substantial goods facilities four years previously. The station building was restored in the early 1980s and converted into a private residence. In 1999, the low station platforms — the last of their type remaining on the line — were rebuilt to the standard height appropriate to modern trains.