Sarsden Halt railway station
Encyclopedia
Sarsden Halt was an unstaffed railway station on the Banbury and Cheltenham Direct Railway
.
on the Oxford, Worcester and Wolverhampton Railway
to Chipping Norton opened in June 1855 a goods siding
was provided at Churchill Mill. The inspector's report prior to the opening of the line refers to a siding at Churchill, on the 1899 Ordnance Survey
map it is named as “Sarsden Siding”.
The name is interesting since the location is more than a mile from the hamlet of Sarsden and much closer to the village of Churchill
. The reason for the name is unknown, but the following factors may have had a bearing.
Firstly, James Haughton Langston MP of Sarsden House was one of the promoters of the railway and owned much of the land on which it was built. Much of the traffic to the siding would be destined for his estate, which included the village of Churchill. In 1852 James Haughton Langston had earlier tried to obtain a railway siding on the OW&W Railway, as recorded in that company's Traffic Committee minutes for the 20th November:
The proposed siding on the main line was not built.
Secondly the OW&WR already had a station at Churchill
near Kidderminster
(later Churchill & Blakedown, now Blakedown
). The need to avoid wagons and passengers being routed to the wrong destination would suggest the use of a name other than the obvious geographic name Churchill.
The siding was a loop and about 480 feet long. The loop's points were unlocked by a key on the train staff
.
A level crossing
carried the road from Churchill to Churchill Mill. Initially this was not regarded as a public crossing as it served only the mill yard. Later hand-operated gates were provided.
In 1883 work began on the building of the Kingham Hill Homes (now Kingham Hill School
), one mile to the North-West. Kingham Station was not equipped for the handling of goods traffic so supplies for the school, including coal and provisions, were consigned to Sarsden Siding. Horse-drawn vehicles from the school accessed the siding via the mill yard. Access was liable to be prevented, for example when the miller was operating a threshing machine
in the yard. Because of these problems Churchill Mill was purchased by the school and road traffic between the school and Churchill now passed over the level crossing. The price paid by the school to purchase the mill was considerably in excess of the market value and can only be explained by the importance placed on gaining unrestricted road access to Sarsden Siding.
In 1893 a signal box
was built but in March 1899 it was reduced to the status of a ground frame. The box continued to carry the nameboard “Sarsden Signal Box” until closure. It contained six levers controlling two distant signals, the gate locks and the points
at the Kingham end of the siding.
The Great Western Railway
, which had taken over the Chipping Norton Railway, opened the passenger halt on 2 July 1906. It was a standard Great Western design with one timber platform and “pagoda” shelter. The designation “Halt” means it was unstaffed and tickets were purchased on the train. A cart weighbridge
was built in 1913 and a crossing-keeper's house in 1930.
On the 1st December 1962 British Rail withdrew passenger services from the Chipping Norton Railway and closed Sarsden Halt. The final train was hauled by BR standard class 2
number 78001. The line was closed for all purposes on the 7th September 1964.
Banbury and Cheltenham Direct Railway
The Banbury and Cheltenham Direct Railway is a former railway in the Cotswold Hills in Gloucestershire and Oxfordshire, England.-Origins and development:...
.
History
When the Chipping Norton Railway from KinghamKingham railway station
Kingham railway station in Oxfordshire is between the Oxfordshire village of Kingham and the Gloucestershire village of Bledington, to which it is closer...
on the Oxford, Worcester and Wolverhampton Railway
Oxford, Worcester and Wolverhampton Railway
The Oxford, Worcester and Wolverhampton railway was a company authorised on 4 August 1845 to construct a railway line from the Oxford and Rugby Railway at Wolvercot Junction to Worcester, Stourbridge, Dudley, and Wolverhampton, with a branch to the Grand Junction Railway at Bushbury...
to Chipping Norton opened in June 1855 a goods 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 provided at Churchill Mill. The inspector's report prior to the opening of the line refers to a siding at Churchill, on the 1899 Ordnance Survey
Ordnance Survey
Ordnance Survey , an executive agency and non-ministerial government department of the Government of the United Kingdom, is the national mapping agency for Great Britain, producing maps of Great Britain , and one of the world's largest producers of maps.The name reflects its creation together with...
map it is named as “Sarsden Siding”.
The name is interesting since the location is more than a mile from the hamlet of Sarsden and much closer to the village of Churchill
Churchill, Oxfordshire
Churchill is a village and civil parish about southwest of Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire in the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.-History:...
. The reason for the name is unknown, but the following factors may have had a bearing.
Firstly, James Haughton Langston MP of Sarsden House was one of the promoters of the railway and owned much of the land on which it was built. Much of the traffic to the siding would be destined for his estate, which included the village of Churchill. In 1852 James Haughton Langston had earlier tried to obtain a railway siding on the OW&W Railway, as recorded in that company's Traffic Committee minutes for the 20th November:
A letter was read from Mr. Varden relative to a siding near Sarsden. Resolved that Mr. Lewis and Mr. Busby with the Superintendent call upon Mr. Langston and ascertain the amount of traffic likely to be put upon the line to and from the point where the siding is required.
The proposed siding on the main line was not built.
Secondly the OW&WR already had a station at Churchill
Churchill, Worcestershire
Churchill is a village in the Wyre Forest District of Worcestershire, England, near to Kidderminster. It is in the civil parish of Churchill and Blakedown and is one of the few surviving water-powered plating forges in the United Kingdom - Churchill Forge Mill.-Further reading:* A Pictorial History...
near Kidderminster
Kidderminster
Kidderminster is a town, in the Wyre Forest district of Worcestershire, England. It is located approximately seventeen miles south-west of Birmingham city centre and approximately fifteen miles north of Worcester city centre. The 2001 census recorded a population of 55,182 in the town...
(later Churchill & Blakedown, now Blakedown
Blakedown railway station
Blakedown railway station serves the English village of Blakedown, Worcestershire. It was opened in 1852, and was later known as Churchill & Blakedown before adopting its current name .The station is unstaffed, with only a basic shelter on each platform...
). The need to avoid wagons and passengers being routed to the wrong destination would suggest the use of a name other than the obvious geographic name Churchill.
The siding was a loop and about 480 feet long. The loop's points were unlocked by a key on the train staff
Token (railway signalling)
In railway signalling, a token is a physical object which a locomotive driver is required to have or see before entering onto a particular section of single track. The token is clearly endorsed with the name of the section it belongs to...
.
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...
carried the road from Churchill to Churchill Mill. Initially this was not regarded as a public crossing as it served only the mill yard. Later hand-operated gates were provided.
In 1883 work began on the building of the Kingham Hill Homes (now Kingham Hill School
Kingham Hill School
Kingham Hill School is a Christian school based on the Church of England denomination. It was founded by local Christian landowner Charles Edward Baring Young in 1886 as a school and home for deprived boys and was designed by the architect William Howard Seth-Smith...
), one mile to the North-West. Kingham Station was not equipped for the handling of goods traffic so supplies for the school, including coal and provisions, were consigned to Sarsden Siding. Horse-drawn vehicles from the school accessed the siding via the mill yard. Access was liable to be prevented, for example when the miller was operating a threshing machine
Threshing machine
The thrashing machine, or, in modern spelling, threshing machine , was a machine first invented by Scottish mechanical engineer Andrew Meikle for use in agriculture. It was invented for the separation of grain from stalks and husks. For thousands of years, grain was separated by hand with flails,...
in the yard. Because of these problems Churchill Mill was purchased by the school and road traffic between the school and Churchill now passed over the level crossing. The price paid by the school to purchase the mill was considerably in excess of the market value and can only be explained by the importance placed on gaining unrestricted road access to Sarsden Siding.
In 1893 a signal box
Signal box
On a rail transport system, signalling control is the process by which control is exercised over train movements by way of railway signals and block systems to ensure that trains operate safely, over the correct route and to the proper timetable...
was built but in March 1899 it was reduced to the status of a ground frame. The box continued to carry the nameboard “Sarsden Signal Box” until closure. It contained six levers controlling two distant signals, the gate locks and the points
Railroad switch
A railroad switch, turnout or [set of] points is a mechanical installation enabling railway trains to be guided from one track to another at a railway junction....
at the Kingham end of the siding.
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...
, which had taken over the Chipping Norton Railway, opened the passenger halt on 2 July 1906. It was a standard Great Western design with one timber platform and “pagoda” shelter. The designation “Halt” means it was unstaffed and tickets were purchased on the train. A cart weighbridge
Truck scale
Truck scales or weigh bridges are large scales, usually mounted permanently on a concrete foundation, that are used to weigh entire vehicles and their contents. By weighing the vehicle both empty and when loaded, the load carried by the vehicle can be calculated...
was built in 1913 and a crossing-keeper's house in 1930.
On the 1st December 1962 British Rail withdrew passenger services from the Chipping Norton Railway and closed Sarsden Halt. The final train was hauled by BR standard class 2
BR standard class 2 2-6-0
The BR Standard Class 2 2-6-0 is a class of steam locomotive, one of the British Railways Standard classes of the 1950s. They were physically the smallest of the Standard classes; 65 were built....
number 78001. The line was closed for all purposes on the 7th September 1964.