Shipton-on-Cherwell Halt railway station
Encyclopedia
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.
in 1929. It was situated on an embankment
immediately adjacent to the single-span girder bridge
over the A423 road
. Facilities were basic: a short sleeper-built platform on the north side of the line, together with a small wooden shelter, running-in board and two wooden lamp posts supporting traditional glass lanterns with ornamental finials. A sloping cinder
path led down to the A423 where a sign proclaimed the halt as a station for "Blenheim
, Oxford
, Banbury
, etc.". The halt was constructed at a cost of £160 with a low platform for railmotors
. The platform was later raised to standard height in 1933 at a cost of £120.
The halt was opened to serve the community of cement workers employed by the Oxford & Shipton Cement Company which had opened a large quarry
to the north of Shipton-on-Cherwell
village. The company erected several rows of 1920s-style houses for its workers and this became known as "Bunkers Hill". In the absence of competing bus routes, the halt was soon carrying significant numbers of passengers between Bunkers Hill and Shipton old village, contributing to a rise in passenger numbers at Woodstock
from 17,000 in the early 1900s to 22,000+ in the 1930s.
By the 1950s, rationalisation led to staff reductions on the line and the introduction of a modest timetable which saw eight services each way call at Shipton-on-Cherwell. Passenger numbers had fallen to 9,000, with each train carrying on average 5 to 6 passengers and sometimes empty. The station closed in February 1954 with the last train along the line adorned with a wreath.
by the roadside which was buried in brambles. Little now remains of the station.
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...
to serve the Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ....
village of 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:...
as well as the adjacent Oxford and Shipton Cement Company limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
quarry and cement
Cement
In the most general sense of the word, a cement is a binder, a substance that sets and hardens independently, and can bind other materials together. The word "cement" traces to the Romans, who used the term opus caementicium to describe masonry resembling modern concrete that was made from crushed...
works.
History
Shipton-on-Cherwell Halt was one of 26 new halts opened by the Great Western RailwayGreat 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. It was situated on an embankment
Embankment (transportation)
To keep a road or railway line straight or flat, and where the comparative cost or practicality of alternate solutions is prohibitive, the land over which the road or rail line will travel is built up to form an embankment. An embankment is therefore in some sense the opposite of a cutting, and...
immediately adjacent to the single-span girder bridge
Girder bridge
A girder bridge, in general, is a bridge built of girders placed on bridge abutments and foundation piers. In turn, a bridge deck is built on top of the girders in order to carry traffic. There are several different subtypes of girder bridges:...
over the A423 road
A423 road
The A423 road is a primary A road in England which leads from central Banbury to the A45 near Coventry. It starts in Banbury town centre as Southam Road and goes through the Southam Road Industrial Estate, then just north of Banbury it crosses over the M40, from there it passes close to several...
. Facilities were basic: a short sleeper-built platform on the north side of the line, together with a small wooden shelter, running-in board and two wooden lamp posts supporting traditional glass lanterns with ornamental finials. A sloping cinder
Cinder
A cinder is a pyroclastic material. Cinders are extrusive igneous rocks. Cinders are similar to pumice, which has so many cavities and is such low-density that it can float on water...
path led down to the A423 where a sign proclaimed the halt as a station for "Blenheim
Blenheim Palace
Blenheim Palace is a monumental country house situated in Woodstock, Oxfordshire, England, residence of the dukes of Marlborough. It is the only non-royal non-episcopal country house in England to hold the title of palace. The palace, one of England's largest houses, was built between...
, Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
, Banbury
Banbury
Banbury is a market town and civil parish on the River Cherwell in the Cherwell District of Oxfordshire. It is northwest of London, southeast of Birmingham, south of Coventry and north northwest of the county town of Oxford...
, etc.". The halt was constructed at a cost of £160 with a low platform for railmotors
GWR steam rail motors
The steam rail motors were self-propelled carriages operated by the Great Western Railway in England and Wales from 1903 to 1935. They incorporated a steam locomotive within the body of the carriage.-History:...
. The platform was later raised to standard height in 1933 at a cost of £120.
The halt was opened to serve the community of cement workers employed by the Oxford & Shipton Cement Company which had opened a large quarry
Quarry
A quarry is a type of open-pit mine from which rock or minerals are extracted. Quarries are generally used for extracting building materials, such as dimension stone, construction aggregate, riprap, sand, and gravel. They are often collocated with concrete and asphalt plants due to the requirement...
to the north of 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:...
village. The company erected several rows of 1920s-style houses for its workers and this became known as "Bunkers Hill". In the absence of competing bus routes, the halt was soon carrying significant numbers of passengers between Bunkers Hill and Shipton old village, contributing to a rise in passenger numbers at Woodstock
Blenheim and Woodstock railway station
Blenheim & Woodstock was a railway station constructed in the neoclassical style which served the town of Woodstock and Blenheim Palace in the English county of Oxfordshire. The station, as well as the line, was constructed by the Duke of Marlborough and was privately run until 1897 when it became...
from 17,000 in the early 1900s to 22,000+ in the 1930s.
By the 1950s, rationalisation led to staff reductions on the line and the introduction of a modest timetable which saw eight services each way call at Shipton-on-Cherwell. Passenger numbers had fallen to 9,000, with each train carrying on average 5 to 6 passengers and sometimes empty. The station closed in February 1954 with the last train along the line adorned with a wreath.
Present day
After closure, the halt remained untouched except for the removal of the nameboard until the lifting of the track in January 1958. By 1973, all that remained was a solitary rail which supported a notice against trespassing and the kissing gateKissing gate
A kissing gate is a type of gate which allows people to pass through, but not livestock.The normal construction is a half-round, rectangular, trapezial or V-shaped enclosure with a hinged gate trapped between its arms. When the gate is parked at either side of the enclosure, there is no gap to pass...
by the roadside which was buried in brambles. Little now remains of the station.