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Claverdon Station
Claverdon was one of three intermediate stations on the
Stratford-on-Avon Railway (the other two being Bearley and Wilmcote). This
9¼ mile single track, mixed gauge railway was opened on 9th October 1860
as a nominally independent branch from the Birmingham and Oxford Junction
Railway at Hatton. It was operated by the Great Western with broad gauge stock
until a connection with the Strafford branch of the Oxford, Worcester and
Wolverhampton Railway allowed narrow gauge (4’8¼”) trains to
run through from Worcester via Honeybourne in 1863. Six years later on 1st
April 1869 the broad gauge rail was removed.
In 1883 the Stratford-on-Avon Railway Company was absorbed
by the Great Western Railway and two years later the track layout was modified
to provide a loop line. At the same time a loading bank or wharf was
constructed. In 1891 a platform signal box was constructed to interlock the
loop line points and signals, but this was closed again after fifteen years and
replaced with two ground frames.
By 1938, traffic on the single track section between Bearley
and Hatton was sufficiently heavy to justify doubling the track. At the same
time a new station was constructed on the opposite side of the road overbridge,
while the old station was designated a goods lock-up. The new station official
opened on 2nd July 1939. As part of the reconstruction a new goods loop siding
was provided on the site of the old wharf and a new signal box constructed.
The goods loop was converted back to a siding in December
1953 and at the same time the signal box was closed and replaced with a ground
frame. This siding was subsequently removed in July 1964. In January 1969 the
line was singled between Bearley and Hatton, but Claverdon station still
remains open today.
Robert Ferris
| Claverdon
Station Part 1 |
Claverdon Station Part 2 |
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