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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
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