Great Alne

GWR Route: Hatton to Bearley and Alcester Branch

Great Alne Station was originally the only intermediate station on the Alcester Railway. The railway and station were constructed by engineer William Clarke and opened on Monday 4th September 1876. The Alcester Railway was a 6 mile 69 chain single track standard gauge line running from the Stratford upon Avon Railway at Bearley to the Evesham & Redditch Railway at Alcester. Although nominally independent, the Alcester Railway Company entered into an operating agreement with the GWR, who also had a director on the Board and in 1878 the GWR arranged the purchase of the company.

Great Alne was a small country station served by six trains in each direction. It never created much railway traffic and the station’s history is intrinsically linked to that of the Alcester Branch. When the branch closed in 1917 and the track was removed to assist the War effort, the station also closed. It reopened again on 18th December 1922, when the track between Bearley and Great Alne was relaid. The remaining section between Great Alne and Alcester reopened the following year.

The start of WW2 caused the Alcester Branch line to be closed again on 25th September 1939, but this time the track was not removed and the relocation of the Maudslay Motor Company from Coventry to Great Alne in 1941 meant an unadvertised workman’s train from Leamington was required. Public goods services were also restored to Great Alne the following year, but the section between Alcester and Great Alne remained closed.

The special passenger service to Great Alne finished on 3rd July 1944, but the goods yard remained open with a regular twice weekly freight service. This ceased in 1947 and the Alcester Branch was officially closed on 1st March 1951. After closure Great Alne Station became the local Post Office and is now a domestic residence.

A major source of information for the photograph captions came from ‘The Alcester Branch’ by Stanley Jenkins and Roger Carpenter. This book is considered essential reading for anyone who wants to know more about the Alcester Branch and Great Alne Station in particular (see Bibliography).

Robert Ferris

Select an image below to view the larger version with accompanying text:

Ref: gwrga14 Real Photos The 230’ gentle curve of Great Alne Station platform viewed from the Level Crossing at the Alcester end of the platform

Ref: gwrga14a Real Photos Close up showing Great Alne station with its goods shed on the platform and siding in the background

Ref: gwrga15 Postcard An early picture of Great Alne Station shortly after the first corrugated iron goods shed was erected

Ref: gwrga15a Postcard Close up showing the Station Masters House alongside the booking office and passengers facilities

Ref: gwrga15b Postcard Close up showing the gentlemen's toilet and steel corrugated goods shed situated on the platform

Ref: gwrga806 PJ Garland The Down distance signal for Spencer’s Level Crossing - between Great Alne and Aston Cantlow

Ref: gwrga762 Green-Jaques Collection Great Alne Station photographed in 1889 from the level crossing looking towards Bearley

Ref: gwrga762a Green-Jaques Collection The goods yard, a single 300’ siding, which could accommodate approximately 14 wagons

Ref: gwrga768 RK Cope The track on the Alcester Branch was removed during WW1 to assist with the war effort

Ref: gwrga778 AT Locke/KRM The station was reopened in 1941 to enable workers from Coventry to get to the shadow factory

Ref: gwrga778a AT Locke/KRM This close up shows the corrugated iron good sheds at the Bearley end of the platform

Ref: gwrga803 RS Carpenter View of Auto trailer No 83 being hauled by an unidentified Collett 48xx class 0-4-2T locomotive

Ref: gwrga804 AT Locke/KRM The view along the branch's single line from the Level Crossing at Great Alne towards Alcester

Ref: gwrga800 John Platt Collection Great Alne goods yard viewed from the end of the station ramp looking back towards Bearley

Ref: gwrga800a John Platt Collection Close up of the goods yard showing the wooden gangers hut and the standard GWR loading gauge

Ref: gwrga799 John Platt Collection View of the overgrown trackwork and abandoned Great Alne Station viewed from the goods yard in 1947

Ref: gwrga799a John Platt Collection Close up looking towards Alcester in 1947 showing the station and platform opposite the P&W huts

Ref: gwrga798 John Platt Collection The station buildings and entrance to the goods yard viewed from the Great Alne to Wootton Wawen road

Ref: gwrga797 John Platt Collection View looking towards Alcester showing Great Alne's overgrown goods yard and disused station in 1949

Ref: gwrga801 JH Moss Looking towards Alcester in 1949 showing the level crossing that guarded one end of the station

Ref: gwrga802 JH Moss A 1949 view of the station seen from the abandoned trackwork on the Alcester side of the level crossing

Ref: gwrga796 John Platt Collection Looking towards Spencer's level crossing at the Bearley end of Great Alne goods yard with the gatekeepers cottage

Ref: gwrga796a John Platt Collection Close up of the gangers hut at the Bearley end of the yard and the up distance signal protecting Spencer’s crossing

Ref: gwrga1359 A Vaughan External view of Great Alne station taken circa 1955 showing the vandalised state of the station building

Ref: gwrga1604 RJ Buckley A Great Western Railway 0-4-2T class 48xx locomotive arrives at Great Alne station with an auto trailer

Ref: gwrga769 GWR Magazine Photograph of a track relaying gang at Great Alne Station that appeared in the GWR Magazine of March 1912

Ref: gwrga779 RS Carpenter Alcester branch being used to store crippled PO colliery and coal trader wagons during World War Two