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Milcote

GWR Route: North Warwickshire Line

Milcote station was located on the Oxford, Worcester and Wolverhampton Railway's single line branch from Honeybourne to Stratford Upon Avon and was opened on the 12th July 1859. In 1915 Milcote was just inside the county boundary which passed through the very southern end of the goods yard.

As was the case with other stations on the then signle branch line, Milcote was built with just the one platform until May 1908 when the line was doubled. The original platform was by nature short and had the goods yard and its facilities immediately adjacent to the platform's end. Rather than remodelling the goods yard the cheapest alternative for the GWR was to resite the platforms the other side of the crossing.

Vic Mitchell and Keith Smith record in their book 'Stratford Upon Avon to Cheltenham' the records for the movement of goods traffic and passengers over three decades from 1903 to 1933. These records showed the passenger numbers in 1903 were 5077. By 1913 they had grown to 7126 with a further increase to 9399 in 1923 but by1933 these numbers had fallen back to 5151.

Parcel traffic showed a similar pattern. In 1903 the station forwarded 1844 parcels, growing to 4943 in 1913, and further growth in 1923 to 4806 but again a fall in number to 1919 by 1933. The year 1923, which saw the station's busiest time, saw the station with five members of staff being employed.

Interestingly, the tonnage of goods forwarded from the station didn't follow this pattern as numbers actually fell from 1903 onwards. Whilst in 1903 the figure was 1333 tons, the following three decades saw much lower figures, being respectively 575, 534 although tonnage did recover to 692 tons in 1933.

General goods received commenced at 301 tons in 1903 with increases over the next two decades to 449 tons and 485 tons respectively before falling to 195 tons in 1933. The station, being located in a rural area without much industry, handled very little coal and coke. Tonnage received started from 14 tons in 1903 growing slightly to 16 tons in 1913 before falling back to 7 tons for both 1923 and 1933.

The passenger service was withdrawn on 3rd January 1966 whilst the goods yard had closed a year before Long Marston's on 1st July 1963.

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

GWR railway photo
Ref: gwrm591 - Stations UK
Looking towards Stratford along original platform
GWR railway photo
Ref: gwrm591a - Stations UK
Close up showing level crossing
GWR railway photo
Ref: gwrm592 - Mowat Collection
Long view of station along down platform towards goods yard

GWR railway photo
Ref: gwrm592a - Mowat Collection
Close up of level crossing and goods yard
GWR railway photo
Ref: gwrm592b - Mowat Collection
Close up of the down platform
GWR railway photo
Ref: gwrm485 - Lens of Sutton
Looking south towards Honeybourne with the signal box on the down line

GWR railway photo
Ref: gwrm487 - Lens of Sutton
Looking north to Stratford upon Avon
GWR railway photo
Ref: gwrm486 - Lens of Sutton
Milcote signal box and principal station building
GWR railway photo
Ref: gwrm486a - Lens of Sutton
Close up of original platform

GWR railway photo
Ref: gwrm589 - C Maggs
Another view of Milcote signal box and principal station building
GWR railway photo
Ref: gwrm589a - C Maggs
Close up of station building showing evidence of previus signal box or ground frame
GWR railway photo
Ref: gwrm589b - C Maggs
Close up of the signal box

GWR railway photo
Ref: gwrm590 - C Maggs
Station platforms two years after closure
GWR railway photo
Ref: gwrm590a - C Maggs
Close up showing the up platform waiting room
GWR railway photo
Ref: gwrm803 - K Flynn
The up platform after closure

GWR railway photo
Ref: gwrm804 - K Flynn
The signal box which remained open for 10 years after closure