Warwick (Milverton) Station

LMS Route: Nuneaton to Leamington

LMS Route: Rugby to Leamington

LMS Route: Leamington to Weedon

The single line branch from Coventry to Leamington was opened on 6th December 1844 with the line terminating at Warwick Milverton station but which was named Leamington. It is thought that the location of the station which was halfway between Leamington, the fashionable Spa town, and Warwick, the county town and therefore political centre of the county, was an attempt to balance costs whilst attempting to provide a service for both towns. The nine name changes that occurred over the life of the station is a good indicator that the compromise was never successful. The opening of the Rugby to Warwick Milverton single line branch in 1851 should, it would be thought, have offered the citizens of Leamington the opportunity of a station located more appropriately for their needs. In fact it wasn't until 1854 that the a small station was provided requiring the first name change at Milverton from Leamington to Warwick (Milverton). As Preston Hendry and Powell Hendry state in their book A Historical Survey of Selected LMS Stations "the attractions of this name paled and the station successively became Warwick, Warwick (Milverton), Leamington (Milverton), Leamington Milverton (Warwick) and Milverton for (Warwick). In 1883 a number of developments on the route caused further physical changes as well as a name change.

The doubling of the Rugby to Milverton route together with the opening of the Berkswell to Kenilworth branch was complemented with the doubling of the Milverton to Kenilworth route resulting in Milverton station being rebuilt. Its new name of Warwick (Milverton) was introduced in 1884 which presumably was more acceptable as it retained the name until 1952 when British Rail decided to change it to Leamington Spa (Milverton) for Warwick. Milverton had two stations during its years of operational service. The original station in image 'lnwrwar_stn1374' clearly shows a single line station with a roof over both the platform and line. The diagram in A Historical Survey of Selected LMS Stations shows that a second platform was added. The original station appears to have been a substantial structure as the plan shows there were 12 rooms including a Station Masters Office. This building is recorded to have continued in use after the opening of the second station for Departmental use. Of note is the juxtaposition of the buildings, being sited on (and opposite) the paved and hard standing portion of the platforms we see in the photographs. This seems to indicate that the timber framed and planked portion was built as an extension to the original station's platforms in 1883.

The second station was built with its booking office at road level with the access to both platforms being via a covered staircase from Warwick New Road. The platform structures were built on the timber portion of the lengthened platforms and were standard LNWR late 19th century timber framed and clad buildings. The use of timber was both economical, being cheaper and quicker to erect as they utilised standardised LNWR prefabricated units, as well as being lighter and requiring less substantial earth works and engineering works than would otherwise be the case. Preston Hendry and Powell Hendry make the point that because the routes from Coventry and Rugby and Daventry overlapped (Coventry to Leamington (Avenue) and Rugby/Daventry to Milverton) the short stretch of track between Leamington and Milverton saw an exceptional level of passenger workings for a secondary route. They estimate that 38 passenger trains travelled on this short section in 1927 without taking into account the goods traffic that passed on its way to the GWR at Leamington or further south on LNWR metals avoiding Rugby.

A summary of the name changes are given below:

People interested in learning more about Milverton Station could do no better than read Robin Leach's book 'Rails to Kenilworth and Milverton' (1999) published by Odibourne Press.

Ref: lnwrwar_stn1374 London Evening News The original Leamington station built at Milverton in Warwick seen on its opening on 14th December 1844

Ref: lnwrwar_stn2398 J Alsop View of the original 1844 station's portico and forecourt built by the London & Birmingham Railway Warwick

Ref: - lnwrwar_stn1408 Anon External view of the second station opened in 1883 with the main station building located on Warwick New Road

Ref: - lnwrwar_stn1408a Anon Close up of the station in its British Railways days with the time table being displayed beneath the railway arch

Ref: - lnwrwar_stn1417 WoW Another view of Milverton station taken just before closure and showing the flat roofed section to the side

Ref: - lnwrwar_stn1419 WoW Milverton station after local services between Rugby, Leamington and Coventry were withdrawn in 1965

Ref: - lnwrwar_stn1420 WoW View of the stationmaster's house which was adjacent to the goods yard off Milverton Old Road circa 1965

Ref: - lnwrwar_stn1403 Anon The timber platform section of Milverton station which was located between Rugby Road and Warwick New Road

Ref: - lnwrwar_stn1403a Anon Close up showing the Leamington end of the station and far right, the covered steps to the booking office

Ref: - lnwrwar_stn1405 Anon A 1940s view of the station looking towards Kenilworth showing the poor state of repair of the buildings

Ref: - lnwrwar_stn1414 G Coltas Looking towards Kenilworth as a Nuneaton to Leamington motor train passes the site of the original 1844 station

Ref: - lnwrwar_stn1409 Anon Looking to Kenilworth with the down platform passenger waiting room on the left and the goods yard in the distance

Ref: - lnwrwar_stn1409a Anon Close up of the Kenilworth end of the station and the change in the material used to build the two platforms

Ref: - lnwrwar_stn1415 G Coltas Looking in the direction of Kenilworth with the water treatment plant clearly visible adjacent to Milverton shed

Ref: - lnwrwar_stn1407 G Coltas The larger nameboard erected by British Railways in 1952 now declaring Leamington Spa Milverton for Warwick

Ref: - lnwrwar_stn1418 WoW Looking along the pathway that ran between Warwick New Road and Rugby Road behind the down platform

Ref: - lnwrwar_stn1422 Anon Looking towards Leamington with the entrance to Warwick Milverton shed and goods yard on the right		Ref: - lnwrwar_stn1406 Postcard Unidentified LNWR 2-4-2T locomotive pulling a three coach train made up of six and eight-wheel stock		Ref: - lnwrwar_stn1413 G Coltas Ex-LNWR 1P 2-4-2T No 6683, carrying LMS livery, stands at the head of a Leamington to Nuneaton service		Ref: - lnwrwar_stn1412 G Coltas Ex-LNWR 0-6-0 No 8556 passes through the station at the head of a short pick up working of PO wagons in 1937

Ref: - lnwrwar_stn1416 G Coltas LMS 2-6-2T No 3 is seen at the head of a local passenger service at Princes Drive viaduct near Milverton station

Ref: - lnwrwar_stn1411 G Coltas British Railways built Ivatt 2MT No 46446 is seen at the head of a Nuneaton to Leamington local passenger service

Ref: - lnwrwar_stn1410 G Coltas Ex-MR 1P 0-4-4T No 58083 is seen at Warwick station on a local Leaminton to Nuneaton passenger service in 1950

Ref: - station_plan_1845 RJS View of the 1845 plan showing on the right the original terminus station used for both arrivals and departure

Ref: lnwrmap104 M Hollick A 1930s LMS Control strip map showing the goods shed and sidings adjacent to Warwick Milverton station

Ref: lnwrmap110 M Hollick A 1930s LMS Control strip map showing the route between Coventry No 1 signal box and Leamington Avenue