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GWR Route: Stratford on Avon to Honeybourne

Long Marston Station

Long Marston station was located south of Stratford Upon Avon on the Oxford, Worcester and Wolverhampton Railway's branch line from Honeybourne and was opened with the line on 12th July 1859. The vagaries of the County's wandering border is typified by Long Marston. In 1915 it was outside the County, with the border just south of Milcote, whilst today its within the County. The line when first built by the OWWR was a single branch line with passing loops with Long Marston having a single platform. In their book 'Stratford Upon Avon to Cheltenham' Vic Mitchell and Kev Smith informs their readers that "two platforms were provided from 1872 when a passing loop was installed, but the new one (platform) was south of the original one. A new up platform was built in 1892 when the loop was lengthened". From this information it appears the original platform was located north of the crossing on what became the up line whilst the 1872 'second' platform which was on what became the down line was built south of the level crossing.

Therefore for a period of 20 years ending in 1892, the station had a staggered platform configuration, with the level crossing in the middle, as was common throughout the UK's railway system. Vic Mitchell and Kev Smith also provide an insight into the amount of traffic passing through the station. Passenger numbers were significantly higher than Milcote's although Long Marston's figures were more or less static across the three decades starting in 1903. These were 8759, 9998, 10060 and 9546 in 1933. The number of parcels forwarded did how ever show the same pattern of growth as Milcote being very strong up to 1923 and then a dramatic fall in 1933. These numbers were, commencing in 1903 and finishing in 1933, 3154, 10166, 13977 and 2546 in 1933. Coal and Coke received were much higher than Milcote's being 77, 224, 340 and 411 tons in 1933. The passenger service was withdrawn on 3rd January 1966 whilst the goods yard had closed nearly two years previous on 7th September 1964.

When the OWWR was planning the Stratford Branch the local landowners, the Sackvilles, stipulated that the station buildings at Long Marston and Milcote should be of superior design and the result was substantial stone buildings which incorporated the station master's house, station masters office, general waiting room, ladies waiting room and toilets. One very noticeable feature of these two station buildings was the steeply pitched roofs and elaborate barge boards. Other railwaymen's houses were constructed in Wyres Lane. In 1868 the building of cattle pens were authorised at a cost of £14 whilst four years later, in 1872, the construction of a passing place and staggered platform costing £212 was authorised although this did not impact upon the level crossing which remained single track. As part of this work the rearrangement of points and installation of locking gear at a cost of £975 10s (£975.50) was also authorised. Records show that that the work was inspected on 3rd April 1872 so the work must have been carried out quite quickly.

The new Great Western Railway Standard Type 5 Signal Box, which was squeezed in between the station building and the level crossing, was erected in 1892. Its dimensions were 18ft 6in long x 11ft wide x 9ft 6in height to operating floor and equipped with with 25 Levers (including 6 spares) and a 5 lever South Yard Ground Frame which was electrically interlocked to the signal box. The Standard Type 5 Signal Box had a brick built (usually in Flemish bond) locking room with a glazed wooden framed operating room above and a shallow pitched roof with large finials at each end. An external staircase gave access from the platform to the first floor operating floor via a porch. This porch and an adjacent water closet were supported on iron brackets. On the roof ridge were two 'rocket' vents and in each weather-boarded gable end was a four vent louvre. In addition a new 405 foot long ‘Up’ platform constructed directly opposite the existing 402 foot long 'Down' platform and the staggered platform arrangement removed to make space for a refuge siding. On the 3rd March 1907 the line was doubled to Milcote and on the 28th April 1907 the line was doubled to Honeybourne.

Statistics for Long Marston for the period 1903 to 1933 are as follows:

Year 1903 1913 1923 1933
Passengers Numbers 8,759 9,998 10,060 9,546
Parcels Numbers 3,154 10,166 13,977 2,546
Coal and Coke Tonnage 77 224 340 411

In 1923 Long Marston's signal box was categorised as a Class 3 duty for its staff. In 1926 the original 10 ton weighbridge in the yard had to be replaced with one of same capacity. The Railway Clearing House Handbooks of 1929 and 1956 indicate the following facilities were available at Long Marston: facilities to handle traffic for goods, passenger, livestock, horse boxes and prize cattle vans. The yard crane on the goods yard loading bank had a 12ft 6in radius and 1 ton 10 cwts (1.5 ton) capacity. In the 1930s, special railway rates existed for: agriculture, grain, hay and straw, packed manure and packets of soot. In September 1936 the station's signal box frame was replaced with a second hand 32 lever frame at a cost of £500 with a further £134 spent on replacement facing point connections. The signal box, now upgraded to a Class 4 duty, was manned continually from 1:45am on Monday to midnight on Saturday night and from 7:45am to 12:20pm and 5:40pm to 10:20pm on Sundays. In 1936 the weighbridge previously mentioned was replaced with one of 20 ton capacity.

In 1938, following the construction of the additional Halts on the line in 1937, the passenger service was expanded to nine down passenger services and ten up passenger services on weekdays. At weekends there were twelve passenger services each way on Saturday and three on Sundays. By 1939 the down refuge siding could hold fifty-three wagons in addition to the engine and brake van whilst the up refuge siding could hold fifty-two wagons in addition to the engine and brake van. In 1940, during World War Two, a 455 acre site adjacent to the station became No 1 Engineer's Supply Depot and Long Marston Airfield was also constructed. The site had its own forty-five mile rail system, locomotives and rolling stock operated by the 154 Railway Operating Company Royal Engineers. In June 1941 a new West ground frame with four levers together with an East ground frame was supplied for the War Department Sidings with both being released from Long Marston Signal Box.

In 1903 Long Marston had a staff of seven, this increased to eight staff in the 1920’s and in 1931 the staff at Milcote also became the responsibility of the Station Master at Long Marston and the combined establishment numbered twelve staff. This establishment stayed static during the war years despite the huge increase in traffic caused by the Engineer’s Supply Depot identified below, but had increased to twenty in the early 1950s. On 7th September 1964 the goods yard was closed to be followed on 3rd January 1966 by the station with the withdrawal of the line's passenger service. On 24th March 1980 the signal box was replaced by a ground frame although it wasn't until 16th November 1981 that the signal box was closed, being used in the intervening period to operate the level crossing, to be finally demolished in November 1989.

Statistics for Long Marston for the period 1939 to 1945 are as follows:

Year 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945
Freight Tonnage 8,020 10,189 227,698 391,140 482,538 458,688 357,299
Coaching Receipts n/a n/a £5,460 £7,087 £8,951 £8,302 £12,905
Staff Costs £2,033 £2,477 £4,242 £6,690 £8,749 £10,097 £9,043
Staff numbers 12 12 12 12 12 12 12

Robert Ferris

Much of the information on this and other pages of Warwickshire Railways is derived from articles or books listed in our 'bibliography'.

Long Marston station

An early view of the station with what is thought to be a GWR 517 class or the 3571 class 0-4-2T (with square tanks) running bunker first
Ref: gwrlm481
Postcard
An early view of the station with what is thought to be a GWR 0-4-2T (with square tanks) running bunker first
Close up showing the GWR 517 or 3571 class 0-4-2T locomotive with sheet fixed to cover the bunker to prevent the ingress of coal dust
Ref: gwrlm481a
Postcard
Close up of the GWR 0-4-2T locomotive with sheet fixed to cover the bunker to prevent the ingress of coal dust
Close up showing the signal box which abutted the station building the latter having a different frontage to that seen in later years
Ref: gwrlm481b
Postcard
Close up showing the signal box which abutted the station building the latter having a different frontage
Another early view of Long Marston station as a Stratford to Honeybourne local passenger train enters the station
Ref: gwrlm599
Lens of Sutton
Another early view of the station as a Stratford to Honeybourne local passenger train enters the station
Close up showing that milk churns were sent in both directions from Long Marston with several waiting to be forwarded to Stratford upon Avon
Ref: gwrlm599b
Lens of Sutton
Close up of milk churns being sent in both directions from Long Marston with several to Stratford upon Avon

Close up showing another GWR 2-6-2T class 31xx locomotive entering the station with a four-coach local passenger service
Ref: gwrlm599a
Lens of Sutton
Close up of another GWR 2-6-2T class 31xx locomotive entering the station with a local passenger service
View showing Long Marston station's signal box accessed from the platform and the facade to the booking office and waiting room
Ref: gwrlm597
Lens of Sutton
View showing the station's signal box accessed from the platform and the facade to the booking office
View of Long Marston station showing the main brick-built structure on the right and the timber passenger waiting room on the left
Ref: gwrlm478
Anon
View of the station showing the main brick-built structure on the right and the timber waiting room on the left
Close up showing a store room on the down platform built from timber vertical boarding and a Welsh slate roof
Ref: gwrlm478a
Anon
Close up of a store room on the down platform built from timber vertical boarding and a Welsh slate roof
Close up showing the level crossing and the down refuge siding beyond the gates together with the waiting room built from vertical timber boarding
Ref: gwrlm478b
Anon
Close up showing the level crossing, the down refuge siding and the waiting room built from vertical boarding

A later view of Long Marston station looking towards Stratford upon Avon now with a passenger footbridge and cycle shed
Ref: gwrlm479
Anon
A later view of the station looking towards Stratford, now with a passenger footbridge and cycle shed
Close up of Long Marston station's crossing and the replacement starter signal now located next to the waiting room
Ref: gwrlm479a
Anon
Close up of the station's crossing and the replacement starter signal now located next to the waiting room
Close up showing the cycle shed erected at the base of the passenger footbridge with BR totem signs on the lamppost
Ref: gwrlm479b
Anon
Close up of the cycle shed erected at the base of the passenger footbridge with BR totem signs on the lamppost
Looking from Station Road this view of Long Marston station shows the station master's incorporated within the main building
Ref: gwrlm482
Lens of Sutton
Looking from Station Road showing the station master's house incorporated within the structure of the station
Close up view of the signal box showing the lamp fixed at angle on the corner of the box and oil storage cans used for the station lighting
Ref: gwrlm482a
Lens of Sutton
Close up of the signal box, the lamp fixed at angle on the corner, and the oil storage cans used for the lighting

Another 1950s view looking towards Stratford upon Avon showing the crossing closed to road traffic and widened platform on the left
Ref: gwrlm483
Lens of Sutton
Another 1950s view looking towards Stratford with the crossing closed to traffic and widened platform on the left
Close up showing the portion of platform widened to accommodate passenger seating and the paving which replaced the original brick surface
Ref: gwrlm483a
Lens of Sutton
Close up showing the widened platform to accommodate passenger seating and the new paved platform surface
View of Long Marston station showing the remodelled passenger waiting room and booking office together with other modifications
Ref: gwrlm484
Lens of Sutton
View showing the remodelled passenger waiting room and booking office together with other modifications
Close up showing the most obvious visual change to the station, the steps of the signal box being moved nearer to the line
Ref: gwrlm484a
Lens of Sutton
Close up of the most obvious visual change to the station, the steps of the signal box moved nearer to the line
Close up showing the remodelled passenger waiting room and booking office now providing a separate ladies room
Ref: gwrlm484b
Lens of Sutton
Close up of the remodelled passenger waiting room and booking office now providing a separate ladies room

Another 1950s view of Long Marston station showing the gentlemen's toilet on the extreme right erected during the remodelling of the station
Ref: gwrlm593
J Moss
Another view of the station showing the toilet on the extreme right erected during the remodelling of the station
View of the signal bracket displaying Long Marston's down starting signal and siding signal
Ref: gwrlm2425
Anon
View of the signal bracket displaying Long Marston's down starting signal and siding signal
Long Marston Signal Box showing the remaining abutment wall which part supports the signalman's privy
Ref: gwrlm2426
Anon
Long Marston Signal Box showing the remaining wall which part supports the signalman's privy
Another 1950s view of Long Marston station showing the gentlemen's toilet on the extreme right erected during the remodelling of the station
Ref: gwrlm2427a
RK Blencowe
Close up of the goods yard, the landing dock, the yard crane, and a grounded coach body in lieu of a goods shed
A 1967 view of Long Marston station showing the station in a run down condition yet still being used by passengers
Ref: gwrlm2430
Stations UK
A 1967 view of Long Marston station showing the station in a run down condition yet still being used by passengers

Looking towards Stratford upon Avon with Long Marston station in the distance and the lifted loop line on the right
Ref: gwrlm594
C Maggs
Looking towards Stratford upon Avon with the station in the distance and the lifted loop line on the right
Looking south from the footbridge in February 1966 with the exchange sidings and MOD yards on the left
Ref: gwrlm3133
GH Tilt
Looking south from the footbridge in February 1966 with the exchange sidings and MOD yards on the left
  Another extract from the ‘Great Western Railway Regulations for Train Signalling on Double and Single Lines’
Ref: misc_equip250
Great Western Railway
Another extract from the ‘Great Western's Regulations for Train Signalling on Double and Single Lines’

Locmotives and trains seen at or near Long Marston station

Another 1950s view of Long Marston station showing the gentlemen's toilet on the extreme right erected during the remodelling of the station
Ref: gwrlm2427
RK Blencowe
Ex-GWR 4-6-0 43xx Class No 6357 arrives at Long Marston with a stopping train to Stratford upon Avon
British Railways built 2-6-2T 5101 Class No 4165 is seen leaving the refuge siding with empty stock for Stratford on Avon Race Course
Ref: gwrlm2428
J Moss
BR built 2-6-2T 5101 Class No 4165 leaves the refuge siding with empty stock for Stratford on Avon Race Course
Ex-GWR 4-6-0 68xx Class No 6851 'Hurst Grange' departs from Long Marston sidings with an up empty stock working
Ref: gwrlm2429
J Moss
Ex-GWR 4-6-0 No 6851 'Hurst Grange' departs from Long Marston sidings with an up empty stock working
An unidentified ex-GWR 4-6-0 Castle class locomotive is seen at the head of the up 'Cornishman' as it passes a train standing in the refuge siding
Ref: gwrlm596
J Moss
An unidentified ex-GWR 4-6-0 Castle class locomotive at the head of the up 'Cornishman' as it passes the refuge siding
An earlier view showing the connection between the MOD depot with the down main line and, on the left, the relief loop line
Ref: gwrlm595
J Moss/
An earlier view showing the connection between the MOD depot with the down main line and the relief loop line

Ordnance Survey Maps and Schematic Drawings

Another 1950s view of Long Marston station showing the gentlemen's toilet on the extreme right erected during the remodelling of the station
Ref: gwrlm2431
Ordnance Survey
A 1914 OS map showing Long Marston station's layout complete with up refuge siding and goods yard
Another 1950s view of Long Marston station showing the gentlemen's toilet on the extreme right erected during the remodelling of the station
Ref: gwrlm3131
Ordnance Survey
An 1872 schematic drawing of Long Marston station's plan showing the original layout when it was a single line route
A 1909 schematic drawing of Long Marston station's plan showing the new layout after the doubling of the line to Honeybourne
Ref: gwrlm3132
Ordnance Survey
A 1909 schematic drawing of Long Marston station's plan showing the new layout after the doubling of the line