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Clifton Mill Station

LMS Route: Rugby to Market Harborough

Parliamentary approval was gained on 18th June 1846, by the directors of the London and Birmingham Railway, for a secondary cross-country line from Rugby to Peterborough via Market Harborough. Known as the Rugby and Stamford Railway, the line opened in the same year as the company became part of the London and North Western Railway. The section of line from Rugby to Market Harborough was reported in the Rugby Advertiser to have been opened on 27th April 1850 for a Director's special train, with the line being opened for general traffic on 29th April 1850. The first timetables of the services available being published in the 8th June 1850 edition of the Rugby Advertiser. Originally single track, it was opened throughout as double track on 22nd July 1878. According to Peter Elliott in his book 'Rugby's Railway Heritage' (Anderson Publications ISBN 0 907917 06 2), Clifton Mill station opened in November 1864 although no reference can be found in CR Clinker's 'Railways of the West Midlands 1808 to 1954' Published by the Spephenson Locomotive Society), a surprising ommission not least as Clinker was a resident of Rugby. At grouping in 1923 (when 123 railway companies were grouped into four companies with the odd exception of two joint lines) it became part of the London Midland and Scottish Railway. The Ordnance Survey maps seen below show a goods siding was installed from at least 1885 and in all probability from 1864 when the station first opened. The Handbook of Railway Stations records that the station had no crane but did provide Goods traffic, Passenger and Parcels traffic as well as facilities to handle Horse boxes and Prize Cattle Vans. The station was only briefly owned by British Railways, which was formed on 1st January 1948, being closed to both passenger and goods traffic on 6th April 1953, with the line to Market Harborough and Peterborough being closed on 6th June 1966.

Looking in the direction of Rugby with the signal cabin and main station building being located on the left
Ref: lnwrclift2348
N Hatfield
Looking in the direction of Rugby with the signal cabin and main station building being located on the left
Close up showing Clifton Mill Station's Stationmaster standing with two members of staff and his children
Ref: lnwrclift2348a
N Hatfield
Close up showing Clifton Mill Station's Stationmaster standing with two members of staff and his children
A LNWR locomotive on a local passenger service passes Clifton Mills' goods sidings as it aproaches the station
Ref: lnwrclift1566
Clifton Local History Group
A LNWR locomotive on a local passenger service passes Clifton Mills goods sidings as it aproaches the station
An Edwardian postcard showing the rear of Clifton Mill station's up platform seen from an adjacent field
Ref: lnwrclift3346
Postcard
An Edwardian postcard showing the rear of Clifton Mill station's up platform seen from an adjacent field
Close up showing the rear of Clifton Mill's up platform and the timber framed and clad station building
Ref: lnwrclift3346a
Postcard
Close up showing the rear of Clifton Mill's up platform and the timber framed and clad station building

The station's up platform which accommodated the signal cabin and the station's main passenger facilities
Ref: lnwrclift1568
Clifton Local History Group
The station's up platform which accommodated the signal cabin and the station's main passenger facilities
Close up of showing the small platform mounted signal cabin based on the up platform and the sign 'Clifton Mill' above the window
Ref: lnwrclift1568a
Clifton Local History Group
Close up showing the small platform mounted signal cabin and the 'Clifton Mill' sign above the window
Looking across to Clifton Mill station's down platform and the signal cabin located next to the main station building
Ref: lnwrclift2350
Anon
Looking across to Clifton Mill station's down platform and the signal cabin located next to the main station building
Looking towards Rugby with the signal cabin and main station buildings on the up platform on the right
Ref: lnwrclift3347
Postcard
Looking towards Rugby with the signal cabin and main station buildings on the up platform on the right
Close up showing the signal cabin and the duct in the platform face where the point and signal rodding exited
Ref: lnwrclift3347a
Postcard
Close up showing the signal cabin and the duct in the platform face where the point and signal rodding exited

Close up showing the station's down platform and it's small timber framed and clad passenger waiting room
Ref: lnwrclift3347b
Postcard
Close up showing the station's down platform and it's small timber framed and clad passenger waiting room
View showing the level crossing, the crossing keepers house, and a single passing loop siding
Ref: lnwrclift3621
LNWR Society
View showing the level crossing, the crossing keepers house, and a single passing loop siding
Close up showing the up passing loop siding complete with buffers stops at both ends plus a LNWR loading gauge
Ref: lnwrclift3621a
LNWR Society
Close up of the up passing loop siding complete with buffers stops at both ends plus a LNWR loading gauge
Looking along the up platform towards Market Harborough with the main station building on the right
Ref: lnwrclift3622
LNWR Society
Looking along the up platform towards Market Harborough with the main station building on the right
A watercolour painting showing an ex-MR 4-4-0 2P drifting past Clifton Mill station's level crossing
Ref: lnwrclift2351
P Annable
A watercolour painting showing an ex-MR 4-4-0 2P drifting past Clifton Mill station's level crossing

An unknown Diesel locomotive heads a long train on what is probably the 3:58pm Birmingham New Street to Lowestoft service
Ref: lnwrclift3351
RCTS
An unknown Diesel locomotive heads what is probably the 3:58pm Birmingham New Street to Lowestoft service
A photograph of Robert Hatfield, stationmaster of Clifton Mill Station, from about 1880 to 1894
Ref: lnwrclift2346
N Hatfield
A photograph of Robert Hatfield, who was the stationmaster of Clifton Mill Station from c1880 to 1894
A photograph of Sarah Hatfield, wife of Clifton Mill Station's stationmaster from about 1880 to 1894
Ref: lnwrclift2347
N Hatfield
A photograph of Sarah Hatfield, wife of Clifton Mill Station's stationmaster from about 1880 to 1894

Locomotives at or near Clifton Mill station

Ex-LMS 2-6-4T No 42432 is seen at the head of a local passenger service as it waits to depart from the down platform at Clifton Mill
Ref: lnwrclift1567
Clifton Local History Group
Ex-LMS 2-6-4T No 42432 at the head of a local passenger service waiting to depart from Clifton Mill's down platform
A pair of ex-LMS 4-6-0 'Black 5s', No 5419 and No 5430, pass Clifton Mill station on an up express in 1947
Ref: lnwrclift2349
GH Coltas
A pair of ex-LMS 4-6-0 'Black 5s', No 5419 and No 5430, pass Clifton Mill station on an up express in 1947
Ex-MR 4-4-0 Class 483 No 408 stands at Clifton Mill station in mid-1930s whilst the driver appears to filling his billycan with water
Ref: lnwrclift3349
J Twells
Ex-MR 4-4-0 No 408 stands at Clifton Mill station whilst the driver appears to filling his billycan with water
Brush Type 2 A1A-A1A D5631 is seen approaching Rugby in 1966 having passed the long closed Clifton Mill station
Ref: lnwrclift3350
RCTS / C Haydon
Brush Type 2 A1A-A1A D5631 is seen approaching Rugby in 1966 having passed the long closed Clifton Mill station

Ordnance Survey Maps and Signal Cabin Diagram

Ordnance Survey Map showing Clifton Mills station and up siding surveyed in 1885 and published 1888
Ref: lnwrclift3352
National Library of Scotland
Ordnance Survey Map showing Clifton Mills station and up siding surveyed in 1885 and published 1888
Ordnance Survey Map showing Clifton Mills station and up siding revised in 1903 and published 1905
Ref: lnwrclift3353
National Library of Scotland
Ordnance Survey Map showing Clifton Mills station and up siding revised in 1903 and published 1905
Ordnance Survey Map showing Clifton Mills station and up siding revised in 1912 and published 1913
Ref: lnwrclift3354
National Library of Scotland
Ordnance Survey Map showing Clifton Mills station and up siding revised in 1912 and published 1913
Ordnance Survey Map showing Clifton Mills station and up siding revised in 1939 and published 1947
Ref: lnwrclift3355
National Library of Scotland
Ordnance Survey Map showing Clifton Mills station and up siding revised in 1939 and published 1947
Clifton Mill station's Signal Cabin Diagram of this 20 lever LNWR Tumbler Frame with 7 levers spare
Ref: lnwrclift3348
PJ Wortley
Clifton Mill station's Signal Cabin Diagram of this 20 lever LNWR Tumbler Frame with 7 levers spare