| Just
under three miles from Newbury, and barely three quarters
of a mile from Speen, the line descends gently into the Lambourn
Valley on a 1 in 300 gradient. This isolated, out of the way
stopping place was the station for Stockcross and Bagnor.
Post 1939 and looking north towards the village of Boxford.
The requirements for wartime operation are clearly visible.
These being, the Blacked out station lamps and the blank nameboard.
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Referred
to by the local residents simply as, "Stockross."
The station changed little over the years, but during the
late 1940s posts were erected either side of the shelter to
allow the use of tilley lamps, thus replacing the two outdated
oil lamps. |
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The
lamps themselves were kept at either Boxford or Lamboum and
brought to Stockcross as and when required. The platform was
topped with cinders and fine gravel while it's leading edge
was built of sleepers. Rails
sunk vertically into the ground supported the entire structure
throughout its length. Travelling
from Newbury, the line entered the station on an embankment,
crossing a narrow lane by means of an iron bridge. Aptly called
"Snake Lane" the road twists and turns dramatically
and if you have ever had the misfortune to actually drive
along it, you will understand fully, the reasoning behind
the name. It runs from the Lambourn
Road towards the village of Stockcross and is roughly a mile
in length. |
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| Access
to the station was marked by a single parking space, a gate
and a small sign. From here a cinder and gravel path led up
to the platform a climb of 210 ft before reaching rail level.
During the independant LVR days, the station was staffed by
a lad porter whose responsibities included, the collection
of tickets, and parcel dispatch. But from 1905, under the
GWR, staff were no longer employed here, a lad being despatched
from either Boxford or Speen stations to clean and maintain
the site as required.
The responsibility for the general upkeep of Stockcross would,
in later years, ultimately fall on the Speen porter. |
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| All
passenger services were required to stop here with a time
allowance of one minute for patrons to alight or board the
train. This differed from the independent days of the LVR
Company when trains would stop only if requested.
Goods traffic was very light, primarily,
small quantities of milk and farm produce. Small parcels were
delivered free by the porter to the area served by the station.
Larger items would be left at Newbury to await delivery by
carrier.
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Interestingly
this tiny isolated station would, on occasions, play host
to race horse traffic from nearby Marsh Benham stud.
A horse-box would be ordered by Lambourn for attachment to
the appropriate train. On arrival at the station, The horses
were held on the cinder pathway until the train had stopped,
before being led up to the horse box and loaded accordingly.
On a fine Summer's day it would have been hard indeed to find
a more pleasant place to sit and wait for a train. Peaceful
surroundings with superb views accross the valley and only
the birds for company. |
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The
Winter months at the station however paint a truly different
picture, the location taking on a bleak and desolate persona. |
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Pictured far right )
A scene taken from the carriage window of a down train from
Newbury on a dull, overcast day in the late 1950's.
( Pictured immediate right )
The platform and shelter frozen in time. This shot taken
as an LCGB railtour passed through on 14th February 1970.
A Diesel Multiple Unit was used for this particular trip. |
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On a glorious summer's day
in 1959, the halt looking south towards Newbury. The lamp
post was fitted with a pulley which lowered a hook upon which
a Tilley lamp was placed. The winding mechanism, visible near
the bottom of the post, would then be used to raise the lamp
into position. Note the plain ordinary garden seat situated
under the name board. No GWR standard seating for Stockcross
& Bagnor Halt, .... so it would seem anyway. |
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| Stockcross
and Bagnor Station opened for passenger, and goods traffic
on the 4th April 1898 running through until the close of passenger
services on January the 4th 1960. From the 4th of January
1960 though until the 19th of July 1965 goods traffic still
moved along the line, prior notice was required as special
trains only were dealt with between these dates
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(above
right) ~ Some years after closure. Despite efforts
made by Western Region to record and potentially salvage reusable
items, the only thing to have been removed would appear to
be the station name board. |
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