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Newbury "Westfields"
was part of an expansion programme which saw many similar
types of halt being erected on other areas of the Great Western.
All with the intention of increasing patronage by means of
the new style rail motors. The report from the Board of Trade
inspection at the opening of the halt describes it as:- equipped
with lamps, nameboard and shelter, sanctioned for use for
rail motor traffic. |
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was in keeping with many of the other stations, and consisted
of a solitary platform situated on the eastern side of the
line. The shelter provided was the traditional pagoda style
hut. Supplied by S. Taylor & Co. of Birmingham, this
building differed from the others as it was built of concrete
instead of the usual, iron costruction. It was described
as being constructed of their patent universal roof covering
and building material. Access to the platform could be gained
from either end, via a pathway leading from the ramp at
the Lambourn end to a small gate, opening onto Gloucester
Road, (now Clifton Rd). |
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A
standard GW trespass notice was also erected by this gate.
At the Newbury end, a similar path led to a larger gate
opening onto Craven Road. There was also a crossing point,
which allowed tenants access to several garden allotments
which were situated directly opposite the platform. Lighting
of the standard height platform was acheived by the use
of gas lamps, the only ones on the line. These were
fed from a supply pipe running through a meter on the far
side of the shelter. |
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(above right)
an 0-6-0 pannier with a Lambourn train,
the single vehicle is an auto coach although auto-working
was never used on the line. |
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At
the time of opening only a low nine inch platform was provided
in line with all of the other stations. However, not long
afterwards it was rebuilt to the standard height, using
sleepers topped with a cinder surface. A work study carried
out at the station for the week ending 11th October 1952
revealed that just 33 passengers had used the halt that
week. Sixteen boarding the train and seventeen leaving it.
Looking at it logically it would be fairly safe to assume
these were the same persons
going to work in the morning and returning home in the evening.
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Total
receipts from Westfields for the whole of that year amounted
to £17. 5s. 7d--( approx £17.28p)
The estimated maintenance costs for the halt during a twelve
month period was £30 so in a effort to save revenue
it was suggested the station be kept open, but administered
no maintenance until the shelter, became due for renewal.
At this point in time, the shelter was considered to have
a further 5 years of life, subsequently,
in February 1957, the halt
was finally closed and by June of that year, both nameboard
and shelter had been removed. |
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| Just prior
to the introduction of the Diesel railcar, an '850' class
engine, number 2007 aproaches Westfields Halt with a Lambourn
train (June 1936). Above
left on it's return journey |
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A short distance north of Westfields
the line straightened out onto an embankment after first
crossing a fairly substantial elongated girder bridge.
The Newbury firm of Plenty & Co., supplied the iron
work for this particular bridge which spanned the River
Kennet, its tributaries, and the Kennet & Avon Canal.
All other bridging work on the line was carried out by Finch
& Co. of Chepstow. |
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| One of two
- three car DMU sets captured passing over the Kennet &
Avon Canal bridge during the Lambourn Valley Farewell day
on November the 3rd 1975.. (Above
right) ~ A view from that same bridge, looking
north towards Speen taken in May 1973. |
Speen Cutting
| Pictured
right, the embankment Between West Fields and Speen. This
view, taken in June 1957, looks back over the Kennet bridge
towards Newbury. It was near this point that an unfortunate
fatal accident occurred during the first week of the line
opening, when two young boys
were struck by a passing train and
subsequently died in hospital. From
here the line skirted Benham Park, offering the traveller
glorious views from the carriage window. These views were
short lived as the line entered a deep dark cutting made
even gloomier by the existance of tall conifer trees high
above.
This was Speen cutting, notorious for land slips over the
years. |
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A Railcar passing through Speen Cutting |
(
right) The Speen Lane arch immediately after construction
with the A4 arch in the background. |
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The cutting
was the home of two brick arches, or tunnel bridges,
one carrying the Newbury-Speen road, and the other,
the main A4 to the west. Even
as early as 1898, there was serious concern regarding
earth slips and drainage problems with the cutting
sides. Soakaways were constructed to provide channels
to carry rainwater down to the cess at track level.
Much of the ballast used was extracted from a working
at the nearby station of Boxford. |
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| Below - The
same tunnel bridge photographed towards the end of the 1950's.
With the banks and foliage now fully established, this shot
typifies everyone's preconception of the quintessential,
rural, English branch line. |
| Railcar no.
18 in speen cutting heading for Lambourn and a lonely figure
walking the line towards Newbury.
(above right) ~
The bridge in the back ground carried the Bath Road (A4).
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