Kempston and Elstow Halt railway station

Kempston & Elstow Halt
The site of the station in 2012
General information
LocationKempston, Bedford
England
Grid referenceTL042471
Platforms2
Other information
StatusDisused
History
Original companyLondon and North Western Railway
Post-groupingLondon, Midland and Scottish Railway
Key dates
1905Opened (Kempston Halt)
January 1908Renamed (Kempston & Elstow Halt)
1 January 1917Temporary closure
5 May 1919Reopened
5 May 1941Temporary closure[1]
7 February 1949Official closure[2]

Kempston & Elstow Halt was a railway station on the Varsity Line which served the Bedfordshire town of Kempston in England. Opened in 1905, it was closed temporarily during both world wars and did not reopen after 1941, being officially closed in 1949.

History

Kempston & Elstow was one of three halts opened by the London and North Western Railway in 1905 between Stewartby and Bedford. Their opening coincided with the introduction of a steam railmotor on the Varsity Line, and each was conveniently sited alongside a level crossing. Kempston Halt, as it was known until 1908, was constructed close to "Cow Bridge", an old road bridge which carried the present A421 over a tributary of the River Great Ouse.[3] All three halts were opened on the same day and all were simultaneously temporarily closed as a First World War economy measure in 1917, reopening two years later only to close again in 1941 during the Second World War. This time, however, only one – Kempston Hardwick – was to reopen, the others officially closing as from February 1949.[2]

The crossing near the station was staffed by a crossing keeper from 1846 to 1868 when the diversion of the road by the Midland Railway led to the removal of the crossing. A railway crossing cottage had been provided for the use of the keeper, and was later used by a porter from Kempston & Elstow Halt.[4] Today it is located near the Kempston Interchange Park[5] and the station building can still be seen from the B530.


Preceding station   Disused railways   Following station
Kempston Hardwick   British Railways
Varsity Line 		  Bedford St Johns

Present day

Nothing remains of the halt, yet the crossing keeper's cottage still remains as a private dwelling.[6]

References

  1. ^ Butt, R.V.J. (1995). The Directory of Railway Stations, Patrick Stephens Ltd, Sparkford, ISBN 1-85260-508-1, p. 130.
  2. ^ a b Clinker, C.R. (October 1978). Clinker's Register of Closed Passenger Stations and Goods Depots in England, Scotland and Wales 1830-1977. Bristol: Avon-AngliA Publications & Services. p. 164. ISBN 0-905466-19-5.
  3. ^ Simpson, Bill (1981). Oxford to Cambridge Railway. Poole, Dorset: Oxford Publishing Co. p. 69. ISBN 0-86093-121-8.
  4. ^ Simpson, B., p. 71.
  5. ^ "Interchange Retail Park – Bedford". www.interchangeretailpark.co.uk. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
  6. ^ Simpson, B., p. 69.

52°06′48″N 0°28′49″W / 52.1133°N 0.4802°W / 52.1133; -0.4802