Turvey railway station

Turvey
General information
LocationTurvey, Bedford
England
Grid referenceSP960521
Platforms2
Other information
StatusDisused
History
Original companyBedford and Northampton Railway
Pre-groupingMidland Railway
Post-groupingLondon Midland and Scottish Railway
London Midland Region of British Railways
Key dates
10 June 1872Opened
5 March 1962Closed to passengers
6 January 1964Goods facilities withdrawn

Turvey was a railway station on the Bedford to Northampton Line which served the village of Turvey from 1872 to 1962.

History

Opened by the Bedford and Northampton Railway on 10 June 1872,[1][2] the station was a mile from the village of Turvey.[3][4] This was a result of the decision to route the line to the south of Turvey in order to avoid Turvey Abbey and the River Great Ouse.[5] The station was therefore sited near the main road away from the village.[5] However, a small hamlet developed around the station, including a public house called The Railway Inn.[6] An attractive stone building was provided with two platforms.[4][7] Two sidings looped from the Up line to reach a small goods yard, while a further siding just to the north served cattle pens.[3] A signal box stood at the Olney end of the Down platform.[8] Five trains each way ran on weekdays and none on Sundays.[9][10]

Serving a rural district with only 782 residents in 1901, traffic was light.[9] With the introduction of local bus services, passenger bookings fell from 13,207 in 1913 to 7,989 in 1922.[3] Closure of the station to passenger traffic came on 5 March 1962, leaving the goods yard to remain open for freight until 6 January 1964.[1][2][11] In its final years, the station saw few passengers.[6]


Preceding station   Disused railways   Following station
Olney
Line and station closed
 		  Midland Railway
Bedford to Northampton Line 		  Bedford Midland
Line closed, station open

Present day

The platforms have been demolished but the station building remains as offices used by LC Services Ltd which has redeveloped the rest of the site[12][13][6]

References

Notes

  1. ^ a b Butt (1995), p. 236.
  2. ^ a b Quick (2009), p. 388.
  3. ^ a b c Mitchell & Smith (2004), fig. XI.
  4. ^ a b Cockman (1974), p. 43.
  5. ^ a b Cockman (1972), p. 264.
  6. ^ a b c Hinitt & Leigh (1994), p. 36.
  7. ^ Mitchell & Smith (2004), fig. 55.
  8. ^ Mitchell & Smith (2004), figs. 55-56.
  9. ^ a b Oppitz (2000), p. 139.
  10. ^ Cockman (1972), p. 265.
  11. ^ Clinker (1988), p. 138.
  12. ^ Oppitz (2000), p. 140.
  13. ^ Shannon (1996), p. 30.

Sources

  • Butt, R. V. J. (October 1995). The Directory of Railway Stations: details every public and private passenger station, halt, platform and stopping place, past and present (1st ed.). Sparkford: Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN 978-1-85260-508-7. OCLC 60251199. OL 11956311M.
  • Clinker, C. R. (1988) [1978]. Clinker's Register of Closed Passenger Stations and Goods Depots in England, Scotland and Wales 1830–1980 (2nd ed.). Bristol: Avon-Anglia Publications & Services. ISBN 978-0-905466-91-0. OCLC 655703233.
  • Cockman, F.G. (Autumn 1972). "The Bedford and Northampton Railway". Bedfordshire Magazine. 13 (102): 262–265.
  • Cockman, F.G. (1974). The Railway Age in Bedfordshire. Vol. 53. Bedford: Bedfordshire Historical Record Society. ISBN 0-85155-035-5.
  • Hinitt, Michael; Leigh, Chris (September 1994). "Last years of the Bedford-Northampton line". Steam World (87): 32–37.
  • Mitchell, Victor E.; Smith, Keith A. (June 2004). Bedford to Wellingborough including Hitchin, Northampton and Higham Ferrers. Midhurst, West Sussex: Middleton Press. ISBN 1-904474-314.
  • Oppitz, Leslie (2000). Lost Railways of the Chilterns. Lost Railways Series. Newbury, Berkshire: Countryside Books. ISBN 978-1-85306-643-6.
  • Quick, Michael (2009) [2001]. Railway passenger stations in Great Britain: a chronology (4th ed.). Oxford: Railway & Canal Historical Society. ISBN 978-0-901461-57-5. OCLC 612226077.
  • Shannon, Paul (1996) [1995]. Buckinghamshire, Bedfordshire and West Hertfordshire. British Railways Past and Present. Wadenhoe, Peterborough: Past & Present Publishing. ISBN 978-1-85895-073-0. No. 24.

Further reading

  • Munby, G.F.W. (1908). Former days at Turvey. London: James Nisbet & Co. OL 16303077M.

52°09′32″N 0°35′51″W / 52.1588°N 0.5975°W / 52.1588; -0.5975