Monument record 6838/1 - East & West Junction Railway (Towcester to Stratford on Avon)

Dismantled railway. The East and West Junction Railway Company opened the line from Green's Norton near Towcester to Stratford-on-Avon circa 1873 and in 1879 the line was completed to Broom Junction. In 1879, the East and West Company floated the Easton Neston Mineral Railway, and the Towcester Roade and Olney Junction Railway, together with the Broom Extension, the whole opening for goods traffic in 1891 as the Stratford-upon Avon, Towcester and Midland Junction Railway. Revenue never covered costs, and a receiver was appointed in 1898. The E&WJR and ST&MJR amalgamated in 1910 as the S&MJR. Despite activity as the `Shakespeare Line', World War II killed traffic, passenger trains being withdrawn in 1952. The line was completely closed down 4 May 1964 and later completely dismantled except for the section running from just east of Kineton to Fenny Compton. [Also known as 'Stratford Upon Avon Towcester And Midland Junction Railway']

{3} The east and West Junction Railway had been authorised in 1864 from Towcester to Stratford upon Avon. In August 1864 Lady Palmerston, a local landowner, cut the first sod, watched by the then Prime Minister Alec Douglas-Home. Having connected with the Midland Railway to the west, the East and West realised that a short cut would be provided by linking the Birmingham to Bristol main line with the Leicester to London route. This became the Stratford upon Avon and Midland Junction Railway.

<1> 1920, Railway Clearing House pre-1923 Junction Diagrams, (unchecked) (Plan). SNN106338.

<2> Ordnance Survey, 1880s, First Edition OS 6 Inch Mapping Series (54NW), (unchecked) (Map). SNN108248.

<3> Raybould, O., 2014, M1 Wind Farm, Roade: Railway Embankment Removal Archaeological Watching Brief Report, p.6 (checked) (Report). SNN109427.

<4> Richards, P. & Simpson, B., 2009, A History of the London and Birmingham Railway: Volume 2 Bletchley to Rugby, (unchecked) (Book). SNN109436.

<5> Jordan, A., 1982, The Stratford-upon-Avon and Midland Junction Railway: The Shakespeare Route, (unchecked) (Book). SNN109437.

<6> Clinker, C R, 1978, Clinker's register of closed passenger stations and goods depots in England, Scotland and Wales 1830-1977 (Book). SNN113105.

<7> Christiansen, R, 1981, Regional History of the Railways of Great Britain: Thames and Severn, p. 82-3 (Book). SNN114161.

Record last edited

Feb 17 2025 7:19PM