Changes

Easton Court was a small single-platform station. It opened with the Tenbury Railway in 1861, but closed in October 1862 due to lack of use. It reopened in April 1865, 8 months after the through connection between Woofferton and Bewdley was established.

Easton Court itself is a gentry house and landscaped park in the civil parish of Little Hereford. For a time the station name board also referred to “Little Hereford”, although this was not used on timetables.<ref group="note">The GWR Magazine of May 1914 records the retirement of Abraham Tantrum, born April 1842, who "recalls the opening of the Tenbury line from Woofferton and being entertained by Lady Northwick at Easton Court and Tenbury." [http://www.users.totalise.co.uk/~fortroyal/NoakeGuide/346.html Noake's Worcestershire (p346)] notes "among the gentry in the neighbourhood are Lord Northwick, Burford House; Mrs. Bailey, Easton Court"</ref>

A whist drive in aid of the War Seal Foundation was held on 2 November 1917 raising £12/13/0. It was promoted by the Station Master WA Lloyd and F Thomas as Honorary Secretary.<ref>GWR Magazine January 1918</ref> [[SVR staff in 1922#Wyre Forest Line (Bewdley to Woofferton)|GWR staff records for 1922]] show the station had a staff of 3. John Morgan, having retired from the post of Chief Goods Clerk at Tenbury Wells after 50 years service with the GWR/LMS Joint Railway and settled at Easton Court, returned to work in 1941 at that station as a Grade 1 Porter. He was still there in August 1946 after reaching his 78th birthday.<ref>GWR Magazine September 1946</ref> The station became unstaffed after September 1954, and closed with the line from Tenbury Wells to Woofferton July 1961.

Newnham Bridge opened with the Tenbury and Bewdley Railway in 1864. The station had a siding which could act as a passing loop, but only a single platform for passengers. A signal box was originally provided, but later replaced by three ground frames. In 1913 a 'loop mileage siding' was authorised.<ref>GWR Magazine November 1913</ref> The [[The Severn Valley Railway under GWR/BR ownership# Timetable extracts | GWR Working Timetables]] included the following operating instruction: ''When necessary, a train (not conveying passengers) may be placed in the sidings at Foley Park and Newnham Bridge for another train to pass in the same or opposite direction''.

The siding capacity was authorised to be increased from 40 to 92 wagons in 1929 and a spur was to be provided to allow goods trains to be shunted clear of the running line.<ref>Great Western Railway Magazine November 1929</ref> In 1931 an intermediate token instrument was installed.<ref>Great Western Railway Magazine, January 1931</ref> Additional goods accommodation followed.<ref>Great Western Railway Magazine, January 1933</ref>

The layout of the station was also unusual in that the main station building was situated at rail level. From there, passengers had to use a barrow crossing to reach the platform via the loop and running line. Despite these arrangements, Newnham Bridge could be a busy station, particularly when fruit was in season, and was quoted as one of the centres of fruit growing in Worcestershire, particularly cherries, damsons and apples. <ref name=GWR39/> [[SVR staff in 1922#Wyre Forest Line (Bewdley to Woofferton)|GWR staff records for 1922]] show the station had a staff of 4.

Cleobury Mortimer was a crossing station with two platforms, a goods yard and goods shed and a cattle pen. The OS Map of 1888-1913 shows the layout before the building of the [[Cleobury Mortimer and Ditton Priors Light Railway]] which opened in 1908 and can be seen branching away to the north-west on the later 1937-1961 series map. At that time a 65 lever frame replaced the original 27 lever frame in the signal box. In 1911 'Re-classification of service conditions have seen improvements at Cleobury Mortimer signal box.'<ref>GWR Magazine December 1913</ref> South-west of the goods yard was a private siding which served nearby Bayton Colliery between 1913 and 1923.In 1913 steelwork was ordered for a new bridge from EC and J Keay of Corporation Street, Birmingham.<ref>GWR Magazine April 1913</ref>

Charles Cox became an early Station Master in the late 1860s.<ref>GWR Magazine March 1905</ref> RP Nason, a clerk, was one of the railway employees killed in the Great War.<GWR Magazine August 1918</ref> [[SVR staff in 1922#Wyre Forest Line (Bewdley to Woofferton)|GWR staff records for 1922]] show the station had a staff of 15, including four porters at stations on the Ditton Priors branch.

Continuing northwards, the trackbed remains in place although no track is laid. Shortly before Dowles Bridge, the level of the Tenbury and Bewdley railway falls below that of the Severn Valley Railway. A retaining wall was built between the two lines, now referred to as the [[Tenbury Wall]].