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'''Hampton Loade ''' station is a minor country station located between [[Bridgnorth]] and [[Highley]], located close to the [[River Severn]]. On opening, the station had only a single platform and a siding, with a second platform and signal box being added in 1880s.<div class="toclimit-2">__TOC__</div>

The station house is built of yellow brick. Unlike some of the other station houses including Highley and Arley, this was not upgraded during the GWR era by the extension of the waiting room and provision of an extra bedroom. Other than 'sympathetic restoration', the station has changed little in appearance since preservation, although the ladies' toilet on platform one was demolished and replaced by a larger structure in the early 1970s<ref name=SVR32>SVR News 32</ref>.

During the early years of SVR operation (1970 to 1974) Hampton Loade formed the southern terminus. Trains were until 1973 initially operated as 'one engine in steam' before ; the signal box was commissioned and signalling became operativebrought into use after the last train on Saturday 19 May 1973.<ref>[http://www.svrsig.org.uk/svr/Frame7.htm SVR S&T website] (Retrieved 10 February 2019)News 28</ref> Evidence of its the station's terminus function remains in the form of the presence of the down starting signal on platform 2, which is normally only used for up trains. Following the [[2007 Storm Damage]] the station again acted as the limit of trains from Bridnorth for a short period in 2008. It was later the terminus of [[Eardington#The_Eardington_Explorer|The Eardington Explorer]] trains.

====Operations====Hampton Loade station has two platforms and a [[Hampton Loade signal box|signal box]], allowing trains travelling in opposite directions to pass. In addition there is a south facing siding with a bay goods platform adjacent to platform 2. The crossing loop is the shortest on the railway, only able to hold a loco and 8 full-length coaches, with special arrangements to allow longer trains to pass. In normal operation Down trains (to Bridgnorth) use platform 1, adjacent to the station house, while Up trains (to KiddrminsterKidderminster) use platform 2.

There are signals for Down trains (to Bridgnorth) to depart from either platform. However there are only signals for Down trains to arrive in the Down platform 1. In addition, there is no Facing Point Lock on the siding point, so that has to must be manually "clipped" before a Bridgnorth train can use the Up platform 2. Similarly, you can only clear the signal to route an Up (Kidderminster) train through the Down platform 1 by switching the box out, and there is no Up starting signal on the Down line in Platform 1.

====Facilities====The station has a small kiosk (originally a Wyman's bookstall from Snow Hill station)<ref name=SVR32/> serving snacks and hot and cold drinks. This is located adjacent to the waiting room on Platform 2. The [[Hampton Loade Station Fund Shop]] and the [[The Barry Railway Carriage Trust Sales Van | Barry Railway Carriage Trust sales van]] are both situated in the bay platform. There is a small picnic area next to the station.

====Volunteer accommodation====

The station and the nearby Unicorn Inn are actually situated in the hamlet of Hampton. The village of Hampton Loade is on the other bank of the river (Loade comes from the Saxon word 'lode' meaning ford). There A ferry service at the location is now no ford or bridgebelieved to date from the mid-1600s.<ref>SVR News 139, but in modern times a passenger foot ferry operated in summer months.''Hampton Loade Ferry''</ref>

The There is now no ford or bridge, but in modern times a passenger foot ferry operated in summer months. This was a 'reaction ferry', tethered to a pulley block on an overhead cable suspended across the river and propelled by angling the ferry against the river current. The last ferry in use (pictured) was built in 2004, replacing the previous ferry which had been in use for 38 years. It closed after the [[2007 Floods]] and was put up for sale by the owner.<ref>[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hampton_Loade_Ferry Wikipedia]</ref>. The SVR turned down an offer to acquire the ferry as they did not feel the Railway was the right body to operate it.<ref>SVR News 166, Summer 2009</ref> It was eventually reopened in April 2009,<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/shropshire/8020060.stm BBC News]</ref> but has not operated since 2013. Subsequently, a tree brought down the cable during floods. It is not known if or when it will return to operation.

<gallerymode=packed heights=200px style="text-align:left">File:Ferry_20090525.jpg | Hampton Loade ferry (May 2009)

<gallerymode=packed heights=200px style="text-align:left">File:Garden_Railway_20090504.jpg | The Paddock Garden Railway

Since 1992,<ref>SVR News 118</ref> Hampton Loade is has been the base for [[Barry Railway Carriage Trust]] who are restoring [[Barry Railway Carriage 163]]. In 2022 the Trust and Railway agreed that 163 will leave the SVR.  <gallery mode=packed heights=200px style="text-align:left">Barry_163_20180325.jpg| Barry Railway Carriage 163 (2018)</gallery>

<gallerymode=packed heights=200px style="text-align:left">File:Hampton Loade water pump 1.jpg | Water Pump

<gallerymode=packed heights=200px style="text-align:left">File:HL siding signal.jpg | Siding exit ground signal

Hampton Loade was has been used as a filming location for the film on a number of occasions, including:*[[The Incredible Robert Baldick]] (1972 BBC TV drama) *[[Carrie's War]] (1974 BBC Children's drama)*[[Survivors]] (1977 BBC TV Drama)*[[God's Wonderful Railway]] (1980 BBC Children's drama)*[[The Englishman Who Went Up a Hill But Came Down a Mountain]] (1995 film).*[[Can you hear me?]] (In post-production {{As of|2023|lc="y"}})<gallery mode=packed heights=200px style="text-align:left">HE_686_at_Hampton_Loade_1972.jpg | 686 as used for filming in 1972 (David Cooke)</gallery> ====Velocipede====The GWR probably made the greatest use of velocipedes of the 'big 4' railway companies; Swindon's use of them continued into BR days.  From time-to-time Hampton Loade organised its own station galas, usually held on a Sunday at the end of July. The 2001 Hampton Loade Station Gala included what was thought to be Britain's first 'Velocipede Rally'. A contemporary report noted that Hampton Loade's own velocipede was thought to be unique, being the only known example to have survived at the place to which it was first allocated and having avoided the re-call to Swindon at closure. The velocipede, which at the time had never been restored and was preserved in 'just-as-stopped-work' condition, was owned by Hampton Loade's Barry Bull and Steve Dockerty. It was joined by two visiting velocipedes.<ref>SVR News 139, ''Hampton Loade Velocipede Rally 2001''</ref> The event was repeated in following years with four visiting velocipedes in 2002 and six in 2003, by which time the Hampton Loade velocipede had been restored to working order.<ref>SVR News 142, 144</ref> The last Hampton Loade Station Gala advertised as such in the BBC TV drama [[The Incredible Robert BaldickSevern Valley Railway News|SVR News]]'forthcoming events' was on 25 July 2004, which also included a fourth velocipede rally. A fifth National velocipede rally took place on Sunday 24 July 2005 with five velocipedes in attendance. After that time, no further 'national rallies' were reported in SVR News.<gallery mode=packed heights=200px style="text-align:left">Velocipedes_Hampton_Loade_1975.jpg|Velocipedes in 2005 (SVR News)</gallery>

<gallerymode=packed heights=150px style="text-align:left">

 <gallerymode=packed heights=200px style="text-align:left">File:Hampton-Loade-Railcar-1959-10-07.jpg|An ex-GWR diesel railcar on a Northbound service in October 1959 ([[Sellick Collection]])