Bewdley

Bewdley station

Southern approach to Bewdley

Next stations

Up (towards Kidderminster)	Down (towards Bridgnorth)
Kidderminster (3½ miles)	Arley (3¾ miles) via Northwood Halt

Next stations pre-closure

Towards Hartlebury	Towards Kidderminster	Towards Shrewsbury	Towards Tenbury Wells
Stourport (2½ miles) ) via Burlish Halt (from 1930)	Kidderminster (3¾ miles) via Rifle Range Halt (1905-1920) and Foley Park Halt (1905-1970)	Arley (3¾ miles) via Northwood Halt (from 1935)	Wyre Forest

The station

Bewdley station in Worcestershire has three platforms and was formerly the junction for both the Wyre Forest and Stourport lines, both of which are now used as sidings.

The station is controlled by two signal boxes, Bewdley South and Bewdley North. The section through platforms 1 and 2 is the only double track section of the present SVR. This is worked under Absolute Block regulations.

Bewdley Down Yard is home to the Carriage and Wagon department which supplements the Carriage Repair Department at Kidderminster and maintains the fleet of goods wagons. A considerable amount of rolling stock is stabled there including rolling stock under restoration. Public access to the yard is available during the annual Open House Weekend (and was formerly available during the Peep Behind the Scenes event).

Bewdley MPD is home to the Class 108 DMU. Other operational locomotives are also stabled at Bewdley, running light engine to Kidderminster at the start and end of each day as required. On certain Gala days a DMU shuttle service is operated between Stourport Triangle, Bewdley and the short remaining length of former Tenbury Branch track immediately north of Bewdley to recreate the feel of a country junction station.

Bewdley Platform 1 is home to the Volunteer Liaison Office.

Legal Charge

On 8 August 1988 Severn Valley Railway (Holdings) PLC gave a Legal Charge in favour of the County Council of Hereford & Worcester in respect of "All that land at Bewdley containing six point seven acres or thereabouts together with the buildings erected thereon." The charge was given as security against "All monies due or to become due from the company to the chargee under the terms of agreement dated 10.5.88." As of 2022 its status is shown as 'Outstanding'. The Council itself was abolished in 1998 and reverted to the two separate historic counties of Herefordshire and Worcestershire.

Facilities

Bewdley has limited public pay and display parking. Three sales coaches run by support groups are adjacent to the car park.

In March 2018 the buffet adjacent to Platform 1 (but not the more recent toilet block and kitchen) was closed pending demolition of the buffet building, which took place from 16-19 July. BR 4593 Tourist Standard Open was moved to the dock in front of the buffet to be used as seating for staff and the public, with table service provided from the kitchen. In January 2020 a prefabricated timber buffet building was installed on the concrete plinth of the old buffet building, and 4593 was removed.

The main passenger access to island platforms 2 and 3 is via the footbridge, but the only access route for those with restricted mobility is via a barrow crossing at the opposite end of the platform, accessed through the Bewdley Down Yard. A 2021/22 project funded primarily by the Charitable Trust to improve access includes a reinforced concrete path between the gates protecting the rail crossing and the yard gates adjoining the car park, with a branch to the existing disabled toilets; removal of the obtrusive GWR water tower on the island platform; improvements to the crossing itself; and appropriate signage. In October 2022 the SVR announced: "it is hoped that external funding can also support the creation of a disabled toilet facility on the station platform. This will hugely improve facilities for our less-abled visitors".

Points of interest

Booking hall

The booking hall had been ‘modernised’ by BR with tall ticket windows and plywood facing. The plywood was removed in winter 1980-81 to reveal the original GWR panelling. At the same time the smaller windows were reinstated and fitted with brass wired grids acquired from the old Birmingham Snow Hill station. The balustrades in front of the windows also came from Snow Hill.

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  Ticket window and balustrade

Phone box

The phone box outside the station is an example of the K4 type, introduced in 1930. The K4, nicknamed the Vermillion Giant, was a combined telephone and post box. Only 50 were ever produced.

The box is Grade II listed by Historic England and described as "Intact but not on original site". It arrived on the SVR in winter 1981-82 on permanent loan from the Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust and was originally situated on Platform 1..

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  Phone box at Bewdley
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  Rear view of phone box

Footbridge

A covered wooden footbridge at the northern end of the station allows access between Platform 1 and Platforms 2&3. It is numbered bridge 10.

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  Bewdley station footbridge
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  Bewdley footbridge interior

Water towers

Two water towers at the southern end of Platforms 2&3 and in the MPD area allow watering of locomotives. The tower on the island platform is of GWR origin and was recovered from Stow Heath yard, Bilston in 1969. The tower next to the MPD is of LNWR origin and was retrieved from Hadley, near Wellington, in October 1972. Both columns were installed during the winter of 1973-74. Unlike at Bridgnorth and Kidderminster, the water supply at Bewdley is not specially treated, and so the columns are only used on rare occasions such as galas.

In October 2020 the Charitable Trust announced a project to improve wheelchair access to the island platform via the barrow crossing next to the MPD. The announcement noted that "The SVR also aim to remove the water tower at the base of the platform ramp as it is causing an obstruction and puddles on the access route. This water tower is not an original feature, but was a later addition, installed during the preservation era, that is no longer essential to operations. This will be relocated to Highley Station."

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  Water towers at Bewdley station
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  Water towers as viewed from the platform

Island platform canopy

Platforms 2 and 3 share a canopy, built in 1878, giving passengers protection from the weather. The canopy, featuring timber frames on cast iron pillars was extended around 1900 with the new section supported on steel frames.

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  Bewdley station from the footbridge, showing the island canopy
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  An up train in platform 2 in April 1962 (PG Hindley)
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  Bewdley island platform canopy shortly after completion of refurbishment in April 2016
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  Underside view of the canopy showing the two different methods of construction
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  Underside view of the canopy showing the two different methods of construction
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  The canopy was refurbished using materials from the old Snow Hill station.

Platform clock

The double-faced clock under the island platform canopy was built for the GWR by Kays of Worcester in the late 19th or early 20th century. It was used at nearby Stourbridge Junction until 1977 when, no longer required by BR, it was acquired by staff from Arley station. It worked until 1998, but then underwent a year-long overhaul, being re-commissioned on 10 April 1999.

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  Bewdley station clock

Gent's urinal

An open roofed cast iron gentlemen's urinal is located on Platforms 2 and 3 on the site of the original urinal which was built in 1896. The replacement was relocated from Melrose in Scotland by SVR volunteers and formally opened in September 1977. See 'Links' below for two copyrighted images of the urinal at Melrose.

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  Bewdley gents urinal
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  Bewdley gents urinal detail

Portable water tank

A portable water tank with hand powered pump was used for the refilling of carriage water tanks.

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  Portable water tank

Token catcher

The token catcher opposite Bewdley North signal box was originally located opposite Bewdley South signal box, where it could be used by locomotives on the former Stourport Branch. It was moved to its present location during the 1974-75 close season. It is not currently in use, tokens instead being exchanged by hand.

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  Token catcher opposite Bewdley North signal box

Bewdley history before preservation

Bewdley station in 1963 (Geograph)

• 1862 Bewdley has a population of 2900 (Population; 10869 in 2001)
• 1862: When the Severn Valley Line opened, Bewdley was a crossing point and was deemed a principal station, being provided with a goods shed and goods yard. Construction of the Tenbury and Bewdley Railway and the Kidderminster Loop Line had already been authorised, and the station was always planned to be a junction.
• 1864: The Tenbury and Bewdley Railway opened on 13 August. Around that time turntable was moved from Bewdley and re-erected in the goods yard at Tenbury
• 1877: In preparation for the delayed opening of the Kidderminster Loop, authorisation was given to enlarge the island platform and provide a shelter and footbridge. New Bewdley North and Bewdley South signal boxes were also built.
• 1878: The Kidderminster Loop opened on 1 June.
• 1900: Authorisation was given for additional siding space including the Rock Siding at the back of Platform 3 and the siding along the far side of the yard.
• 1922: GWR staff records show the station had a staff of 19.
• 1962: Passenger services to Tenbury ceased on 31 July (services beyond Tenbury to Woofferton had ended a year earlier).
• 1963: Passenger services towards Shrewsbury ceased on 9 September, with through freight services ending at the end of November. The Public Notice announcing closure of the line can be seen behind the ‘Platform 1’ sign in the photograph to the right (a copy of the closure notice is on display in The Engine House).
• 1964: Goods services ended on the Tenbury Branch and the line was closed.
• 1965: The goods yard closed on 1 February.
• 1969: All goods traffic north of Bewdley ceased with the closure of Alveley Colliery. This enabled the SVR Society to rent the former goods-shed and yard (even though they had not yet opened the first section of the railway between Bridgnorth and Hampton Loade by that time). This space was used for restoration of locomotives and rolling stock, 4566 and 1501 being among the earliest residents.
• 1970: Passenger services to Kidderminster and Hartlebury ended on 5 January, ending the pre-preservation use of Bewdley Station. 

A 1935 GWR plan of Bewdley shows an "Ambulance" in the Down Yard. This was a grounded M&SWJR coach body used as a First Aid training centre.

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  Bewdley Station in 1898
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  Bewdley Station circa 1910
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  Permanent Way gang at Bewdley
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  Aerial view of Bewdley in 1930
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  Aerial view of Bewdley in 1952
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  A train waits to depart Northbound from Platform 1 in October 1959 (Sellick Collection)
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  An up goods passes Bewdley in April 1962 (PG Hindley)
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  An ex-GWR DMU arrives at Bewdley in October 1962 (Sellick Collection)
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  Closure notice
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  Plan showing ambulance in Down Yard

Early Station Masters at Bewdley prior to 1939

Name	Born	From	To	Comments
Thomas Appleton	26 April 1826 Newton-Le-Willows, Lancashire	August 1863	31 January 1897	Joined West Midland Railway October 1854. Retired 1897. Died 17 April 1906, Worcester
George Smith	14 January 1867 Shipton Oxfordshire	September 1898	1 December 1909	Started work 6 November 1882. Station Master at Bridgnorth circa 1917
Frederick William Augustus Hallett	12 August 1868 Batheaston, Somerset	1 December 1910	23 July 1914	Started work 9 January 1882. Died in 1914 in nursing home at Proud Cross, Kidderminster
Ernest James Neate Carter	21 September 1879 Slough, Buckinghamshire	1914?	1926?	Started work 10 September 1894. Died 7 November 1959
George William Lane	31 May 1872 Hartlebury, Worcestershire	After 1924		Started work 31 May 1872. Employed at Bewdley as a passenger clerk between December 1896 and October 1899. Died 9 January 1961

+ Traffic statistics in commercial service for Bewdley (including Northwood Halt), selected years 1903 to 1952

	Passenger Traffic			Freight Traffic
Year	Tickets issued	Parcels despatched	Revenue (£)	Tons received & despatched	Revenue (£)	Total revenue (£)
1903	63,131	15,577	4,296	16,588	5,076	9,372
1913	82,475	19,845	4,702	17,020	4,074	8,776
1923	92,463	16,783	7,584	20,171	7,553	15,137
1929	92,479	17,812	6,202	20,201	8,875	15,077
1930	88,763	14,840	5,251	19,323	7,812	13,063
1931	69,627	14,706	4,922	20,599	9,227	14,149
1932	56,206	13,689	4,042	16,907	7,180	11,222
1933	56,012	15,578	4,007	15,158	6,802	10,809
1934	55,051	15,834	4,061	14,797	6,679	10,740
1935	61,135	16,093	3,988	13,668	5,920	9,908
1936	63,262	16,300	3,896	14,457	6,931	10,827
1937	66,925	16,001	4,164	13,357	5,627	9,701
1938	60,251	14,120	3,748	10,874	3,833	7,581
1942	93,092	X	7,325	17,227	X	X
1947	72,637	12,251	6,479	13,376	X	X
1952	64,647	9,138	5,328	28,528	X	X

X: Data not recorded

Historic maps of Bewdley Station

• GWR plan of Bewdley station with the original lines in blue and the Rock Siding and alterations to the Down Yard as later amendments in red
• 1884 map showing scissors crossovers at both ends of the station and the short platform canopy
• 1903 map showing facing and trailing crossovers, the Rock siding and an additional siding in the goods yard
• 1927 map showing the longer platform canopy and changes to the southern access to the Back Road and Rock Siding
• 1938 map showing little had changed since 1927
• 1964 map showing showing changes to the southern access to the Back Road and the goods yard
• 1905 GWR schematic plan of Bewdley giving siding capacities and other details.

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  1884
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  1903
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  1927
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  1938
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  1964
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  1905

See also

Bewdley Down Yard
List of stations
List of shops
Tenbury & Bewdley Railway

References

Early Station Masters data taken from census and GWR staff records by Reg Instone, who is involved with the Signalling Records Society, the LNWR Society and the GWR Study Group.

Links

Bewdley Station web site
Volunteer Liaison Office web site
Image of "Melrose, Railway Station, urinal View from W" 8/4/1974
Image of "Interior of cast-iron urinal at Melrose Railway Station, Melrose, Roxburghshire", n/d

In reference to the direction of travel means towards the major terminus (i.e. towards Kidderminster on the present day SVR)

In reference to the direction of travel means away from the major terminus (i.e. towards Bridgnorth on the present day SVR)

Severn Valley Railway

Diesel Multiple Unit

Great Western Railway

British Rail or British Railways

Motive Power Depot

London & North Western Railway

Midland & South West Junction Railway