Berrington
Berrington was the first station south of Shrewsbury on the original Severn Valley line, located at milepost 168m 12c, 36½ miles from Hartlebury and 4¼ miles from Shrewsbury. It was situated close to the village of Cross Houses and about half a mile from the village of Berrington itself. The 1901 Census recorded the local population as 928, including the 'inmates' of the Cross Houses Union Workhouse.[1]
| Towards Hartlebury and Kidderminster | Towards Shrewsbury |
|---|---|
| Cressage (4 miles) via Cound Halt (from 1934) |
Shrewsbury (4¼ miles) |
Contents
Opening
At opening on 1 February 1862, Berrington had a single platform and siding. On 14 June 1893 the GWR authorised the construction of a passing loop with a second platform which became the Down platform. This platform was provided with a platform shelter. The Up platform was also extended, and a signal box and more significant sidings provided. The authorised cost of this work was £1,068. A year later on 14 June 1894 the work was approved by the Board of Trade inspector, Major Yorke, although he required a ladies’ waiting room and WC to be provided on the Up platform. The GWR approved the construction of this at a cost of £240 on 8 August 1894.[2][1]
Closure
The station closed on 9 September 1963, when passenger services between Bewdley and Shrewsbury were withdrawn by BR. Through freight services continued until 30 November of that year, after which the signal box was taken out of use on 2 December 1963.
The line through Berrington was maintained in working order for the move of boilers and other large equipment to Ironbridge power station which took place on 22 April 1966, after which time the line south of Berrington was completely closed and the track lifted.[3] The section of track between Berrington and Shrewsbury continued in use for testing Sentinel diesels until finally being closed by BR on 21 January 1968.[4]
The station is now a private residence and small business.[5]
Traffic statistics
| Passenger Traffic | Freight Traffic | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Tickets issued | Parcels despatched | Revenue (£) | Tons received & despatched | Revenue (£) | Total revenue (£) |
| 1903 | 16,855 | 4,695 | 881 | 8,275 | 1,951 | 2,832 |
| 1913 | 14,073 | 6,989 | 989 | 7,992 | 2,053 | 3,042 |
| 1923 | 9,014 | 5,380 | 973 | 5,042 | 2,379 | 3,352 |
| 1933 | 4,811 | 2,807 | 456 | 6,085 | 1,362 | 1,818 |
| 1938 | 3,348 | 2,967 | 303 | 6,086 | 1,774 | 2,077 |
In common with all stations on the Severn Valley Railway throughout that time, revenue from freight exceeded that from passenger services. The decrease in tickets sold from 1903 to 1938 was proportionately greater at Berrington than any other station on the Branch.[6]
Historic maps of Berrington station
- 1902 OS map showing the second platform and passing loop
1902
See also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Vanns (1998) p. 25.
- ↑ Marshall (1989) p. 112.
- ↑ Magner (1997) p. 35.
- ↑ Mitchell & Smith (2007) p. 35.
- ↑ Station Cattery
- ↑ Nabarro (1971) p. 56.
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