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[[File:Linley-41202-1962-10-17.jpg|200px300px|thumb|Ex-LMS 41202 with a Southbound train in October 1962 ([[Sellick Collection]])]][[File:Linley-41202-1963-08-31.jpg|200px300px|thumb|The same locomotive a year later in August 1963, this time running Northbound ([[Sellick Collection]])]][[File:Linley Railway Station - geograph.org.uk - 548773.jpg|200px|thumb|Linley Station in 2007]] 

'''Linley Station ''' was located 22&frac12; miles from Hartlebury and 18&frac14; miles from Shrewsbury. It was the first station north of [[Bridgnorth]], and had a single platform with no passing loop. ==Construction and history==[[File:Apley_Hall_20080216.jpg|300px|thumb|Apley Hall in 2008, seen from near the location of Linley Station]][[File:Apley_Chain_Bridge_20080216.jpg|300px|thumb|The 1905 suspension bridge in 2008]]The Severn Valley Railway passes through the Apley Park estate, owned at the time of the line’s line's construction by '''Thomas C Whitmore'''. Although his property was located on the opposite bank of the [[River Severn]], Whitmore opposed the Railway's constructionas "''utterly annihilating the privacy and seclusion of the said, mansion, house, park and grounds''". Whitmore had already sponsored a rival and one ultimately unsuccessful proposal, the [[The Severn Valley Railway under GWR/BR ownership#Unsuccessful proposals|Shrewsbury, Ironbridge and Bridgnorth Railway]] whose route was planned to cross the Severn at Quatford, south of his conditions Bridgnorth and pass to the east of Apley Park before joining Shrewsbury and Birmingham Railway's Madeley Branch. A Bill to construct that railway was introduced to which Parliament in February 1853 but was thrown out in June of that year.<ref>[[Bibliography#Books|Marshall (1989)]] p. 24.</ref> To overcome Whitmore's opposition, the route authorised by the original Severn Valley Railway Company had Act of 1853 included running the line through tunnels under the estate. Negotiations to accede was reduce the provision cost of the line resulted in a revised route not including tunnels, authorised in the second Severn Valley Railway Act of 1855.<ref name=marshall>[[Bibliography#Books|Marshall (1989)]] pp. 31-36,107.</ref> To achieve this the Severn Valley Railway Company paid Whitmore £14,000 in compensation as well as £150 per acre for the land purchased, and in addition were required to provide a station at which at least two trains per day in each direction could be stopped on request. <ref>[[Bibliography#Books|Vanns (1998)]] p. 49.</ref> Linley Station, built to meet this condition, had no public road access. <ref name=marshall/> Although [[Construction of the Severn Valley Railway]] began in 1858, Whitmore's land was among the last to be acquired in 1860.  Despite his initial opposition to the railway, Whitmore cut down a number of trees after the railway opened in 1862, so that he could have a better view of passing trains. However he died on 13 March 1865, aged only 58<ref name=marshall/> (expectancy would have been about 70).<ref>[http://www.jbending.org.uk/stats3.htm Life Expectancy in years at various ages, by decade] (Retrieved 1 May 2019)</ref> On 8 June 1862 a porter at Linley left the station a little before midday, having confirmed to the station-master that he would return 'before train time' (5:30pm). In the event he did not return until the following Wednesday morning. He was brought before the South Shropshire Magistrates charged with having "''absented himself from the employment of the West Midland Railway Company, without having previously obtained leave or given the required 14 days’ notice''". The Bench said the prisoner had rendered himself liable to suffer two months' imprisonment with hard labour, or a penalty of £10. However they had power to mitigate the penalty, and he was to pay a fine of £1 or go to prison for 14 days.<ref>Wellington Journal 28 June 1862, reported in [http://www.broseley.org.uk/Papers/Broseley%201862.pdf Broseley Papers]</ref> The station was originally accessed from the Hall via a ferry. In 1905 a suspension bridge was built by David Rowell & Co of Westminster.<ref name=marshall/> ==Traffic statistics=={| class="wikitable"|+ [[The Severn Valley Railway under GWR/BR ownership#Traffic statistics|GWR Traffic statistics]] for Linley, selected years prior to 1939<ref>[[Bibliography#Books|Nabarro (1971)]] p. 55.</ref>|-! !! colspan="3" | Passenger Traffic !! colspan="2" | Freight Traffic !! |-! Year !! Tickets issued !! Parcels despatched !! Revenue (&pound;) !! Tons received &amp; despatched !! Revenue (&pound;) !! Total revenue (&pound;)|-|1903||style="text-align:right"|5,280||style="text-align:right"|1,506||style="text-align:right"|403||style="text-align:right"|159||style="text-align:right"|71||style="text-align:right"|474|-|1913||style="text-align:right"|4,780||style="text-align:right"|1,537||style="text-align:right"|433||style="text-align:right"|772||style="text-align:right"|149||style="text-align:right"|612|-|1923||style="text-align:right"|4,569||style="text-align:right"|836||style="text-align:right"|462||style="text-align:right"|212||style="text-align:right"|51||style="text-align:right"|513|-|1933||style="text-align:right"|3,482||style="text-align:right"|931||style="text-align:right"|303||style="text-align:right"|253||style="text-align:right"|90||style="text-align:right"|393|-|1938||style="text-align:right"|3,750||style="text-align:right"|722||style="text-align:right"|263||style="text-align:right"|454||style="text-align:right"|201||style="text-align:right"|464|-|} ==Closure==[[File:Linley Railway Station - geograph.org.uk - 548773.jpg|300px|thumb|Linley Station in 2007]]The station had a goods siding as shown on the OS maps. The short goods loop was removed in about 1939<ref>[[Bibliography#Books|Mitchell and Smith (2007)]] fig. XIV.</ref> and the siding was closed altogether on 10 September 1951; the station was officially reduced to the status of a halt at the same time.<ref name=marshall/>

Following closure of the line in 19621963, the station was converted to a private house.

==SourcesHistoric maps of Linley station==The Severn Valley Railway*1883 map showing the station and siding, John Marshall<br>with the nearby ferry serving Apley Hall also shownSevern Valley Railway, *1902 map showing the station and siding. A View from 'points box' is shown giving access to the Pastsiding- possibly a ground frame?*1927 map showing the station and siding, MA Vannswith the 1905 suspension bridge also shown  <gallery>File: OS_Linley_1883.jpg | 1883File: OS_Linley_1902.jpg | 1902File: OS_Linley_1927.jpg | 1927</gallery>

*[[The Severn Valley Railway under GWR/BR ownership# Map of the Route and Nearby Railways | The Severn Valley Railway under GWR/BR ownership]]*[[Maps#Schematic maps of the pre-closure SVR | Pre-1963 map]]*[[Shropshire Historic Environment Record]] ==References==<references /> ==Links==*Wikipedia: [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Charlton_Whitmore Thomas Charlton Whitmore]*Wikipedia: [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apley_Hall Apley Hall]{{StationNavbox}}[[Category:Featured articles]]