National Cold Stores Siding

1951 OSOrdnance Survey Map showing Stourport Station (bottom right) to Burlish Halt (top left).

1948 aerial photograph of Stourport. The station is at top centre, the SVRSevern Valley Railway passing from left (Bewdley) to right (Hartlebury). Image from Britain from Above.

The Ministry for Home Security was created at the outbreak of Second World War in September 1939. The Ministry were responsible for the creation of many types of civil defence buildings including ‘buffer depots’ for the storage of dry food, frozen food, granaries and emergency supplies. With the supply of food, fuel and raw materials coming at risk of breaking down, the Government established a number of storage depots from 1941. These were sited to ensure good road access and, where possible, adjoining a railway and/or a canal.

One such emergency grain silo and food store was built at Stourport, with a siding being provided in 1941 to serve it. The National Cold Stores facility was situated a short distance west of the station to the north of the line. The location of the Store can be seen on the 1951 OSOrdnance Survey map, although the siding itself is not shown. The Store is visible as the large white building west of the station in the 1948 areial view of Stourport.

Access to the siding was controlled by two(?) levers and an intermediate token machine, released by token.

See also

• Private sidings connected to the Severn Valley Railway
• Pre-1963 map
• List of historical Signal Boxes and Ground Frames