- Churn railway station
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Churn 
Site of Churn Halt Location Place Churn Down Area Vale of White Horse, Oxfordshire Grid reference SU517825 Operations Original company Didcot, Newbury and Southampton Railway Pre-grouping Didcot, Newbury and Southampton Railway Post-grouping Great Western Railway
Western Region of British RailwaysPlatforms 2 History 6 July 1888 Opened (private station) 1905 Opened for public use 4 August 1942 Closed 8 March 1943 Re-opened 10 September 1962 Closed Disused railway stations in the United Kingdom Closed railway stations in Britain
A B C D–F G H–J K–L M–O P–R S T–V W–ZChurn railway station served Churn Down, a remote part of the Berkshire Downs. The nearest village was Blewbury, two miles north, which was already served by Upton and Blewbury the previous station on the line. The station closed in 1962.
History
This was a small and very isolated single platform halt with access only via an unmetalled downland sheep road. It was built as a temporary stop to accommodate a competition held by the National Rifle Association in 1888. However, from 1889 military summer camps were established near to the station which required the use of the halt as the only access to the site. Timetables provided that trains would not call at Churn unless prior notice had been given to the Stationmaster at Didcot. The station buildings consisted of no more than a simple wooden shelter and basic lavatories.[1] In order to provide deliveries of goods for the camps a small siding was built at the southern end of the station.[2]. In 1905 it was the subject of a fictional crime mystery, Sir Gilbert Murrell's Picture, by Victor Whitechurch.[3]
Routes
Preceding station Disused railways Following station Upton and Blewbury Great Western Railway
Didcot, Newbury and Southampton RailwayCompton References
- ^ Geocaching website
- ^ Karau, P., Parsons, M. and Robertson, K. (1984) An illustrated history of the Didcot, Newbury and Southampton Railway, Wild Swan Publications, ISBN 0-906867-04-5
- ^ Whitechurch, Victor, Sir Gilbert Murrell's Picture (1905)
Closed railway stations in Oxfordshire Great Western Main Line Didcot, Newbury and Southampton Railway Churn · Upton and BlewburyCherwell Valley Line Abingdon Junction · Abingdon Road Halt · Bletchington · Fritwell & Somerton · Hinksey Halt · Kidlington · Wolvercot PlatformWitney Railway; East Gloucestershire Railway Alvescot · Brize Norton and Bampton · Carterton · Cassington Halt · Eynsham · Kelmscott and Langford · South Leigh · Witney · Witney (goods) · YarntonWycombe Railway Horspath Halt · Iffley Halt · Littlemore · Morris Cowley · Thame · Tiddington · Towersey Halt · WheatleyWatlington and Princes Risborough Railway Aston Rowant · Chinnor · Kingston Crossing Halt · Lewknor Bridge Halt · Wainhill Crossing Halt · WatlingtonChiltern Main Line Banbury and Cheltenham Direct Railway Great Central Main Line Varsity Line Banbury to Verney Junction Branch Line Blenheim and Woodstock Branch Line Blenheim and Woodstock · Shipton-on-Cherwell HaltShort branches Closed railway stations in Berkshire Staines and West Drayton Railway Windsor branch Wycombe Railway Didcot, Newbury and Southampton Railway Lambourn Valley Railway Newbury West Fields Halt · Speen · Stockcross and Bagnor Halt · Boxford · Welford Park · Great Shefford · East Garston · Eastbury Halt · LambournNorth Downs Line Reading SouthernOther stations Reading Central GoodsStations in Oxfordshire since 1974Great Western Main Line Didcot, Newbury and Southampton Railway Churn · Upton and BlewburyCherwell Valley Line Wycombe Railway Iffley HaltShort branches Categories:- Disused railway stations in Oxfordshire
- Former Great Western Railway stations
- Railway stations opened in 1888
- Railway stations closed in 1942
- Railway stations opened in 1943
- Railway stations closed in 1962
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