Piddington railway station explained

Piddington
Status:Disused
Borough:Horton, West Northamptonshire
Country:England
Platforms:2
Original:Bedford & Northampton Railway
Pregroup:Midland Railway
Postgroup:London Midland and Scottish Railway
London Midland Region of British Railways
Years:10 June 1872[1]
Events:Opened as Horton
Years1:1 May 1876
Events1:Renamed Piddington & Horton
Years2:1 April 1904
Events2:Renamed Piddington
Years3:5 March 1962
Events3:Closed to passengers
Years4:7 September 1964
Events4:Goods facilities withdrawn

Piddington was a railway station on the former Bedford to Northampton Line. Despite its name, the station was located close to the village of Horton in Northamptonshire, approximately from the village of Piddington.

History

The line and station were opened in 1872 and operated by the Midland Railway which became part of the London Midland and Scottish Railway in 1923. The line closed to passengers in 1962.[2] Until 1939 the western end of the line was at Northampton St Johns Street Station.That station closed in 1939 and the trains were diverted into Northampton Bridge Street Station and from there they ran into Northampton Castle Station.[3]

For a short while from December 1892, Piddington and Horton were also served by the Stratford-upon-Avon and Midland Junction Railway, known as the "SMJR",[4] with a station called Salcey Forest to the south west of Horton and south east of Piddington. This line ran from Towcester to Ravenstone Wood Junction on the Northampton to Bedford line between Piddington and Olney stations via Blisworth and Stoke Bruerne. There were connections from Towcester to Banbury and Stratford upon Avon.[5]

Present day

The station can be found off the B526 in Horton village. The route of the line is just to the northeast of the village. There is a proposal to reopen this line.[6] [7] Confusion sometimes occurs as there is a disused railway line close to Piddington itself, however that is the former Stratford and Midland Junction Railway, which had no station at Piddington or Horton except Salcey Forest referred to above.

References

52.1877°N -0.7891°W

Notes and References

  1. Butt, R.V.J. (1995). The Directory of Railway Stations, Patrick Stephens Ltd, Sparkford,, p. 123.
  2. Web site: The railway through Turvey 1872 to 1962. 9 September 2020. Turvey History.
  3. Web site: Brown. Susie. Northampton St Johns Street Station. Life and the Railway.
  4. Web site: Stratford and Midland Junction Railway (SMJ). 2008-10-16.
  5. Web site: Stoke Bruern. The SMJ Society.
  6. Web site: Sole Trader Self Employed, "Bedford - Olney - Northampton". . 10 May 2009 . https://web.archive.org/web/20100528025729/http://www.stse.co.uk/randt/bon/index.htm . 28 May 2010 . dead .
  7. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/northamptonshire/3825477.stm BBC News, "New bid to reopen old rail link", 21 June 2004.