A number of signal boxes in England are on the Statutory List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest. Signal boxes house the signalman and equipment that control the railway points and signals. Originally, railway signals were controlled from a hut on a platform at junctions. In the 1850s, a raised building with a glazed upper storey containing levers controlling points and signals was developed after John Saxby obtained a patent in 1856 for a mechanical system of interlocking the points and signals. Over half of the signalboxes before 1923 were built by private signalling contractors, the largest being Saxby & Farmer; Stevens & Sons, McKenzie & Holland, the Railway Signal Co., Dutton & Co and Evans, and O'Donnell & Co. Some railway companies had a standard signalbox design, such as the London & North Western Railway, whereas others, such as the Great Eastern Railway had many different designs.
Listed buildings are given one of three grades: Grade I for buildings of exceptional interest, Grade II* for particularly important buildings of more than special interest and Grade II for buildings that are of special interest.[1] In 1948 there were approximately 10,000 signal boxes; by 2012 this had reduced to about 500. National Rail has plans to concentrate control at twelve centres by 2040, decommissioning most of the remaining mechanical signal boxes by 2025. A joint Historic England and Network Rail project listed 26 signal boxes in July 2013.[2]
Signal boxes and swing bridge cabins are listed Grade II, except for those noted as Grade II*.
| Name | Image | Location | Date | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ais Gill | Derbyshire (Midland Railway – Butterley) | 1906 | This Midland Railway Type 2a design signal box was rebuilt at Butterley railway station, Midland Railway – Butterley.[3] | ||
| 1885 | Built by the Railway Signal Co. of Fazakerley, Liverpool for the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway. | ||||
| 1897 | A Furness Railway Type 4 box containing a 1943 London Midland Region 35-lever frame installed in 1957. | ||||
| 1890 | A Furness Railway Type 2 signal box. | ||||
| 1883 | The signal box built for the Norfolk Railway, listed with the earlier station buildings, contains a lever frame dating from 1912. | ||||
| Kent | 1921 | The first signal box to be built by the South Eastern & Chatham Railway to a new design that was adopted by Southern Railway after grouping. | |||
| 1880 | The signal box is listed with the adjacent signal. This Mackenzie and Holland type 3 box was built for the Great Western Railway and refitted in 1911. | ||||
| 1877 | A Great Northern Railway Type 1 box. | ||||
| Aiskew | Possibly designed by G.T. Andrews. | ||||
| 1879 | A Saxby & Farmer Type 5 design built for the London, Brighton & South Coast Railway, containing the original Saxby & Farmer 17-lever frame. | ||||
| 1911 | A North Eastern Railway (Southern Division) Type 4 box. | ||||
| West Sussex Amberley Museum | 1876 | Built for the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway. This is the last Saxby & Farmer Type 1b box in existence, and probably was used elsewhere before it moved to Billingshurst in 1876. The 17-lever frame, however, dates from 1876. The signal box closed on 14 March 2014 and was moved to Amberley Museum just over a week later.[4] [5] Note: It is not clear if the box is still listed since it was moved. English Heritage have not clarified what happens if a listed building is moved. | |||
| Merseyside (Sefton) | 1905 | Built by the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway, and with the original 24-lever frame. | |||
| 1964 | Built by British Rail London Midland Region, designed by Bicknell and Hamilton with R L Moorcraft. | ||||
| Blankney (now) | 1928 | A Great Northern Railway Type 4 design built by the London & North Eastern Railway. | |||
| Bollo Lane Junction (near) | A London & South Western Railway Type 2 box. | ||||
| 1874 | A Furness Railway Type 1 design box, containing a London Midland Region 15-lever frame installed in 1977. | ||||
| Bournemouth West Junction | Dorset (Poole) | 1882 | A London & South Western Railway Type 3a design box containing a Steven's 24-lever frame. | ||
| 1882 | Built for the Isle of Wight Railway. | ||||
| Bridlington South | 1893 | Built for the North Eastern Railway. | |||
| Brocklesby Junction (Near) | 1914 | Built by the Great Central Railway. | |||
| Bromley Cross | 1875 | A Smith and Yardley Type 1 design built for the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway. | |||
| 1870/5 | A North Eastern Railway (Southern Division) S1b design box. | ||||
| Bury St Edmunds Yard | 1888 | A Great Eastern Railway Type 7 box containing the original McKenzie & Holland lever frame. | |||
| Kent | A South Eastern & Chatham Railway box developed from the Saxby & Farmer Type 5 design. Contains an earlier London, Chatham & Dover Railway design lever frame from . | ||||
| Kent | 1928 | An early non-standard Southern Railway design. | |||
| (original) | An early Furness Railway box designed in the same style as the station. | ||||
| 1903 | A Furness Railway Type 4 box. | ||||
| 1891 | A Great Eastern Railway Type 7 design box, moved to the East Anglian Railway Museum. | ||||
| A North Eastern Railway (Northern Division) Type N1 design. | |||||
| 1889 | Built by the Metropolitan Railway. | ||||
| 1889 | A Saxby & Farmer Type 5 design built for the London, Brighton & South Coast Railway. | ||||
| This was probably one of the earliest signal boxes with John Saxby's patented interlocking of points and signals. | |||||
| Probably for the London & South Western Railway; been described as a typical early (Type 1) design. | |||||
| 1920 | Built by William Marriott for the Midland & Great Northern Joint Railway and contains the 35-lever frame installed in 1954. | ||||
| Cross keys bridge | Lincolnshire River Nene | 1897 | The swing bridge, originally built by A. Handyside & Co. for both road and rail, contains a signal cablin. Now only used for road. Listed Grade II*. | ||
| Medway, Kent | A South Eastern Railway box containing a South Eastern Railway 7inches Brady lever frame, possibly from 1892. | ||||
| Lancashire (Blackburn with Darwen) | 1873 | A Saxby & Farmer Type 6 box built for the Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway. | |||
| 1881 | Great Eastern Railway type 2 with original Saxby & Farmer rocker frame. | ||||
| East Holmes | 1873 | A Great Northern Railway Type 1 box, fitted in 1910 with a 35-lever frame by McKenzie & Holland. | |||
| 1882 | A Saxby & Farmer Type 5 for the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway, with a 72-lever frame from 1935. | ||||
| Eastfield | 1894 | A Great Northern Railway Type 1 box together with a 65-lever frame, said to have been installed in 1940. | |||
| Late 19th century | A Midland Railway signal box; Minnis reported in 2012 that this had been demolished. | ||||
| 1885 | Built by Railway Signal Co. of Fazakerley, Liverpool for the Manchester, Sheffield & Lincolnshire Railway. | ||||
| A Midland Railway Type 4D box, built by the London, Midland and Scottish Railway, containing a Midland Railway 20-lever frame.[6] | |||||
| Falsgrave signal box, Falsgrave | 1908 | A North Eastern Railway (Southern Division) Type 4 box with original 120-lever frame. | |||
| Feock (near) | English Heritage entry states that this was built for the Chacewater Railway, but Minnis reports that it was not a signal box. | ||||
| 1910 | A Midland Railway Type 4c box built on the Settle to Carlisle Line; this was the location of the 1910 Hawes Junction train collision. | ||||
| Gorse Hill Bridges | Built by Saxby & Farmer for the Broad Gauge Great Western Railway near Swindon. English Heritage entry states that it was subsequently moved and gives its location as that of the heritage Blunsdon railway station, but Minnis reported in 2012 that it no longer exists. | ||||
| Goole Swing Bridge | East Riding of Yorkshire River Ouse | 1869 | The swing bridge houses a signal cabin, and was designed by Thomas Elliot Harrison for the North Eastern Railway Listed Grade II*. | ||
| Grain Crossing (Isle of Grain) | Medway, Kent | 1882 | An early, largely unaltered, Stevens & Sons signal box built for the South Eastern Railway. Contains a South Eastern Railway 9-lever frame and cast iron token machine. | ||
| Greater Manchester (Trafford) | 1862 and 1880s | A box built for the Cheshire Lines Committee. | |||
| Late 19th century | A non-standard North Eastern Railway box. | ||||
| Hammerton railway station signal cabin | 1914 | Built by the North Eastern Railway (Southern Division), this is a large cupboard on the station platform containing a 10-lever McKenzie & Holland frame. | |||
| 1895 | A London & South Western Railway Type 4 design containing the original 47-lever Stevens (Railway Signalling Co.) lever-frame with associated block instruments. | ||||
| A large Saxby & Farmer Type 5 built for the London, Brighton & South Coast Railway. The box was extended and refitted with a Westinghouse 70-lever frame. | |||||
| Hebden Bridge | West Yorkshire (Calderdale) | 1891 | A Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway box containing its original L&YR 36-lever frame, together with two levers added later. There is also a L&YR three-position Absolute Block Instrument and Block Bell. | ||
| 1876 | A Great Northern Railway Type 1 built by Joseph Locke, with a Saxby & Farmer lever frame from 1925. | ||||
| 1872 | Possibly built by Thomas Prosser for the North Eastern Railway (Central Division). The lever frame dates from 1906 and the box was extended . | ||||
| Helsby Junction | 1900 | A London & North Western Railway Type 4 box, with its original lever frame. | |||
| 1875 | Built by E. S. Yardley & Co for the Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway; refitted in 1964 with a reconditioned McKenzie & Holland 10-lever frame. | ||||
| 1888 | A Great Eastern Railway 1880s standard design, frame was expanded to take 45 levers in the 1930s. | ||||
| 1897 | A North Eastern Railway (Northern Division) Type 5 on a bridge over the railway. | ||||
| High Street (Lincoln) | 1874 | A Great Northern Railway Type 1, retaining the 36-lever frame of 1892. Extended in 1925. | |||
| A Saxby & Farmer Type 5 for the London, Brighton & South Coast Railway. Contains the original lever frame, W. R. Sykes block instruments, signal and track circuit repeaters. | |||||
| 1938 | A British Railways Southern Region International Modern Style type 13. | ||||
| Horsted Keynes South | London, Brighton & South Coast Railway Type 1, probably designed by T. H. Myres to complement the branch line stations. | ||||
| 1873 | A North Eastern Railway (Southern Division) type 1A. | ||||
| 1861 or 1874 | Built by the Bideford Extension Railway (later London & South Western Railway) to the London & South Western Railway Type 1 design. | ||||
| Built by Saxby & Farmer for the London, Brighton & South Coast Railway. | |||||
| Derbyshire (Midland Railway – Butterley) | A Midland Railway signal box rebuilt in 1985−6 at Swanwick Junction railway station, Midland Railway – Butterley. | ||||
| West Yorkshire (Bradford) | 1884 | A Midland Railway Type 2a signal box. | |||
| Kilby Bridge | Derbyshire (Midland Railway – Butterley) | A Midland Railway signal box, rebuilt 1986–9 for use at Hammersmith, Midland Railway – Butterley | |||
| Kirkham Abbey | English Heritage listing says this was probably designed by G. T. Andrews for the York & North Midland Railway. Alternatively, Minnis gives a date of and lists this as a Great Northern Railway (Southern Division) Type S1b box. | ||||
| Kirton Lime Sidings Hibaldstow | 1886 | Built by the Railway Signal Co. for the Manchester, Sheffield & Lincolnshire Railway. | |||
| 1872 | A non-standard North Eastern Railway design. The upper-floor was rebuilt, probably in 1890. | ||||
| Leek Brook Junction | Built by McKenzie & Holland for the North Staffordshire Railway. The 40-lever McKenzie & Holland No. 6 frame was installed in 1903, when the line to the east opened. | ||||
| 1886 | A London, Brighton & South Coast Railway Type 2 box. The LB&SCR Bosham pattern 44-lever frame was installed in 1901. | ||||
| Liverpool Street (Circle line) | 1875 | Built by McKenzie & Holland for the Metropolitan Railway. The 15-lever Westinghouse and Saxby frame and control panel were installed in 1954. | |||
| London Road, Boston | Lincolnshire River Witham | 1884 | A signal box protecting a swing bridge containing a Saxby & Farmer 12-lever frame. | ||
| Lostwithiel | 1893 | A Great Western Railway type 5 box, containing a 63-lever frame installed in 1923. | |||
| Leicestershire (Great Central Railway) | 1898 | A Great Central Railway Type 4 box. | |||
| Louth North | 1886 | A Great Northern Railway type GNR1 (East Lincolnshire). | |||
| Kent | An Evans, O'Donnell & Company standard design box built for the South Eastern and Chatham Railway. Contains the original 115-lever frame and block instruments by Evans, O'Donnell & Company. | ||||
| March East Junction | 1885 | Built by Saxby & Farmer, a Great Eastern Railway Type 5 with a lever frame from 1897. | |||
| 1872 | London and North Western/Great Western Railway Type 1, built for the Shrewsbury and Hereford Joint Railway. | ||||
| 1910 | Built by the North Eastern Railway (Southern Division) and contains six levers of a 16-lever 1873 pattern McKenzie & Holland frame. | ||||
| Monk's Siding | Lancashire (Warrington) | 1875 | London & North Western Railway Type 3 design with theoriginal lever frame. | ||
| 1906 | A North Eastern Railway signal box; in 2012 Minnis reported that it had been demolished. | ||||
| 1876 | North Eastern Railway (Southern Division) Type S1a. | ||||
| 1911 | Built by the North Eastern Railway reusing an earlier first floor system. The railway station closed in 1965 and sold, but was preserved and open to the public until 2010.[7] [8] | ||||
| Norton East | 1870 | Built by the North Eastern Railway (Central Division) orientated gable-end to the tracks and with a glazed side extension to the operating floor, the box is fitted with a 25-lever frame from 1959. | |||
| North Yorkshire (Redcar and Cleveland) | 1903 | Built by the North Eastern Railway (Central Division) to its type C2b design, this box contains a reconditioned McKenzie & Holland 16-lever frame and a wheel for opening the level crossing gates. | |||
| 1899 or 1901 | A Midland Railway type 2B box. | ||||
| 1882 | Built by Dutton & Co. for the Cambrian Railways with a porch characteristic of the contractor's signal boxes. | ||||
| Par | A Great Western Railway type 2 box. | ||||
| 1877 | A Saxby & Farmer Type 9 box built for the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway; the frame dates from 1983. | ||||
| London & South Western Railway Type 3a box containing a 10-lever Stevens (Railway Signalling Co.) frame and locking rack from about 1880, with block instruments, and a track diagram from 1974. | |||||
| 1891 | A London, Brighton & South Coast Railway Type 2 box, built at about the same time as the railway station. | ||||
| 1908 | A "Churchward" era Great Western Railway Type 7 design. | ||||
| 1878 | Saxby & Farmer Type 5 design box built for the London, Brighton & South Coast Railway (LB&SCR), with a 1905-pattern LB&SCR 29-lever frame with 25 levers. | ||||
| 1904 | A Metropolitan Railway design signal box built by the Harrow and Uxbridge Railway; worked by the Metropolitan Railway from 1905. | ||||
| Runcorn | Cheshire (Halton) | 1940 | Built by the London, Midland and Scottish Railway in a Modernist style, this was one of the signal boxes designed to minimise the blast damage from aerial bombing during World War II. Contains the original 46-lever frame. | ||
| 1894 | A Saxby & Farmer Type 12 box for the South Eastern Railway, containing an earlier original 1888 Duplex frame with 14 levers. | ||||
| Sandford | 1869 | A block house, which housed early signalling equipment. Designed by Frances Fox for the Bristol & Exeter Railway. | |||
| Selside | Lancashire (Carnforth Steamtown) | 1907 | Built by the Midland Railway for Selside on the Settle to Carlisle Line, the box was moved in 1976 to Carnforth Steamtown, which has since closed to the public.[9] | ||
| 1891 | Standard Midland Railway Type 2a design box with the original 20-lever frame and interlocking mechanism, moved and restored 1997–9. | ||||
| Kent | A London, Chatham & Dover Railway signal box with original 23-lever frame. | ||||
| 1887 | A variant of the North Eastern Railway Central Division's Type C2, possibly designed by the Thomas Prosser. A McKenzie & Holland 16-lever frame dates from 1928, although reduced from 55 to 42 levers in 1984. | ||||
| Crewe Junction | 1902–3 | An atypical London & North Western Railway type 4 box for the London and North Western and Great Western Railway Joint Committee. | |||
| 1903 | An atypical London & North Western Railway type 4 box for the London and North Western and Great Western Railway Joint Committee, containing an LNWR 180-lever frame. | ||||
| 1882 | A timber framed Great Northern Railway Type 1 box, enlarged in 1900, still containing its lever frame. | ||||
| East | A Great Northern Railway Type 1, built for the Great Northern and Great Eastern Joint Railway. | ||||
| Kent | 1870s | Built by the South Eastern Railway, later extended to ease operation of the level crossing gates. | |||
| St Albans South | 1892 | A large three bay Midland Railway design box. | |||
| 1891 | The Furness Railway Type 3 box was designed in arts and crafts style to complement the stations. This one contains its original Railway Signal Company 24-lever frame. | ||||
| St Mary's Crossing | A Great Western Railway Type 2 box. | ||||
| Built by Saxby & Farmer for the Bristol & Exeter Railway. | |||||
| 1877 | A Great Northern Railway Type 1 box. | ||||
| Sudbury | 1885 | Built by the North Staffordshire Railway from a design derived from the McKenzie & Holland type 1 box. Contains the original 24-lever frame and wheel to control the level crossing gates. | |||
| 1901 | A Midland Railway signal box, containing the original lever frame. | ||||
| 1883 | A Great Eastern Railway Type 4 box with the original McKenzie & Holland lever frame. | ||||
| A modified London and South Western Railway type 1 design. | |||||
| Devon (Torbay) | 1878 | This signal box was built by the Great Western Railway at the same time as the station. | |||
| Devon (Torbay) | 1921–22 | A Great Western Railway type 7 box with its original lever frame. | |||
| Totnes | 1923 | A Great Western Railway type 7 box. | |||
| Tutbury Crossing | 1872 | A McKenzie & Holland Type 1 box for the North Staffordshire Railway, containing a McKenzie & Holland lever frame installed in 1897. | |||
| 1899 | A later Great Northern Railway box, with a Railway Signal Co. lever frame. | ||||
| 1907 | London & North Western Railway Type 5 box. | ||||
| 1918 | A Midland Railway type 4D box with a pre-1943 LMS 16-lever frame. | ||||
| Kent | 1893 | A Saxby & Farmer Type 12 for built the South Eastern Railway. | |||
| Built for the North Eastern Railway. | |||||
| 1892 | A Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway Type 2 box. After closure in 1962 the box was converted into an artist's studio for Peter Blake, and has since being expanded and adapted into living accommodation. | ||||
| West Street Junction (Boston) | 1875 | A Great Northern Railway Type 1 box, with a 60-lever McKenzie & Holland frame dating from 1894. | |||
| Built for the Bristol and Exeter Railway, this is possibly the oldest surviving signal box on the British rail system. | |||||
| 1862 | An early Bristol and Exeter Railway signal box, containing the original lever frame. | ||||
| 1937 | A British Railways Southern Region International Modern Style box. | ||||
| 1862 | A non-standard Great Eastern Railway Type 5, designed to complement the royal station. Moved 1898–99 to allow line to be widened. Listed as Grade II*. | ||||
| 1901 | A London & South Western Railway Type 4 box. | ||||
| East | – | Built by the Manchester, Sheffield & Lincolnshire Railway. | |||
| Wrawby Junction (near Barnetby railway station) | Built by the Great Central Railway with 132 levers, 5 levers were added later. | ||||
| 1900 | A Great Eastern Railway Type 7 box, probably built by McKenzie & Holland, housing a McKenzie and Holland 50-lever frame of the same age. Has been moved slightly away from the tracks. | ||||
| 1897 | A North Eastern Railway (Northern Division) Type 5 on a bridge over the railway. | ||||
| South Junction | 1877 | A Great Eastern Railway Type 2 box, with a McKenzie & Holland 42-lever frame of unknown date. | |||
| York railway station (Platform) | The wooden signal box above the bookshop on the platform is listed with the Grade II* railway station. | ||||
| York railway station (1951) | 1951 | The orange brick signal box built on the western side is listed with the Grade II* railway station. |