Hampton Loade railway station

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Hampton Loade station

Hampton Loade railway station is a station on the Severn Valley Railway heritage line, close to the hamlet of Hampton on the western bank of the River Severn; Hampton Loade itself is on the eastern bank, and may be reached by a chain ferry across the river.

1 History
2 Preservation
3 Film and Television
4 External links

[edit] History

Hampton Loade station was first opened in 1862. After opening, the station possessed only one siding on the eastern side, the passing-loop and second platform being added in 1883. The platforms at Hampton Loade can accommodate only four coaches at one time. Trade at Hampton Loade was usually quiet, with most business being from fishermen.

Following closure by British Rail in 1963, all signalling equipment was removed from Hampton Loade, and the signal box was more or less completely demolished.

[edit] Preservation

From 1970 to 1974, Hampton Loade was the southern terminus of the SVR, just 4½ miles from Bridgnorth. Although at the time the SVR was said to go from "somewhere" to "nowhere" the terminus was a quaint and peaceful place to end services.

When preservationists first arrived at Hampton Loade from Bridgnorth, signalling was reinstated as a priority during the early days. A legacy of Hampton Loade's former guise as the SVR's southern terminus is the now rarely used down starting signal at the north end of the up platform.

At present, Mr.S. Dockerty is station master, and assisted by Mr. R. Dodd, both appointed in 1999. Fred Hughes is the Chief Booking Clerk.

Hampton Loade is the present home of Barry Railway coach 163 currently undergoing restoration. It is an 1895 6-wheel, 5 compartment first and second class composite built at Ashburys in Manchester. It was scrapped at Swindon on 24th November 1928 (a Saturday, at that time the Great Western Railway would write off its account assets on Saturdays) from where the body went to the Clent Hills near Birmingham as a holiday home, where it stayed until 1992. The body was re-wheeled onto a 4 wheel ex-Southern Railway Van C underframe on 16th August 2003 some, 75 years after being scrapped. It is now in the final stages of restoration back to its opulent glory in Barry Railway condition.

[edit] Film and Television

The station has been used as the filming location for many films and TV programmes, including The Englishman Who Went Up a Hill But Came Down a Mountain and Mad Dogs, a 1970s serial.