Cirencester Town railway station

Cirencester Town railway station was one of three railway stations which formerly served the town of Cirencester, Gloucestershire, England; the others were Cirencester Watermoor and Chesterton Lane Halt.

Cirencester Town
Remaining station frontage in 1984.
General information
LocationCirencester, Gloucestershire
England
Coordinates51.7145°N 1.9717°W / 51.7145; -1.9717
Grid referenceSP020017
Platforms1
Other information
StatusDisused
History
Original companyCheltenham and Great Western Union Railway
Pre-groupingGreat Western Railway
Post-groupingGWR
Key dates
31 May 1841 (1841-05-31)Opened as Cirencester
1 July 1924Renamed Cirencester Town
6 April 1964 (1964-04-06)Closed for passengers
4 October 1965closed for freight
Listed Building – Grade II
Official nameFORMER RAILWAY STATION, SHEEP STREET
Designated23 July 1971 (1971-07-23)
Reference no.1187518
View northward, to buffer-stops in 1962

History

The Cheltenham and Great Western Union Railway was promoted to link the towns of Cheltenham and Gloucester to the Great Western Railway at Swindon; there was to be a branch from Kemble to Cirencester.[1] The line was authorised on 21 June 1836,[1] but took several years to build. The first section to open was that between Swindon and Kemble (where there was no station at first) together with the Cirencester branch; it opened on 31 May 1841.[2][3]

On 12 September 1874 as the first train from Kemble Junction was entering the station the engine ran off the rails. No passengers were injured.[4]

On 1 July 1924 the station was renamed Cirencester Town.[3] A fire broke out on 7 April 1948 in the packing office when a stove pipe overheated and ignited the ceiling joists. The damage was confined to ceiling timbers.[5] In 1956 some additions to the station were made by Howard Cavanagh, architect to the Western Region of British Railways. The ticket hall to the left of the main building was rebuilt using Bath stone and oak window frames to harmonise with the original.[6]

The station closed to passengers on 6 April 1964.[3]

The 1841 building, designed by Brunel, which was listed as Grade II on 23 July 1971,[7] is owned by Cotswold District Council. It was reported to be in a poor internal condition in 2016,[8] having been empty since 2012.[9] The original overall roof was removed in 1874.[10]

Routes
Preceding station   Disused railways   Following station
Terminus   Great Western Railway
Cirencester Branch Line		   Chesterton Lane Halt
Line and station closed

References
  1. MacDermot, E.T. (1927). History of the Great Western Railway, vol. I: 1833-1863. Paddington: Great Western Railway. p. 164.
  2. MacDermot 1927, p. 170
  3. Butt, R.V.J. (1995). The Directory of Railway Stations. Yeovil: Patrick Stephens Ltd. p. 61. ISBN 1-85260-508-1. R508.
  4. "Railway Accident". Shields Daily Gazette. England. 14 September 1872. Retrieved 12 March 2019 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  5. "Station Fire at Cirencester". Gloucestershire Echo. England. 8 April 1949. Retrieved 12 March 2019 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  6. "Rebuilding of Cirencester Town Station". Railway Magazine. March 1956. Retrieved 23 May 2017.
  7. Historic England. "FORMER RAILWAY STATION, Cirencester (1187518)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 23 May 2017.
  8. "Cirencester Town to mark '175'". Railway Magazine. April 2016. Retrieved 23 May 2017.
  9. "Cirencester Civic Society". www.ccsoc.org.uk. Retrieved 23 May 2017.
  10. Tolson, John M. (October 1964). "End of an Experiment". Railway Magazine. Retrieved 23 May 2017.


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