‘The Stratford Upon Avon & Midland Junction Railway’ (or S.M.J.) was a small independent railway company which ran a line across the empty, untouched centre of England. It visited the counties of Northamptonshire, Warwickshire, Oxfordshire and a little of Buckinghamshire, only existing as the SMJ from 1909 to 1923. In 1923 the S.M.J.became a minor arm of the London Midland and Scottish (L.M.S.), then in 1948 'British Railways'

Gone but not forgotten: "the damsel is not dead, but sleepeth"

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Blisworth - Towcester ETS working

Electric train staff equipment had been brought into use between Blisworth and Towcester by 9 August 1910 (date of SMJR minute 451 (TNA file RAIL 674/3)) and presumably the new signal box at Blisworth appeared at the same time. In that this was so…Continue

Started by Richard Maund on Saturday.

Blisworth 1920

SMJ board minute 1474 of 13 April 1921 (TNA file RAIL 674/4) approved that “the following expenditure be charged to Capital” for year 1920: “Blisworth: Signalling and alterations to Permanent Way, Improvements and additional signalling: £800”. In…Continue

Started by Richard Maund on Saturday.

Evesham Redditch & Stratford-upon-Avon Junction Railway 8 Replies

Did this railway (as opposed to the East & West Junction Railway) go into receivership - if so, when. And when did it come out of receivership?Continue

Started by Richard Maund. Last reply by Richard Maund Feb 11.

Bidford-on-Avon 5 Replies

Shall we bring this discussion under the proper heading!So far as the OS plan surveyed 1885, published 1886, is concerned: the OS liked - wherever they could - to have text running parallel to the top and bottom borders. When they came to add the…Continue

Started by Richard Maund. Last reply by Richard Maund Feb 10.

SMJ photos

What was left????

In the summer of 1988 I was with my parents in Straford-upon-Avon. We were walking south along the east bank of the Avon when we came across an old railway bridge across the river. My father wanted to go up the embankment to explore, but my mother's arthritis meant she wouldn't have been able to. So we didn't.

Now that I know what that bridge was, and what used to be at the other end of the bridge I am disappointed that we didn't explore. And that was enhanced the first time I drove along the bypass in subsequent years and noticed the platform edge that still exists.

So my question is, what would we have seen in 1988 if we had climbed up onto the bridge and headed over the river. Maps suggest not a lot, so I suspect the platforms edges and overgrown platform surfaces and overgrown track bed. Maps seem to show that there were no buildings left.

Was there a path we could have used, or was the route too overgrown?

Are there any photos of the station then?

I wonder if the council have any archives, in particular, pre-bypass photos, acquired during the bypass planning stages.

Can you help put my disappointment to bed?

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Permalink Reply by Barry Taylor on August 25, 2014 at 15:52

Hi Kevin

The attached pic will give you a feel for what you would have seen. I took it in July 1989, and the print has suffered a bit over the intervening years, but it shows a view west from track level with the platforms still in place - and from my notes, that was about all that was left.

House building had started, and was spreading over the site of the station buildings and approach road, but no sign of the bypass yet.