Litchfield railway station

Litchfield railway station, on the Didcot, Newbury and Southampton Railway, served the small village of Litchfield, Hampshire, England. The station received relatively little traffic (only 20 passengers a week during the 1920s).

Litchfield
General information
LocationLitchfield, Basingstoke and Deane
England
Grid referenceSU460537
Platforms2
Other information
StatusDisused
History
Original companyDidcot, Newbury and Southampton Railway
Pre-groupingDidcot, Newbury and Southampton Railway
Post-groupingGreat Western Railway
Key dates
4 May 1885 (1885-05-04)Opened as Litchfield
7 June 1909Renamed Litchfield (Hants)
4 August 1942Closed
8 March 1943Re-opened as Litchfield (Hants)
13 June 1955Renamed Litchfield
7 March 1960Station closed[1]

Station layout

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The station was originally built with two platforms and a passing loop in the same style as other stations on the route. However, low traffic resulted in the removal of the loop in 1936, only for a longer loop and the platform to be reinstated in 1943 to deal with wartime traffic. This was then removed again in 1955, only five years before the station's closure. There was a small siding and headshunt on the northbound line but goods traffic at the station was light.

The site today

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The station is a private house, not owned by C.A.H Wills who owns Litchfield farms estate and lives in the village. The station was sold by Hampshire County Council in 1978 and has been restored. The approach road is now a private drive to the property. In 1976 the Litchfield - Whitchurch bypass was opened and made use of the DN&SR trackbed south of Litchfield towards Whitchurch for a distance of one mile.

Routes

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Preceding station   Disused railways   Following station
Burghclere
Line and station closed
  Great Western Railway
Didcot, Newbury and Southampton Railway
  Whitchurch Town
Line and station closed

References

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  1. ^ Butt, R. V. J. (October 1995). The Directory of Railway Stations: details every public and private passenger station, halt, platform and stopping place, past and present (1st ed.). Sparkford: Patrick Stephens Ltd. p. 144. ISBN 978-1-85260-508-7. OCLC 60251199. OL 11956311M.

51°16′50″N 1°20′31″W / 51.2806°N 1.3419°W / 51.2806; -1.3419