Ampthill railway station

This article is about the former Midland Railway station. For the LNWR station formerly known as Ampthill (Marston), see Millbrook (Bedfordshire) railway station.

Ampthill
Ampthill Station remains, with a Down goods passing in 1960
General information
Location	Ampthill, Central Bedfordshire England
Grid reference	TL022371
Platforms	2
Other information
Status	Disused
History
Original company	Midland Railway
Post-grouping	London Midland and Scottish Railway London Midland Region of British Railways
Key dates
15 July 1868	Opened
4 May 1959	Closed

Ampthill railway station was built over a mile from the historic market town of Ampthill in the English county of Bedfordshire by the Midland Railway in 1868 on its extension to St. Pancras.

History

Opened by the Midland Railway, it became part of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway during the Grouping of 1923. After passing on to the London Midland Region of British Railways upon nationalisation in 1948, it was then closed by the British Transport Commission.

At the time it was built there were no coaching connections by road, so for a number of years the station was particularly beneficial in providing an outlet for the trade in straw hats, Ampthill's speciality being the "Narrow Improved" version.^[1] The station closed in 1959 and the inhabitants were advised to use the "excellent alternative bus service."

About half a mile north of the station is Ampthill Tunnel, increased to two bores when the line was upgraded to four tracks in 1891.^[1]

Stationmasters

• James W Yaxley 1870 - 1875^[2]
• F. Tomblin 1875 - 1880
• John William Brookes 1880 - 1882^[3]
• Joseph Minney 1882 - 1898^[3]
• George Bailey 1898 - 1908^[4]
• Robert Henry Turner 1908^[5] - ca. 1914
• O.P. Pitman ca. 1931 - 1937^[6]
• H.R. Ross until 1947^[7]
• W.T. Abrahams 1949-1953

Preceding station	Historical railways			Following station
Bedford Midland Line and station open		Midland Railway Midland Main Line		Flitwick Line and station open

Present and future

Trains on the Midland Main Line, electrified through the former station, still pass the site.

The area in which Ampthill station was situated is still visible today due to the widening of tracks where the now long gone platforms used to be.

The Bedfordshire Railway & Transport Association is campaigning for the reopening of a station at Ampthill.^[8]

References

1. Radford, John Brian (1988). Midland line memories : a pictorial history of the Midland Railway main line between London (St. Pancras) and Derby. London: Bloomsbury Books. p. 69. ISBN 1870630211.
2. "1871-1879 Coaching". Midland Railway Operating, Traffic and Coaching Depts: 560. 1871. Retrieved 6 March 2021.
3. "1881-1898 Coaching". Midland Railway Operating, Traffic and Coaching Depts: 736. 1881. Retrieved 20 February 2021.
4. "Correction". Bedfordshire Mercury. England. 13 November 1908. Retrieved 6 March 2021 – via British Newspaper Archive.
5. "Ampthill". Bedfordshire Mercury. England. 27 November 1908. Retrieved 6 March 2021 – via British Newspaper Archive.
6. "Ampthill Stationmaster's Retirement". Bedfordshire Times and Independent. England. 5 November 1947. Retrieved 6 March 2021 – via British Newspaper Archive.
7. "Stationmaster at Ampthill". Bedfordshire Times and Independent. England. 3 January 1947. Retrieved 6 March 2021 – via British Newspaper Archive.
8. Ampthill Station. Archived 13 May 2008 at the Wayback Machine

Sources

• 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. ISBN 978-1-85260-508-7. OCLC 60251199. OL 11956311M.
• Jowett, Alan (2000). Jowett's Nationalised Railway Atlas (1st ed.). Penryn, Cornwall: Atlantic Transport Publishers. ISBN 978-0-906899-99-1. OCLC 228266687.

External links

• Station on navigable O.S. map.

52.02352°N 0.51124°W / 52.02352; -0.51124