Stretton railway station

Stretton
View of Stretton, Ashover Light Railway
General information
Location	Stretton, District of North East Derbyshire England
Grid reference	SK386614
Other information
Status	Disused
History
Original company	North Midland Railway
Pre-grouping	Midland Railway
Post-grouping	LMS British Railways
Key dates
15 April 1841	Station opened as Smithy Moor
1 November 1841	renamed Stretton
1 October 1870	renamed Stretton for Ashover
1889	Station buildings enlarged
11 September 1961	Station closed[1]

v t e Ashover Light Railway
North Midland Railway Clay Cross Erewash Valley Line Clay Cross and Egstow Clay Cross Tunnel Ashover Butts Holmgate Salter Lane Springfield Fallgate Proposed Heritage Railway Clay Lane Dale Bank Stretton Woolley North Midland Railway Section flooded Ogston Reservoir covers line

Stretton railway station was a railway station at Stretton, Derbyshire, England built by the North Midland Railway.

History

Stretton station was first opened in 1841 as Smithy Moor, a year after the line opened, but renamed later in 1841. It is also called "Shelton" in the Railway Guide.^[2]

It was situated at the Derbyshire summit and the highest point of the line, after the stations at Ambergate and Wingfield, and just before the Clay Cross Tunnel.

The first station buildings were of wooden construction, but these were later replaced by brick built station and station master's house. Shortly after this was completed, the station master's house was incorporated into the station building, and a new station master's house was provided. Although this proved adequate at the time by the 1880s, there were petitions to the Midland Railway for better facilities. In May 1888 the Midland Railway requested tenders for the reconstruction of the station buildings at Stretton.^[3] The contract was won by Mr. Slater of Derby and work was approaching completion by early 1889.^[4]

A station on the Ashover Light Railway (1 ft 11+1⁄2 in (597 mm) narrow gauge) from Ashover to Clay Cross was built adjoining it, and its passenger services were timed to connect with those on the North Midland.

This was mainly used to carry limestone and fluorspar to the Clay Cross Company works, but also supplied around 400 tons of ballast per week to the railway until the quarry closed in 1950.^[5]

The station closed on 11 September 1961. There are no visible remains of the station and platform but the cottage which stands next to the bridge over the railway lines that carries the B6014 was the station master's house and may have contained the ticket and parcel office.

Accidents and incidents

• In 1858, the wife of Stationmaster Henry Simms, was knocked down and killed by and engine after attempting to cross the lines.^[6]

Stationmasters

• Charles Broad ca. 1857 - 1858
• Henry Simms 1858 - 1862^[7]
• Thomas Jackson 1862 - 1864^[7]
• J. Taylor from 1864^[7] (formerly station master at Desford)
• Joseph Harrison until 1875^[8] (afterwards station master at Mansfield Woodhouse)
• Charles Gilman 1875 - 1877^[8] (formerly station master at Grafham)
• Edward Bradley 1877^[8] - 1905^[9] (formerly station master at Cheltenham High Street)
• V.H. Owen 1905 - 1906^[9]
• H.J. Bunker 1906^[9] - 1910
• Augustine Angus 1910 - 1924^[10] (afterwards station master at Bentham)
• E.B. Bridge 1925 - 1928^[11] (afterwards station master at Horninglow)
• Herbert Hardisty from 1928
• E.J. Bloor ca. 1948
• William P. Barlow until 1953^[12] (afterwards station master at South Wingfield)
• P. McAnulty until 1958^[13] (afterwards station master at Perry Barr)

Preceding station	Historical railways			Following station
Wingfield Line open, station closed		North Midland Railway Derby to Leeds line		Clay Cross Line open, station closed
Wingfield Line open, station closed		Midland Railway Derby to Leeds line		Clay Cross Line open, station closed

References

1. Butt, R.V.J., (1995) The Directory of Railway Stations, Yeovil: Patrick Stephens
2. The North Midland Railway Guide, (1842) Republished 1973, Leeds: Turntable Enterprises
3. "Midland Railway. To Builders and Others". Derbyshire Advertiser and Journal. England. 11 May 1888. Retrieved 10 January 2022 – via British Newspaper Archive.
4. "Bearing of the New Station at Stretton". Derbyshire Times and Chesterfield Herald. England. 2 February 1889. Retrieved 10 January 2022 – via British Newspaper Archive.
5. Radford, B., (1988) Midland Through the Peak Unicorn Books
6. Wojtczak, Helena (6 May 2019). "Female gatekeepers killed by trains 1846-1906". Railway Work, Life & Death. Retrieved 29 April 2024.
7. "1859-1866". Midland Railway Miscellaneous Depts: 54. 1914. Retrieved 10 January 2022.
8. "1871-1879 Coaching". Midland Railway Operating, Traffic and Coaching Depts: 191. 1871. Retrieved 10 January 2022.
9. "1899-1908 Coaching; Piece 1026". Midland Railway Operating, Traffic and Coaching Depts: 405. 1899. Retrieved 10 January 2022.
10. "L.M.S. Appointments". Derby Daily Telegraph. England. 1 December 1924. Retrieved 10 January 2022 – via British Newspaper Archive.
11. "New Stationmaster". Burton Observer and Chronicle. England. 29 October 1931. Retrieved 10 January 2022 – via British Newspaper Archive.
12. "South Wingfield". Ripley and Heanor News and Ilkeston Division Free Press. England. 24 July 1953. Retrieved 10 January 2022 – via British Newspaper Archive.
13. "Mr. P. McAnulty". Birmingham Daily Post. England. 25 September 1958. Retrieved 10 January 2022 – via British Newspaper Archive.

53.148°N 1.423°W / 53.148; -1.423