Warwick Station: Look back through the ages

The website documents the station’s history with images from the 1960s showing an expanded railway and buildings.

The station off Coventry Road opened on October 1 1852 as one of the original sites on the route between Oxford and Birmingham.

It was partially extended to cope with an increase in traffic when the town hosted the Royal Agricultural Show in for a second time in June 1892.

But in May 1894 a fire caused significant damage and when the station was rebuilt the end section was filled-in reducing the length and allowing the new down platform buildings to be extended.

The railway closed for goods traffic in January 1969 but remains open for passenger services.

These pictures show it’s changing history from an Edwardian view of the station front including the station master’s office, booking office, refreshment rooms and waiting rooms.

To the front of the building was a large cantilevered glazed canopy which ran for almost the whole length of the station front when it was enlarged.

The underpass could be closed by sliding the wrought iron gates across the entrance and its walls were painted white to aid passengers walking through at night.

Views also show the view up Station Road towards the platform buildings in 1963, and looking towards Leamington from the Hatton end of the station where the division between the pre and post 1892 platform can be seen.

Looking down the opposite end of the station shows the landing dock on the left. The sidings to the landing dock allowed vans to be stored before being they were moved into one of two docks, the one above allowing the unloading of horse boxes or vans from side doors and the other.

The ornate gas lamp is one of many from Warwick Station at this time.

The advertising signs fixed to the fencing are typical of the type found on the railways of Britain. With the exception of the advert for Palethorpes sausages, they are enamel signs designed to be rigid and robust.

The final image shows a horse box with groom’s compartment at one end and a hay store thought to have been used to transport a racehorse to nearby Warwick Racecourse.

Mike Musson from the volunteer group which has put the information together, has also put out an appeal for anyone with historic railway images, or facts and stories, to get in touch via the site and help the archive grow.

All images and text courtesy of www.warwickshirerailways.com.