Kibworth railway station

Kibworth
General information
LocationKibworth Beauchamp, Leicestershire, Harborough
England
Grid referenceSP684939
Platforms2
Other information
StatusDisused
History
Pre-groupingMidland Railway
Post-groupingLondon, Midland and Scottish Railway
British Railways
Key dates
8 May 1857Station opened
1 January 1968Station closed[1]

Kibworth railway station was opened by the Midland Railway in 1857[2] on what is now the Midland Main Line.[3]

History

Plans had been made earlier in 1847 for a line from Leicester to Bedford, but had lapsed. However the Midland, running to Rugby at that time and dependent on the LNWR for its path into London, was looking for an alternative. It revived its plans for Bedford to go forward to Hitchin to join the Great Northern Railway.

The station was near the summit of the Kibworth Incline, the most northerly of the Leicester to Hitchin section. It was built next to the bridge carrying the highway from Kibworth Beauchamp, still known at Station Street, and access was by means of wooden stairs to each platform. The station buildings were of brick in the Midland Ecclesiastical Gothic style. The booking office and other facilities were on the down (northbound) platform, with a small waiting-room on the southbound.

Kibworth station in 1967.

On the down side were two bay platforms, one running through a goods shed. These joined the running lines by a crossing, but also led back to longer sidings next to the down line. Next to the up line on the other side of the road bridge, was a short loop serving a cattle dock, and an unusual siding curving away from the running lines to some small sheds.[4]

At grouping in 1923 it became part of the London Midland and Scottish Railway.

Goods services ended on 4 July 1966, and the station closed to passengers on 1 January 1968.

In recent years, it has housed a fencing and wood merchants business but became empty in 2002.

In the early 2000s,a number of houses were built on the car park. At some point, access to the line was removed, as were the platforms.

Stationmasters

  • Caleb Porter 1857 - 1863 (afterwards station master at Lowham)[5]
  • R. Peddle 1864[6] (formerly station master at Lowdham)
  • T. Turner 1864[6] - 1866 (formerly station master at Millers Dale, afterwards station master at Thrapston)
  • John William Jones 1866 - 1902[7]
  • Alfred William Kingdon 1902[7] - 1918 (formerly station master at Great Glen)
  • Charles William Marshall 1918[8] - 1924 (formerly station master at Leagrave)
  • John Jefferson 1924 - 1925[9]
  • Lester Ireson ca. 1926, ca. 1927
  • J.L. Hadfield 1929 - 1935[10] (also station master of Great Glen, afterwards station master at Corby)
  • William Hankins 1935[11] - ca. 1938 (formerly station master at Seaton, also station master of Great Glen)
  • H.E. Harrison until 1955[12] (afterwards station master at SIleby)
  • L.F. Crewson ca. 1958
  • Brian Edge (formerly station master at East Langton)
Preceding station Historical railways Following station
Great Glen   Midland Railway
Midland Main Line 		  East Langton

References

  1. ^ Butt, R.V.J., (1995) The Directory of Railway Stations, Yeovil: Patrick Stephens
  2. ^ "Opening of the Leicester and Hitchin Line". Bedfordshire Mercury. British Newspaper Archive. 9 May 1857. Retrieved 5 July 2016.
  3. ^ Radford, B., (1983) Midland Line Memories: a Pictorial History of the Midland Railway Main Line Between London (St Pancras) & Derby London: Bloomsbury Books
  4. ^ Preston Hendry, R., Powell Hendry, R., (1982) An historical survey of selected LMS stations : layouts and illustrations. Vol. 1 Oxford Publishing
  5. ^ "Kibworth". Leicester Guardian. England. 21 November 1863. Retrieved 1 February 2021 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  6. ^ a b "1859-1866". Midland Railway Miscellaneous Depts: 173. 1914. Retrieved 30 January 2022.
  7. ^ a b "1899-1908 Coaching; Piece 1027". Midland Railway Operating, Traffic and Coaching Depts: 660. 1899. Retrieved 30 January 2022.
  8. ^ "After 13 and a half years' service". Luton Reporter. England. 28 May 1918. Retrieved 30 January 2022 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  9. ^ "Kibworth Stationmaster's Death". Market Harborough Advertiser and Midland Mail. England. 19 June 1925. Retrieved 30 January 2022 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  10. ^ "Promotion for Stationmaster". Leicester Chronicle. England. 27 April 1935. Retrieved 30 January 2022 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  11. ^ "His Sixth Change". Leicester Evening Mail. England. 31 May 1935. Retrieved 30 January 2022 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  12. ^ "Kibworth Presetation". Leicester Daily Mercury. England. 13 January 1955. Retrieved 30 January 2022 – via British Newspaper Archive.

52°32′19″N 0°59′37″W / 52.5385°N 0.9937°W / 52.5385; -0.9937