Maiden Newton
National Rail
General information
LocationMaiden Newton, Dorset
England
Coordinates50°46′48″N 2°34′08″W / 50.780°N 2.569°W / 50.780; -2.569
Grid referenceSY599979
Managed byGreat Western Railway
Platforms2
Other information
Station codeMDN
ClassificationDfT category F1
History
Original companyGreat Western Railway
Key dates
1857Opened
1975Bridport branch closed
Passengers
2018/19Decrease 19,536
2019/20Increase 20,242
2020/21Decrease 5,168
2021/22Increase 14,818
2022/23Increase 19,566
Listed Building – Grade II
FeatureMaiden Newton Station
Designated26 April 1999
Reference no.1386820[1]
Notes
Passenger statistics from the Office of Rail and Road

Maiden Newton railway station is a railway station serving the village of Maiden Newton in Dorset, England. The station is located on the Heart of Wessex Line, 154.12 miles (248.03 kilometres) from the zero point at London Paddington, measured via Swindon and Westbury.[2]

History

The old signal box

Opened on 20 January 1857 by the Great Western Railway with the section of their route from Yeovil Pen Mill to Weymouth. This completed the Wilts, Somerset and Weymouth line from Chippenham, the first part of which had opened in 1848.[3]

The station consisted of two platforms with a flint station building and goods shed at the south end. A signal box was added later - it was closed in the summer of 1988, when the "no signalman token system" was introduced between Maiden Newton and Yeovil.[4] From 1857 to 1975 the station was the junction for the Bridport Railway and an extra bay platform was added at the north end of the station for these trains.[5] This can still be seen at the west end of the station and this end of the trackbed is a footpath and cycleway.

The station is Grade II listed.[1] The main station building was built for the opening of the station and although in the style of Isambard Kingdom Brunel is most likely to designs by his assistant Robert Pearson Brereton. It is constructed of flint with Hamstone dressings and an artificial slate roof. The other buildings within the listing include a smaller shelter with Welsh slate roof, and the footbridge of reinforced concrete installed in the 1950s by the Western Region of British Railways.

The station building survives but is no longer used by the railway.

Preceding station Historical railways Following station
Cattistock   Wilts, Somerset and Weymouth Railway   Grimstone and Frampton
Terminus   Bridport Railway   Toller

Stationmasters

  • Frederick Harvey Aldrich 1857[6] (suspended in September 1857 for dispatching a train contrary to the regulations)[7]
  • William Matthew Mitcham 1860[8] - 1863 (afterwards station master at Bruton)
  • John George Girling 1863 - 1866[9] (afterwards station master at Devizes)
  • William Edward Bock 1866[10] - 1869 (formerly station master at Bruton)
  • Henry Yeo ca. 1871 - 1876 (afterwards station master at Dorchester)[11]
  • William Lambourne Thompson Gray 1876 - 1881[12] (afterwards station master at West Drayton)
  • Arthur Percy Dagg 1881 - 1882[13] (afterwards station master at Bruton)
  • Alfred Reeves 1882 - ca. 1888
  • Frederick William Cooper 1897 (afterwards station master at Melksham)[14]
  • Edward Charles Beard 1897 - 1899[15] (afterwards station master at Melksham)
  • Frank George Dunford 1901[16] - ca. 1906 (formerly station master at Keynsham)
  • Walter George Stickland ca. 1914 (formerly station master at Clutton)
  • Sidney Evans 1919 - 1925 (formerly station master at Dulverton, afterwards station master at Devizes)
  • J. Ralph from 1926[17]
  • Walter Edward Ernest Pidding from 1933[18]
  • Mr. Powell ca. 1936 ca. 1937
  • L.E. Hole 1941 - 1944[19] (afterwards station master at Yeovil Pen Mill)
  • J.H. MacMahon 1944 - 1957[20]

Description

Looking north

The station retains two platforms as it is a passing place on the single line between Dorchester West and Yeovil. The entrance is on the northbound platform, the side closest to the village. Access to the southbound platform is normally by the footbridge but there is a level crossing at the south end of the station for passengers who are unable to use the bridge.

Services

Great Western Railway operate services from Great Malvern, Worcester Shrub Hill, Gloucester and Bristol Temple Meads to Weymouth.[21] South Western Railway used to run additional services between Weymouth and Yeovil Junction on Summer Saturdays.[22]

Preceding station National Rail National Rail Following station
Chetnole   Great Western Railway
Heart of Wessex Line		   Dorchester West

Signalling

The electric key token instrument for the block section to Yeovil are now operated by the train crew under the supervision of the signal operator based at Yeovil Pen Mill. The block section to Dorchester West is operated under the "tokenless single line" principle with track circuiting.

References

  1. 1 2 Historic England, "Maiden Newton Station (1386820)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 17 June 2021
  2. ↑ Jacobs, Gerald (2005). Railway Track Diagrams, Book 3: Western. Bradford-on-Avon: Trackmaps. pp. 18A.
  3. ↑ MacDermot, E T (1927). History of the Great Western Railway. Vol. 1 (1833-1863) (1 ed.). London: Great Western Railway.
  4. ↑ Maggs, Colin (15 January 2012). The Branch Lines of Dorset. Amberley Publishing Limited. ISBN 978-1-4456-1234-8.
  5. ↑ "Disused Stations: Maiden Newton Station". www.disused-stations.org.uk. Retrieved 25 March 2022.
  6. ↑ "1835-1860 Clerks". Great Western Railway Operating, Miscellaneous Depts: 67. 1835. Retrieved 16 June 2021.
  7. ↑ "Maiden Newton". Southern Times and Dorset County Herald. England. 19 September 1857. Retrieved 17 June 2021 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  8. ↑ "Dorchester". Salisbury and Winchester Journal. England. 5 November 1859. Retrieved 17 June 2021 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  9. ↑ "1835-1910 Clerks Vol 5". Great Western Railway Operating, Miscellaneous Depts: 55. 1835. Retrieved 16 June 2021.
  10. ↑ "1835-1910 Clerks Vol 5". Great Western Railway Operating, Miscellaneous Depts: 60. 1835. Retrieved 16 June 2021.
  11. ↑ "Maiden Newton". Southern Times and Dorset County Herald. England. 22 January 1876. Retrieved 17 June 2021 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  12. ↑ "1835-1910 Clerks Vol 5". Great Western Railway Operating, Miscellaneous Depts: 253. 1899. Retrieved 17 June 2021.
  13. ↑ "1835-1910 Clerks Vol 5". Great Western Railway Operating, Miscellaneous Depts: 382. 1899. Retrieved 16 June 2021.
  14. ↑ "Clifton's Stationmaster". Western Daily Press. England. 29 September 1922. Retrieved 17 June 2021 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  15. ↑ "1835-1910 Clerks Vol 6". Great Western Railway Operating, Miscellaneous Depts: 164. 1899. Retrieved 16 June 2021.
  16. ↑ "1835-1910 Clerks Vol.6". Great Western Railway Operating, Miscellaneous Depts: 491. 1835. Retrieved 17 June 2021.
  17. ↑ "G.W. Staff Changes". Bath Chronicle and Weekly Gazette. England. 13 February 1926. Retrieved 17 June 2021 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  18. ↑ "Presentation". Wiltshire Times and Trowbridge Advertiser. England. 2 September 1933. Retrieved 17 June 2021 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  19. ↑ "Stationmaster's Appointment". Western Gazette. England. 9 June 1944. Retrieved 17 June 2021 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  20. ↑ "People and Places". Wells Journal. England. 20 September 1957. Retrieved 17 June 2021 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  21. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 May 2019. Retrieved 17 May 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  22. ↑ "Cheap Train Tickets | Travel Safely | South Western Railway" (PDF).

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