Travel Back in Time

26th April 2025 | Local History

I was fortunate enough to acquire a copy of this 171 year old railway timetable. It appeared in the Market Harborough Advertiser in both January and October 1854. It charts the journey from Stamford in Lincolnshire through Leicestershire to connecting lines for London and Liverpool. This was issued on behalf of the Rugby and Stamford Branch line.

It was interesting to note the local stations along the route, particularly the one entitled ‘Medbourne Bridge’. This intrigued me somewhat as I was only aware of one station that was situated at the top of Medbourne village and simply known as ‘Medbourne Station’. All became much clearer when I realised that Medbourne Bridge was not a station that was in that village but lay just over the border in Northamptonshire serving the neighbouring villages of Ashley and Weston-by-Welland.

Located east of Welham junction this station opened on 1st June 1850. To avoid any further confusion it was renamed ‘Ashley & Weston’ on 1st January 1880, just before Medbourne village station was opened on a line that ran between Hallaton and Rockingham. Ashley & Weston station passed to the London Midland Region of British Railways on nationalisation in 1948 and was closed for regular passenger services on 18th June 1951. However, it continued to be used by railway staff until 1952. 

Sidings

I also discovered that extensive sidings were opened nearby in 1904. This was to handle the number of freight trains carrying coal from Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire. Ashley & Weston station was situated on the line between Market Harborough and Rockingham.

Although construction of the railways was extremely unpopular during the mid Victorian era, dividing up the countryside, filling the air with billowing smoke from the steam engines and disrupting the peace and tranquillity of rural areas. Now, however, all that industrialisation around sleepy hamlets and villages has mainly disappeared. It has thankfully left us with picturesque walks and cycleways along the abandoned tracks, as well as making way for the return of all types of wildlife, flora and fauna that we all appreciate.

As they say, nature will always prevail!

Glyn Hatfield.