Cirencester Town railway station
{{Short description|Former railway station in England}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2018}}
{{Use British English|date=February 2018}}
{{Infobox station
| name = Cirencester Town
| status = Disused
| image = Cirencester Town former station geograph-3109662-by-Ben-Brooksbank.jpg
| caption = Remaining station frontage in 1984.
| address =
| borough = Cirencester, Gloucestershire
| country = England
| coordinates = {{coord|51.7145|-1.9717|type:railwaystation_region:GB|display=inline,title}}
| grid_name = Grid reference
| grid_position = {{gbmapscaled|SP020017|25|SP020017}}
| platforms = 1
| original = Cheltenham and Great Western Union Railway
| pregroup = Great Western Railway
| postgroup = Great Western Railway
| years = {{Start date|1841|05|31|df=yes}}
| events = Opened as Cirencester
| years1 = 1 July 1924
| events1 = Renamed Cirencester Town
| years2 = {{end date|1964|04|06|df=y}}
| events2 = Closed for passengers
| years3 = 4 October 1965
| events3 = closed for freight
| mapframe =
| embedded = {{Infobox designation list
|embed=yes
| designation1 = UK GRADE II
| designation1_offname = FORMER RAILWAY STATION, SHEEP STREET
| designation1_number = 1187518
| designation1_date = {{start date|1971|07|23|df=y}}
}}
}}
File:Cirencester Town Station geograph-2986199-by-Ben-Brooksbank.jpg
Cirencester Town railway station was one of three railway stations which formerly served the town of Cirencester, Gloucestershire, England; the others were {{stnlnk|Cirencester Watermoor}} and {{stnlnk|Chesterton Lane Halt}}.
History
The Cheltenham and Great Western Union Railway was promoted to link the towns of Cheltenham and Gloucester to the Great Western Railway at {{stnlnk|Swindon}}; there was to be a branch from {{stnlnk|Kemble}} to Cirencester.{{cite book |last=MacDermot |first=E.T. |title=History of the Great Western Railway, vol. I: 1833-1863 |year=1927 |publisher=Great Western Railway |location=Paddington |page=164 }} The line was authorised on 21 June 1836, but took several years to build. The first section to open was that between Swindon and Kemble (where there was no station at first) together with the Cirencester branch; it opened on 31 May 1841.{{harvnb|MacDermot|1927|p=170}}{{cite book |last=Butt |first=R.V.J. |title=The Directory of Railway Stations |year=1995 |publisher=Patrick Stephens Ltd |location=Yeovil |isbn=1-85260-508-1 |id=R508 |page=61 }}
On 12 September 1874 as the first train from Kemble Junction was entering the station the engine ran off the rails. No passengers were injured.{{cite news |author= |title=Railway Accident |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000285/18720914/112/0004 |newspaper=Shields Daily Gazette |location=England |date=14 September 1872 |access-date=12 March 2019 |via=British Newspaper Archive |url-access=subscription }}
On 1 July 1924 the station was renamed Cirencester Town. A fire broke out on 7 April 1948 in the packing office when a stove pipe overheated and ignited the ceiling joists. The damage was confined to ceiling timbers.{{cite news |author= |title=Station Fire at Cirencester |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000320/19490408/025/0001 |newspaper=Gloucestershire Echo |location=England |date=8 April 1949 |access-date=12 March 2019 |via=British Newspaper Archive |url-access=subscription }} In 1956 some additions to the station were made by Howard Cavanagh, architect to the Western Region of British Railways. The ticket hall to the left of the main building was rebuilt using Bath stone and oak window frames to harmonise with the original.{{Cite web|url=http://edition.pagesuite-professional.co.uk/html5/reader/production/default.aspx?pubid=2967e6f5-c5d1-43eb-8f93-6c4d7cdf4ede&edid=f5d69b51-913d-479e-9cbc-3f9fb9a17717&pnum=59|title=Rebuilding of Cirencester Town Station|date=March 1956|website=Railway Magazine|access-date=2017-05-23}}
The station closed to passengers on 6 April 1964.
The 1841 building, designed by Brunel, which was listed as Grade II on 23 July 1971,{{NHLE|num=1187518|desc=FORMER RAILWAY STATION, Cirencester |access-date=2017-05-23}} is owned by Cotswold District Council. It was reported to be in a poor internal condition in 2016,{{Cite web|url=http://edition.pagesuite-professional.co.uk/html5/reader/production/default.aspx?pubid=2967e6f5-c5d1-43eb-8f93-6c4d7cdf4ede&edid=0b01d539-9d54-46e7-ba38-93c418bfb746&pnum=10|title=Cirencester Town to mark '175'|date=April 2016|website=Railway Magazine|access-date=2017-05-23}} having been empty since 2012.{{Cite web|url=http://www.ccsoc.org.uk/News/News.aspx|title=Cirencester Civic Society|website=www.ccsoc.org.uk|access-date=2017-05-23}} The original overall roof was removed in 1874.{{Cite web|url=http://edition.pagesuite-professional.co.uk/html5/reader/production/default.aspx?pubid=2967e6f5-c5d1-43eb-8f93-6c4d7cdf4ede&edid=16b11d60-5218-4be9-8623-7f6141820ed5&pnum=5|title=End of an Experiment|last=Tolson|first=John M.|date=October 1964|website=Railway Magazine|access-date=2017-05-23}}
Routes
{{Disused Rail Start}}
{{rail line |next={{stnlnk|Chesterton Lane Halt}}
Line and station closed |route=Great Western Railway
Cirencester Branch Line |col={{GWR colour}} }}
{{s-end}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.npemap.org.uk/tiles/map.html#402,201,1 Cirencester Town Station on navigable 1948 O.S. map]
- [http://www.urban75.org/blog/cirencester-town-disused-railway-station-victorian-gothic-stuck-in-a-car-park/ Cirencester Town disused railway station photos]
{{Closed stations Gloucestershire}}
{{Transport in Gloucestershire}}
{{Brunel}}
Category:Disused railway stations in Gloucestershire
Category:Former Great Western Railway stations
Category:Railway stations in Great Britain opened in 1841
Category:Railway stations in Great Britain closed in 1964
Category:Grade II listed railway stations