Desborough railway station

{{Short description|Former railway station in Northamptonshire, England}}

{{Infobox station

| name = Desborough and Rothwell

| status = Disused

| image = Desborough & Rothwell former station geograph-3409956-by-Ben-Brooksbank.jpg

| caption = Remains of the station in 1993

| borough = Desborough, North Northamptonshire

| country = England

| platforms = 2

| original = Midland Railway

| pregroup = Midland Railway

| postgroup = London, Midland and Scottish Railway

| years = 8 May 1857

| events = Opened as Desborough

| years1 = 1 October 1857

| events1 = Renamed Desborough for Rothwell

| years2 = 17 October 1899

| events2 = Renamed Desborough and Rothwell

| years3 = 1 January 1968

| events3 = Closed

}}

Desborough and Rothwell railway station was a railway station built by the Midland Railway on its extension from Leicester to Bedford and Hitchin.

History

The station originally opened on 8 May 1857{{cite news |author= |title=Opening of the Leicester and Hitchin Line |url=http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0001289/18570509/052/0003 |newspaper=Bedfordshire Mercury |location=British Newspaper Archive |date=9 May 1857 |access-date=5 July 2016 }} as Desborough.

On 20 May 1899, a tragic accident occurred when Elizabeth Palmer and her five-year Dixon Palmer, were struck by a fish train while crossing the tracks to reach the opposite platform. Both were killed instantly.{{cite news |author= |title=Shocking Double Fatality at Desborough Station. Woman and Child Killed |url=http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000317/18990526/117/0007 |newspaper=Northampton Mercury |location=England |date=26 May 1899 |access-date=15 February 2017 |via=British Newspaper Archive |url-access=subscription }} As a result, by August 1899, the Midland Railway Company had received instructions from the Board of Trade to construct a footbridge over the tracks.{{cite news |author= |title=About Town and County |url=http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000317/18990818/055/0005 |newspaper=Northampton Mercury |location=England |date=18 August 1899 |access-date=15 February 2017 |via=British Newspaper Archive |url-access=subscription }}

In response to a petition from the residents of Rothwell, the Midland Railway Company introduced a bus service between Rothwell and Desborough station in 1899.{{cite news |author= |title=Kettering |url=http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000237/18990908/024/0006 |newspaper=Stamford Mercury |location=England |date=8 September 1899 |access-date=15 February 2017 |via=British Newspaper Archive |url-access=subscription }} Subsequently, on 17 October 1899, the station was renamed Desborough and Rothwell.{{cite journal |author= |date=1899 |title=1899-1908 Coaching; Piece 1027 |url=https://www.ancestry.co.uk/imageviewer/collections/1728/images/32167_636897_0432-00333?ssrc=&backlabel=Return |journal=Midland Railway Operating, Traffic and Coaching Depts |volume= |issue= |pages=669 |doi= |access-date=31 January 2022}}

The station closed in 1968.Radford, B., (1983) Midland Line Memories: a Pictorial History of the Midland Railway Main Line Between London (St Pancras) & Derby London: Bloomsbury Books While the station building remain standing, much of the goods yard has been redeveloped, primarily for the Co-op but the goods yard area is now built-over, mainly given over to a Co-op Food store and its car park. The remaining land is occupied by Albany Sheds.

Stationmasters

Samuel Buxton ca. 1858 - 1862{{cite journal |author= |date=1914 |title=1859-1866 |url=https://www.ancestry.co.uk/imageviewer/collections/1728/images/32167_636897_0437-00102?ssrc=&backlabel=Return |journal=Midland Railway Miscellaneous Depts |volume= |issue= |pages=175 |doi= |access-date=31 January 2022}} (afterwards station master at Hassop)
G. Rawlings from 1862 (formerly station master at Wigston)
Thomas Gadsby ca. 1870{{cite journal |author= |date=1871 |title=1871-1879 Coaching |url=https://www.ancestry.co.uk/imageviewer/collections/1728/images/32167_636897_0431-00286?ssrc=&backlabel=Return |journal=Midland Railway Operating, Traffic and Coaching Depts |volume= |issue= |pages=522 |doi= |access-date=31 January 2022}} - 1899{{cite journal |author= |date=1881 |title=1881-1898 Coaching |url=https://www.ancestry.co.uk/imageviewer/collections/1728/images/32167_626640_0604-00356?ssrc=&backlabel=Return |journal=Midland Railway Operating, Traffic and Coaching Depts |volume= |issue= |pages=701 |doi= |access-date=31 January 2022}}
William Samuel Orchard 1899 - 1908 (afterwards station master at Clay Cross)
Percy R. Handscomb 1908 - 1928{{cite news |author= |title=Death of Desborough Station Master | url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0002026/19280525/129/0006 |newspaper=Market Harborough Advertiser and Midland Mail |location=England |date=25 May 1928 |access-date=31 January 2022 |via=British Newspaper Archive |url-access=subscription }}
C.G. Tompkins from 1928{{cite news |author= |title=Weedon Stationmaster | url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000317/19280928/005/0001 |newspaper=Northampton Mercury |location=England |date=28 September 1928 |access-date=31 January 2022 |via=British Newspaper Archive |url-access=subscription }} (formerly station master at Weedon)
Alfred Jones 1941{{cite news |author= |title=Presentation to Station Master | url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0003153/19410606/015/0002 |newspaper=Flintshire County Herald |location=England |date=6 June 1941 |access-date=31 January 2022 |via=British Newspaper Archive |url-access=subscription }} - 1947 (formerly station master at Mostyn, afterwards station master at Lichfield City)
Cyril Breeze ca. 1963

{{rail line|next={{stnlnk|Glendon and Rushton}}|previous={{stnlnk|Market Harborough}}|route=Midland Railway
Midland Main Line|col={{MR colour}}}}

Desborough railway station

History

Stationmasters

References

Further reading