churn railway station
{{Short description|Former railway station in England}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2017}}
{{Use British English|date=June 2017}}
{{Infobox station
| name = Churn
| status = Disused
| image = Churn railway station (1967).JPG
| caption = Station in 1967.
| borough = Churn Down, Vale of White Horse, Oxfordshire
| country = England
| grid_name = Grid reference
| grid_position = {{gbmapscaled|SU517825|25|SU517825}}
| platforms = 2
| original = Didcot, Newbury and Southampton Railway
| pregroup = Didcot, Newbury and Southampton Railway
| postgroup = Great Western Railway
Western Region of British Railways
| years = {{Start date|1888|07|06|df=yes}}
| events = Opened (private station)
| years1 = 1905
| events1 = Opened for public use
| years2 = 4 August 1942
| events2 = Closed
| years3 = 8 March 1943
| events3 = Re-opened
| years4 = 10 September 1962
| events4 = Closed
}}
Churn railway station was a station on the Didcot, Newbury and Southampton Railway in England. It served Churn Down, a remote part of the Berkshire Downs. The nearest village was Blewbury, two miles north, which was already served by Upton and Blewbury railway station, the previous station on the line.
History
This was a small and very isolated single platform halt with access only via an unmetalled downland sheep road. It was built as a temporary stop to accommodate a competition held by the National Rifle Association in 1888. However, from 1889 military summer camps were established near to the station which required the use of the halt as the only access to the site. Timetables provided that trains would not call at Churn unless prior notice had been given to the Stationmaster at Didcot.
Facilities
The station buildings consisted of no more than a simple wooden shelter and basic lavatories.[http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?guid=8a704898-f20c-4a64-9bcb-af225ad46515 Geocaching website] In order to provide deliveries of goods for the camps a small siding was built at the southern end of the station.Karau, P., Parsons, M. and Robertson, K. (1984) An illustrated history of the Didcot, Newbury and Southampton Railway, Wild Swan Publications, {{ISBN|0-906867-04-5}}
In fiction
In 1905 it was the subject of a fictional crime mystery, Sir Gilbert Murrell's Picture, part of Thrilling Stories of the Railways by Victor Whitechurch (1905)
Closure
The station closed in 1962 when the entire line was closed to passenger traffic. Freight operations ceased in 1966.
Routes
{{Disused Rail Start}}
{{Rail line|previous=Upton and Blewbury|next=Compton|route=Great Western Railway
Didcot, Newbury and Southampton Railway |col={{GWR colour}} }}
{{end}}
References
{{reflist}}
{{Closed stations Oxfordshire}}
{{Closed stations Berkshire}}
{{coord|51.5390|N|1.2560|W|region:GB|display=title}}
Category:Disused railway stations in Oxfordshire
Category:Former Great Western Railway stations
Category:Railway stations in Great Britain opened in 1888
Category:Railway stations in Great Britain closed in 1942