HONEYBOURNE

(grid reference SP 448115)

Honeybourne Junction was a large station forming an interchange between the lines from Worcester to Oxford and Stratford to Cheltenham. This was reflected in the station name board that read "Honeybourne Junction for Stratford-on-Avon Branch Warwick Leamington Birmingham Broadway Winchcombe and Cheltenham". Honeybourne Junction closed 5th May 1969 but was reopened as simply Honeybourne in May 1981.

This interesting old photograph was taken on 11th April 1964 by Derek Parsons and show two of Worcester's 'Castle' Class locomotives heading towards Worcester, presumably after having deputised for diesels in express passenger trains to Paddington. At the front is No.7023 'Penrice Castle' and beyond is No.7005 'Sir Edward Elgar'.

A steam banking engine, usually a Collett 2-6-0 tender engine from Worcester shed, was kept at Honeybourne during the week to assist freight trains to climb the formidable 1-100 bank towards Chipping Campden. The BR (Western Region) Working Time Table for the period from 14th June 1965 until the end of steam working on 3rd January 1966 shows the following freight trains as scheduled for banking from Honeybourne:

Headcode	From/to	Time off Honeybourne	Days Run	Comments
7M35	00:10 Rogerstone to Swanbourne	05:45	MX	Via Cheltenham and run round at Honeybourne
8M64	23:10 Neath to Swanbourne	09:30	MX	Via Cheltenham and run round at Honeybourne
4O12	21:20 Heysham Moss to Basingstoke	11:12	MX	As required
8M64	01:30 Neath to Swanbourne	12:05	MO	Via Cheltenham and run round at Honeybourne
4O14	21:40 (SX) Heysham Moss to Basingstoke	16:57	MX	As required
5E11	18:45 Rowley Regis to Ripple Lane	20:51	SO
5A02	21:55 Worcester to Paddington	22:53	SX
6A09	23:15 Worcester to Acton	23:59	SX

In that last summer of steam traction on the Western Region of British Railways one of the main features was steam haulage of many Summer holiday 'extras' from the Midlands to the West Country. These trains were usually worked by one of Oxley's Stanier Class 5 4-6-0's or 'Britannia' 4-6-0's. Oxley received three of this latter class at the start of the summer timetable, Nos. 70045 'Lord Rowallan', No.70047 (unnamed) and No.70053 'Moray Firth'. In 1964 these trains had been the final opportunity to see the rapidly dwindling GWR 'Castle' class locomotives in action, including No. 7011 'Banbury Castle' and No.7023 'Penrice Castle', both transferred from Worcester to Oxley in June 1964.

The summer 1965 Western Region Time Table shows the following trains as scheduled for steam haulage on the Stratford-on-Avon to Cheltenham line:

Headcode	From/to	Time at Honeybourne	Comments
1V50	21:50 Wolverhampton to Newquay	23:42	9/10th July to 13/14th August
1V51	06:35 Wolverhampton to Paignton	08:11
1V52	06:55 Wolverhampton to Penzance	08:37
1V53	08:00 Wolverhampton to Ilfracombe	09:32
1V54	10:05 Wolverhampton to Kingswear	11:35	10th July to 28th August
1M34	10:05 Kingswear to Wolverhampton	15:22	From 17th July
1M35	11:10 Ilfracombe to Wolverhampton	16:45	From 26th June
1M37	11:25 Newquay to Wolverhampton	18:21	10th July to 14th August
1M36	14:30 Paignton to Wolverhampton	19:33
1M39	12:20 Penzance to Wolverhampton	19:48

A correspondent to the 'Railway Observer' recorded that the last rostered steam workings on these trains took place on 4th September 1965 when the following trains were noted at Birmingham Snow Hill:

1M34 worked by No.70045 'Lord Rowallan'

1M35 worked by No.70053 'Moray Firth'

1M39 worked by No.7029 'Clun Castle.' (this was by a special request from the Cheltenham branch of the RCTS).

There is no mention of train No.1M36 so one can presume it was worked by a diesel.

The 'Britannia's were then transferred to Banbury shed.

In addition there were two 'extras' on the Worcester to Oxford line that were scheduled for steam haulage to and from Worcester. In practice this train was often worked by diesel to Oxford :

Headcode	From/to	Time at Honeybourne	Comments
1O30	08:29 Sheffield to Bournemouth	12:02	Changes to steam haulage at Worcester
1E52	10:38 Poole to Sheffield	15:01	Changes to 'Peak haulage at Worcester

The small bus shelter is the only passenger amenity at this once ground station that used to possess four platform faces. The remains of the centre platform can clearly still be seen.

This is the view towards Oxford and the site of the junction with the Cheltenham to Stratford (The 'Honeybourne' line).

Both photographs were taken by Andrew Smith on 12th July 2002.

The complex of lines forming the junction to the east of the station are well illustrated in the following extract from the 1930 edition of the One-inch Ordnance Survey map (sheet 144).

There was a small engine shed at Honeybourne which used engines outbased from Worcester. Douglas Carver recalls that the water supply for locomotives at Honeybourne came from a ditch just outside Chipping Camden tunnel, it acted as a drain for the tunnel then ran for about 400 yards then went underground, and there was a grid over the entrance to the pipe to prevent any rubbish going down the pipe.

The pipe went underground on the down side to a large water tank between Station South Signalbox and the road bridge supplying seven water columns, one on the end of each platform, one on the 'down branch' at North Junction, one on the 'up' loop at The North Junction and one on the 'down' loop at the South Junction, also there was a water column in the garden loop with a parachute tank. He believes water columns were installed at the new sidings at Honeybourne West Loop, but he was transferred to Bristol before they opened.

There was a problem that occurred every autumn leaf fall which was that the grid used to get blocked with leaves and an engine was sent to where the pipe went underground and the Fireman cleared the grid of leaves and any debris from the collecting grid, by then the storage tank was empty, then all locomotives requiring water went to Evesham for water. There was always a queue as all trains arriving at Honeybourne and the bankers required water.

This is ex GWR 4-6-0 'Modified Hall' class No.6970 'Whaddon Hall' of Oxford Shed on 18th May 1963. The locomotive's run down appearance is typical of this era but the locomotive was not withdrawn until June 1964 and was then sent to South Wales for scrap. It is seen arriving at Honeybourne Station on a local train. During World War 2, Whaddon Hall near Milton Keynes in Buckinghamshire was once the location for a secret communications centre housing staff from Bletchley Park. (Photograph by Derek Parsons.)

This is the once familiar sight of Worcester based 'Castle' class 4-6-0 No.7027 'Thornbury Castle' arriving at Honeybourne on a down express train. Thornbury Castle is at Thornbury, Gloucestershire and dates back to the 16th century. It is now a hotel. The photograph was taken by Derek Parsons on 11th May 1963.

Click here for four more photographs from the 1960s at Honeybourne

Click here to go to a page for the World War Two RAF base at Honeybourne

Click here for more on the Oxford line

Click here for more on the Honeybourne line