Station Name: BLENHEIM AND WOODSTOCK[Source: Darren Kitson]
 A rare view of a steam railmotor at Woodstock. In 1908 the GWR issued an Appendix to its 'May and June Train Service Minutes, Rail Motor-Car Services' followed the by the sub-header 'Oxford Suburban Service'. It was noted that these services had already commenced on 1 February 1908. The 'Oxford Suburban Service' was nothing like we today think of as a suburban service with frequent trains at regular intervals. Rather it was a hotchpotch of infrequent services over various lines in the Oxford area, in some cases in addition to 'normal' services. Three steam railmotors were required and these ran to/from Oxford General to Wheatley, Thame to/from Princes Risborough, Kidlington, Heyford, Shipton and Blenheim. Blenheim & Woodstock's share of this suburban service was limited to the 1.55PM from Oxford and 2.52PM return plus a SO 11.5PM from Oxford and 11.33PM return. As had happened on the L&NWR line out of their station at Rewley Road for that company's railmotor services, the GWR opened a number of halts for the railmotors. Shipton on Cherwell Halt came later, in 1929, and although originally given a low railmotor platform it seems to have been nothing to do with the 'Oxford Suburban Service'. Back at Woodstock the posing staff, albeit posing in a rather casual manner, may suggest the photograph was taken on or very close to the first day of the suburban service. That said, photography at this time was still a rare event and people tended to pose as a matter of course. We are here looking at the powered end of the railmotor and the end plate of one cylinder can be seen at bottom right. Just above the central windscreen can be seen two small brackets and these were for destination boards. Whether any such boards were produced for Blenheim & Woodstock has not been determined. If they were it is likely they stated simply 'Blenheim'. The railmotor number was situated just below the central windscreen and almost always when one wishes to determine a number it is obscured by an oil lamp. Close examination and tweaking of this photograph reveals the number begins with a '6' but that is all that can be determined. The staff member standing next on the platform to the cab is wearing straps over his shoulders. He is probably the guard, equipped for issuing tickets from the aforementioned halts.Photo from John Aird collection old8.jpg)
On an unknown date prior to 1926 No. 1473 stands with staff alongside Blenheim & Woodstock signal box. Second from left with a hand on the grab rail is Driver Bill Pomeroy. The signal box was a narrow but lofty structure designed to give the signalman a good view over the engine shed and water tower. These facilities were on the Down side of the line just outside the station. The signal box and engine shed, were abolished in 1926. The locomotive is seen here in one of her many guises, this time still with a half cab but with a rather crude roof extension, numberplate placed below nameplate and toolbox further forward on the tank top. The name 'Fair Rosamund' is usually stated as having been applied for a visit of the Royal Train, conveying the Prince of Wales, later King Edward VII, to Woodstock on 23 November 1896 but in fact the name had been applied some time previously and perhaps for the Duke of Marlborough's wedding special the previous March. Certainly the name would have meant more to the Duke, with his seat at Blenheim Palace, than it would to the then Prince of Wales. 'Fair Rosamund' refers to Rosamund de Clifford, more usually quoted as 'Rosamund Clifford', who was the mistress of King Henry II. She resided at Woodstock Palace which stood on the north side of the River Glyme about a half mile north of the site of what became Blenheim Palace and was connected to the town of Woodstock by a causeway. It was demolished in 1723. Rosamund Clifford herself had died sometime in or around 1176. Apart from the 'Woolworth Express' nickname given to the Oxford through trains, Fair Rosamund was the origin of another nickname for the branch, namely 'Rosie' but there were a number of spelling and pronunciation variations, perhaps in part due to illiteracy which in that era was still quite common.
Photo
from John Mann collection
old9.jpg)
A 1929 view over Woodstock station and its environs. Running left to right across the picture, towards the bottom, is Oxford Street and Oxford Road with High Street branching off at bottom centre. The entrance to the goods yard was near the top left of the image and, in the yard, a respectable amount of goods traffic is present. The corrugated iron goods shed can be seen as can the water tower but by this time the engine shed and signal box had gone and the track layout rationalised. The building next to the school, right, and sitting at an angle to the station platform is thought to have been a glove factory. There were a number of these small-scale glove making industries in Woodstock. The school opened in 1854 and as its style suggests was a church school. It was replaced by a new school on Shipton Road in 1968 but nevertheless remained in use as a school until 1985. The school still stands as of July 2023 and on its Oxford Road side is a wonderfully ornate tablet announcing "Woodstock National School" and then going on to describe school subscriptions,
Photo from Britain From Above, reproduced with permission old10.jpg)
Looking east-south-east over the station and most of the goods yard in 1929 with the station buildings somewhat overshadowed by the Church of England school. Photographs showing the west side of the goods shed are not common. Appearances can be deceptive and what appears in the picture to show a single doorway is in fact the double sliding doors, partially open. Note there is no loading platform externally and no canopy. The goods office is visible at the sheds north end and just visible are the access steps on the west side of the office. The goods yard is unusually busy and under magnification, wagons of GWR, LMS and LNER origin can be seen to be present along with some private owner wagons. There are at least two horse drawn carts present along with a motor lorry. At far left is the water tower, and the empty land adjacent to it was the site of the engine shed and signal box, these latter having been removed in 1926. The simplified track layout is also evident. Also on the left is the weigh office and there was also a coal office out of view to the left. The cattle pens were also located in this area. Running roughly left to right toward the bottom of the picture is Hensington Road from which was the entrance to the goods yard, again just off the picture at far left. The cloned houses along Hensington Road still stand today and their gardens now are well established. The industrial-like buildings at lower left were the Woodstock Union Workhouse and to their left stands the workhouse chapel. The main block of the workhouse is off the bottom of the picture. Workhouses were grim places and plenty of information about them can be found online. Woodstock Union Workhouse dated from 1836 and in the 1930s became a home for elderly people and illegitimate children. It was demolished in 1969 and the chapel in 1971, both having witnessed the arrival of the railway and its demise.
Photo from Britain From Above, reproduced with permission old11.jpg) On 14 May 1930 517 Class No. 1473 'Fair Rosamund' stands at Woodstock. Why the train is standing at the platform extremity is unclear although it may have been for the convenience of the photographer. No. 1473 underwent several modifications over the years and is here seen with enclosed cab and numberplate on the cabside. She had been new to traffic in May 1883 and was withdrawn in August 1935. Her cast brass nameplates are not known to have survived, although the name was to reappear many decades later on a Class 47 diesel locomotive. The autotrailer is No. 119. This was one of the early slab-sided 'matchboard' cars and had begun life as steam railmotor No. 23 in August 1904. Converted to an autotrailer in March 1920 it was withdrawn in April 1949.
Photo by HC Casserley old11.jpg)
Blenheim & Woodstock station sitting tranquil among the greenery sometime in the 1930s. At the platform is one of the 'matchboard' autotrailers with a 517 Class locomotive, which is probably 'Fair Rosamund' in which case the photograph will be no later than August 1935. The number of the autotrailer is visible but unreadable although it is probably No. 119. Quite what the small sign suspended beneath the running-in board announced is not known and photographs suggest the sign was not present for any length of time. The siding with wagons at extreme right ran through the goods shed while prior to 1926 another siding had served the south face of the carriage dock, to the right of the train as seen here. Given that much of the platform was not required for most of the time due to the use of single-carriage autotrains it is perhaps surprisingly free of weeds. This would have been due to 'pride in the job', as exercised by the stationmaster and his staff.
Copyright photo from John Alsop collection
old12.jpg)
Blenheim and Woodstock station platorm in the 1930s, note the well tended station garden.
Photo from John Mann collection 
During the Great Western Railway period 517 Class 0-4-2T No. 1159 stands at Woodstock with autotrailer either No. 167 or No. 187, it is unclear which. This is yet another example of a train stopping short of the bufferstop presumably for the benefit of photographers. While No. 1473 'Fair Rosamund' was for many years the regular branch locomotive she had to disappear for maintenance and overhaul from time to time, with another locomotive deputising. However, as the date of this photograph is unknown No. 1473 may have been withdrawn by this time. While No. 1473 was withdrawn in August 1935, No. 1159 almost made it into British Railways days, being withdrawn in August 1947. Beneath the running-in board can be seen a sign advertising the Daily Mirror but it is probably further back and not the same mysterious sign as seen in another photograph.
Photo by W A Camwell old25.jpg)
Photographs of certain aspects of Woodstock station are not common, among them being the east end of the goods shed with its office and the branch mixed train doing its shunting with autotrailer still attached. This view goes a little away toward remedying this. It is undated but autotrailer No. 110 is still in Great Western livery. Wagons arriving would have done so attached to the driving end of No. 110 and after running round would have been attached to the front of the locomotive. It is not clear if the autotrailer is partially inside the goods shed or on the track leading to the dock opposite the station platform but the former is assumed as no other other track is visible to the right. When the mixed train was shunting, the driver remained on the locomotive. Car No. 110 was, as can be seen, one of the early slab-sided 'matchboard' examples, It began life as steam railmotor No. 12 in June 1904 and was withdrawn in December 1916, re-emerging as autotrailer No. 110 that same month and year. Final withdrawal came in September 1953.
Photo from Jim Lake collection old15.jpg) In the summer of 1949 the usual autotrain waits at Woodstock. Neither the locomotive nor autotrailer are identified. This photograph offers another view of the rather peculiar gas lamps, left. The gentleman in shirtsleeves is stationmaster Monty Turner who was Woodstock's penultimate stationmaster. Following WWII traffic on the branch declined markedly (not that it was ever booming) and to his great credit Mr Turner made efforts to attract more custom by means of excursions to Oxford, promoting local attractions, leisure activities and so forth. Apparently this was unofficial but nevertheless British Railways turned a blind eye. Mr Turner's efforts were quite vigorous in respect of promotion but few extra passengers resulted and he gave up after just a few weeks. The problem was the timetable, which apart from the Saturday through working to Oxford was all but useless for most local people.
Photo by J H Moss old16.jpg)
A view of Woodstock on the final day of the service with No. 1420 and autotrailer No. W183W in attendance. As described elsewhere the afternoon train to Oxford returned with a second autotrailer attached and later in the day it was detached and left on the siding adjacent to the goods shed. As it is not present in this view we are looking at a scene taken slightly earlier, the February shadows suggesting mid morning in which case we are probably looking at what would be the 9.24AM departure. There are what is reasonably obvious a few enthusiasts on the platform plus another standing near the goods shed - apparently photographing almost directly into the sun. Trains quite often stopped short of the bufferstop as seen here and not just on the final day. It was possibly done for the benefit of photographers and perhaps after trains had reversed out of the station to take on water. The autotrailers converted from steam railmotors became rather decrepit as time marched on and a particular problem manifested itself with the top-lights below the cantrail. British Railways solution was to plate over the top-lights and this modification is evident on No. W183W. Most of the people seen here will no longer be with us but one wonders if the child on the right is still with us in 2023 and can remember the occasion.
Click here for Blenheim and Woodstock Station Gallery 3:
Last Day - May 1956
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