More Pictures of Ashchurch Station

For our blog post this week we return to Ashchurch Station, with some more fantastic pictures taken from Ben Brooksbank's Geograph page. These shots show Ashchurch during its post-war years with all three lines still connected: the old line to Malvern to the west, the route to Barnt Green via Evesham to the east, and the surviving Birmingham-Gloucester main line running down the middle. The Malvern line as we know is sadly long-gone, but a stub remains of the Evesham 'loop' line in the form of a 400m access spur serving the Army's vehicle depot in the town. This station was sadly closed in 1971, although a smaller station was built nearby in 1997 to restore the town's connection to the main line.

'Ashchurch Station, 1957'. This shot clearly shows the three lines that once ran through Ashchurch, as well as the curious wedge-shaped buildings on the platforms. Used courtesy of Ben Brooksbank via Creative Commons.

'Ashchurch Station: view northward from the A438 bridge in December 1948'. Used courtesy of Ben Brooksbank via Creative Commons.

'Ashchurch: Midland 0-4-4T engine in Transition'. Used courtesy of Ben Brooksbank via Creative Commons.

'Ashchurch Station: a view from the 'Entrance' onto the Up platform, with the Tewkesbury Engine'. Used courtesy of Ben Brooksbank via Creative Commons.

Northway Lane Bridge

The final structure passed by the Malvern-Ashchurch Midland branch line on its way through Gloucestershire was Northway Lane bridge. Built to an arched design, the bridge sat just before the final southward turn as the branch line reached its junction with the surviving Birmingham-Gloucester railway (now the 'Cross Country' route). Because the Ashchurch-Upton spur had a nine-year stay of execution after the closure of the Malvern-Upton section in 1952, there are comparatively more historical pictures of this end of the line.

The bridge today survives in its original state despite the disappearance of the railway beneath it. Surrounded by an industrial estate, it is now no longer strictly necessary as an overpass but still provides a reminder of a bygone age nonetheless. In fact, Northway Lane bridge can be seen from the 'new' Ashchurch-for-Tewkesbury station (opened 1997) which replaced the original stop (closed in 1971).

The following two pictures are taken from Roger Smith's excellent Flickr Page and show the last train leaving Ashchurch for Upton-on-Severn in 1961. The tight right-left westward curve is clearly visible in the foreground as the train departs the station.

The Northway Lane bridge pulls into view outside Ashchurch.

Letting off some steam under Northway Lane bridge.

Photos of Tewkesbury and Ashchurch from Roger Smith

This week's update takes us away from my familiar stamping ground to the other end of the Malvern-Ashchurch railway. The following pictures come courtesy of Roger Smith's excellent Flickr page and show the Northway Lane bridge over the railway at Ashchurch, as well as the Mythe embankment and tunnel portal outside Tewkesbury. The tunnel picture is particularly interesting: I haven't been able to find many shots of the Mythe tunnel so far and Roger's shot clearly shows the small bridges that were ripped up as part of flood prevention works in 2013. The Northway bridge photos are worth a look too: so much of the site around Ashchurch station was levelled but as far as I know the bridge remains, even if its original purpose has long since disappeared. One to look out for in future.

'Last train to Upton-on-Severn entering Mythe Tunnel', 14th August 1961

The Northway Lane bridge pulls into view outside Ashchurch.

Letting off some steam under Northway Lane bridge.

Ashchurch Station

The final stop of the old Midland line from Malvern was Ashchurch, a village 2 miles east of Tewkesbury. Ashchurch was once an important junction station, linking the Malvern-Ashchurch branch from the west, the Gloucester-Birmingham main line to the north and south and the 'Gloucester Loop' line, a route which ran east through Evesham and Redditch before rejoining the main Birmingham line at Barnt Green.

The Tewkesbury platform of the original Ashchurch station was built in 1864 and was demolished along with the rest of the site after the station closed permanently in 1971. A new station was opened in 1997, albeit under the name 'Ashchurch for Tewkesbury'. This station occupies some of the original location, although the Tewkesbury line is completely gone and all that remains of the Evesham loop is a quarter-mile long spur which connect the MoD's vehicle storage warehouses with the railway network. In any case, it is still possible to catch a direct train from Great Malvern to Ashchurch, albeit through Worcester.

These pictures show Ashchurch Station during the 1940s and 1950s. The station was a bizarre agglomeration of chords, crossings and sidings, with an odd wedge-shaped station serving the station's three lines. A similar style of building can still be seen today at Barnt Green, in north Worcestershire.

41061 approaches Ashchurch from the north. Note the peculiar flat level crossing where the Tewkesbury line crossed the Birmingham main line to join the Evesham Loop.

42326 crossing the Birmingham Main Line.

The view north-west along the Tewkesbury platform. The complex in the background is the Dowty Company's private sidings, which lay to the north of Ashchurch station. The company made aeronautical components and mining equipment.

The steel passenger footbridge at Ashchurch.

'Ashchurch Station, 1957'. This shot clearly shows the three lines that once ran through Ashchurch, as well as the curious wedge-shaped buildings on the platforms. Used courtesy of Ben Brooksbank via Creative Commons.

'Ashchurch Station: view northward from the A438 bridge in December 1948'. Used courtesy of Ben Brooksbank via Creative Commons.

'Ashchurch: Midland 0-4-4T engine in Transition'. Used courtesy of Ben Brooksbank via Creative Commons.

'Ashchurch Station: a view from the 'Entrance' onto the Up platform, with the Tewkesbury Engine'. Used courtesy of Ben Brooksbank via Creative Commons.