Difference between revisions of "Saunderton Station"

From Lacey Green History

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Research by  [[Dennis Claydon]] {{Amenity
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Research by  [[Dennis Claydon]]
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'''Hard to Imagine'''
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It is hard now to appreciate how the laying of the railway along the Saunderton valley in the latter half of the last century would have affected the lives of those living in the surrounding area.  The introduction of the steam train into the countryside which, hitherto, had relied for generations upon "shanks pony" and the horse must have created a complete revolution in travel terms.
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T'''he Railway'''
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The Wycombe Railway Company was formed in 1846.  By 1854 a line had been constructed from Maidenhead to High Wycombe.  Work continued to extend this line via the Saunderton valley and Princes Risborough to Thame.  Construction in a broad gauge of seven feet, completion of the Thame extension was achieved in 1862, followed in 1864 with a further extension to Oxford.  Around 1870 the ownership of the line passed to the Great Western Railway  who converted the track to the national standard gauge of four feet eight and a half inches, still current today..
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'''The Workhouse'''
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Several years before the coming of the railway the Wycombe Poor Law Union erected a Workhouse at Saunderton.  This building served thirty three parishes, an area of one hundred and forty seven square miles and stood in eleven acres of garden on the site now occupied by Ortho (Cilag Ltd) Pharmaceuticals.
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'''Request for a Station'''
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In 1885 the guardians of the establishment considered the close proximity of the railway and decided a station, presumably for the delivery of supplies, would be a great convenience.  They approached the railway authorities with their idea but the GWR refused the request.  A similar request, or failing that, permission to halt trains on alternate Mondays, followed in 1889.  Again the GWR refused believing the proposition to be uneconomical.  The building of a Public Institution "five miles from anywhere" was, in the opinion of the GWR, a grave error of judgement on the part of the local authorities. {{Amenity
 
|Amenity Name=Saunderton Station
 
|Amenity Name=Saunderton Station
 
|Current Status (Active/Inactive)=active
 
|Current Status (Active/Inactive)=active
 
}}
 
}}

Revision as of 07:56, 20 November 2021

Research by Dennis Claydon

Hard to Imagine

It is hard now to appreciate how the laying of the railway along the Saunderton valley in the latter half of the last century would have affected the lives of those living in the surrounding area. The introduction of the steam train into the countryside which, hitherto, had relied for generations upon "shanks pony" and the horse must have created a complete revolution in travel terms.

The Railway

The Wycombe Railway Company was formed in 1846. By 1854 a line had been constructed from Maidenhead to High Wycombe. Work continued to extend this line via the Saunderton valley and Princes Risborough to Thame. Construction in a broad gauge of seven feet, completion of the Thame extension was achieved in 1862, followed in 1864 with a further extension to Oxford. Around 1870 the ownership of the line passed to the Great Western Railway who converted the track to the national standard gauge of four feet eight and a half inches, still current today..

The Workhouse

Several years before the coming of the railway the Wycombe Poor Law Union erected a Workhouse at Saunderton. This building served thirty three parishes, an area of one hundred and forty seven square miles and stood in eleven acres of garden on the site now occupied by Ortho (Cilag Ltd) Pharmaceuticals.

Request for a Station

In 1885 the guardians of the establishment considered the close proximity of the railway and decided a station, presumably for the delivery of supplies, would be a great convenience. They approached the railway authorities with their idea but the GWR refused the request. A similar request, or failing that, permission to halt trains on alternate Mondays, followed in 1889. Again the GWR refused believing the proposition to be uneconomical. The building of a Public Institution "five miles from anywhere" was, in the opinion of the GWR, a grave error of judgement on the part of the local authorities.

Amenity Name Saunderton Station
Current Status (Active/Inactive) active
Founded Date
Closure Date