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Box Railway Station Commemorated
Suggested by Robert Coles August 2019 Taking photos of Box Railway Station was always difficult. It was a small main line station and didn’t have a grand approach road that promoted stations in some towns. Instead of a photo, Sean Bolan’s paintings have become the iconic picture we have of Box Station, so much so that his painting of Box Station in broad gauge days is on the front of the 2020 Great Western Society calendar. It also features as the subject for November 2020. Original Box Station John Froud’s marvellous research showed how small the original access into Box Station was and, far from having a grand approach, it was accessed via footpaths.[1] A newspaper report in October 1841 refers to the footpath approach: in such a dreadful state, owing to the late rains, that the inhabitants of Box and Ashley, particularly females, cannot wade through the mud and clay to go by the trains, so that they prefer the conveyance of the coaches.[2] The report suggested that the remedy would be a wagon-load or two of rubble, or planks laid down for about one hundred yards. Illustrations of Station courtesy Sean Bolan |
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The artist JC Bourne recorded brief details of the original station (probably a wooden structure built by Edward Streetor). In 1846 he wrote: the Box Station, only 210 yards long, and entirely in the Marle (meaning unknown).[3] John Froud believed that the building of the new Box Station would have been in 1855, shortly after a meeting of shareholders authorised expenditure upon new stations and extensions of the present accommodation at Bristol, Box, Swindon, Stonehouse and some minor stations…[4]
Name of Station
Box Station has the distinction of being one of the shortest-named stations in Britain. It holds this claim to fame along with Ayr, Ely, Rye, Wye, Ore (near Hastings) and a few others. Of course, it is the signal box that marks Box Station as totally unique with the cast iron sign announcing Box Signal Box. Now how much would that be worth today?
Great Western Calendar
Sean is one of our top professional artists. Always fascinated by Box, he has depicted Box station several times and, with his extensive research, he is always accurate and precise in his paintings.
The calendar is available from the Great Western Society, Didcot, for £9.99. It can also be ordered by phone 01235 817200, £13 including postage. The artist has a few prints for sale of his Box painting and you can contact him direct at:
seanbolan48@john-lewis.com
Name of Station
Box Station has the distinction of being one of the shortest-named stations in Britain. It holds this claim to fame along with Ayr, Ely, Rye, Wye, Ore (near Hastings) and a few others. Of course, it is the signal box that marks Box Station as totally unique with the cast iron sign announcing Box Signal Box. Now how much would that be worth today?
Great Western Calendar
Sean is one of our top professional artists. Always fascinated by Box, he has depicted Box station several times and, with his extensive research, he is always accurate and precise in his paintings.
The calendar is available from the Great Western Society, Didcot, for £9.99. It can also be ordered by phone 01235 817200, £13 including postage. The artist has a few prints for sale of his Box painting and you can contact him direct at:
seanbolan48@john-lewis.com
References
[1] John Froud, Box Station, Special GWR Edition No 2, 1986, p.131-149
[2] The Bath Chronicle, 7 October 1841
[3] JC Bourne, History and Description of the Great Western Railway
[4] John Froud, Box Station, Special GWR Edition No 2, p. 139
[1] John Froud, Box Station, Special GWR Edition No 2, 1986, p.131-149
[2] The Bath Chronicle, 7 October 1841
[3] JC Bourne, History and Description of the Great Western Railway
[4] John Froud, Box Station, Special GWR Edition No 2, p. 139