Fritwell & Somerton railway station

Fritwell & Somerton railway station was on the Oxford to Banbury line of the Great Western Railway,^[1] and was opened four years after the line, in September 1854.^[2] It was in the village of Somerton, Oxfordshire.

Fritwell & Somerton
Site of the station in 1992
General information
Location	Somerton, Oxfordshire England
Coordinates	51.956°N 1.279°W / 51.956; -1.279
Grid reference	SP496289
Platforms	2
Other information
Status	Disused
History
Original company	Great Western Railway
Pre-grouping	Great Western Railway
Post-grouping	Great Western Railway
Key dates
2 September 1850	Line opened from Oxford to Banbury
1855	Station opened as Somerton
2 July 1906	renamed Somerton Oxon
1 October 1907	renamed Fritwell & Somerton
2 November 1964	Station closed

History

The line had been authorised as the Oxford and Rugby Railway, but had been absorbed by the GWR prior to its opening on 2 September 1850. No station was originally planned at Somerton — the nearest station to the village was Heyford, three miles to the south.^[3] The station at Aynho for Deddington was closer by rail, being about 2.5 miles (4 km) to the north, but the road journey was about 5 miles (8 km).

It was soon decided that Somerton needed a station. It was built south of the railway bridge in the village, and opened in 1855, being originally named Somerton.^[3][4]

A station at Somerton (Somerset) was opened on 2 July 1906,^[5][4] and to avoid confusion, the Oxfordshire station was renamed twice: first to Somerton Oxon also on 2 July 1906,^[4] then to Fritwell & Somerton on 1 October 1907,^[6][7] although the village of Fritwell is 2 miles (3 km) away.

The goods service was withdrawn on 4 May 1964,^[8] and the passenger service ceased on 2 November 1964.^[9][10][2]

Route

Preceding station	Historical railways			Following station
Aynho for Deddington Line open, station closed		Great Western Railway Oxford and Rugby Railway		Heyford Line and station open

Notes

1. Conolly 1976, p. 10, section D4.
2. Simpson 1997, p. 93.
3. MacDermot 1927, p. 300.
4. Butt 1995, p. 214.
5. MacDermot 1931, p. 433.
6. Butt 1995, pp. 100, 214.
7. Mitchell & Smith 2003, figure XX.
8. Mitchell & Smith 2003, figure 90.
9. Butt 1995, p. 100.
10. Railway Magazine, December 1964, p.920

References

• Butt, R. V. J. (October 1995). The Directory of Railway Stations: details every public and private passenger station, halt, platform and stopping place, past and present (1st ed.). Sparkford: Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN 978-1-85260-508-7. OCLC 60251199. OL 11956311M.
• British Railways Pre-Grouping Atlas and Gazetteer (Map) (5th ed.). 1" = 8 miles. Cartography by W. Philip Conolly. Ian Allan. 1976. ISBN 0-7110-0320-3.
• MacDermot, E.T. (1927). History of the Great Western Railway. Vol. I (1st ed.). Paddington: Great Western Railway.
• MacDermot, E.T. (1931). History of the Great Western Railway. Vol. II (1st ed.). Paddington: Great Western Railway.
• Mitchell, Vic; Smith, Keith (February 2003). Didcot to Banbury. Western Main Lines. Midhurst: Middleton Press. ISBN 1-904474-02-0.
• "Services withdrawn by L.M.R.". Railway Magazine. Vol. 110, no. 764. Westminster: Tothill Press. December 1964.
• Simpson, Bill (1997). A History of the Railways of Oxfordshire. Vol. Part 1: The North. Banbury and Witney: Lamplight. ISBN 1-899246-02-9.
• Waters, Lawrence (1986). Oxford. Rail Centres. London: Ian Allan. ISBN 0-7110-1590-2.