Local Railways

Although Dunton Bassett never had a railway station, villagers could use the stations at Leire and Broughton Astley on the Midland line from Rugby to Leicester, and on to Derby, and Leeds, or Ashby Magna Station on the Great Central line, between Manchester, Sheffield, Nottingham and Leicester, Lutterworth and London.

Opened on 1st July 1840 by the Midland Counties Railway, (which became one of the founding companies of the Midland Railway in 1844), the Midland line also had stations at Ullesthorpe, Whetstone and Wigston. From Rugby, trains could be caught to London, Birmingham, Penzance, South Wales the northwest, Wales and west Scotland. From 1840 till 1850 this line formed part of the main line between London and Edinburgh, until the main line along the east coast was fully completed. Passengers from London would change from the London and Birmingham Railway Company train at Rugby, onto a Midland Counties, later Midland Railway, train to Derby, Leeds and Doncaster, where they continued to Newcastle and Edinburgh. (Until the formation of the L.M.S. in 1922, there were two separate fully staffed stations, one L & B, later L.N.W.R., and one Midland, just one hundred yards apart at Rugby). Delays at Rugby for passenger and freight traffic when changing lines, was infamous.

The Midland line was the railway used by Dunton Bassett villagers till 15th March 1899, when Ashby Magna Station, on the Great Central line, a genuine and the last main line built, was opened. This line was built with the intention of passengers being able to travel on it, and via a channel tunnel, direct to mainland Europe. Alas the Channel Tunnel was opened twenty-five years after this line was closed. Four hundred yards south of Ashby Magna Station was Dunton Bassett Tunnel, all of ninety-nine yards long, beneath the road to Gilmorton.

On 1st January, the Midland Railway became part of the L.M.S. Railway, while the Great Central line became part of the L.N.E.R. This resulted in the old Midland line, without much main line traffic on it, really became just a branch line. However under the L.N.E.R. the Great Central line was expanded, with better passenger facilities and with freight traffic being developed, resulting in the line being one of England’s leading lines.
Services on these lines, altered very little under the nationalisation of the railways, in 1947. However in the 1950’s expanding road services began lead to the railways losing traffic. To fight this, both stations were put under the control of British Railways Midland Region. Together with the Leicester to St. Pancras line, they were subject to Dr. Beeching’s scrutiny. This resulted in both lines and thus the local stations on them were closed.

The 1st January 1962 saw the Midland line close. Slowly the Great Central line was closed with the line south of Rugby being closed on 5th September 1966, and then with the withdrawal of all traffic on 5th May 1969.

The original Broughton station was originally one storey. It was extended with a first floor added. It was claimed to be haunted. This station was rebuilt in 1925. The platforms at Broughton Astley Station were staggered. The coal merchants Jephcotts operated from Broughton Astley Station. The favored coal for local consumption was from Haunchwood Six Feet Brights Colliery, in Midlands territory, Nuneaton. The Broughton Astley Stationmaster’s house still stands opposite the Red Admiral Pub. The line embankment can be seen swinging away north from the B581 Dunton Road, just by the pub. The Red Admiral was the Station Hotel until the line closed. Villagers in Dunton Bassett used whichever station was more convenient to them, Broughton Astley or Ashby Magna. During the war the building which is now the Red Admiral’s skittle alley, was used for storing the bicycles of the passengers using the station.

The farmers used Ashby Magna Station for their needs, especially for taking their milk direct to the expanding market in London till 1926 when the dairies began to use road transport to collect the milk. Animals were sent and collected in the goods yard there, as were crops and farm supplies.

The site of Ashby Station is now Wood Yard. But the double bridge over the lines can still be seen as can the entrance to the stairs that descended to the island station.

The Remains of Leire Halt can be seen in Leire at the beginning of The Jubilee Walk, which goes along part of the Midland train track. Ullesthorpe Stationmaster’s house is now a private residence.