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The Battlefield Line Railway

© Elizabeth Batt

In 1873, the London North Western Railway and the Midland Railway opened a joint line between Moira West and Nuneaton. The line became known as the Ashby Nuneaton Line despite the fact that the town of Ashby itself wasn't on the joint line. Instead the joint line was on the Midland's Burton - Leicester, with a link to the joint line by a triangular junction at Moira and near Coalville where it also allowed access to the Charnwood forest railway that terminated at Loughborough Derby Road Station.

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Brief History
The Ashby & Nuneaton Joint Railway, or ANJR, was owned jointly by these two companies until a grouping of them in 1923 saw them assigned to the London, Midland and Scottish Railway.
By 1931 passenger travel had been suspended and the only services offered was for special excursions. In 1964, the Coalville - Shackerstone line was closed completely while the Ashby-Nuneaton railway went on to survive until British Rail finally closed the line in the early 1970's.

Shackerstone had been a busy junction during it's use, with trains hauling both passengers and goods. When the old station safe was opened, a number of accounts for goods were found, dating back to 1873. Although the stations along the line are fairly similar, Shackerstone is seen as the most attractive. The tree-lined approach, possibly the suggestion of Lord Howe of Gopsall Hall, carried Royalty in 1902 when Edward VII paid a visit to the Hall. Queen Victoria and King George VI have also graced the Ashby and Nuneaton line.

In the summer of 1969, a group of rail enthusiasts got together to try and preserve a Jubilee Class engine 'Leander' which was in Woodham's yard at Barry in Wales. Although the preservation fell through, it formed the basis for a railway preservation society in the East Midlands. In 1969, the society began desperately to search for a home after they acquired their first engine, 'The King,' built in 1906.

At first, temporary quarters were based in Market Bosworth until 1970, after which the society moved to Shackerstone. They found their new home in a rather sorry state. The Station building had just one pane of glass and British Rail had lifted part of the track, except for one through line. The society went to work and after plenty of toil, negotiations were opened with British Rail and the society purchased the railway intact between Shackerstone and Market Bosworth.

The copyright of the article The Battlefield Line Railway in Leicestershire is owned by Elizabeth Batt. Permission to republish The Battlefield Line Railway in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.