The Trains & Stations of Shakespeare Country (12th - 16th August 2023)

Hello Everyone and welcome to this video from Wilmcote Station which is located on the Shakespeare Line near Stratford Upon Avon. Until the mid-1960’s the route was used by express passenger services operating between Birmingham Snow Hill, Cardiff and Swansea, and the famous ‘Cornishman’ that ran between Wolverhampton and Penzance calling at Birmingham Snow Hill and Stratford Upon Avon. Today, the station is served by both West Midlands Trains and Chiltern Railways with destinations including Birmingham Moor Street / Snow Hill, Kidderminster, Worcester Foregate Street / Shrub Hill, and Leamington Spa. The original station opened in 1860 while the current station was rebuilt in 1907. Fortunately, Wilmcote is a popular destination for visitors arriving by train to visit Mary Arden’s House, Shakespeare’s mothers home. This might explain why unlike many other stations on the line which have had their historical buildings demolished to be replaced by a bus shelter structure it still retains its 1907 buildings. There is a small dedicated group of local residents who volunteer their services and have become adopters at the station. They have made a tremendous difference to the ascetics of the station with beautiful floral displays and the installation of hand-made replica GWR Station boards. To sum up, I thoroughly enjoyed spending some quality time at this station with its original buildings, the charming late Nineteenth Century footbridge, along with beautiful floral displays. I hope you enjoy the video.