London Marylebone to Stratford upon Avon

The Route of the William Shakespeare

London Marylebone was the London terminus of the Great Central Railway, the last main line to be built in Britain (before the new Channel Tunnel Rail Link). It originally competed with London Paddington for services to the West Midlands. But it has since taken over as the London terminus for express services to Birmingham Snow Hill and instead competes with the West Coast Main Line services to the West Midlands from London Euston.

London Marylebone is one of London’s hidden treasures. One of the last of London’s many termini; Marylebone was completed in 1899 by the Great Central Railway. The station is fronted by the magnificent former Great Central Hotel, which was used as offices for many years but now once again is a prestigious hotel known as the Landmark London. In its heyday London Marylebone was the starting point for famous expresses such as the Master Cutler and the South Yorkshireman. Today the station is still busy with commuter services along the Chiltern Line to Aylesbury and Birmingham Clubman express trains to Birmingham Snow Hill via Banbury.

Throughout this “Through the Window” guide we describe views as being left or right from the train facing in the direction of travel out of London.

London Marylebone to Banbury:

On leaving the peace and quiet of London Marylebone station, the train enters a long tunnel that takes it under Lord’s Cricket Ground, and the London suburbs of St John’s Wood and Hampstead. At Neasden the Birmingham trains branch westwards with the Aylesbury line diverging off to the right. Also the London Underground’s large Neasden train depot can be seen to the right. Wembley Stadium station is reached. Wembley Stadium and the Wembley Arena can be seen to the right in the Wembley Park complex. Then the route is predominately suburban as it makes its elevated way out of London through the stations of Sudbury & Harrow Road, Sudbury Hill Harrow, Northolt Park, South Ruislip, and West Ruslip with part of the journey shared with London Underground tube trains. Just before South Ruislip the line from London Paddington can be seen joining from the left. Also London Underground’s Ruislip train depot can be seen on the left.

After crossing the Grand Union Canal and the River Colne, whose valley is filled with reservoirs, passing Uxbridge Golf Course and Denham Country Park on the left, London is left behind. Denham is the next station passed, with the pretty village of mellow, red brick buildings lying to the south (left), with at its heart the 17^th century Denham Place. Soon there is the first of the many golf courses near the line; this one has its own station at Denham Golf Club. Gerrards Cross is next, an attractive brick and stone station in a cutting, with Bulstrode Park and its Iron Age hill fort to the south. The train now climbs through the beechwoods of the Chilterns, crossing a landscape of woodland and rolling fields in alternating cuttings and embankments. Attractive throughout the year, this route is at its best in spring and autumn. Passing the wooden station at Seer Green & Jordans, famous for its 1920s garden village and the 1688 Quaker Meeting House, with the Beaconsfield Golf Course to the left. To the south of Beaconsfield Golf Course lies Wilton Park, the Foreign & Commonwealth Office’s conference centre. Next the train reaches Beaconsfield, another station in a cutting with the town hidden from view. After a short tunnel, the train emerges high up on the side of the Wye valley which it follows to High Wycombe, with fine views across the valley to the distant M40 motorway.

High Wycombe fills the valley, a town with plenty of good 18^th and 19^th century buildings, notably the 1757 Guildhall. The big 16^th century church, with its gothic revival tower of 1755, can be best seen from the trains travelling towards London. Long a centre for furniture making, Wycombe still has many small craft factories, with G-Plan and Ercol beside the track.

Leaving the town, there is a view of the hill fort, Desborough Castle, to the left, and then, as the train follows the valley, the 18^th century Sir Francis Dashwood’s West Wycombe Park (now owned by the National Trust) comes into view, the 1765 mansion set high on a hill, its tower crowned by a golden ball. Garden buildings, grounds landscaped by Repton, a pretty village, a medieval church, and the caves made famous as the setting for the extraordinary activities of Dashwood’s Hell Fire Club, all add to West Wycombe’s attractions. Across the valley to the right eastwards is Benjamin Disraeli’s house, Hughenden Manor, now owned by the National Trust. The train now climbs up Saunderton Bank through woods and rolling fields, passing Saunderton station, with Bledlow Ridge to the west.

The next station is Princes Risborough, whose size reveals that it was once a busy junction, with lines serving Oxford, Rugby and Watlington, as well as Aylesbury and Banbury. Soon after leaving the station the former line to Chinnor and Oxford diverges off to the left, the Chinnor branch is now home to the Chinnor & Princes Risborough Railway. While to the line to Aylesbury diverges off to the right. Soon after leaving the station, Banbury and Birmingham trains swing north-west, towards the Vale of Aylesbury. With good views of the Chilterns to the left southwards, and to the right northwards the distant line of hills framing the Cherwell valley, the train makes its elevated way across the flat landscape. To the left westwards is the spire of Ilmer Church with its pretty, isolated village, then Kingsey’s big church, set in woods, and to the right eastwards tiny Aston Sandford. Haddenham & Thame Parkway is the next station with the village of Haddenham to the right. The train then crosses the River Thame, with the remains of Notley Abbey visible to the left westwards, and enters a more varied landscape, and a little known part of England that has a wealth of attractive villages and handsome 18^th century houses. Among the best are Chilton, Dorton and Brill, high on its hill to the left westwards, and to the right eastwards Wotton Underwood. Soon after passing the enormous ordnance depots at Arncott and Graven Hill visible on the left, the train reaches Bicester North after crossing the Oxford to Bicester Town and Bletchley line.

Bicester is a small market town notable for its grand parish church of 13^th to 15^th century date. Rarely for a town of its size, Bicester now boasts two railway stations, with Bicester Town on the branch from Oxford.

Leaving Bicester, views are limited by a long cutting followed by a tunnel, but as it leaves the tunnel the train is met by a panoramic view of the Cherwell valley, with the villages of Souldern and Aynho cresting the hills to the right eastwards, and Deddington to the left westwards. The line then makes its elevated way to join the main Oxford to Banbury line at Aynho Junction via a flyover, with high viaducts offering even better views over the Cherwell and the Oxford Canal. The M40 motorway crosses the line and then the tall spire of King’s Sutton Church forms a prominent landmark to the right eastwards. Just to the south of King’s Sutton station are the remains of the old line to Kingham via Chipping Norton visible on the left. As the train approaches Banbury there are plenty signs of its former importance as a major junction, with the remains of old lines eastwards to Northampton and Bletchley and its link with the old Great Central route to London. Old semaphore signals are another link with Banbury’s railway past.

Well known for its cross, its nursery rhyme and its cakes, Banbury is a busy market town with a handsome main street lined with 18^th and 19^th century buildings in the distinctive, rich brown Northampton stone. The famous cross was actually erected in Victorian times.

Banbury to Leamington Spa:

After leaving Banbury station the train continues northwards passing under the M40 motorway following the valley of the Cherwell and the Oxford Canal. At Fenny Compton the line to MoD Kineton diverges off to the left. The village of Bishops Ichington is passed on the left with the Bishop’s Bowl Lakes visible just to the north of the village as we continue north through pleasant rolling countryside. Eventually we reach the outskirts of Leamington Spa and swing round a final curve on our elevated route into Leamington Spa station.

Leamington Spa, or more properly Royal Leamington Spa, is a spa town in Warwickshire and is on the River Leam. The town is noted for its parks and gardens, particularly the Jephson Gardens, close to the Royal Pump Rooms and next to the River Leam. There is much Georgian and early Victorian architecture, including numerous Georgian townhouses, giving Leamington a somewhat grand appearance.

In 1814 the Royal Pump Rooms and Baths were opened close to the River Leam. This grand structure attracted many visitors, hoping to soothe various aches, pains and ailments by bathing in pools filled with the salty spa water. It also included the world's first gravity fed piped hot water system in modern times, which was designed and installed by the engineer William Murdoch. Leamington soon became a popular spa resort which attracted the wealthy and famous, and construction began of numerous Georgian townhouses to accommodate visitors.

Leamington's reputation soon spread. The town gained its "Royal" prefix in 1838, following a visit by Queen Victoria, whose statue still stands in the town. In 1996 former Pump Rooms became a culture and heritage centre. It features the Leamington Art Gallery, a museum and library as well as a Tourist Information Centre and cafe. Spa water can still be sampled at the museum, although it is said to be undrinkable.

Leamington is closely associated with the foundation of the game of Lawn Tennis, and the first tennis club in the world was formed in 1872 just behind the former Manor House Hotel. It was in Leamington Tennis Club that the modern rules of Lawn Tennis were drawn up in 1874.

Leamington Spa to Birmingham Snow Hill:

After leaving Leamington Spa station the line to Coventry and the North diverges off round a sharp curve to the right. The former Great Western line to Stratford upon Avon and Birmingham Snow Hill continues straight ahead. Leamington Spa merges imperceptibly into Warwick and soon Warwick station is reached. Warwick is best known for its famous Warwick Castle which is located to the south of the line across the River Avon. Warwick is also the historic country town of Warwickshire. Warwick University is not actually located in Warwick and is in fact located near Coventry several miles to the east and it is named after the county of Warwickshire rather than the town. Soon on the left Warwick Racecourse is passed before the train passes Warwick Parkway station. This is a new station built in 2000 by Chiltern Railways to serve as a Park & Ride rail station linking with the M40 motorway.

Then with the Grand Union Canal on the right the train ascends Hatton Bank and reaches Hatton station. Shortly after this the line to Stratford upon Avon diverges off to the left via a triangle junction and the Birmingham line swings round to the right northwards. At Bearley West Junction with the line from Birmingham joining from the right, then a short stretch takes the line to Wilmcote station, shortly before which, on the right hand side, is Mary Arden's House, former home of Shakespeare's mother. Now a countryside museum devoted to showing life in Tudor times, it is owned by the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust. Leaving Wilmcote behind, the train descends the steepest gradient on the line, a little over a mile of l-in-75 of Bishopton Bank, which carries the line beneath the A46 to the outskirts of Stratford-upon-Avon.

Soon the train is on the final approaches to Stratford-upon-Avon station sweeping round a right-handed curve, crossing the Stratford-upon- Avon Canal for the last time with the ground of Stratford Town FC over on the right.

Stratford upon Avon is famous as the birthplace of William Shakespeare. As a result of its Shakespeare connections it is a very popular tourist destination. The town is located on the River Avon (not to be confused with the River Avon in Bristol) and on its banks is located the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, home of the Royal Shakespeare Company. Nearby there is also a reconstructed Elizabethan theatre called The Swan which is also run by the Royal Shakespeare Company.

Other tourist attractions within the town include the properties of the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust including Shakespeare’s Birthplace & Visitor Centre, Hall’s Croft, Harvard House, Nash’s House and New Place. Just outside Stratford upon Avon are located Anne Hathaway’s Cottage at Shottery, and Mary Arden’s House at Snitterfield.  Also within the town is Holy Trinity Church, where Shakespeare was baptised and is buried.