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The West Berkshire Historic Environment Record (HER) is the primary index of the physical remains of past human activity in the unitary authority of West Berkshire Council. Limited elements of the West Berkshire HER are available online via the Heritage Gateway, therefore it is not suitable for use in desk-based studies associated with development, planning and land-use changes, and does not meet the requirements of paragraph 194 of the National Planning Policy Framework (2021: 56). Please read the important guidance on the use of the West Berkshire HER data. For these purposes and all other commercial enquiries, please contact the Archaeology team and complete our online HER enquiry form.



HER Number MWB20180
Record Type Building
Name Colthrop Crossing signal box

Grid Reference SU 537 665
Map Sheet SU56NW
Parish Thatcham, West Berkshire
Map:Show location on Streetmap

Summary

Unlisted railway signal box, probably early 20th century though replacing an earlier one in the same location

Monument Type(s):

  • SIGNAL BOX (Late 19th century to Early 20th century - 1899 AD to 1912 AD)
  • SIGNAL BOX (Early 20th century to Early 21st century - 1912 AD to 2013 AD)

Full Description

Colthrop Crossing signal box is first shown on the First epoch OS map of 1880 <1> and was retained following reorganisation of signalling in the 1970s to control the level crossings at Midgham (Woolhampton), Colthrop and Thatcham. An assessment of structures along the Great Western Main Line in 2012 <2> considered that the Colthrop Lane Signal box was built in c1900-1920 and was of a standard Great Western design in red brick with a hipped slate roof. It appears to be the last remaining GWR-designed signal box on the routes affected by the Network Rail electrification project <2>. However its appearance had been changed by replacement windows of different patterns, and because many other examples of this design survive nationally it was not considered to be of architectural or historic interest <2>. Peter Simmonds' history of the railway <3> states that Colthrop Crossing signal box was built in 1912 to replace Colthrop Siding signal box, built in 1899.

Sources and further reading

<01>Landmark. 1872-85. Digital Ordnance Survey Mapping Epoch 1, 1:2500 (25 inch). Digital. 1:2500. [Map / SWB14341]
<02>Alan Baxter & Associates LLP. 2012. Great Western Main Line Route Structures Gazetteer. WBC Network. BHL 4874. [Unpublished document / SWB148447]
https://historicengland.org.uk/images-books/publications/gwml-gazetteer/ (Accessed 21/12/2015)
<03>Simmonds, P. 2014. A history of the Berks and Hants line Reading to Westbury. p86. [Monograph / SWB148853]

Related Monuments

MWB20179Colthrop Level Crossing (Monument)
MWB20185Thatcham level crossing (Monument)
MWB20158Woolhampton level crossing (Monument)
MWB6024GREAT WESTERN RAILWAY - General record within West Berkshire (Monument)
MWB6057MIDGHAM STATION TO THATCHAM STATION RAILWAY LINE (Monument)

Associated Excavations and Fieldwork

EWB1265History and Significance of the Great Western Main Line