Original nameboard from Culham Station
Photographed at the Great Western Railway Centre, Didcot
Culham Station in 1904
Postcard published by Leach's Printers of Abingdon
Special train for Nuneham, June 1911
Oxford Journal Illustrated
Platform 1 and footbridge in 1958
Courtesy of Pendon Museum
Culham Station in the mid 1970s
Courtesy of Stanley C.Jenkins
Drysllwyn Castle steaming through in 1981
Photograph © Chris Jennings
National Heritage open day in 2014
Photograph © Colin Taylor
The Railway Inn garden and seating area
Courtesy of The Railway Inn
Culham Station
The Old Ticket Office at Culham will be hosting two celebration events.
There is no admission charge for either of these events.
Saturday 15th June 9:00am - 4:00pm
The Old Ticket Office will be opening its doors to the public from 9:00am so that early birds have the opportunity to see inside this fine old building before going on to one of the other venues. The special 175 bus service (Saturday only) will stop on the old Abingdon Road by the steps leading down to the Railway Inn, and a little further along at the end of the service road which gives level access to the Old Ticket Office.
Explore the original Brunel broad gauge era building and its surroundings where there are a few surprises waiting to be discovered. See the old ticket office window, original tickets dating back to the 1890s, and Edmondson date punches. You can even take home a special souvenir ticket after punching it like an old time Ticket Inspector.
Using the Discovery Trail booklet search out some remnants of broad gauge rail, see graffiti from 140 years ago and try to find the mark where a fatal shot ricocheted from the ticket counter top in 1868. See if you can find all the items of interest and answer all the questions about them.
~~ Watch not one, but two steam trains pass by on their way from Oxford towards Didcot ~~
Newly returned to mainline service, GWR number 7029 Clun Castle will pass by at about 12:25pm
The iconic locomotive 60103 Flying Scotsman (4472 in LNER days) is due to pass at about 6:15pm
Sunday 16th June 10:00am - 2:00pm
As there is so much to see and do on the Saturday, it has been decided to open the Old Ticket Office on Sunday (Fathers' Day) also.
Saturday 15th June 9:00am to 4:00pm - Ploughman's Lunches will be available from 12:00noon right through until 4:00pm, with tea, coffee and light bites available all day from 9:00am.
Sunday 16th June 12:00noon to 2:30pm - Sunday Roasts will be served from 12:00noon. Light refreshments will also be available.
At the Old Ticket Office we will have:
- Display of GWR memorabilia including original books, staff magazines, tickets, jigsaws and uniforms
- Display of model railway items in four scales from '0' down to 'Z' including wagons from local coal merchants
- Illustrated history of Culham station, featuring original plans from 1843
- Display of items from 1935 celebrating the centenary of the GWR
- Video display of steam excursions that have passed through Culham
- Learn about the links with Nuneham House and how the station was visited by the King in 1909
There will be lots of free souvenirs to collect and take home:
- Souvenir vintage style ticket
- Coloured information leaflet
- Postcards of the Old Ticket Office and potted history of the station
- Colouring sheets
- Discovery Trail booklet for children and grown ups too
- Building sheets to download and make your own models of the Old Ticket Office on Platform 2 and the original Waiting Rooms on Platform 1
- Sample packs of acid free card, ideal for model making
There will be books and memorabilia for sale:
- Original GWR wooden jigsaws from the 1930s
- Genuine GWR books and publications
- Modern books of railway and GWR interest
- Rare limited edition large format books
Travelling to and from Culham will be easy:
- The special 175 bus service (Saturday only) will stop on the old Abingdon Road by the steps leading down to the Railway Inn, and a little further along at the end of the service road which gives level access to the Old Ticket Office
- Normal GWR train services will operate throughout the day (Saturday only - no trains stop on Sundays)
- Free parking outside the Old Ticket Office and alongside Platforms 1 and 2
Members of the public are not allowed onto the old Platform 2 upon which stands the Old Ticket Office. The station itself is operational with fast trains passing throughout the day, so sensible care must be taken at all times to ensure one's own safety and that of others.
All visitors to the Old Ticket Office do so at their own risk, no responsibility will be accepted by Entikera Ltd. for any loss or injury howsoever caused.
No public facilities of any type exist either in the Old Ticket Office or at the station itself.
Access into the building and Waiting Room is through a wide doorway and up one small step. The door between here and the inner office is however very narrow and not suitable for wheelchairs. It is possible to cross between platforms step free by means of the old road bridge. Caution should be exercised by anyone doing so as there are no footpaths and it is still open to traffic.
The celebrations at Culham are kindly supported by Culham Science Centre, Great Western Railway, the Greening Lamborn Trust, Dapol, Hornby Hobbies Ltd., Network Rail Corporate Archive, Oxforddiecast and The Railway Inn
Main sponsors of the Anniversary at Culham are:
Entikera Limited - with registered office at the Old Ticket Office, trading as :Mpfineartprinting.co.uk - Fine art Giclée & photographic printing, digital fine art reproduction and picture framing