Country Lorry Service and Cartage Service

1935 poster

GWRGreat Western Railway sign advertising the Country Lorry Service

GWRGreat Western Railway lorry in Bewdley Yard

GWRGreat Western Railway horse-drawn wagons at Southwell Carpet Factory, Bridgnorth

As well as transporting goods station to station, the GWRGreat Western Railway was also able to collect & deliver goods and parcels to and from local addresses via the Country Lorry Service, Cartage Service or independent carrier.

The Country Lorry Service was introduced after the First World War. This allowed agricultural and other goods to be transported beyond the railway companies' normal collection and delivery radius, which was usually limited to urban areas and their immediate fringes.

Until 1928, railway companies were only allowed to carry goods which had been, or were to be, carried by rail. The 1928 Road Act removed this restriction; thereafter railway companies began to offer "throughout road" services (ie not involving any rail transport). After that time the number of Station Truck workings for small consignments reduced, while the Country Lorry Service saw a further expansion. In 1930 there were some 160 "Tranship Sheds" operating across the GWRGreat Western Railway, where goods were transferred between wagons for onward shipment; by 1932 rationalisation of this system had reduced the number to just nine.

In 1937 the GWRGreat Western Railway collection and delivery services utilised some 2,200 motor vans and lorries, 3,000 horse-drawn wagons and carts, and 1,600 horses. In 1938 the GWRGreat Western Railway Road Transport Department built a Repair Shop in Kidderminster Yard.

A 1938 GWRGreat Western Railway publication, 'Towns villages, outlying works etc. served by the Great Western Railway' gives a list of all such places, their distance from the local station and the method of delivery. Those on the Severn Valley Branch and Tenbury Branch are shown below. Places marked with an asterisk are within the company's free cartage boundary, with "(partly)" indicating it was not entirely within that boundary. In all other cases there would be a charge for collection or delivery in addition to the normal station to station charge.

Where a station is not listed (e.g. Hampton Loade), no collection or delivery service was available, although some smaller stations were covered by services from nearby larger stations (e.g. Linley and Eardington from Bridgnorth)

Lorry Services and Cartage Services on the SVRSevern Valley Railway

Kidderminster

• Cartage Service:

Kidderminster*, Baldwins Ltd. Stour Vale Iron Works* 1¼ miles, Broadwaters (parcels)* (partly) 1¾ miles, Blakebrook* 1½ miles, Clensmore Wharf* 1 mile, Comberton* (partly) ½ mile, Foley Park* 1½ miles, Franche*(partly) 3 miles, Greenhill 1* 1½ miles, Hoobrook* (partly) 1 mile, Hurcott* (partly) 1½ miles, Old Wharf ¾ mile

• Lorry Service:

Alveley 7 miles, Attwood Park 4½ miles, Blakedown 4 miles, Blakesall 4 miles, Broadwaters (goods)* (partly) 1¾ miles, Brockencote 4 miles, Dunclent 2 miles, Franche* (partly) 3 miles, Habberley/Low Habberley 2½ miles, Hoobrook 1 mile, Summerfield 3 miles, Kingsford 4½ miles, Little Hoboro' 4½ miles, Shatterford 5 miles, Stone 2 miles, Shenstone 2½ miles, Trimpley 5 miles, Wolverley (goods) 2½ miles

• Lorry Service (Midland Red Motor Services):

Bluntington 5 miles, Caunsall 4 miles, Chaddesley Corbett 4 miles, Cookley 3 miles, Corbett & Sons Saw Mills, (Chaddesley) 4 miles, Franche (partly) 3 miles, Wolverley (parcels) 2½ miles

Hartlebury

• Cartage Service:

Hartlebury*

• Lorry Service:

Acton 3 miles, Bishops Wood 2 miles, Boreley 5 miles, Bradford 3 miles Brockencote 3½ miles, Brookhampton 3½ miles, Cakebole 2½ miles, Chadwick 2½ miles, Charlton 1½ miles, Clareland 2½ miles, Comhampton 3 miles, Crossway Green 2 miles, Cutnall Green 3 miles, Doverdale 3 Miles, Dunhampton 3½ miles, Elmbridge 4 miles, Elmley Lovett 2 miles, Holt Fleet 5 miles, Lincomb 2½ miles, Line Holt 3 miles, Ombersley 5 miles, Rushock 3½ miles, Shenstone 2 miles, Stone 3 miles, Summerfield 2 miles, Titton 2 miles, Torton 1½ miles

Stourport

• Cartage Service:

Stourport*

• Lorry Service:

Abberley 5 miles, Areley Kings 1½ miles, Astley 3½ miles, Astley Cross 2 miles, Dunley 2½ miles, Great Witley 5½ miles, Lincomb 3 miles Little Witley 7 miles, Netherton 5 miles, Shrawley 4½ miles, Heightington 5 miles Stockton-on-Teme 10 miles

• For delivery by barge:

Baldwins Ltd. Stour Vale Iron Works* 4½ miles

Bewdley

• Cartage Service:

Bewdley ½ mile

• Lorry Service:

Blackstone 1½ miles, Button Oak 3 miles, Dowles 1½ miles, Far Forest 5 miles, Heightington 6 miles, Kinlet 5 miles, Ribbesford 1½ miles, Rock 6 miles, Shatterford 5 miles, Trimpley 3 miles

Highley

• Carrier:

Highley ½ mile

Bridgnorth

• Cartage Service:

Bridgnorth*, Oldbury (Parcels)

• Lorry Service:

Ackleton 5 miles, Acton Round 5 miles, Aldenham Park 3 miles, Alveley 6 miles, Apley Park 5 miles, Artlebury 3 miles, Aston 6 miles, Aston Eyres 4 miles, Barnsley 4 miles, Bentley 1½ miles, Beobridge 5 miles Billingsley 6 miles, Broughton 6 miles, Chelmarsh 4 miles, Chesterton 6 miles, Chetton 3½ miles, Claverley 6 miles, Cleobury North 9 miles (Truck loads), Colmore Green 4 miles, Coton 5½ miles, Criddon 4 miles, Dallicot 4 miles, Ditton Priors (Truck loads), Deuxhill 5 miles, Eardington 2 miles, Endness 3 miles, Ewden Burnell 4 miles, Ewden George 4 miles, Eyres Aston 4 miles, Faintree 4½ miles, Farmcote 5 miles, Glazeley 4 miles, Linley 5 miles, Morville 3 miles, Middleton Scriven 5 miles, Norton(Nr. Shifnal) 5 miles, Oldbury (Goods), Stockton 7 miles (goods), The DownIn reference to the direction of travel means away from the major terminus (i.e. towards Bridgnorth on the present day SVR) 3 miles, Upton Cressett 5 miles

• Lorry Service (Carrier):

Allscot 2 miles, Astley Abbots 2½ miles, Bradney 3 miles Bromley 2 miles, Catstree 3 miles, Cranmere 4 miles, Danesford 1 mile, Ewdness 3 miles, Quatford 2 miles, Quatt 4 miles, Stockton 7 miles (parcels), Worfield 4 miles

Coalport

• Railway Porter:

Coalport*

Ironbridge

• Cartage Service:

Ironbridge*, Jackfield* 1 mile, Broseley* 1 mile, Broseley Wood* ½ mile, Madeley Wood* 1 mile, Linley Green* (partly) 3½ miles, Barrow 3½ miles, Benthall 1 mile

    Maw & Co.

• Siding
• Cartage Service* 1½ miles

Buildwas

• Lorry Service:

Buildwas, Farley 2 miles

• Railway Porter:

Buildwas* (partly)

    Ironbridge Power Station

• Siding (goods only)
• Railway Porter* (parcels only) ¼ mile

Cressage

• Lorry Service:

Cressage ¼ mile, Dryton 3 miles, Eaton Constantine 1½ miles, Eyton-on-Severn 3 miles, Garmston 2½ miles

Berrington

• Lorry Service:

Abbots Betton 2 miles, Acton Burnell 3 miles, Acton Piggott 3 miles, Atcham 1 mile, Attingham 1½ miles, Berrington* ½ mile, Berwick Wharf 3 miles, Betton 1 mile, Betton Abbotts 2 miles, Betton Strange 3 miles, Boreton 2 miles, Boreton Grange* 2 miles, Brompton* 1 mile Cantlop 2 miles, Charlton Hill 4 miles, Chilton 1 mile, Cound 2 miles, Cound Moor 4 miles, Cronk Hill* ¾ mile, Cross Houses* ¼ mile, Dinchope* 1 mile, Eaton Mascott 1½ miles, Emstrey 2½ miles, Frodesley 4 miles, Golding 3 miles, Lower Cound* 1 mile, Norton 2 miles, Smethcote 2½ miles, Upper Cound 2 miles

Lorry Services and Cartage Services on the Tenbury Branch

The Country Lorry Service at Tenbury started on February 1 1931.

Cleobury Mortimer

• Cartage Service:

Cleobury Mortimer 2¼ miles

• Lorry Service:

Cleobury North 10 miles (Less than truck loads), Chilton 4 miles, Ditton Priors (Less than truck loads, and all traffic for R.N. Armaments Depot), Farlow 2 miles, Stottesden 8 miles

Newnham Bridge

• Lorry Service:

Eardiston 3½ miles, Hanley Child 4 miles, Knighton-upon-Teme 1 mile, Lindridge 2 miles, Mamble 3 miles, Neen Sollars 6 miles, Stockton-on-Teme 5 miles

• Railway Porter:

Newnham Bridge* (Within ½ mile of station)

Tenbury Wells

• Cartage Service:

Greenway Head 1 mile, Tenbury Wells*

• Lorry Service:

Aston Bank 3 miles, Berrington Heath 2 miles, Bockleton 5 miles, Boraston 2 miles, Broadheath 5 miles, Burford 1 mile, Coreley 4½ miles, DeanWilliam Dean, Chief Locomotive Engineer of the Great Western Railway 1877-1902 Park ½ mile, Eardiston 7 miles, Great Kyre 4 miles, Greet(Greete on modern maps) 2 miles, Hanley Child 6 miles, Hopton wafers 6 miles, Knighton-upon-Teme 1 mile, Leysters 4½ miles, Lower Hanley 5 miles, Neen Sollars 5 miles, Old wood Common 2 miles, Stanford Bridge 7 miles, Stanford-on-Teme 7 miles, Stoke Bliss 6½ miles, St. Michaels 1½ miles,

Easton Court

• Lorry Service:

Berrington Green 1 mile, Easton Court, Little Hereford ½ mile,

Woofferton

• Lorry Service:

Ashford Carbonell 2½ miles, Brimfield ½ mile, Woofferton

See also

• Station Truck
• Businesses located at SVR stations
• Private sidings connected to the Severn Valley Railway
• Collieries served by the Severn Valley Railway