Shiplake Station & The Regatta Line
The Henley to Twyford railway opened in June 1857, with Shiplake being the only station along the line as Wargrave did not gain a station until 1900. The single track line had taken two and a half years to build at a cost of £79,000 and included wooden viaducts over Lashbrook and the Thames. Compensation totalling £249 was paid to Shiplake Parish, £100 of which went to the school, £27 to land owners, £17 to the "Lord of the Manor" and the residue to build two new cottages for the Church.
Traffic grew steadily and work on making the branch double track began in 1896 and was completed in 1897, two days before that year's Regatta began. This work included replacing the original wooden viaducts with metal ones. Fire had destroyed the first Shiplake station in 1891 and it was replaced by a typical red and blue brick Great Western Railway canopied structure, together with a signal box, goods yard, and a footbridge over the lines. The staff maintained flower beds on and around the station, one of which incorporated a goldfish pond.
In 1903 23,000 tickets were issued at Shiplake and 6143 parcels handled. By 1923 these figures were 39,000 tickets and 7267 parcels. The Regatta created huge increases in traffic, for example, in 1902 there were 26 trains a day each way and 17 additional staff employed at Shiplake alone. However, use of the line gradually decreased and it was converted back to single track in 1961. Shiplake goods yard closed in 1964 and the station buildings were demolished in 1985.
Oxfordshire County Council, in partnership with First Great Western, 
funded major improvement works at the station in 2006 including a new shelter, repainting and provision of planters. Members of the Shiplake Garden Club (seen here) have recently spent much time and energy building on this work by restoring the flower beds and planting, as well as tidying up the platforms. This has made a big improvement to the ambience of the station.
funded major improvement works at the station in 2006 including a new shelter, repainting and provision of planters. Members of the Shiplake Garden Club (seen here) have recently spent much time and energy building on this work by restoring the flower beds and planting, as well as tidying up the platforms. This has made a big improvement to the ambience of the station.
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