BEFORE the railway reached Oxford in 1844, passengers had to travel to Steventon to catch a train to London.

Steventon station opened on June 1, 1840, and a stream of horse-drawn coaches took people to catch the first trains to the capital.

Oxford University, Oxford Corporation and major landowners had thwarted attempts to bring the railway to Oxford in 1837, 1838 and 1840, forcing passengers to make a 10-mile journey to the nearest station at Steventon by road.

On the first day, so many people wanted to travel that some coaches were packed “inside and out”, according to a report in Jackson’s Oxford Journal newspaper, a copy of which has been sent to Memory Lane by reader Peter Bowell, of Botley.

The paper reported: “The opening of the railway at Steventon had the effect of causing some degree of bustle and excitement in our city, even at an early hour.

“With a view of conveying to the station such as were disposed to patronise the line, Messrs Costar and Waddell put sufficient coaches on the road both for various up and down trains that arrived during the day.

“The first coach that left Oxford was the celebrated ‘Queen’, driven by its scientific and no less celebrated dragsman, Cracknell, whose civility and good temper are alone sufficient to ensure at all times a full load.

“The coach was filled both inside and out and this with a glorious morning to boot, enabled both coachman and passengers to start in excellent humour and spirits.

“At seven o’clock precisely, it proceeded from the Star Office on its way down the new London Road (St Aldate’s Street), and the circumstance of a full coach at that early hour excited some little surprise among the inhabitants of that hitherto quiet part of Oxford.

“Approaching Abingdon, the bustle was considerably greater and the inhabitants seemed to hail with delight the arrival of the first full coach and the little train of humbler vehicles that followed.”

The journey halted for a change of horses in Abingdon and there were fears that the coach would not arrive in time to catch the 8am train.

But the change was quickly made and “before the good folks of Abingdon had time to scan the countenances of the passengers, they were once more at a merry pace on their way”.

The paper continued: “The ‘Queen’ arrived at Steventon, which was full of life and animation, and presented a scene like a fair, at eight o’clock precisely and at a quarter past, a new and powerful engine, Tiger, decorated with flags and boughs, left the station, with a train well filled and in the height of spirits. At 10 minutes past 10, they reached the great Metropolis in perfect safety, after a most delightful trip.”

The paper was clearly impressed with the new concept of rail transport, citing the example of an Oxford butcher, who had travelled to London on the 3am train, reached Smithfield market at 5am, bought four fine beasts, and returned to Oxford at 9am, leaving his purchases to follow on the evening train.

They arrived at Steventon that night, were transported to Oxford the next day and the following day, the carcase of one “graced one of the stalls in our market, where the quality of the meat was universally admired”.

Steventon station, on the Paddington-Bristol line, served the community for 124 years. It was closed in 1964 along with other rural stations between Didcot and Swindon.