Railway-crossing Keeper's cottage, Bottesford, Leicestershire, February 2018

HughieD · Feb 26, 2018

Revisit of this Grade II listed Victorian railway-crossing keeper’s cottage at the west end of Bottesford Railway station. It was inhabited up until a fire on 2nd May 2016. Since then it has remained fenced off and in a poor state. Although the roof is intact there looks to be quite a lot of fire and smoke damage to the property. Other than that can’t find much of this place. Little has changed since my visit last year. There is still the sound of running water like there was last time making what's left of the downstairs very damp!

img5631 by HughieDW, on Flickr

img5611 by HughieDW, on Flickr

img5614 by HughieDW, on Flickr

img5615 by HughieDW, on Flickr

img5616 by HughieDW, on Flickr

img5617 by HughieDW, on Flickr

img5618 by HughieDW, on Flickr

img5619 by HughieDW, on Flickr

img5621 by HughieDW, on Flickr

img5622 by HughieDW, on Flickr

img5624 by HughieDW, on Flickr

img5625 by HughieDW, on Flickr

img5632 by HughieDW, on Flickr

img5626 by HughieDW, on Flickr

Not-so-white goods!

img5627 by HughieDW, on Flickr

img5628 by HughieDW, on Flickr

img5630 by HughieDW, on Flickr

Sam Haltin · Feb 26, 2018

That's a shame that it's been on fire as these cottages are getting rare due to automatic barriers being installed. I spotted a few crossing keeper houses on Google Street view in the Yarmouth to Ipswich area, very nice.

HughieD · Feb 27, 2018

Hugh Jorgan said:
That's a shame that it's been on fire as these cottages are getting rare due to automatic barriers being installed. I spotted a few crossing keeper houses on Google Street view in the Yarmouth to Ipswich area, very nice.

Isn't it? Don't think there's much way back for this little place sadly.

Dirus_Strictus · Feb 27, 2018

These places predominated the many Branch Lines in the old Regional Systems and as the railways contracted, they were sold off as the branches closed. The actual number lost to installation of auto barriers is actually quite small when compared to the number lost to Dr. Beeching's solution for the rail system's continued survival. Know this place well - both from my working days and the fact that my brother lives in the village. Suspect that - as is the case in many of these 'iffy' listed building suspicious fires/arsons, there could be a lot more in this than meets the eye, (perhaps just my Forensic Brain continuing to function, but I have had to examine a fair number of 'very convenient' fires in listed or conservation ordered structures over the years!