I found quirky railway village cafe with community spirit like no other
A charming village on Birmingham outskirts is so quaint that it looks like something from a model train set my uncle once had. There's a lovely old signal box by the railway lines and even a level crossing for trains[1] passing through this leafy haven to nearby Kidderminster[2].
I thought that pretty Blakedown with its poppy fields and country pubs[3] in Worcestershire couldn't get more quintessentially English until I visited its unique community cafe - and that's where I found a surprising amount of British Bulldog spirit. Only open on a couple of Saturdays every month, it's based in the railway signal box that was saved by the local community.
Network Rail closed the Victorian building in 2012 but a fiesty campaign by villagers led to them getting it for just £1 - as long as they moved it brick by brick to the other side of the road, where it now stands in Mill Lane.
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Here I am now facing the beautifully preserved building and I'm so glad they went to all that trouble as it's a special relic of the UK's iconic railway heritage. I can't wait to find out what's inside.
I climb a few wooden steps up to the main signal box room, high up with a great view. This is where signalmen once put in a shift, but the equipment has long gone. There is a modern glass lift too for those less steady on their feet.
Smiling faces welcome me as soon as I open the door, ushering me to one of the five or so tables in this adorably bijou room. Large windows give an ideal vantage point for the rail track, where steam trains like the Flying Scotsman and Severn Valley Railway[6] engines have chugged past.
Entrance into the Signal Box Cafe in Blakedown, near Kidderminster
Today, it's the regular West Midlands Railway[7] trains that make mugs of steaming tea rattle as carriages whizz by. It's fascinating to hear the level crossing alarm in the background and watch the world go by in this quirky room.
The signal box was built in 1888 and there's plenty of features dating back to that time including its stunning brickwork and signs. The building and community cafe is managed now by Blakedown and Churchill's Historical Society with help from the parish council, but also plenty of volunteers.
It's not only an asset to the community but has become a hub for village life. The sewing club members meet here, bringing their machines along so they can craft together on weekdays and it's also available to hire for £10 an hour.
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But it's the Saturday cafe openings that allow people to get to know each other over a chat or train enthusiasts and day-trippers like me to stop for delicious home-made cake and a cuppa. Everything costs £1 each, whether it's a slice of fruit cake or lemon drizzle or a cup of tea - but in cash only.
Fitting about 20 people at a time, there's a lively hub-bub of chatter that not even the trains passing by can silence. The tables are all covered in neat tablecloths while in the corner, there's the plates of cakes made fresh for the day, along with biscuits, tea and coffee brewing in a perculator.
Model trains line the windowsill while historic black and white photos of the signal box in its heyday are dotted around the few walls, as most of the room is made from panes of glass, as you can see in the photo gallery below.
Jim Long, Chairman of the Blakedown and Churchill Historical Society, chats to me about the pride everyone has in the signal box, which is partly why volunteers have kept the Saturday cafe running so regularly.
It's usually open during the mornings of the second and fourth Saturdays of every month, unless there's a Bank Holiday weekend or it's Christmas.
Jim says: "The signal box was too close to the rail line so it had to be removed, but we didn't want it to be lost forever. Network Rail closed the line for three Sundays so it could be taken down, they even changed all the rail timetables for it to be done.
Jim Long, Chairman of the Blakedown and Churchill Historical Society with committee member Marc Asby in the Signal Box Cafe
"But then it sat for three years in a yard until we could get Heritage Lottery funding. Finally we were able to rebuild it and it opened in 2016.
"The effort was worth it and it's a big part of the community now"
The enthusiasm in the village to protect this unique building is clear to see as it has rubbed off on newer residents. Dad Marc Asby moved from the Black Country to live in Blakedown with his family and is among those who regularly help out after becoming a Historical Society committee member.
How Blakedown Signal Box looked inside when it was being used by Network Rail (Image: Churchill and Blakedown Historical Society)
"It really is a special building and lovely village to be in," says Marc.
I can see what he means, the buzz of community spirit is delightful and the reason such a distinctive building is here for generations to come. You can see how it looks in the video below.
There's even delicious, cheap cake and drinks to enjoy. My advice is don't miss out and make sure you add this train cafe to your timetable.
Where is the Signal Box Cafe?
Blakedown Signal Box is next to Blakedown Train Station in Mill Lane, Blakedown, Worcestershire. Use postcode DY10 3LH to find it.
There are some on-road parking spaces on the other side of the level crossing.
When is the Signal Box Cafe in Blakedown open?
Blakedown Signal Box Community Cafe is open on the second and fourth Saturdays of every month in the morning.
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Check its Facebook page called Churchill and Blakedown Signal Box for more information and to check for openings during Bank Holidays.
References
- ^ trains (www.birminghammail.co.uk)
- ^ Kidderminster (www.birminghammail.co.uk)
- ^ pretty Blakedown with its poppy fields and country pubs (www.birminghammail.co.uk)
- ^ I saw The Flying Scotsman for first time and wasn't prepared for how it made me feel (www.birminghammail.co.uk)
- ^ Is the BBC licence fee good value for money? (xd.wayin.com)
- ^ Severn Valley Railway (www.birminghammail.co.uk)
- ^ West Midlands Railway (www.birminghammail.co.uk)
- ^ Can you name these Birmingham places through old 1970s photos (xd.wayin.com)
- ^ BirminghamLive WhatsApp (chat.whatsapp.com)