Pitsford & Brampton Station, Pitsford Road, Chapel Brampton NN6 8BA

This steam railway only runs on Sunday. Unfortunately, the day we were there, it had been far too hot all summer, with no rain, and everywhere was tinder dry, so no steam trains allowed. However, there were diesel trains.

We took a bus from Northampton to near the Boughton platform. The trains ran hourly, and we had just missed one. The platform was bare (and hot) so we decided to walk along the track (on a proper footpath, I hasten to add!) to the main platform at Pitford and Brampton.

At the station, we had a coffee and cake ("home made!"), bought nostaligic booklets at the shop, looked round the trains on offer, and finally took the train back to the Boughton platform. We travelled in the First class carriage, where the only other passengers were two of the volunteers, so we chatted about Northampton. They don't approve what has happened to the Market! But they agreed that the Shoe Gallery in the Museum was impressive, and that Northampton had good churches. And pubs... We mentioned the skittles table in the Albion, and one of the volunteers told us how to play it. (You have to get more than the previous player, so strategy of the order of players in a team is important.) That may just have been one game. He also explained that the reason for the table, with its padded leather surround, is that Northampton had plenty of leather from its shoe making.

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© Jo Edkins 2026