For our second railway walk in the area, ten members scrummed down and pitched into a bus passing Rugby station to Cawston, intercepting an 11th there to try a footpath trek across fields to join the trackbed of the former LNWR Rugby to Leamington Spa (Avenue) and Warwick (Milverton) 'branch'. Built as single track and later converted to double, it had all the appearances of a main line and overlapped with the Coventry to Leamington Spa (Avenue) 'branch'. Regular passenger services were withdrawn in June 1959, although it was used for diversions during the rebuilding of Coventry station and the electrification of the WCML until Marton Jct. (excl.) to Leamington CA in April 1966. Freight traffic, mainly inward Warwickshire coal, continued from Rugby to Southam Cement Works as a 'branch' (with a reversal at Marton Jct.) until July 1985; the line-out started in November that year when it was taken OOU. The group walked 1¼ miles southwest along the trackbed to Dunchurch Station (just before the A45) where the Station House and buildings are privately occupied, heavily rebuilt but still recognisable. Both platforms were seen as was the remains of an original loading gauge, like a lost goalpost, and the site of the signal box on the Up side. There used to be a small goods yard on the Down side at the Rugby end of the station.

Restarting after half time, there was a 4¼ mile walk back to Rugby station, mostly on the trackbed. Two thirds of this is in a deep wooded cutting (wet and very muddy; the fading light a penalty) now converted to 'The Cawston Greenway'. This led onto a viaduct alongside a new road (the A4071) which has partly subsumed the trackbed. Soon we were at the Rugby Cement Works (now Cemex), which was well floodlit. Members were impressed just how big, complex and busy the plant is close up - also how large the nearby oval 'holes in the ground' are, resulting from limestone extraction. The plant was expanded in the 1990s and is now one of the largest in Europe which resulted in the closure of Southam and Rochester (Halling) Cement Works. The buffer stops (0m 79ch) of the remaining New Bilton Branch were a bonus point; this line was once a headshunt for access to the works over a level crossing. It was now dark and the group opted to try an obscure route tackling the ground alongside the Coventry line Up flyover, giving interesting 'up and under' views of it, to civilization and Rugby station by 21.30 where the final whistle blew. As usual 'Team BLS' had won on points, having walked about 6 miles. The WCML was very busy and participants were able to return by train to Preston, Hatfield and Malvern at this late hour. Our thanks go to our trainer and referee Tom Gilby for his prior fieldwork and the arrangements for this interesting and enjoyable fixture. Happily there was neither penalty nor injury time and no one was sent off for an early bath. Participants look forward to the rematch on 16 August.

Our thanks go to our trainer and referee Tom Gilby for his prior fieldwork and the arrangements for this interesting and enjoyable fixture. Happily there was neither penalty nor injury time and no one was sent off for an early bath. Participants look forward to the rematch on 16 August.

Postscript: The Summer 1954 passenger timetable for this double track line was five trains on weekdays (six WO for Market Day) from Rugby Midland to Leamington Spa (Milverton) for Warwick** and seven SO. In the opposite direction there were six weekdays (seven WSO) but no Sunday service. After Rugby they served Dunchurch, Birdingbury, Marton and Leamington Spa (Avenue); terminus of the service from Coventry via Kenilworth. **Halfway between Leamington and Warwick and noteworthy for its many name changes:

o 1844: Leamington.
o 1854: Warwick (Milverton).
o 1856: Warwick.
o 1857: Warwick (Milverton).
o 1860: Leamington (Milverton).
o 1875: Leamington Milverton (Warwick).
o 1876: Milverton (for Warwick).
o 1884: Warwick (Milverton).
o 1952: Leamington Spa (Milverton) for Warwick.