Railway Inn

Name: The Railway Inn (Tavern)

Address: Barton Turn, Barton-under-Needwood

The Railway Inn was opened sometime in the mid-1800's after the arrival of the Barton and Walton Railway Station on the Derby to Birmingham line in 1846, to which it owed its name and no doubt a significant proportion of its trade. The railway line itself was located at Barton Turn between the villages of Barton and Walton on Trent.

Some pictures of the station can been seen below taken from the fabulous Burton on Trent local history website by Kevin Gallagher.  

For more information follow the link below: -

Burton on Trent History - Railways

The station was eventually closed in 1958 and is now the site of a railway depot.  The Railway Inn remained a going concern for at least 100 years but more recently closed its doors to trade and is now a private residence although the Inn's sign brackets still remain as a reminder of the past.

Listed landlords at the Inn recorded on directories and census records were Ann Palethorpe (1871), Herbert Palethorpe (1872), James Chamberlain (1876-77), Charles Palethorpe (1880-1912), Charles Berwick (1916-24) and Agnes Warren (1940).

1871 Census

1872 Kelly's Directory

Having reviewed numerous records I can find no trace of the "Herbert Palethorpe" listed on the 1872 directory so suspect this was in fact Robert Palethorpe, the husband of Ann and father of Charles who later took over the pub.

Robert and Ann's son Charles Palethorpe married Elizabeth Branson in 1873 and was first recorded as a beer seller at the Railway Inn on the 1880 directory although he may have taken over prior to that time.  I suspect that James Chamberlain took over at the Railway after Ann and Robert, as he is recorded on the 1876 Kelly's Directory as a beer seller.

1876 Kelly's Directory

There is no trace of the Palethorpes on the 1876 directory and James was only living a few doors down from the Inn with wife Sarah at the time of the 1871 census shown below.

1871 Census James Chamberlain @ Barton Turn

Derby Mercury 12 September 1877

1881 Census

1891 Census

The Railway and Vine (Barton Turns) looking north (2016)

1901 Census

The Railway Inn (pictured on the right) looking north
up the Trent & Mersey canal to the Three Crowns

1911 Census

The Railway Inn was very much the home of the Palethorpe family, opening sometime in the 1860's and remaining in their hands until around 1915.  Elizabeth Pathethorpe died on 9th October 1914 leaving Charles a widow and this was almost certainly the catalyst for Charles retiring from the trade.

Elizabeth Palethorpe Probate 1914

The probate record below confirms Charles Palethorpe remained living at Barton Turn until his death in 1926.

Charles Palethorpe Probate 1926

Derby Daily Telegraph 11 March 1930

Charles Berwick took over behind the bar at the Railway during WW1 and remained there at least until 1924 whilst his brother William was running the Three Horse Shoes.  

1924 Kelly's Directory

Derby Daily Telegraph 24 November 1932

His probate record below doesn't make reference to his occupation so it's not possible to say whether he ran the Inn until his death, but the directories confirm that in 1940 Agnes Warren had taken over.

Charles Berwick Probate 1940

Railway Inn (2016) now a private residence