The January 2020 issue of Backtrack had an article on the stations at Wellingborough in Northamptonshire. In that article there was a passing reference to the branch to Higham Ferrers. This article sets out a more detailed history of the branch. First it may be of interest to look at the history of the two towns. Higham, being tthe oldest, can trace its history back to Anglo-Saxon times. In the thirteenth century the Lord of the Manor, William de Ferrers, granted various charters to the town and also decided to add his surname to the name of the town.
As time passed the influence of the Lancastrians became stronger such that the Duchy of Lancaster still owns the rights of much of the town. With the advent of the Industrial Revolution this, to a certain extent, prevented the town from expanding, unlike its neighbour, Rushden.
Industry, such as it was, was confined to lace making and a small amount of shoe and boot making and the associated leather industries. The increasing demand for boots and shoes meant that mass production was needed. The powers that be at Higham were reluctant or unable to provide the land needed for these new factories. I suspect there was a hint of ‘nimbyism’ at play as well. This why whilst some factories, leather dressers etc were established in the town, the real expansion was to be at its next door neighbour, Rushden.
Rushden in the census of 1801 had only just 800 inhabitants, and almost the same number for Higham Ferrers. Compare this with the census for 1951 when Higham's population had risen to just over 5,000, whilst Rushden's was approaching 17,000.
As mentioned earlier, most of the boot and shoe1846) opened a branch from Blisworth to Peterborough in 1845. This ran along the Nene Valley for most of its 47-mile length. Now Higham had its first station, though the station was much nearer to Irthlingborough but, as noted earlier, Higham was a much more important place. The station was to have its name changed twice before becoming, in 1910, just Irthlingborough. To the west of that station was a small halt called Ditchford which was slightly nearer to some parts of Rushden, but too far to be really any use for goods and passengers. The principal reason it had a platform was because of its remoteness and the fact the station master was allowed to stop trains to allow his wife to do the week's shopping on market days in Wellingborough! Ditchford's one claim to fame was that it had a short siding into the Treacle Mine.
