Gus: I share your doubts about the national gazetteer piece I quoted. I've since found a fuller entry, here. http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/WOR/Tardebigge/Gaz1868.html This fuller entry is internally inconsistent, as it first claims that the parish of Tardebigge is split between Worcestershire and Warwickshire, and then lists the parts of the parish, stating that each is in Worcestershire! It also points out that both "Cobley" and "Tutnall and Cobley" [sic] were previously in Warwickshire. All in all, I think that this looks like an incompetent update of an earlier publication, as you suggest. So I think we agree that the parish of Tardebigge was split between Worcestershire and Warwickshire, with around 60% of the area but 90% of the population in Worcestershire, although the parish church was in Warwickshire. > But my knowledge of former Railway Companies is insufficient to be able to > confirm that the Birmingham and Bristol Railway ever ran significantly > through the Parish. The two stations named of Bromsgrove and Blackwell - > the > two ends of the Lickey Incline - certainly lie on the former Birmingham > and > Gloucester Railway, but no more than ½ a mile of that was within Tutnall > and > Cobley.... (But maybe the Birmingham and Bristol line branched off through > Alvechurch and Redditch.) Given my railway background I had to try and solve this one! And this link http://www.virgintrainsmediaroom.com/media/adobepdf/9%20CrossCountryE.pdf shows that the Birmingham and Bristol railway was a marketing name used jointly by the Birmingham and Gloucester Railway and the Gloucester and Bristol Railway. (Be aware that this link takes a long time to load, even with a broadband connection. The reference is at the bottom of page 3). So the railway did run through the parish as claimed, but only just. Best wishes Paul