Edith Olivier, in her book Wiltshire, first published in 1931, writes:
“In the first half of the nineteenth century Stockton was much excited over the building of the railway, and no doubt the more conservative and old-fashioned people felt that this hideous innovation would be the end of the old Stockton. As a matter of fact it made very little difference. Stockton still “keeps itself to itself”, and the line is banished to so deep a cutting that the trains can hardly be seen or heard as they pass. But while the building was in process Stockton displayed its usual character of hospitality. The village people organised what would now be called a canteen for the navvies; they called it then a “soup kitchen”. In return for this gesture, Mr Bowden at the level crossing started a little school for the village boys in his hut. But the naughty boys used to put bags over the chimney so that the class should be driven out by smoke.