Bakewell railway station

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

LocationBakewell, Derbyshire Dales,
England
Coordinates53°13′04″N 1°40′08″W / 53.2177°N 1.6689°W / 53.2177; -1.6689
Platforms2
StatusDisused
Bakewell
The station building
General information
LocationBakewell, Derbyshire Dales,
England
Coordinates53°13′04″N 1°40′08″W / 53.2177°N 1.6689°W / 53.2177; -1.6689
Platforms2
Other information
StatusDisused
History
Original companyMidland Railway
Pre-groupingMidland Railway
Post-groupingLondon Midland and Scottish Railway
Key dates
1 August 1862Station opened
6 March 1967Station closed[1]
Listed Building – Grade II
FeatureFormer Bakewell railway station
Designated28 January 1994
Reference no.1316505[2]
Location

Bakewell railway station served the town of Bakewell, in Derbyshire, England, between 1862 and 1967. It was built by the Midland Railway on its extension of the Manchester, Buxton, Matlock and Midland Junction Railway line from Rowsley to Buxton Midland. The Peak Rail heritage railway intends to reopen the station to trains by extending its existing Matlock to Rowsley South line by 4 miles (6.4 km) through Rowsley to Bakewell.[3]

View northward in 1961
Diesel-hauled down express in 1961

The station was opened by the Midland Railway on 1 August 1862.[1] Being the nearest station to Haddon Hall, it was built in a grand style as the local station for the Duke of Rutland over whose land the line had passed. Designed by Edward Walters of Manchester, the buildings were of fine ashlar with intricate carvings which incorporated the duke's coat of arms.

Since the line climbed steeply towards its summit at Peak Forest, the station was located uphill about 12 mile (0.8 km) from the town, which became a disadvantage when road transport developed.

It was used most frequently during the Bakewell Show, but the station was also popular with campers and tourists. The station was host to a London, Midland and Scottish Railway camping coach from 1935 to 1939; one was also positioned here by the London Midland Region from 1954 to 1967.[4][5]

Following the Grouping of all lines into four main companies in 1923, the station became part of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway.

During the nationalisation of Britain's railways in 1948, the station was passed on to the London Midland Region of British Railways and, despite escaping the Beeching Axe, the station was closed when passenger services ceased on 6 March 1967.[1] Trains continued to pass through the station until 1968, when the line was closed.

Disused railways
Hassop
Line and station closed
  Midland Railway
Manchester, Buxton, Matlock and Midland Junction Railway
  Rowsley
Line and station closed
Preceding station Heritage railways Heritage railways Following station
Proposed extension
Terminus Peak Rail Rowsley
towards Matlock

The site today

Monsal Trail
Topley Pike junction
Chee Tor No. 1 tunnel
Millers Dale
Millers Dale viaducts
Litton Tunnel
(
516 yd
472 m
)
Cressbrook Tunnel
(
471 yd
431 m
)
Monsal Dale
Headstone Viaduct
Headstone Tunnel
(
533 yd
487 m
)
Great Longstone
Hassop
Bakewell
Coombs Road viaduct
(end of trail)
Haddon Tunnel
(
1058 yd
967 m
)
(closed)
Rowsley
(proposed extension)
Rowsley South
Darley Dale
Matlock Riverside
Matlock Peak Rail | National Rail
Sources[6][7]

The station buildings still survive and are Grade II listed.[2] They are sited 12 mile (0.8 km) east of the centre of Bakewell, high upon the hillside due to the alignment that the railway was forced to take.

The main building is now used by an electronics company, which has retained many of the station's original features; the goods shed is now part of an industrial estate. The gap between the platforms has been filled in, as the Monsal Trail shared-use path now passes through the site along the former trackbed. The ridged canopies over platform 1, the goods shed and cattle dock have all since been removed.[8]

See also

References

Further reading

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