| Bell Busk | |
| Status: | Disused |
| Borough: | Bell Busk, Craven |
| Country: | England |
| Coordinates: | 54.0042°N -2.152°W |
| Grid Name: | Grid reference |
| Platforms: | 2 |
| Original: | "Little" North Western Railway |
| Pregroup: | Midland Railway |
| Postgroup: | London, Midland & Scottish Railway |
| Years: | 30 July 1849 |
| Events: | Opened |
| Years2: | 4 May 1959 |
| Events2: | Closed to passengers |
Bell Busk railway station served the hamlet of Bell Busk in North Yorkshire, England. It was located on the Leeds to Morecambe Line between and Hellifield, NaNmiles north of .[1]
It was opened by the "Little" North Western Railway in July 1849, as one of the intermediate stations on their line between and Ingleton[2] which subsequently became part of a through route between West Yorkshire and the Lancashire seaside town of Morecambe (and ultimately part of the Midland Railway main line from London to Scotland). The main buildings were located on the southbound side, whilst the two offset platforms were initially linked by a foot crossing. This, however, was replaced subsequently by a footbridge, possibly as the result of a fatal accident on the crossing in 1880 that resulted in the deaths of two elderly travellers.[3]
Although situated some way from the nearest large communities, it was the most convenient station for the village of Malham and the surrounding countryside; as a popular tourist destination, it was advertised in papers as Bell Busk for Malham.[4] Consequently, the station was well patronised by ramblers heading for Malhamdale, as well as by local farmers sending their produce & livestock to market in Skipton and Leeds.
The station also had another somewhat unusual claim to fame, in that it was used as a shooting location for the 1951 feature film Another Man's Poison.[5] The film's main star, noted American actress Bette Davis, was apparently so impressed by it (according to reports in the local press) that she enquired if the station was for sale. It is not known whether her interest was genuine or not, but no formal purchase offer was made. It remained in use until 1959, when it was closed by the British Transport Commission. Although more than 100 local objections were lodged to the proposed closure, the local Transport Users' Committee accepted the British Railways arguments that the station was unviable and it was duly closed to passengers on 4 May 1959.[6]
The station platforms and footbridge were removed some years after closure (along with the goods facilities and signal box), but the main station buildings were retained and sold off by British Rail for use as a private dwelling. They were subsequently converted into a guest house in 1982 and remain in use as such today. The adjacent line meanwhile remains a busy freight and passenger route between Leeds and Morecambe/Carlisle, with more than 20 trains each way passing every weekday.