Bolton Abbey railway station explained

Bolton Abbey
Type:Station on heritage railway
Borough:Bolton Abbey, North Yorkshire, Craven
Country:England
Coordinates:53.9762°N -1.9086°W
Grid Name:Grid reference
Operator:Embsay and Bolton Abbey Steam Railway
Platforms:1 (originally 2)
Original:Midland Railway
Postgroup:London, Midland and Scottish Railway
Years:16 May 1888
Events:Opened[1]
Years1:17 June 1940
Events1:Closed
Years2:17 March 1941
Events2:Reopened
Years3:22 March 1965
Events3:Closed
Years4:1 May 1998
Events4:Reopened

Bolton Abbey railway station is on the Embsay and Bolton Abbey Steam Railway. It serves Bolton Abbey, although it is closer to Bolton Bridge, in North Yorkshire, England and several countryside walking routes. The station is the current terminus of the steam railway.

History

The station was opened in 1888 by the Midland Railway and was taken over by the London, Midland and Scottish railway. Bolton Abbey station has had a long Royal connection, being the nearest station to the Duke of Devonshire's Bolton Hall. The hall was very popular with British monarchs such as:

During the Second World War, an air-raid shelter was constructed for the Royal family in an air-raid. The last time the royal train came to Bolton Abbey was in 1947. It closed along with the line in March 1965 and the buildings soon became derelict. Following the purchase of the site and associated trackbed by the railway trust in 1995, the station was lovingly restored to its 1888 condition. It was officially re-opened on 1 May 1998 by Sir William McAlpine.

Project plans

The station originally had two platforms and a footbridge throughout its heyday, but one of the platforms became disused and the footbridge has been dismantled since closure.

However, the E&BASR plans to reconstruct and restore the disused platform, possibly as an island platform which would include a platform 3, and also to rebuild the old station footbridge in order to link both platforms together again. This would return Bolton Abbey station to its former state in the days of the LMS (and BR London Midland Region), especially to how it was right up until the line's closure many years before.

This is all part of the E&BASR's expansion plan(s) to extend the line back down to as far as Addingham (where a replica LMS style, temporary replacement station, will be built, as part of the proposed project).

Information

The Holywell Halt site is 1.5 miles away from Bolton Abbey. The station includes:

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. , p.38