Thornton–Cleveleys railway station
| Thornton–Cleveleys | |
|---|---|
|
The Station in 2014 viewed from Victoria Road | |
| Location | |
| Place | Thornton |
| Area | Wyre |
| Coordinates | 53°52′14″N 3°00′00″W / 53.8706°N 3.0000°WCoordinates: 53°52′14″N 3°00′00″W / 53.8706°N 3.0000°W |
| Grid reference | SD343421 |
| Operations | |
| Original company | Preston and Wyre Joint Railway |
| Pre-grouping | Preston and Wyre Joint Railway |
| Post-grouping | London, Midland and Scottish Railway |
| Platforms | 2 |
| History | |
| April 1865 | Station opened as Cleveleys |
| 1 April 1905 | Renamed Thornton for Cleveleys |
| February 1953 | Renamed Thornton–Cleveleys |
| 1 June 1970 | Station closed |
| Disused railway stations in the United Kingdom | |
|
Closed railway stations in Britain A B C D–F G H–J K–L M–O P–R S T–V W–Z | |
| UK Railways portal | |
Thornton–Cleveleys (originally simply-named Cleveleys) was a small-sized railway station which served the two English Lancashire towns of Thornton and Cleveleys, but was situated in the centre of Thornton. Located on the now disused line between Poulton-le-Fylde and Fleetwood, the station also had a shunting yard for the making-up of freight trains for Preston and beyond. During its life it was also known at times as Thornton station and Thornton for Cleveleys station.[1][2] In the 1860s and early 1870s the line was of great importance being the direct route from London to Glasgow. Before the Shap route was opened, passengers (allegedly including Queen Victoria) would travel from Euston to Fleetwood and then onwards via steamer to Scotland.
The original station was opened in April 1865, and was named Cleveleys.[3] It was to the south of Station Road in Thornton, near an older halt called Ramper Road. The Station Master's house and station building can still be seen in use as a private residence. The station was renamed Thornton for Cleveleys on 1 April 1905.[4] This station closed in 1927 when the new station (the first to be built by the LMS) opened to the north of the level crossing. In February 1953, the station was renamed again, this time to Thornton–Cleveleys.[5] Rationalised in the 1950s/60's the station eventually closed on 1 June 1970 when the Fleetwood line was closed to passengers.[5][6][7] Freight continued on the line to nearby Burn Naze until 1999.[8]
The station site Today (and Preservation)
Today, the majority of the buildings at the station have long since been demolished but the platforms remain along with one of the original walls used to support the station's canopy and the bases for the waiting rooms on the up platform.
The site of the main station buildings and bus turning circle are now the site of a supermarket and small shops, narrowing the original down platform by a small amount.[9]
On 1 July 2007, the station was leased by Network Rail to the Poulton & Wyre Railway Society to allow the group of volunteers access to the site to return the station to a restored condition.[10]
Extensive improvements have occurred since the Poulton & Wyre Railway Society have been working on the station, with the site cleared of vegetation and almost all the fences rebuilt in a traditional picket fence style; the society has recently begun resurfacing the down platform.
In April 2013 the Poulton & Wyre Railway society were granted permission to extend their licence and begin work on the next station along the line towards Fleetwood at Burn Naze.[11]
References
- ↑ "Thornton History". Thornton Community News. Retrieved 28 May 2014.
- ↑ "Public Facilities at Cleveleys". Visit Cleveleys. Retrieved 28 May 2014.
- ↑ Butt, R.V.J. (1995). The Directory of Railway Stations. Yeovil: Patrick Stephens Ltd. p. 63. ISBN 1-85260-508-1. R508.
- ↑ Butt 1995, pp. 63,229
- 1 2 Butt 1995, p. 229
- ↑ Welch, M.S. (2004) Lancashire Steam Finale, Runpast Publishing, Cheltenham, ISBN 1-870754-61-1, p.28
- ↑ Suggitt, G. (2003, revised 2004) Lost Railways of Lancashire, Countryside Books, Newbury, ISBN 1-85306-801-2, p.37
- ↑ "The Future of the Unused Poulton to Fleetwood Railway Line". The Wyre Rail Cycle Partnership. December 2006. Retrieved 28 May 2014.
- ↑ "Google Maps". Google Maps. Retrieved 28 May 2014.
- ↑ Marshall, Tyrone (3 July 2007). "On track for rail link opening". Blackpool Citizen. Retrieved 28 May 2014.
- ↑ "Freight train plan for Fleetwood". Fleetwood Weekly News. 24 April 2013. Retrieved 28 May 2014.
External links
| Maps showing Thornton for Cleveleys Station |
| NPE Maps (1947) |
| Vision of Britain |
| Other maps |
- Poulton and Wyre Railway Society, working towards restoring passenger services to Fleetwood.
| Preceding station | Disused railways | Following station | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Burn Naze Halt | Preston and Wyre Joint Railway Fleetwood Branch Line |
Poulton-le-Fylde | ||
| Preston and Wyre Joint Railway Blackpool Branch Line |
Poulton Curve Halt | |||
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