TRIVIA - Grotty stations in nice towns

[DarloRich]

I traveled, by train, to Harrogate on Saturday and was very disappointed by the station compared to the genteel nature of the town in question. It is a lovely town but the station seems horrible and such a let down.

The tower block and car park just seem so out of keeping and the station itself a bit of an afterthought. I know in the past it was much more grand but today it is just a bit soulless.

Are there any other places where the station does not seem to do justice to their town?

 

[THC]

Newmarket springs to mind - the former station building is just up the line from the current platform and hints at the prominence the railway once enjoyed. So perhaps not "grotty" but certainly denuded, a shadow of what went before.

THC

 

[Iskra]

I traveled, by train, to Harrogate on Saturday and was very disappointed by the station compared to the genteel nature of the town in question. It is a lovely town but the station seems horrible and such a let down.

The tower block and car park just seem so out of keeping and the station itself a bit of an afterthought. I know in the past it was much more grand but today it is just a bit soulless.

Are there any other places where the station does not seem to do justice to their town?

As soon as I saw the thread title, I thought 'Harrogate.'

Bath Spa is underwhelming compared to the rest of the town.
Leeds is worth a mention, it's an ugly, shoddy shed of a station attached to 1960's tower block, yet it's vibrant city centre full of 'interesting' modern architecture.
Perth is just rundown. Lovely town though.
Inverness too.

There are plenty of places where the railway station gives a better impression of the town than it deserves though.

 

[backontrack]

Oxford is one for sure.

 

[Iskra]

Oxford is one for sure.

Definitely.

Guildford too.

 

[J-2739]

As soon as I saw the thread title, I thought 'Harrogate.'

Bath Spa is underwhelming compared to the rest of the town.
Leeds is worth a mention, it's an ugly, shoddy shed of a station attached to 1960's tower block, yet it's vibrant city centre full of 'interesting' modern architecture.
Perth is just rundown. Lovely town though.
Inverness too.

There are plenty of places where the railway station gives a better impression of the town than it deserves though.

I'm gonna disagree with you on Leeds. I find that while it's not as grand to the likes of Man Picc or Birmingham New Street, the 2002 refurbishment brought better life into Leeds.

Hull station seems a bit dark to me though...

 

[DarloRich]

Oxford is one for sure.

Yes Oxford is a good one - such an uninspiring gateway to the city

 

[yorksrob]

I don't think Leeds belongs on the list at all. The Wellington concourse is an absolute gem, and the newish tarnished brings a bit of grandeur to the platforms.

Harrogate really ought to have better. I'm not against 1960's era BR concourses as a rule, but the exterior of Harrogate's looks particularly shabby and out of place. The platform area always looks dark and uninviting.

 

[DarloRich]

I agree about Leeds especially Wellington concourse - Of course the dynamiting of that tower block would help no end mind

 

[davetheguard]

As soon as I saw the thread title, I thought 'Harrogate.'

Bath Spa is underwhelming compared to the rest of the town.
Leeds is worth a mention, it's an ugly, shoddy shed of a station attached to 1960's tower block, yet it's vibrant city centre full of 'interesting' modern architecture.
Perth is just rundown. Lovely town though.
Inverness too.

There are plenty of places where the railway station gives a better impression of the town than it deserves though.

I've always thought that Bath Spa was a really beautiful station - light, airy, all in all a rather pleasant place to wait for a train.

 

[HowardGWR]

I agree about Leeds especially Wellington concourse - Of course the dynamiting of that tower block would help no end mind

Your thread made me feel I should do what i did with the bus station /railway station discussion, namely open a thread 'Trivia stations that don't let down nice towns!

I disagree with Bath, as in the confined area, it does its best and the frontage (and backage) is sympathetic to the city. It could do with a more spacious subway and ditto more roomy lifts between the up and down platforms.

Much as I hate to write this, I have never been fond of Bristol TM; probably because it's always draughty and smells of fish (boyhood memories stick around).

A lot of stations are due to be rebuilt or improved and this should be borne in mind.

 

[thenorthern]

What do you define as a nice town though as is Tamworth a nice town?

Many stations though on the way into from Stoke-on-Trent and Crewe Stockport pass through some very posh areas with 1960s stations such as Congleton.

 

[CaptainHaddock]

Burton on Trent
Lichfield Trent Valley (though Lichfield City's pleasant enough).
Barton on Humber.

I appreciate not all these may be classed as "nice" towns but the stations are far uglier than their surroundings.

 

[AndrewP]

I traveled, by train, to Harrogate on Saturday and was very disappointed by the station compared to the genteel nature of the town in question. It is a lovely town but the station seems horrible and such a let down.

The tower block and car park just seem so out of keeping and the station itself a bit of an afterthought. I know in the past it was much more grand but today it is just a bit soulless.

Are there any other places where the station does not seem to do justice to their town?

The whole station / bus station area seems unfinished as if it was meant to be more however, I can imagine the views from the upper floor of the tower are stunning with York, Knaresborough and the dales being in sight on a clear day.

I would have nominated Durham until a few years ago but it has been improved in the last few years and of course the big one is (possibly was as I haven't been there since it was rebuilt) is Birmingham New Street as there are some great parts of Birmingham City Centre

 

[terryc]

Chester!
The concourse isn't too bad, but the actual platforms and platform buildings are shoddy, and dare I say it, rather dirty. Lots of flaking paint, litter and yellow water on the floor of the Gents.
A poor reflection on what is generally a vey attractive City.

 

[HowardGWR]

Exeter Central is still rather down at heel. Its position could do with it being as imposing as St Davids, although the latter station is not so imposing once you are in the entrance or on the platforms. Before one says, 'well what's nice about Exeter?', it should be remembered what the Luftwaffe did to Bath and Exeter, in the Baedeker raids, followed by their Councils in the 50s to the 70s. (Bristol and Plymouth ditto).

 

[urbophile]

Yes Chester is a mess. Confusing layout and grotty footbridge. (Pity anyone commuting between Hooton and Chester : bridges at both ends with lifts that may or may not work.)

 

[Thatcham Xing]

Newbury's not too great. The passenger footbridge looks in particularly bad order.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Mirfield is generally a fairly upmarket (for the area) market town, but the station is rather spartan and a bit grim. On the other hand, down the road Dewsbury has a lovely station it scarcely deserves!

 

[Iskra]

Mirfield is generally a fairly upmarket (for the area) market town, but the station is rather spartan and a bit grim. On the other hand, down the road Dewsbury has a lovely station it scarcely deserves!

You are quite right about Mirfield station.

I disagree about Dewsbury. Dewsbury Town Centre is full of fantastic buildings, many now restored to a high standard, so the station is hardly out of place. It has a very good pub, but beyond that Dewsbury station is hardly remarkable. I actually think the taxi shed/canopy outside is a little ugly, and that's the main thing you see when you approach.

 

[Richard_B]

Exeter Central is still rather down at heel. Its position could do with it being as imposing as St Davids, although the latter station is not so imposing once you are in the entrance or on the platforms. Before one says, 'well what's nice about Exeter?', it should be remembered what the Luftwaffe did to Bath and Exeter, in the Baedeker raids, followed by their Councils in the 50s to the 70s. (Bristol and Plymouth ditto).

Central has the down side of the being in a significant cutting, any grandness you add to the front is just useless height. Personally I think its a nice enough building, though modest.

Birmingham New Street pre the recent development on the other hand...

 

[6Gman]

What do you define as a nice town though as is Tamworth a nice town?

Many stations though on the way into from Stoke-on-Trent and Crewe Stockport pass through some very posh areas with 1960s stations such as Congleton.

Congleton? Posh?


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Yes Chester is a mess. Confusing layout and grotty footbridge. (Pity anyone commuting between Hooton and Chester : bridges at both ends with lifts that may or may not work.)

Isn't it Chester where the booking office is further from the entrance (and the trains) than a bookies' ?

 

[61653 HTAFC]

You are quite right about Mirfield station.

I disagree about Dewsbury. Dewsbury Town Centre is full of fantastic buildings, many now restored to a high standard, so the station is hardly out of place. It has a very good pub, but beyond that Dewsbury station is hardly remarkable. I actually think the taxi shed/canopy outside is a little ugly, and that's the main thing you see when you approach.

Dewsbury does have some lovely buildings, but most of them are occupied by pound shops and bookmakers. The station, including the pub and the unusual but attractive (IMHO) canopy, is grade II* listed.

 

[AlterEgo]

Wrexham. Both stations.

 

[GrimsbyPacer]

Every town has areas that look nice and look bad, such as parks and back alleys.
So nice town as far as I care includes every town, so I'll list stations that look alot worse than they should for the town it serves.

Great Yarmouth, Blackpool North, Grimsby Docks, Colne, Cleethorpes, Gainsbough (both stations), Brigg, Redcar Central, Bridlington, Chesterfield, Dore, Retford (both levels), etc.
These are either insufficient, ugly or badly maintained.

 

[507021]

The refurbished part of Manchester Victoria is very nice, but I think the other part of the station is still poor. I also think Blackpool North gives a poor first impression of that part of Blackpool as well.

 

[yorksrob]

I quite like Chester. Nice buildings, decent canopies, nice bar.

 

[syorksdeano]

Walsall has to be on this list. Awful place

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[stut]

St Albans City. I couldn't afford to live out of a garage in St Albans, yet it's got an absurdly cramped afterthought of a mainline station.

(St Albans Abbey isn't much better, but it's a tiny branch line, not the MML...)
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Actually, a lot of the Herts commuter stations, come to think of it. Baldock is a lovely little market town right in the commuter belt, but the station is very much in the "board up what we can, tack on a ticket office" mould.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Yes Chester is a mess. Confusing layout and grotty footbridge. (Pity anyone commuting between Hooton and Chester : bridges at both ends with lifts that may or may not work.)

They (both NR and the city) have spent a great deal on the station and its surrounds, but it still doesn't look right.
The shabbiest bit is alongside P2 where the abandoned route to the Post Office depot runs through the car park.
It still shows where the overall roof was sawn off and never tidied up. The canopies are still missing sections, nothing at all on P2.
ATW's sickly shade of green on everything doesn't help.
The new retail/passenger buildings are just "carbuncles".
But at least the roof doesn't leak, and the bridge is now glazed in.

Wrexham. Both stations.

Actually, the main platforms at General have been nicely restored.
Dot to Dot's café has closed, sadly.
Central is just pointless. Should be abandoned.

More under-whelming stations in nice towns:
Cheltenham Spa - what a pity they had to pick Lansdown over St James.
Llandudno - the recent facelift was minimal.
Bristol Parkway - are they ever going to make it look permanent?
Lichfield TV - feels like it is in an industrial estate (Tamworth isn't much better, and Rugeley is just a bus stop).

Did you see this speech on beauty in transport?
Seems they are going to put the Euston Arch back.
https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/the-journey-to-beauty