'Hidden' stations

[EM2]

I'm looking for good examples of stations which are hidden or tucked away in back streets or cul-de-sacs of urban areas.
Somewhere like Angel Road, Birkbeck, New Beckenham or the original Shoreditch (on the East London) are the type of thing I mean, places where you'd never guess there was a station there, unless you happened to stumble across a sign or other clue.
Ideally, I'd like to see some pics, and if they have proper station buildings, so much the better.

Any ideas?

EDIT - actually, sorry Mods but can you move this to Infrastructure, if you think it appropriate? It probably is

 

[O L Leigh]

Angel Road is directly under the North Circular Road. Hardly tucked away out of sight.

O L Leigh

 

[EM2]

Well as I recall, there's one sign, and a staircase down to the platforms. That's pretty well hidden in my book, especially as it's *under* the North Circular.

 

[BigVince76]

I used to use London Fields a lot and that always seemed pretty hidden away.

 

[b0b]

For some reason I always thought the entrances to City Thameslink were really hard to find!

 

[barrykas]

Well as I recall, there's one sign, and a staircase down to the platforms. That's pretty well hidden in my book, especially as it's *under* the North Circular.

Correct. Since the North Circular viaduct widening in the 90s, access to Angel Road has been by means of a mostly anonymous, and poorly lit, set of stairs down from Conduit Way (off Montagu Road) and then along a concrete path between the Down line and a scrapyard.

The platforms themselves are still in the same place they've always been, extending part way under the new viaducts, with the London end practically opposite the Tesco Extra.

Thanks to the level of "service" that Angel Road gets, however, passengers wanting to travel to said Tesco or the big Ikea store (famous for the near riot that broke out when it opened) by public transport have to go to Tottenham Hale or Edmonton Green and take a local bus from there.

Anywho...Back on topic, how about the old Shoreditch (ELL) station? Tucked away in a side street parallel to Brick Lane.

Cheers,

Barry

 

[EM2]

I should also add that closed stations are of interest. I've had a look through http://www.disused-stations.org.uk/ and there's some interesting ones there, but there's so many, some pointers would be handy!

 

[route:oxford]

I always think of Earley Station (Reading) as being a bit tucked away...

It's quite a significant station building nestled at the foot of the A329M, at the end of a residential cul-de-sac.

 

[stut]

My local favourite - Bedford St John's. I had to get a taxi there recently, and the driver didn't even know it existed.

(Well, I could have gone to Midland, but where's the fun in that...)

There are two ways to gain access to the station. One is a set of steps down from the railway bridge on the Ampthill Road (although it now has a sign!). However, the main access is from the corner of an HGV car park on Melbourne St, with various footpaths leading off towards the town.

However, as for a significant station building... Well, nothing could be further from the truth.

 

[jopsuk]

Angel Road is directly under the North Circular Road. Hardly tucked away out of sight.

O L Leigh

I think if you weren't aware of its existence, you'd not notice it- especially from the North Circular, but even from Meridian Way it's not that obvious

 

[Mojo]

Plenty of stations on the Severn Beach line in Bristol. Montpelier is at the end of a dead end, it's station building used by a private company. Redland still has it's building but is hidden behind a complex of residential garages. Clifton Down's entrance off Whiteladies Road is hidden by shops, the station building now an Australian themed Bar. Shirehampton is down a long alleyway.

 

[me123]

Kelvinhall Subway station in Glasgow is one that is quite tucked away. There's a large sign, but the station itself is pretty well hidden down the alley. I definitely wouldn't recommend accessing it after dark!

Garscadden's another one that's rather hidden. One access is up this path, the other is slightly easier to find, but still pretty low-key.

Finally, quite a big one to be hidden, but Hyndland. One entrance is through this lovely tunnel, another is signed, but tucked away in the corner of a side street, and the other entrance from the Hospital is badly signed from within Gartnavel's grounds, but is down this way somewhere.

On the disused theme, Glasgow's Botanic Gardens Station is visible from the gardens themselves, but can be quite hard to find because the viewing areas are slightly "off the beaten path".

 

[Oracle]

You would hardly know that Millbrook was there..it doesn't even have a ticket machine I think. Beaulieu Road is in the middle of nowhere and there is just one fading sign now. There's nothing to indicate that there might be a station there except for road signs. Redbridge is tucked away down a small cul-de-sac off a residential street. I suppose Totton is as well but you can get to it from High Street down the original access road that once had a LC in it.

 

[cuccir]

For a large-(ish) city-(ish) I think Sunderland does a pretty good job of disguising itself.

 

[starlightEXPRESS]

Epsom Downs is a good example of this. Tucked away at the end of a cul-de-sac off a B road at the edge of a housing estate. See http://www.wymann.info/EpsomDowns/nse.html for a brief history and some photos.

 

[t0ffeeman]

Hanwell and Walthamstow Queens Road are off the beaton track. I'll try and think of a few others.

 

[jp4712]

Polesworth is up a cul-de-sac near the edge of the village but as it only gets one 'Parliamentary' train a week it hardly counts as a station...

 

[Greenback]

I always think of Earley Station (Reading) as being a bit tucked away...

It's quite a significant station building nestled at the foot of the A329M, at the end of a residential cul-de-sac.

I used to live nearby, and I used it a lot, as did many others. There's access via the footbridge over the motorway to a large housing development as well.

 

[hairyhandedfool]

For some reason I always thought the entrances to City Thameslink were really hard to find!

I don't think the Ludgate Hill entrance is really hidden, but the Holborn entrance, that is a master class in hiding stations!

 

[JoeGJ1984]

I remember having trouble finding Cutty Sark station on the DLR (I hadn't used it before, but saw signs to it and tried to follow them, but eventually gave up and went to Greenwich station, going one station further than I would have done).

 

[OMGitsDAVE]

I would say Stockton is very well hidden, behind a nursing home - there's a VERY small sign upon entrance, but thats it.

 

[Mike395]

Local to me, Dumpton Park (in the suburbs of Ramsgate) is pretty hard to find unless you've planned it out! Theres only one little sign telling you where the entrance is, and it's tucked away on a housing estate!

 

[142094]

Manors mainline, stuck between offices, a multi-storey car park and now student flats.

 

[tbtc]

I would say Stockton is very well hidden, behind a nursing home - there's a VERY small sign upon entrance, but thats it.

Agreed - that was a hard one to locate (I was going there before GPS/ Multimap etc made it much easier) - its not a small town either so I'd have expected something bigger/better/ easier to find!

Darnall (in Sheffield) is fairly well hidden - that's the only local example I'd suggest.

 

[Wyvern]

Belper is in a cutting and tucked away behind a supermarket. There are only very small signs pointing to it.

There's been a lot of new housing in recent years and new folk moving in. i often wonder how many of them actually know there is a train service.

 

[silvermachine]

Darnall station in Sheffield is hidden up the end of a cul de sac.

 

[Southern Steve]

Berney Arms on the Norwich-Great Yarmouth route sits in the middle of a fen with only the pub of the same name as company, and is not accessible by road.

 

[EM2]

These are all great, thank you! I shall be checking them all out on t'interweb on tonight's long night shift.

 

[island]

To cross the water, I would suggest Harmonstown (down a random unmarked alleyway).

 

[lewisf]

Most of the Brighton stations are pretty well hidden. Moulsecoomb is up a university access road and London Road, Preston Park and Aldrington are in the middle of housing estates.