Grantham Station footbridge stairs / station exit layout

[dmncf]

I made an pleasant visit to the Whistle Stop Micropub at Grantham Station. Enjoyed a real ale and sitting on a picnic bench watching the trains go by. The pub is located towards the south end of platform 1, which is the platform on the east side of the station, nearest the town centre and hence this platform has the only exit from the station.

The pub has signs saying 'This is not a walk through' and is indeed often used by passengers just to walk through. I remarked to the landlord that many retail unit tenants at other stations would love to have more potential customers walking through their unit.

I noticed that a factor here is that Grantham Station's footbridge has stairs that descend southwards, but the station exit is towards the north of platform 1, hidden around the back of the footbridge stairs.

Has the station always had this layout where the footbridge stairs and station exit don't align well with each other?

 

[High Dyke]

Yes, from my knowledge. The stairs on Platform 1 may be the original, though the rest of the bridge was rebuilt in 1985.

Photos available on the Track Through Grantham website.

The Up side buildings, facing platform 1 - late 1970s. - Tracks through Grantham

Starting at the northern end of platform 1 (up side) we will work our way southwards and take a look at the interesting station buildings on this side. You will note that to provide a wider perspective most of the photographs were taken from the opposite side of the tracks (from platform 2)...

www.tracksthroughgrantham.uk

The Up side buildings, facing platform 1 in 2014-15 - Tracks through Grantham

Despite the modernisation period in the mid 1980s the external elevations of most of the buildings facing platform 1 remain virtually unchanged. Apart from the addition of a few 21st century embellishments and platform furniture they still look very much the same as they would to any passenger...

www.tracksthroughgrantham.uk

 

[yorksrob]

Yes, from my knowledge. The stairs on Platform 1 may be the original, though the rest of the bridge was rebuilt in 1985.

Photos available on the Track Through Grantham website.

The Up side buildings, facing platform 1 - late 1970s. - Tracks through Grantham

Starting at the northern end of platform 1 (up side) we will work our way southwards and take a look at the interesting station buildings on this side. You will note that to provide a wider perspective most of the photographs were taken from the opposite side of the tracks (from platform 2)...

www.tracksthroughgrantham.uk

The Up side buildings, facing platform 1 in 2014-15 - Tracks through Grantham

Despite the modernisation period in the mid 1980s the external elevations of most of the buildings facing platform 1 remain virtually unchanged. Apart from the addition of a few 21st century embellishments and platform furniture they still look very much the same as they would to any passenger...

www.tracksthroughgrantham.uk

Thanks for posting this. Some interesting shots of the extensive former down side buildings - shame they were demolished.

 

[High Dyke]

Thanks for posting this. Some interesting shots of the extensive former down side buildings - shame they were demolished.

You're welcome. It was a shame. The bay platform (was P4 but now P3) had an overall roof, but i believe this was removed during the 1950's.

 

[yorksrob]

You're welcome. It was a shame. The bay platform (was P4 but now P3) had an overall roof, but i believe this was removed during the 1950's.

I was changing trains there last year and they could have done with the long platform canopy !

 

[Stathern Jc]

Thanks to "High Dyke" for posting the link to the Tracks Through Grantham website.

The earlier selection brought back childhood memories of being taken by my uncle along with my cousin to see the trains while my mother and aunt went into town shopping, he certainly got the better deal there.
The first question to whoever we saw first was "Hey Mister, is there a Deltic coming?"

Really interesting to look back at the buildings on the island platform. The replacement though much smaller, isn't unattractive in appearance and I always thought that Grantham was very lucky to have been rebuilt several years after Newark.

Seeing the bookstall reminded me of having been told that when the "Flying Scotsman" started (could have been any of the early trains to run through at speed and the specific reference added to improve the story?), the bookstall would pull down the shutters to avoid having their stock shared with everyone on the station.
I presume that's apocryphal, but would be interested to hear if anyone knows different.