Most beautiful stations

fandroid · Wednesday at 08:16

Yahoo has compiled a list of the UK's 24 most beautiful stations. You might disagree with their choices, but there is a good photo of each one. Some of the small ones are not the "usual suspects" and we could probably spend the rest of our lives suggesting alternatives and a different ranking. But here's the link

The UK’s most beautiful railway stations, ranked

From Victorian feats of engineering to cutting edge contemporary designs, we've ranked the UK’s most eye-catching railway stations – from sleek city hubs to charming small town stops.

uk.style.yahoo.com

RailUK Forums

The exile · Wednesday at 08:30

Would largely concur with that list (though not necessarily in that order and with all due respect to the Llangollen Railway, heritage lines should be separate) with one proviso. Most “tick the boxes” in the general scheme of things (or when you’re looking up) but many fall down at ground level. Waverley, for example, being a mess. Sometimes it’s an inevitable consequence of adapting 19th century infrastructure to the needs of the 21st - sometimes it’s just shoddy building and commercialism - cramming cheap-looking retail units in where they not only grate in the eye n but also block smooth passenger flow.

YorkshireBear · Wednesday at 08:32

Shame how out of date the picture of Oakworth is, not been weeds in trackbed there for over 7 years!

Topological · Wednesday at 08:49

The exile said:
Would largely concur with that list (though not necessarily in that order and with all due respect to the Llangollen Railway, heritage lines should be separate) with one proviso. Most “tick the boxes” in the general scheme of things (or when you’re looking up) but many fall down at ground level. Waverley, for example, being a mess. Sometimes it’s an inevitable consequence of adapting 19th century infrastructure to the needs of the 21st - sometimes it’s just shoddy building and commercialism - cramming cheap-looking retail units in where they not only grate in the eye n but also block smooth passenger flow.

Agree about heritage railways being separate.

They also did not shoehorn in an Oasis reference for Cromford, which is interesting for a more click-baity article.

On the grounds that Birmingham New Street made it in, Manchester Victoria should have had a shout (the old building has an impressive frontage, the ticket office is still almost original and the L&Y map is a really special feature. (Both Birmingham New Street and Manchester Victoria have dismal platforms, so if one can feature then the other is eligable)

Leicester may also feel slightly aggrieved having the same front as Nottingham.

I always think Preston has stood up well over time, I am biased there though.

fandroid · Wednesday at 08:50

The exile said:
Would largely concur with that list (though not necessarily in that order and with all due respect to the Llangollen Railway, heritage lines should be separate) with one proviso. Most “tick the boxes” in the general scheme of things (or when you’re looking up) but many fall down at ground level. Waverley, for example, being a mess. Sometimes it’s an inevitable consequence of adapting 19th century infrastructure to the needs of the 21st - sometimes it’s just shoddy building and commercialism - cramming cheap-looking retail units in where they not only grate in the eye n but also block smooth passenger flow.

I would agree about Waverley. It's beauty is mostly well hidden! Of my local stations I have always admired Winchester. It's main building, seen from the approach road is just modest, simple and elegant. I always take a look too at the trainshed of Waterloo's ex-international platforms. The glazed half, seen from inside, curves away beautifully with a lovely light blue glow

duffield · Wednesday at 09:44

Topological said:
Agree about heritage railways being separate.

They also did not shoehorn in an Oasis reference for Cromford, which is interesting for a more click-baity article.

On the grounds that Birmingham New Street made it in, Manchester Victoria should have had a shout (the old building has an impressive frontage, the ticket office is still almost original and the L&Y map is a really special feature. (Both Birmingham New Street and Manchester Victoria have dismal platforms, so if one can feature then the other is eligable)

Leicester may also feel slightly aggrieved having the same front as Nottingham.

I always think Preston has stood up well over time, I am biased there though.

Leicester sadly loses out because apart from anything else all its track level buildings were lost, unlike Nottingham (despite this not showing in the photo that's an important part of the overall beauty of the station, with the track level buildings at Nottingham having some impressive features).

Also the interior of the street level building at Nottingham is arguably presented much better than at Leicester, having been extensively restored recently. Leicester may be able to match Nottingham at street level once its just-started improvements are completed though.

xotGD · Wednesday at 15:50

Whoever put B.N.S. on the list has never visited the platforms.

It isn't meant to be a list of most attractive shopping malls.

Mat17 · Wednesday at 16:37

duffield said:
Also the interior of the street level building at Nottingham is arguably presented much better than at Leicester, having been extensively restored recently. Leicester may be able to match Nottingham at street level once its just-started improvements are completed though.

Sheffield could have been a good contender, plenty of old station buildings on the platforms, not as nice as Nottingham perhaps but certainly some decent architecture.

I've always liked Hull's architecture to be fair.

D6130 · Wednesday at 16:47

I'm surprised that Hebden Bridge didn't get a look-in. However, I am somewhat biased.

xotGD · Wednesday at 16:49

D6130 said:
I'm surprised that Hebden Bridge didn't get a look-in. However, I am somewhat biased.

Certainly ahead of New St on my rankings!

johnny_t · Wednesday at 17:18

Waverley seems to be the curve-ball for me. Yes, it has a nice feature, but the rest of it is (being polite) nothing special.

LNW-GW Joint · Wednesday at 17:54

The exile said:
Would largely concur with that list (though not necessarily in that order and with all due respect to the Llangollen Railway, heritage lines should be separate) with one proviso. Most “tick the boxes” in the general scheme of things (or when you’re looking up) but many fall down at ground level.

"stunning views of the River Tee" at Berwyn.

A S Leib · Wednesday at 17:59

johnny_t said:
Waverley seems to be the curve-ball for me. Yes, it has a nice feature, but the rest of it is (being polite) nothing special.

I like Waverley, but I'd say that York and Newcastle are the ECML's best stations*, rather than being in the WCML's or GWML's positions of (most of) the termini being the best.

*I'm far from thinking that King's Cross is a bad station, but I'm unsure if I'd put it above York and Newcastle.

Dr Hoo · Wednesday at 18:55

It’s more of a competition for visually striking station photographs, which might only comprise a particular architectural element. E.g. facade, setting, roof element or whatever.

lordbusiness · Wednesday at 19:04

Can't really understand why New Street is on there?
I've only recently 'discovered' Moor Street which is much better imo!

Class15 · Wednesday at 19:22

xotGD said:
Whoever put B.N.S. on the list has never visited the platforms.

It isn't meant to be a list of most attractive shopping malls.

I’ve never known a shopping mall at Barnes!

(I know what you meant!)

duffield · Wednesday at 20:25

lordbusiness said:
Can't really understand why New Street is on there?
I've only recently 'discovered' Moor Street which is much better imo!

The atrium at New Street is pretty nice, especially with Ozzy the bull to enhance it. It's massively better than it used to be. But still doesn't really deserve a place on the list.

And yes, Moor Street is very impressive, I use it quite frequently and it's got a very good heritage feel.

RailWonderer · Wednesday at 20:31

D6130 said:
I'm surprised that Hebden Bridge didn't get a look-in. However, I am somewhat biased.

I'd put Hebden Bridge up there with Great Malvern.

duffield said:
And yes, Moor Street is very impressive, I use it quite frequently and it's got a very good heritage feel.

The layout doesn't deal with crowds well.

vic-rijrode · Wednesday at 21:33

What about Whitley Bay, Tynemouth and Monkseaton on the T & W Metro? Possibly not beautiful, but certainly handsome on the platform side.....

Scouseinmanc · Thursday at 08:34

LNW-GW Joint said:
"stunning views of the River Tee" at Berwyn.

Yes, I noticed that too!

BeijingDave · Thursday at 08:38

Mat17 said:
Sheffield could have been a good contender, plenty of old station buildings on the platforms, not as nice as Nottingham perhaps but certainly some decent architecture.

I've always liked Hull's architecture to be fair.

Hull is great.

Lots of the WCML, the line I use most frequently, is pretty ugly. Besides the quite stunning Liverpool Lime Street, I suppose Carlisle and Preston are about the most interesting stations.

Chester is a haphazard mess and a grotty entry point to such a tourist city.

Coventry was a good example of the brutalist style but has been made worse with the rebuild. Previously it was ugly but had character. Now it's just ugly.

Birmingham New Street is awful, but the signal box is noteworthy and attractive in its own way.

Helsby (OK, not WCML, but within my travelling sphere) has always been reasonably well-kept and attractive, winning some awards.

yorksrob · Thursday at 09:01

Some of the selections seemed a bit random to me.

I always think these sort of lists should include Lewes.

D6130 · Thursday at 09:32

yorksrob said:
Some of the selections seemed a bit random to me.

I always think these sort of lists should include Lewes.

Agreed!

Mcr Warrior · Thursday at 09:34

D6130 said:
I'm surprised that Hebden Bridge didn't get a look-in. However, I am somewhat biased.

Whilst beauty might be in the eye of the beholder, Hebden Bridge isn't actually all that 'beautiful', is it? Functional and old-school, certainly. But not exactly a feat of engineering. No 'wow' factor!

D6130 · Thursday at 09:48

Mcr Warrior said:
Whilst beauty might be in the eye of the beholder, Hebden Bridge isn't actually all that 'beautiful', is it? Functional and old-school, certainly. But not exactly a feat of engineering. No 'wow' factor!

No, you're probably right....but it has been 'beautified' by the way it has been restored and maintained and there are several architectural features which make for stunning close-up photography.

If we're talking purely about architectural and engineering beauty, I give you Aberdeen, Stirling and Dumbarton Central....although the external facade of the former has been ruined by the addition of the shopping centre.

Zomboid · Thursday at 10:21

I'll continue to bang the drum for Stafford and Coventry.

"Beautiful" might not be everyone's option on that style, but I think they're really good examples of it.

railfan99 · Thursday at 10:56

Agree that Hull ought have been featured.

Before viewing the list, I thought of Huddersfield, but thankfully it was included.

Taunton · Thursday at 11:04

Edinburgh Waverley is notable that, right in the middle of an architecturally spectacular world heritage city, from different eras on either side, its large bulk is virtually hidden, and all it can show from many viewpoints is an extensive flat roof, which I think has been a longstanding planning requirement. The disposal of rainwater from such a roof must be an engineering task in its own right. The adjacent, onetime railway-owned, Balmoral Hotel, is an architectural high point, and may be on land still owned ultimately by the station.

I've always liked Waterloo, another with its roofline perpendicular to the tracks. It unfortunately goes through stages of rising and falling; some years ago the various concourse retail shacks were all cleared away for passenger flow, and indeed safety, benefit, but progressively the commercial side seem to be sneaking them back in. The various peripheral retail units do seem to be letting things down though - the renovation of the high level onetime railway offices in the back wall of the main concourse into shops doesn't seem to have worked well for footfall or keeping tenants, and the recent new area beneath the old Eurostar platforms seems an unmitigated disaster commercially.

fgwrich · Thursday at 11:19

yorksrob said:
Some of the selections seemed a bit random to me.

I always think these sort of lists should include Lewes.

Indeed. Two of my favourite in Scotland are Aberdour and Kyle.

Then you’ve got plenty of stations in the South West too - St Erth being one of them!

stut · Thursday at 11:26

No Bedford St Johns, no party.

Most beautiful stations

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