Favourite Town or City not served by rail

[Woolos 22]

Sidmouth

 

[WAB]

Richmond N. Yorks, and Ripon as a number of people have already said.

 

[GRALISTAIR]

Keswick

Would definitely get my vote too. Northern Lakes - I love it.

 

[melon68]

Enniskillen and Omagh, if NI towns are counted as UK

 

[m0ffy]

I’d put forward the picturesque market town of Dunstable.

 

[brad465]

Lyme Regis, Seaton and Sidmouth are all very nice IMO and all have no rail service these days. Technically also Dartmouth, as even if heritage railways and "stations" do count, the railway doesn't directly serve it. Lynmouth is my favourite to cycle to that also isn't served by rail (+1 for the ones here already mentioned)

 

[prod_pep]

Caernarfon is indeed a lovely place, although I'm biased. Llangollen and Denbigh too, although I do feel a little daft nominating the former even if heritage railways don't count.

 

[A S Leib]

The ones in Northumberland, Cumbria, the Scottish Borders and County Durham I particularly like have mostly been mentioned already. I'd add Westerham, Alston, Ironbridge and Bridgnorth (Bewdley's been on my list to visit but I can't speak for it).

 

[DM352]

Mablethorpe
Southwold

 

[Haywain]

I’d put forward the picturesque market town of Dunstable.

Living nearby, I wouldn't. And picturesque is not a description often applied to West Luton.

 

[Sun Chariot]

Living nearby, I wouldn't. And picturesque is not a description often applied to West Luton.

That made me laugh. I remember Dunstable in the early- to mid-1980s, as my father worked in a building society there.
A town was always happy to leave, rather than arrive at...

 

[m0ffy]

That made me laugh. I remember Dunstable in the early- to mid-1980s, as my father worked in a building society there.
A town was always happy to leave, rather than arrive at...

Yeah, it’s a traffic jam with a superiority complex masquerading as a historic town. I was glad to leave in 2007

 

[317 forever]

A few I have liked, even if in some cases just as bus interchanges, are Abingdon, Louth, Heckmondwyke, and Middleton (Manchester).

 

[CastlebarKeith]

Reading all the above suggestions, (which swing the full pendulum from 'vital' to 'reckless'), it is interesting to see how many of the places once did have railway stations, many of which were Beeching/(Marples) victims

Many had railway land sold to house builders, and so have populations that have more than doubled since railway closure
Southwater (W Sussex) and Dunstable are the two extreme examples that immediately come to mind.
There are bound to be more in areas with which l am not familiar.

 

[Ianigsy]

I was pleasantly surprised by Leith when I stayed there last year - the inner harbour area has been regenerated well and the inner quayside has a bit of a feel of a small Dutch port.

 

[ian1944]

Peebles, much nicer than Galashiels and Hawick, less hilly than Selkirk, easier to reach from most places than Kelso. Used to be on the NB to Edinburgh and Gala and the Caly to Symington on the WCML. Unfortunately, just lost its JDW.

 

[OhNoAPacer]

Bourton on the Water

 

[dangie]

Could we also add a town or city where the railway station is so far out of town that it may as well not be there?

 

[D6130]

Could we also add a town or city where the railway station is so far out of town that it may as well not be there?

Such as....?

 

[CastlebarKeith]

Such as....?

Petworth was one

Also, in years gone by, the suffix "Road" after a station name was a good clue to having a long walk from station to the town

 

[Acey]

Such as....?

Knockholt ?

 

[D6130]

Petworth was one

Also, in years gone by, the suffix "Road" after a station name was a good clue to having a long walk from station to the town

....or nowadays "Parkway".

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Could we also add a town or city where the railway station is so far out of town that it may as well not be there?

See post #24 by @Howardh (although, to be fair, Dent is more of a large village than a small town).

 

[scotrail158713]

Such as....?

Musselburgh is a big one. Neither Musselburgh nor Wallyford are much use for the town centre. I also like Musselburgh as a place to visit as well.

 

[D6130]

Barrhill. It's a long way from the nearest town (Newton Stewart!).

 

[65477]

Locally my favourite town without a rail link Thaxted and even when it had a station it was a fairway from the town. Nearby Saffron Walden might be second. Finchingfield doesn't count as it is a village. In Norfolk I would add Hunstanton and Holt.The North Norfolk Railway doesn't count as the station is in Kelling.

 

[D6130]

Nearby Saffron Walden might be second.

Not too far from Audley End though....which I have always thought should be renamed as 'Saffron Walden Parkway'. Perhaps now that the local MP is now the leader of His Majesty's Opposition, she may be able to swing it....although - on second thoughts - she's probably never travelled on a train in her life.

 

[A S Leib]

Not too far from Audley End though....which I have always thought should be renamed as 'Saffron Walden Parkway'. Perhaps now that the local MP is now the leader of His Majesty's Opposition, she may be able to swing it....although - on second thoughts - she's probably never travelled on a train in her life.

She lives in Wimbledon, where her husband was a borough councillor.

I can't speak for them being good places to visit myself, but Kirkwall, Lerwick and anywhere else in Orkney or Shetland (or Na h-Eileanan Siar) counts as not having a station.

 

[D6130]

I can't speak for them being good places to visit myself, but Kirkwall, Lerwick and anywhere else in Orkney or Shetland (or Na h-Eileanan Siar) counts as not having a station.

For many years back in the 1970s there was a spoof entry for Lerwick in the ABC Rail Guide which showed its nearest station as being Bergen in Norway!

Kirkwall is a nice town with a magnificent cathedral. I can't speak for Lerwick.

 

[65477]

Not too far from Audley End though....which I have always thought should be renamed as 'Saffron Walden Parkway'

But Audley End station is actually in Wendens Ambo and spent it's first few years called Wenden. Although not appearing in timetables the station name boards do say "Audley End for Saffron Walden "