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Old fashioned stations still existing

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Charlie2555

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I was wondering if anyone can help me. I am a big fan of old railway photographs from the final days of steam. I was wondering if anyone knew of any 'historic' stations surviving around the UK with old wooden or brick Victorian or Edwardian station buildings still in situ. Great if wooden platforms remain. Anything reminiscent of the 40s to mid 60s still remaining. I am particularly interested in active railway buildings, but authentic heritage railways are also interesting to me.

I also love little old unchanged halts. One of my favourites is Thornford in Dorset, very unchanged since the 30s.

So I would welcome anyone who can tell me some authentic old unspoilt stations to visit, either urban or countryside! Thank you very much.
 
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a_c_skinner

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Lancaster and Oxenholme and Penrith are pretty good, as is Preston. Not unchanged but pretty well preserved and fairly well kept.

Carnforth and Hellifield will round off a day on a rail rover.
 

Peter C

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Charlbury, Cotswold Line, is a lovely example of a GWR wooden station building. I believe it may be have been designed by Brunel? No idea if that's right or not. Moreton-in-Marsh, on the same line, is also a brilliant GWR station building, but a Cotswold stone one. Worcester Shrub Hill, Foregate Street, Great Malvern, and Hereford are all brilliant stations as well (and all on the Cotswold Line too).

-Peter
 

Mcr Warrior

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On the national network, Hebden Bridge station has an 'old school' vibe about it, although you'll have to ignore the dot matrix information boards which possibly weren't around in the 1940s/1950s/1960s.

Otherwise, think you'd probably have to look at heritage railways. Many of these, however, have been substantially rebuilt in recent years, so what you see now might look good, but isn't necessarily original, for example, Rawtenstall station on the East Lancs Railway or Bolton Abbey station on the Embsay steam railway.
 

steamybrian

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Eridge in East Sussex is my favourite.
Original Victorian wooden buildings both on the platform and street level buildings.
All platform buildings now being repainted in SR green and cream.
Downside (Spa Valley Rly) platform has replica SR green enamel target name signs.
In immediate vicinity are a few former railway cottages and houses plus an excellent pub. The small village (hamlet?) of Eridge is about a mile away.
 

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The exile

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Depends how fussy you are. If you can ignore ticket machines, modern lighting and platform markings etc, there will be literally hundreds. A mooch around London suburbia will come up with loads including wonderful 1920s - 1940s stuff on bits of the Underground
 

kermit

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Great Malvern station is, I believe, a listed building, and would tick your boxes. Would be great if the modern operators were allowed to leave a few strategically placed parcels trolleys on the platforms....
 

yorksrob

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Given that there are a lot of attractive, interesting old station buildings, Knaresborough strikes me as being one particularly unspoilt one in terms of general surroundings, platform structures etc.

The Settle and Carlisle stations are attractive originals, although the Victorian style lamp posts etc are modern replicas. Some of the footbridges are original examples that have been rescued from elsewhere on the network (foot crossings having been de-rigeur when originally rebuilt).
 

DustyBin

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Although not completely unspoilt, Tynemouth is a nice example. It’s now a Tyne & Wear Metro station, I’m not sure if that’s an issue per say though?
 

bramling

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Given that there are a lot of attractive, interesting old station buildings, Knaresborough strikes me as being one particularly unspoilt one in terms of general surroundings, platform structures etc.

The Settle and Carlisle stations are attractive originals, although the Victorian style lamp posts etc are modern replicas. Some of the footbridges are original examples that have been rescued from elsewhere on the network (foot crossings having been de-rigeur when originally rebuilt).

It’s funny now every now and then one finds a station which is properly unspoiled. Knaresborough, Great Malvern and Hebden Bridge are fine such examples.

Wellingborough and Kettering were another two examples, though the last decade has taken its toll on both these to some extent.

Horsham has manage to retain an old-school feel too.

Hale, Broadbottom, Poynton, Cressington, Pulborough, Lewes are a few more which spring to mind, though they’re not quite as pure as the ones listed previously.
 

yorksrob

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It’s funny now every now and then one finds a station which is properly unspoiled. Knaresborough, Great Malvern and Hebden Bridge are fine such examples.

Wellingborough and Kettering were another two examples, though the last decade has taken its toll on both these to some extent.

Horsham has manage to retain an old-school feel too.

Hale, Broadbottom, Poynton, Cressington, Pulborough, Lewes are a few more which spring to mind, though they’re not quite as pure as the ones listed previously.

Lewes is always a good call - a personal favourite of mine. Tunbridge Wells and Bexhill (both Central's) are other stations from down that way that remain relatively unspoilt. I think they're all cases where there's enough old infrastructure to swamp any modern intrusions.
 

DB

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Given that there are a lot of attractive, interesting old station buildings, Knaresborough strikes me as being one particularly unspoilt one in terms of general surroundings, platform structures etc.

The Settle and Carlisle stations are attractive originals, although the Victorian style lamp posts etc are modern replicas. Some of the footbridges are original examples that have been rescued from elsewhere on the network (foot crossings having been de-rigeur when originally rebuilt).

Only Appleby has an original bridge. The one at Kirkby Stephen came from Guiseley on the Ilkley line (replaced at Guidseley by a solid-sided one when that line was electrified), and the Settle one also came from somewhere else - can't remember the station, but so far as I recall it was on the northern ECML somewhere.

In addition to Knaresborough, the little stations between there and York mostly also fit the requirement - all three of them (Cattal, Hammerton and Poppleton) still have Manual crossing gates; two have signal boxes and the other (Hammerton) has the levers under a wooden cover on one of the platforms.
 

Cherry_Picker

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Birmingham Moor Street has to be up there. It’s got a few modern features like ticket barriers and dot matrix information screens but it’s very deliberately retained a vintage GWR look.
 

bramling

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Lewes is always a good call - a personal favourite of mine. Tunbridge Wells and Bexhill (both Central's) are other stations from down that way that remain relatively unspoilt. I think they're all cases where there's enough old infrastructure to swamp any modern intrusions.

Yes Bexhill even managed to retain its semaphore signals and manned signal box until recently, likewise its 1930s substation which enhances rather than spoils the old-school feel of the station.

Hastings might have been capable of adding to the list had they not demolished the SR building. I never understand why they did that.

Ramsgate and Margate can be added to the list, though Margate has always felt slightly tattier at platform level.

Just remembered Shirley is a reasonably unspoiled station, though it was even more so before resignalling.
 
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urbophile

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Cressington on Merseyrail is practically unchanged in essentials since its construction in the 1860s. Modern lighting has been placed in period-appropriate fittings. Platform levels have been raised (though that's not obvious); dot-matrix indicators installed; but that is about it, visually.
 

yorksrob

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Yes Bexhill even managed to retain its semaphore signals and manned signal box until recently, likewise its 1930s substation which enhances rather than spoils the old-school feel of the station.

Hastings might have been capable of adding to the list had they not demolished the SR building. I never understand why they did that.

Ramsgate and Margate can be added to the list, though Margate has always felt slightly tattier at platform level.

Yes, I was dissappointed to see the building at Hastings go. Many happy childhood memories demolished.

I always felt that the platform canopies at Ramsgate are rather more utilitarian than those at Ramsgate.
 

Deepgreen

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Brookwood, Surrey has fine buildings, but the two-storey station car park needs careful visual editing! My local, Betchworth, has its building, albeit in private hands now, along with replica heritage lighting. Until very recently it had no platform yellow lines or tactiles, but that has now changed.

Yes, I was dissappointed to see the building at Hastings go. Many happy childhood memories demolished.

I always felt that the platform canopies at Ramsgate are rather more utilitarian than those at Ramsgate.
Ramsgate versus Ramsgate - that'll be a close call!
 

geoffk

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Beverley and Filey retain the original train sheds, while Pickering (NYMR) has had its roof structure reinstated. All three were designed by architect G. T. Andrews. Wemyss Bay must be up there with the best.
 
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yorksrob

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Brookwood, Surrey has fine buildings, but the two-storey station car park needs careful visual editing! My local, Betchworth, has its building, albeit in private hands now, along with replica heritage lighting. Until very recently it had no platform yellow lines or tactiles, but that has now changed.


Ramsgate versus Ramsgate - that'll be a close call!

Sorry, meant to type Margate in the second instance.
 

Amlag

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Sorry, meant to type Margate in the second instance.

I offer the following in the South West;
Taunton, Exeter St D, Exeter Central, Okehampton, Crediton, Barnstaple, Teignmouth, N.Abbot, Torquay, Liskeard, Truro, Redruth and Penzance.
 

swt_passenger

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Another area to look at might be disused station buildings that are still there in as built condition but in private occupation. There’s a good example at Chathill, where although the down side station building is not used it’s still all there. The up side just has the original simple wooden waiting room, many stations on the ECML in that area were quite extravagant, but only on one side.
 

CyrusWuff

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Denham Golf Club still has GWR "pagoda" style waiting shelters on the platforms, though they were in desperate need of some TLC when I last passed through.
 

yorksrob

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I offer the following in the South West;
Taunton, Exeter St D, Exeter Central, Okehampton, Crediton, Barnstaple, Teignmouth, N.Abbot, Torquay, Liskeard, Truro, Redruth and Penzance.

ooh, I miss Cornwall. Truro is a great unspoilt main line station.
 

bramling

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I offer the following in the South West;
Taunton, Exeter St D, Exeter Central, Okehampton, Crediton, Barnstaple, Teignmouth, N.Abbot, Torquay, Liskeard, Truro, Redruth and Penzance.

All great shouts. Add St Erth to the list as well, hopefully it hasn’t been spoiled by the recent Park & Ride works.

Newton Abbot is an interesting one. Although still impressively old-feeling, it’s unrecognisable now compared to how it was in the late 1980s.
 

GLC

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Weymss Bay?
 

paul1609

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Lewes is always a good call - a personal favourite of mine. Tunbridge Wells and Bexhill (both Central's) are other stations from down that way that remain relatively unspoilt. I think they're all cases where there's enough old infrastructure to swamp any modeintrusions.
I think that, whilst not quite as grand Rye is the best example in the South-east retaining all its buildings and its Southeastern staggered platforms. Even the 1960s footbridge has its history as it was done as a preliminary of the Kent Phase 2 electrification before the marshlink was deferred yet again.
 
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