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Trivia - Stations off the UK mainland

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Busaholic

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No. You'd be thinking of Swale, but it's on the mainland by about 100 yards, in the shadow of the newer Sheppey Crossing.

The Isle of Thanet hasn't been an island since about 1700, although once or twice flooding in the North Sea has made it temporarily so again. Most recently in 1953.

Off topic, so shoot me down, but...

Bought my first house in Sittingbourne, and took driving lessons. My instructor told me of a 19 year old from Sheppey who he had taken for his driving test in Gillingham, and this had been the first time he had ever left the Isle!
 
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steamybrian

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In addition to the closed stations of Hayling Island and North Hayling.

A mention for long closed stations in the Barrow-in-Furness area..
Ramsden Dock branch (closed 1915) on Barrow Island.
Piel (closed 1936) on Roa Island.
 

Calthrop

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Because of the Caledonian Canal isn't any station north of Inverness or Fort Willian not technically on the mainland?

Only if the locks at both ends are open at the same time!

Yes, I know that's not technically true.

I was briefly thinking about the artificial quasi-island south and east of the Rivers Yare and Waveney, and including Lowestoft; but learn via Google that the same applies to this situation, as to the Scottish one -- the waterway in Lowestoft features a lock. (It's to figure anyway, that one is on shaky ground with "artificial waterway-bounded islands" of this sort -- locks or not.)

If this East Anglian location, counted: it would give, currently open, Lowestoft / Oulton Broad North / Somerleyton stations; plus something over half-a-dozen on closed lines.
 

AndyNLondon

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Because of the Caledonian Canal isn't any station north of Inverness or Fort Willian not technically on the mainland?

Only if the locks at both ends are open at the same time!

Yes, I know that's not technically true.

In a similar vein, down south we'd have to decide which side of the River Thames-River Kennet-Kennet & Avon Canal-River Avon waterway is the mainland and which is offshore! :D
Finally, a justification for my North Londoner "need my passport if it's south of the river" jokes...
 

Calthrop

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If a bit more "geographic drift" may be forgiven: I've learned recently -- concerning a scene to which I'd plainly been oblivious for a while -- that in Ireland there has been operational for the past 20+ years, the Shannon - Erne Waterway, a man-made navigable watercourse about 40 miles long; in the area served by the one-time 3ft gauge Cavan & Leitrim system, and fulfilling earlier tentative canal-type doings which never really amounted to much. The Waterway does what it says -- links the River Shannon, with the River Erne which flows into the Atlantic near Ballyshannon (site of one-time grand railway doings): thus making a putative island out of a large part of the west of the greater island of Ireland. This stuff can easily get out of hand... !
 

pemma

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No railways in Gib, unless there are Military Railways under the rock itself. The closest railway to Gib is over the bay in Algerciras. Gib is also firmly attached to Europe and is not an Island.

Actually the closest station to Gibraltar is San Roque. However, the station is quite a distance outside the town of San Roque with only around 3 buses a day from La Linea bus station so it is easier to get to Algerciras station from Gibraltar using public transport than San Roque.
 

themiller

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Because of the Caledonian Canal isn't any station north of Inverness or Fort Willian not technically on the mainland?
If you opened all of the locks on the Caledonian Canal, there'd be a lot of empty canal. At Corpach there are eight locks forming Neptune's Staircase giving a rise of 20metres. Even with a large dose of global warming, it'd never be tidal so I couldn't accept that Scotland north of the Great Glen could be regarded as an island.
 

GrimsbyPacer

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There's also the Trent & Mersey canal which cuts the country in true.
And don't say none of it's tidal, I saw a tidal wave in Nottingham a few times!
 
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Can beat that one: one courier company charges the 'highland tax' for deliveries to IV postcodes, despite having a depot in Inverness!

they may have a depot in Inverness , but the distances and times involved from the hubs ( which are generally in the midlands ) means that a lot of vans have to be used to give a fighting chance of anything leaving the hub after 10 -11pm from getting there the next day
 

najaB

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they may have a depot in Inverness , but the distances and times involved from the hubs ( which are generally in the midlands ) means that a lot of vans have to be used to give a fighting chance of anything leaving the hub after 10 -11pm from getting there the next day
But why charge extra for deliveries to IV1, but not to PH postcodes that were delivered from the same depot?!
 
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