Trivia: Stations which sound bad but are actually nice

[bussikuski179]

There was another thread about stations which sound nice but aren’t, and that got me thinking. What are some stations that sound bad but are actually quite nice?

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Those familiar with the reputation of a certain area of Leeds might be nervous about visiting Chapeltown station, but the one near Sheffield isn't all that bad and has a useful Asda right next door. In a similar vein is Moss Side which is a small village on the Fylde peninsula rather than the notorious Manchester district.

 

[norbitonflyer]

There is also Chapelton (no"w") in Devon.

Those familiar with its namesake on Merseyside might be pleasantly surprised by Bootle

 

[Spartacus]

Clapham's rather nice, surrounded by the Forest of Bowland on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales.

 

[Furrysquid]

I always thought of Durham as being "Near Newcastle, all a bit grim and northern" until I actually went there.

 

[py_megapixel]

I must say that Stroud (pronounced 'Strowd', not 'Strewd' as some people think) has an unpleasant tone to it (a bit like 'Slough'). It does have some architecture that is looking the worse for wear (Halfords, Tesco, the leisure centre but not the delightful park it's in, and Poundland) - but the vast majority of the town centre, including the station itself, is beautiful.

 

[theageofthetra]

Dumpton Park? It's not that bad an area.

 

[bramling]

I always thought of Durham as being "Near Newcastle, all a bit grim and northern" until I actually went there.

Indeed; Durham is not like its county at all. That said, I’ve found most of County Durham to be one of the friendliest and most welcoming places going.

 

[urbophile]

Indeed; Durham is not like its county at all. That said, I’ve found most of County Durham to be one of the friendliest and most welcoming places going.

Neither Durham, nor its county, nor its people are at all grim. The grimness is all about the economy.

 

[lxfe_mxtterz]

Dumpton Park? It's not that bad an area.

The station itself however...................

 

[py_megapixel]

The station itself however...................

I've never been there, but looking at the photos on Wikipedia, it doesn't look hugely objectionable - just a bit barren and untended.

 

[rower40]

Dullingham. Lovely archetypal village.

 

[Ianno87]

Felixstowe. Name association with the sprawling container port, but the town and seafront itself is a bit of a hidden gem.

 

[Parallel]

Shipton doesn’t sound especially nice but Google Images shows a lovely quaint looking village in the Cotswolds.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Bletchley sounds like someone throwing up, and indeed if you go towards the town it's a bit grim in keeping with the name, and the station itself is a dull grey metal-and-concrete affair with an aggregate factory in the background. But if you go the other way a bit, it's a pleasant leafy suburb with some lovely old cottages.

 

[Llandudno]

Bletchley sounds like someone throwing up, and indeed if you go towards the town it's a bit grim in keeping with the name, and the station itself is a dull grey metal-and-concrete affair with an aggregate factory in the background. But if you go the other way a bit, it's a pleasant leafy suburb with some lovely old cottages.

I presume you live on the ‘other way bit!!’

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Shipton doesn’t sound especially nice but Google Images shows a lovely quaint looking village in the Cotswolds.

Is there a name for something a bit like a "Spoonerism", but with the switched consonants in the middle of a word rather than at the ends?

Back on topic, St. Erth is a lovely little station (if underappreciated compared to some of its neighbours) but the way locals say it "S'nurrrth!" doesn't sound particularly quaint!

 

[NorthOxonian]

Keeping with the North East theme, the name Morpeth may well have a gruesome origin - one theory is that it came from the Old English for "murder path"! However, anyone travelling to this station would find a very pleasant town with a gorgeous river and some lovely pubs. On a similar vein, a hex is a nasty curse, whereas a trip to Hexham is anything but.

And an honourable mention from further south goes to Swindon - the new town perhaps not fit for the thread, but the old town is awfully nice for a "pig's hill".

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

I think Haggerston is a horrible sounding name but a very pleasant station, extremely clean and modern with it’s big glass walls.

 

[ScotTrains]

Bearsden is not as scary as it sounds.

 

[lxfe_mxtterz]

I think Haggerston is a horrible sounding name but a very pleasant station, extremely clean and modern with it’s big glass walls.

Personally, I'd say the same about Hoxton, though perhaps to a slightly lesser extent.

 

[Old Yard Dog]

Spital is in a nice part of the Wirral

 

[yorksrob]

Keeping with the North East theme, the name Morpeth may well have a gruesome origin - one theory is that it came from the Old English for "murder path"! However, anyone travelling to this station would find a very pleasant town with a gorgeous river and some lovely pubs. On a similar vein, a hex is a nasty curse, whereas a trip to Hexham is anything but.

And an honourable mention from further south goes to Swindon - the new town perhaps not fit for the thread, but the old town is awfully nice for a "pig's hill".

Similarly "Kildale" is a lot more bucolic and less blood curdling than it sounds !

 

[Bletchleyite]

Similarly "Kildale" is a lot more bucolic and less blood curdling than it sounds !

Todmorden is very close to meaning "death murders" in German, but isn't that bad a place!

(Google Translate actually translates it from German to English as "to death")

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Todmorden is very close to meaning "death murders" in German, but isn't that bad a place!

(Google Translate actually translates it from German to English as "to death")

"Tod" is the improper noun for "death" (i.e. the event rather than the character from Pratchett), and "morden" the verb "to kill". Google Translate won't be able to give a more contextual translation because it isn't a real word in German, but a native speaker would translate it as "death-kill". German of course is quite a logical language so there's no need for a word that would be a near-tautology.

When with the 6th form college German exchange group I did wonder why they all wanted to take photos of the signs at such a nondescript station at first!

 

[Whisky Papa]

Todmorden is very close to meaning "death murders" in German, but isn't that bad a place!

(Google Translate actually translates it from German to English as "to death")

No, it's not that bad a place, especially on a sunny day like today!

I always found Broadbottom a much more pleasant location than the name might suggest. Unless it snowed, as the area needing gritting seemed vast!

 

[NorthOxonian]

Similarly "Kildale" is a lot more bucolic and less blood curdling than it sounds !

That also applies to its neighbour of Battersby.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

No, it's not that bad a place, especially on a sunny day like today!

I always found Broadbottom a much more pleasant location than the name might suggest. Unless it snowed, as the area needing gritting seemed vast!

So would you say "you like Broadbottom, and you can not lie"?

(didn't even bother taking my coat off)

 

[yorksrob]

That also applies to its neighbour of Battersby.

Yes, that one makes me think of Weatherfield.

 

[Whisky Papa]

So would you say "you like Broadbottom, and you can not lie"?

(didn't even bother taking my coat off)

That took some working out - obviously a popular beat combo I'm unfamiliar with...

I was initially barking up the wrong tree with The League of Gentlemen, another cultural link between the Calder Valley and Longdendale.