Trivia: which railway station is furthest from the town it serves?

[route101]

Falkirk High seems a bit distant as does Cumbernauld

 

[47271]

Rannoch Station has no identifiable centre of population relating to the name, other than Kinloch Rannoch, which is 16 miles away. Even the top end of Loch Rannoch is five miles from the station.

Cambridge city centre always feels like it's a long haul from the station, and Oxford isn't much better.

 

[Lucan]

Micheldever in Hampshire is 2.6 miles from the village of Micheldever

One of Micheldever Station's claims to fame (or infamy) was that it was the starting point of the first ever car journey made in Britain; the journey was to Windsor. A car was imported from France (Renault?) and unloaded from a train, presumably from a flat wagon.

Perhaps the remoteness from any village explains the choice of station. They did not want a bunch of villagers rubber-necking around the contraption, horses bolting, or chickens and street urchins getting run over - at least not at the very start of the journey.

 

[transmanche]

To further muddy the waters, isn't the area surrounding the station now known as the village/hamlet of "Micheldever Station"?

Yes. Perhaps we should refer to Micheldever Station station...

A similar situation in Bedlington, Northumberland. The long-closed Bedlington station is about a mile and a half from Bedlington itself. And the settlement around the station is now known as Bedlington Station. If the Blyth and Tyne route to Ashington is ever re-opened to passenger traffic, what would they call the station?

 

[MadMac]

A bit cheeky but there must be loads of "namesakes" where one town of the same name has a station but the other one doesn't e.g. the station "Stonehouse" (in Gloucestershire) is 187 miles away from Stonehouse in South Lanarkshire!

I think you may have underestimated the distance.....

 

[thenorthern]

Stoke-on-Trent is an odd one as its about a mile and a half from Hanley the main part of Stoke-on-Trent but its right next to the civic centre which is sort of the head quarters to the city council its a long story.

Another station within the urban area that it is named after but some distance from the centre are Runcorn East 4 miles from the centre of Runcorn.

 

[onlinespotting]

Stoke-on-Trent is an odd one as its about a mile and a half from Hanley the main part of Stoke-on-Trent but its right next to the civic centre which is sort of the head quarters to the city council its a long story.

Another station within the urban area that it is named after but some distance from the centre are Runcorn East 4 miles from the centre of Runcorn.

Stoke on Trent station is in the centre of the stoke on trent conurbation, yet is some distance from the de facto city centre town of Hanley, yet is right on the edge of Stoke town (stoke upon trent where the civic centre and Minster are) though is in Shelton which is a suburb of hanley , and the trent runs very close to it (2 mins walk to the civic centre and by the trent) - Yes it’s a complicated one! But technically doesn’t count for this thread

 

[Jimini]

Stoke-on-Trent is an odd one as its about a mile and a half from Hanley the main part of Stoke-on-Trent but its right next to the civic centre which is sort of the head quarters to the city council its a long story.

Another station within the urban area that it is named after but some distance from the centre are Runcorn East 4 miles from the centre of Runcorn.

Found that one out the hard way a few years ago!

 

[thenorthern]

Although still within the city the old Belfast York Street and Queens Quay were some distance from the centre of Belfast.

 

[Dr_Paul]

Clapham Junction was neither in Clapham (it's in mid-Battersea), nor a junction for Clapham - until the London Overground line opened a few years ago, some 170 years after the station was named.

We had quite a discussion about the actual location of Clapham Junction a couple of years back. My 1923 Bradshaw states -- accurately -- that it's in Battersea and a mile and a half from Clapham, which I assume means the Old Town, near Clapham Common on the Northern Line. We then went on to discuss instances such as Clapham Junction where the station has led to the creation of an area named around the station and named after it; I think that Loughborough Junction was another example we mentioned.

 

[shadowman]

Widnes station in the north west is 1.5 miles from the station to the centre of town. The station should really be called Farnworth as the town/village is a lot closer to the station than it is to Widnes.

 

[Jamesrob637]

Bordeaux Saint Jean seemed a way away from the historic centre

 

[geoffk]

Has anyone mentioned Alfreton? It's a way from the town centre and, when first opened, was called Alfreton and South Normanton, then in a later life it was of course called Alfreton and Mansfield Parkway.

 

[Scotty]

Has anyone mentioned Alfreton? It's a way from the town centre and, when first opened, was called Alfreton and South Normanton, then in a later life it was of course called Alfreton and Mansfield Parkway.

It's less than a mile, and a straightforward walk into the centre...

 

[Taunton]

Stoke on Trent station is in the centre of the stoke on trent conurbation, yet is some distance from the de facto city centre town of Hanley, yet is right on the edge of Stoke town

Another one of these is Wallasey, which despite (once) being a substantial borough in its own right, has no obvious centre, but a series of focus points spread around. The two railway stations named Wallasey are peripheral to the area, with the terminus, New Brighton, more central to one of those focus points.

 

[Ianno87]

Widnes station in the north west is 1.5 miles from the station to the centre of town. The station should really be called Farnworth as the town/village is a lot closer to the station than it is to Widnes.

There's already a station named Farnworth not a million miles away....

 

[edwin_m]

Has anyone mentioned Alfreton? It's a way from the town centre and, when first opened, was called Alfreton and South Normanton, then in a later life it was of course called Alfreton and Mansfield Parkway.

The Parkway bit was presumably in relation to Mansfield, several miles away on the A38. Perhaps it should have been called "Mansfield Parkway and Alfreton" to make this clearer.

 

[Matt_pool]

Winsford station is about 1.5 miles from Winsford town centre. There is a bus service that calls at the station and goes to the town centre, but they are timetabled so that bus departs a couple of minutes before the train arrives meaning you have a half hour wait until the next one. And the bus from the town centre to the station is timetabled to arrive a couple of minutes after the train has departed.

 

[Dr Hoo]

I would suggest that Fishguard Harbour does not serve the town of Fishguard. That role is fulfilled by Fishguard & Goodwick.

Having eliminated the impossible, whatever is left (however improbable) must be the truth. So: the station of Fishguard Harbour is there to serve the town of Rosslare, in another country

Bearing in mind that the station was originally conceived as a place to serve transatlantic liners it might be argued that it was built to serve New York (and other North American ports).

 

[edwin_m]

I would suggest that Fishguard Harbour does not serve the town of Fishguard. That role is fulfilled by Fishguard & Goodwick.

Having eliminated the impossible, whatever is left (however improbable) must be the truth. So: the station of Fishguard Harbour is there to serve the town of Rosslare, in another country

Bearing in mind that the station was originally conceived as a place to serve transatlantic liners it might be argued that it was built to serve New York (and other North American ports).

But Rosslare has a station of its own … as does New York.

 

[KingJ]

The village of Knockholt is a good 2 miles as the crow files, or 3.3 miles on foot, from Knockholt station.

 

[Essan]

Corrour was built specifically to serve Corrour Lodge. about 4.5 miles away.

I think Rannoch station was built irrespective of the nearest village (Kinlochrannoch), so perhaps doesn't count?

In Suffolk, Wickham Market Station, at Campsea Ashe, is 2.25 miles from that centre of the small town it takes it's name from

 

[Esker-pades]

I would suggest that Fishguard Harbour does not serve the town of Fishguard. That role is fulfilled by Fishguard & Goodwick.

Having eliminated the impossible, whatever is left (however improbable) must be the truth. So: the station of Fishguard Harbour is there to serve the town of Rosslare, in another country

Bearing in mind that the station was originally conceived as a place to serve transatlantic liners it might be argued that it was built to serve New York (and other North American ports).

Fishguard Harbour railway station is built to serve the ferry terminal.

 

[Roavin]

Thirsk's is in a village quite a far way from the town itself.

 

[John Griffiths]

Not the longest distance, but I'd think that anyone travelling by Metro to Gateshead Stadium might expect it to be at or next to th ed stadium, not a ten minute march followed by crossing a major arterial road. The original projected name, Old Fold, was better.

 

[randyrippley]

We had quite a discussion about the actual location of Clapham Junction a couple of years back. My 1923 Bradshaw states -- accurately -- that it's in Battersea and a mile and a half from Clapham, which I assume means the Old Town, near Clapham Common on the Northern Line. We then went on to discuss instances such as Clapham Junction where the station has led to the creation of an area named around the station and named after it; I think that Loughborough Junction was another example we mentioned.

The LSWR route to Exeter had several "Junction" names...........Clapham, Yeovil, Chard, Seaton, Sidmouth, Exmouth
None were in the named town, all provided links to a route into the town.
Some of the other stations on the route were outside the towns as well, Crewkerne being a good example.
I realise that the route tried to follow river valleys to minimise gradients, but in reality whoever laid out the route must have been hard of thinking

 

[Anstecker]

I once walked from Folkestone Central to the town centre. It's probably not that far but it certainly felt like it was located in a different county especially as you never quite see the "town centre" until you reach a ring road that looks for all the world like the Nurnburgring.

Wondering now about the most inaccurately named 'Town' or 'Central' stations...I believe the Great Central was notorious for branding every station they could as 'Central' but I don't know how honest they were about it. Special prize for Acton Central which looks pretty well-placed on a map, but has no entrance from the south end of the platforms, making it a long trek to the main road. Acton Town is a bit badly placed too. Not in that category, but the London Underground "Watford" station desperately needs a suffix: it's miles from anything like the town centre and without a good bus service to it either. High Street station is much better.

 

[Llandudno]

Has anyone mentioned Alfreton? It's a way from the town centre and, when first opened, was called Alfreton and South Normanton, then in a later life it was of course called Alfreton and Mansfield Parkway.

Nonsense, Alfreton Station is less than 10 minutes level stroll to the High Street.

2 minutes walk from a micropub and five minutes walk to the football ground!

 

[Taunton]

Wondering now about the most inaccurately named 'Town' or 'Central' stations....

Salford Central is not near anywhere significant in Salford, and for quite a large "city" is about 300 yards from its boundary with Manchester.

 

[LdnNiko]

Wondering now about the most inaccurately named 'Town' or 'Central' stations...

It doesn't include 'Town' or 'Central', but for distantly-located *and* erroneously-named station, could we have a mention for Welwyn North?
1.6 mile walk from, and located south-east of, the village it is named after.