Bakewell railway station served the town of Bakewell in Derbyshire, England. It was built by the Midland Railway on its extension of the Manchester, Buxton, Matlock and Midland Junction Railway line from Rowsley to Buxton. The station was closed in 1967. Peak Rail Heritage Railway intends to reopen the station to trains by extending its existing Matlock to Rowsley South line 4 miles (6.4km) through Rowsley to Bakewell.[3]
View northward in 1961Diesel-hauled down express in 1961
The station was opened by the Midland Railway on 1 August 1862.[1] Being the nearest station to Haddon Hall, it was built in a grand style as the local station for the Duke of Rutland over whose land the line had passed. Designed by Edward Walters of Manchester, the buildings were of fine ashlar with intricate carvings which incorporated the duke's coat of arms.
Since the line climbed steeply towards its summit at Peak Forest, the station was located uphill about 1⁄2 mile (0.8km) from the town, which became a disadvantage when road transport developed.
Following the grouping of all lines into four main companies in 1923, the station became part of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway.
During the nationalisation of Britain's railways in 1948, the station was passed on to the London Midland Region of British Railways and, despite escaping the Beeching Axe, the station was closed when passenger services ceased on 6 March 1967.[1] Trains continued to pass through the station until 1968 when the line was closed.
The station buildings still survive and are Grade II listed.[2] They are sited 1⁄2 mile (0.8km) east of the centre of Bakewell, high upon the hillside due to the alignment that the railway was forced to take.
The main building is now used by an electronics company, which has retained many of the station's original features; the goods shed is now part of an industrial estate. The gap between the platforms has been filled in, as the Monsal Trailshared-use path now passes through the site along the former trackbed.[8]
The ridged canopies over platform 1, the goods shed and cattle dock have all since been removed.
McRae, Andrew (1997). British Railway Camping Coach Holidays: The 1930s & British Railways (London Midland Region). Vol.Scenes from the Past: 30 (Part One). Foxline. ISBN1-870119-48-7.
Further reading
Jowett, Alan (2000). Jowett's Nationalised Railway Atlas (1sted.). Penryn, Cornwall: Atlantic Transport Publishers. ISBN978-0-906899-99-1. OCLC228266687.
Jowett, Alan (March 1989). Jowett's Railway Atlas of Great Britain and Ireland: From Pre-Grouping to the Present Day (1sted.). Sparkford: Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN978-1-85260-086-0. OCLC22311137.
Radford, B. (1988). Midland Through the Peak: A Pictorial History of the Midland Railway Main Line Routes Between Derby and Manchester. Unicorn Books. ISBN1852410019.
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