Slaggyford | |
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Station on heritage railway | |
General information | |
Location | Slaggyford, Northumberland England |
Coordinates | 54°51′54″N2°30′22″W / 54.8651°N 2.5062°W Coordinates: 54°51′54″N2°30′22″W / 54.8651°N 2.5062°W |
Grid reference | NY676523 |
Owned by | South Tynedale Railway |
Managed by | South Tynedale Railway |
Platforms | 1 |
History | |
Original company | Newcastle and Carlisle Railway |
Pre-grouping | North Eastern Railway |
Post-grouping | London and North Eastern Railway |
Key dates | |
21 May 1852 | Opened |
3 May 1976 | Closed |
11 June 2018 | Reopened as part of the South Tynedale Railway |
Slaggyford was a railway station on the Alston Line, which ran between Haltwhistle and Alston. The station served the village of Slaggyford in Northumberland.
The station, which was located 8+1⁄2 miles (13.7 km) from the junction with the Newcastle and Carlisle Railway at Haltwhistle, was opened on 21 May 1852 by the North Eastern Railway. [1]
There were a number of unscheduled calling points on the section of the line between Slaggyford and Lambley, including those at Whitwham, Softley and Burnstones. [2] Trains regularly stopped to allow passengers to board and alight, despite no platform or facilities being available at these locations.
Following a 42-year closure, the station reopened in June 2018, as part of the South Tynedale Railway. [3]
The Newcastle and Carlisle Railway was formed in 1829, opening to passengers in stages from March 1835. [4] A branch line from Haltwhistle to Alston and Nenthead was first considered in 1841, with the line authorised by an Act of Parliament in August 1846. [5] It was later decided that a line operating as far as Alston was sufficient, with the amended route approved by a further Act in July 1849.
In March 1851, the 4½-mile section from Haltwhistle to Shaft Hill (which was later renamed Coanwood) was opened to goods traffic, with passenger services commencing in July 1851. The 8¼-mile section of the line between Alston and Lambley opened to goods traffic in January 1852, along with a short branch to Lambley Fell, with passenger services commencing in May 1852.
Construction of the branch line was completed in November 1852, following the opening of the, now Grade II* listed, [6] Lambley Viaduct over the River South Tyne. [7]
Slaggyford, along with Featherstone Park, was reduced to unstaffed halt status in 1954. Coanwood followed closely after, becoming an unstaffed halt in 1955.
The line was originally marked for closure in the 1960s, under the Beeching plan, however the lack of an all-weather road kept it open. Following improvements to the road network, including a temporary level crossing over the branch at Lambley, the line was closed on 3 May 1976 by the British Railways Board, with the last train working two days earlier. [8] The line was replaced in part by a bus service, which was operated by Ribble Motor Services.
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The South Tynedale Railway operates between Slaggyford and Alston. |
In June 2018, the station reopened as part of the South Tynedale Railway. [3] The narrow-gauge heritage railway operates along a 5-mile (8 km) section of the former Alston Line, which closed to passengers in May 1976. The railway serves former stations at Slaggyford and Alston, as well as purpose-built stations at Lintley Halt and Kirkhaugh.
The South Tynedale Railway is a preserved, 2 ft narrow gauge heritage railway in Northern England and at 875ft is England's second highest narrow gauge railway after the Lynton and Barnstaple Railway in north Devon. The South Tynedale line runs from Alston in Cumbria, down the South Tyne Valley, via Gilderdale, Kirkhaugh and Lintley, then across the South Tyne, Gilderdale and Whitley Viaducts to Slaggyford in Northumberland.
Haltwhistle is a market town and civil parish in Northumberland, England, ten miles east of Brampton. It had a population of 3,811 at the 2011 Census.
Brampton (Cumbria) is a railway station on the Tyne Valley Line, which runs between Newcastle and Carlisle via Hexham. The station, situated 10 miles 62 chains east of Carlisle, serves the hamlet of Milton and nearby market town of Brampton, City of Carlisle in Cumbria, England. It is owned by Network Rail and managed by Northern Trains.
Haltwhistle is a railway station on the Tyne Valley Line, which runs between Newcastle and Carlisle via Hexham. The station, situated 22 miles 66 chains east of Carlisle, serves the market town of Haltwhistle in Northumberland, England. It is owned by Network Rail and managed by Northern Trains.
The Alston Line was a 13-mile (21 km) single-track branch line, which linked Haltwhistle in Northumberland with Alston in Cumbria.
Alston is a heritage railway station on the South Tynedale Railway. The station, situated 13 miles (21 km) south of Haltwhistle, is in the market town of Alston, Eden in Cumbria, England.
Kirkhaugh is a very small village and former civil parish, now in the parish of Knaresdale with Kirkhaugh, adjacent to the River South Tyne in Northumberland, England. The village lies close to the A689 road north of Alston, Cumbria. In 1951 the parish had a population of 79.
Lambley, formerly known as Harper Town, is a village and former civil parish, now in the parish of Coanwood, in Northumberland, England about four miles (6 km) southwest of Haltwhistle. The village lies adjacent to the River South Tyne. In 1951 the parish had a population of 298. The place name Lambley refers to the "pasture of lambs". Lambley used to be the site of a small convent of Benedictine Nuns, founded by Adam de Tindale and Heloise, his wife, in the 12th century. The Scots led by William Wallace devastated it in 1296 [Rowland gives 1297]. However it was restored and one William Tynedale was ordained priest to the nunnery in about 1508 – most likely not William Tyndale, the reformer, as once believed but another man of the same name. At the time of the suppression of religious houses by Henry VIII, the nunnery contained six inmates. Nothing now remains but the bell from the nunnery, which hangs in the church, and a few carved stones. The village lies in the Midgeholme Coalfield and there are reserves of good-quality coal remaining.
Slaggyford is a village in Northumberland, England about 5 miles (8 km) north of Alston, Cumbria.
The Tyne Valley Line is a 58-mile (93 km) route, linking Newcastle upon Tyne with Hexham and Carlisle. The line follows the course of the River Tyne through Tyne and Wear and Northumberland. Five stations and two viaducts on the route are listed structures.
The Ponteland Railway was a 7-mile (11 km) single-track branch line, which linked Gosforth in Tyne and Wear with Ponteland in Northumberland. A 1+1⁄4-mile (2 km) sub-branch line also ran between Ponteland and Darras Hall.
Kirkhaugh is a railway station on the South Tynedale Railway, which runs between Slaggyford and Alston. The station serves the hamlet of Kirkhaugh in Northumberland.
Featherstone Park was a railway station on the Alston Branch Line, which ran between Haltwhistle and Alston. The station, situated 3 miles (5 km) south-west of Haltwhistle, served the villages of Featherstone and Rowfoot in Northumberland.
Lambley was a railway station on the Alston Branch Line, which ran between Haltwhistle and Alston. The station, situated 4+3⁄4 miles (8 km) south-west of Haltwhistle, served the village of Lambley in Northumberland.
The Newcastle & Carlisle Railway (N&CR) was an English railway company formed in 1825 that built a line from Newcastle upon Tyne on Britain's east coast, to Carlisle, on the west coast. The railway began operating mineral trains in 1834 between Blaydon and Hexham, and passengers were carried for the first time the following year. The rest of the line opened in stages, completing a through route between Carlisle and Gateshead, south of the River Tyne in 1837. The directors repeatedly changed their intentions for the route at the eastern end of the line, but finally a line was opened from Scotswood to a Newcastle terminal in 1839. That line was extended twice, reaching Newcastle Central station in 1851.
Callerton was a railway station on the Ponteland Railway, which ran between South Gosforth and Ponteland, with a sub-branch line to Darras Hall. The station served Woolsington in Newcastle upon Tyne.
Coxlodge was a railway station on the Ponteland Railway, which ran between South Gosforth and Ponteland, with a sub-branch line to Darras Hall. The station served Coxlodge and Fawdon in Newcastle upon Tyne.
West Gosforth was a railway station on the Ponteland Railway, which ran between South Gosforth and Ponteland, with a sub-branch line to Darras Hall. The station served Gosforth in Newcastle upon Tyne.
Coanwood was a railway station on the Alston Branch Line, which ran between Haltwhistle and Alston. The station, situated 4 miles (6 km) south-west of Haltwhistle, served the village of Coanwood in Northumberland.
Lintley Halt is a railway station on the South Tynedale Railway, which runs between Slaggyford and Alston. The station is located about 1+1⁄4 miles (2 km) from the village of Slaggyford in Northumberland.
Preceding station | Heritage railways | Following station | ||
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Terminus | South Tynedale Railway | Lintley Halt | ||
Disused railways | ||||
Lambley | North Eastern Railway Alston Line | Alston |