Topcliffe railway station

Topcliffe
Site of the former station (2008)
General information
Location	Topcliffe, North Yorkshire England
Coordinates	54°12′29″N1°24′53″W / 54.2081°N 1.4148°W / 54.2081; -1.4148
Grid reference	SE382793
Platforms	2
Other information
Status	Disused
History
Original company	Leeds and Thirsk Railway
Pre-grouping	North Eastern Railway
Post-grouping	LNER British Railways (North Eastern)
Key dates
1 June 1848 (1848-06-01)	Opened
July 1854	Name changed to Topcliffe Gate
April 1863	Name reverted to Topcliffe
14 September 1959 (1959-09-14)	Closed

Topcliffe railway station served the village of Topcliffe, North Yorkshire, England from 1848 to 1959 on the Leeds and Thirsk Railway.

History

The station opened on 1 June 1848 by the Leeds and Thirsk Railway, and was some 5+3⁄4 miles (9.3 km) east of Ripon and 2+1⁄2 miles (4.0 km) west of Thirsk Town railway station. ^[1] The station was situated on the A167 road (which at the time was the Boroughbridge and Durham Turnpike), and was some 2+1⁄4 miles (3.6 km) to the north of Topcliffe village. ^{[2] [3]} The station's name was changed to Topcliffe Gate in July 1854 but it was reverted to Topcliffe in April 1863. ^[4] The goods yard was located on the up side behind the station platform and consisted of three sidings, two of them serving coal drops, and a cattle dock. ^[5] In 1911, the main freight handled at the station were 237 tonnes (261 tons) of potatoes and 253 tonnes (279 tons) of barley. ^[6] Passenger tickets issued at the station amounted to 3,866 in 1885, 3,161 in 1900, 2,634 in 1911 and 2,751 in 1914. ^{[7] [6]}

In 1901, the direct line between Melmerby and Northallerton avoiding Topcliffe and Thirsk was doubled, having previously being only a single-track line. This gave the newer line greater prominence for railway traffic, with much diverted away from the line through Topcliffe. ^[8] As the line was reduced in importance post 1901, some rationalisation took effect; in the 1950s, one of the running lines in the station was used for wagon storage, with only one platform in normal use for all passenger traffic. ^[9]

One of the biggest traffics at Topcliffe was the inward movement of grain and corn for Topcliffe Mill. This traffic ceased in 1959, and the station closed to both passengers and goods traffic on 14 September of the same year. ^{[10] [11] [12]}

Services

In 1850, two years after opening, services on the line between Leeds and Thirsk amounted to five services each way, but only two trains stopped at Topcliffe in either direction (all being either morning or evening peak services). ^[13] By 1877, seven services were using the route with five of these stopping for passengers at Topcliffe, ^[14] and by 1888, seven services were stopping at Topcliffe. ^[15]

In 1910, nine years after the mainline services were redirected via the line through Sinderby to Northallerton, services were down to seven along the whole line, with just three stopping at Topcliffe. ^[16] In 1939, the service pattern was the same as in 1910, just three stopping trains per day. ^[17]

References

1. Bairstow, Martin (1986). Railways around Harrogate. Pudsey: Bairstow. p. 72. ISBN   0-9510302-3-X.
2. Graham 2001, p. 145.
3. Chapman, Stephen (2010). Railway Memories No. 23; Northallerton, Ripon & Wensleydale. Todmorden: Bellcode Books. p. 63. ISBN   978-1-871-233-23-0.
4. Burgess, Neil (2011). The Lost Railway's of Yorkshire's North Riding. Catrine: Stenlake. p. 26. ISBN   9781840335552.
5. "Topcliffe Railway Station". maps.nls.uk. Retrieved 11 September 2023. Use the slider on the bottom left (named "Change transparency of overlay") to toggle between old mapping and modern-day satellite imagery
6. Hoole, Kenneth (1985). Railway stations of the North East. Newton Abbot: David and Charles. p. 193. ISBN   0-7153-8527-5.
7. Graham 2001, p. 148.
8. Hoole, K. (1986). The North East. Newton Abbot: David & Charles. p. 105. ISBN   0-9465-3731-3.
9. Young, Alan (2015). Lost stations of North and East Ridings. Kettering: Silver Link. p. 44. ISBN   978-1-85794-453-2.
10. Graham 2001, p. 147.
11. "Disused Stations: Topcliffe". Disused Stations. Retrieved 23 June 2017.
12. Quick, M. E. (2002). Railway passenger stations in England, Scotland and Wales - a chronology. Richmond: Railway and Canal Historical Society. p. 424. OCLC   931112387.
13. Bairstow, Martin (1986). Railways around Harrogate. Pudsey: Bairstow. p. 65. ISBN   0-9510302-3-X.
14. Bradshaw's general railway and steam navigation guide for Great Britain and Ireland 1877 at the Internet Archive
15. 1888 Brad 10 at the Internet Archive
16. Bradshaw's April 1910 railway guide; a new edition of the April 1910 issue of Bradshaw's General Railway and Steam Navigation Guide for Great Britain and Ireland. Newton Abbot: David & Charles. 1968 [1910]. p. 708. ISBN   0715342460.
17. 1939 Oct Bradshaw at the Internet Archive

Sources

• Graham, John M. (2001) [2000]. The Millennium Book of Topcliffe. Thirsk: Graham. ISBN   0-9538045-0-X.

External links

Preceding station		Disused railways		Following station
Baldersby Line and station closed		Leeds and Thirsk Railway		Thirsk Town Line and station closed
				Thirsk Line closed, station open