Oxenhope railway station
Encyclopedia
Oxenhope railway station serves the village of Oxenhope
, near Haworth, and within the City of Bradford
Metropolitan District of West Yorkshire
, England
. It is the terminus of the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway
, with trains to Haworth
and Keighley
.
Oxenhope was not in the original plans for the railway, with Haworth being the proposed terminus. However, a local mill owner successfully campaigned for the railway to be extended to Oxenhope, and the station opened in 1867, as the railways terminus. On the original plans the railway was to extend into Lowertown, and there is still a bridge (used as a road bridge) which was constructed as part of the railway to allow this, however it was decided to terminate the railway at its current location.
As with the rest of the line, it was closed in 1962 under the Beeching Axe
, but was re-opened when the line was preserved in 1968. It now houses an exhibition shed, funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund
, where some of the locomotives that are not currently used on the line are stored. There is also a station shop, buffet and a car park, and links with local bus services to Bradford
and Hebden Bridge
.
When the railway was reopened, it was envisaged that as the terminus of the line, Oxenhope would be the ideal place to base the locomotive department. To this end, the goods shed was extended with a two road building including an inspection pit.
However, the locomotive department once happily settled in Haworth never moved, so the intended locomotive shed is now the headquarters of the railway's Carriage & Wagon department, boasting workshop facilities, carriage lifting jacks and extensive stores.
Thanks to a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund, there is now also a large two road, twelve coach 'running shed' used to stable to coaches normally used on service trains. It also has facilities for servicing coaches and provides a more hospitable environment for light maintenance.
Also located at Oxenhope is the railways 'Beer Store'. When the railway reopened, it boasted the facility to serve 'Real Ale' on board trains as a Jibe at British Rail, who were unable to do so on their new Inter City Buffet Cars. Because normal cask ale cannot be used on a train (the movement would shake up the sediment in the barrel and result in an undrinkable pint), the beer is stored at Oxenhope and decanted into containers for use on trains.
Recently, this part of the railway has grown almost explosively, with an annual 'Beer & Music Festival' now a firm fixture in the railway's calendar. Held in late October, what started out as a weekend event is now a three or four day extravaganza, with four days worth of live music, consistently boasting over 100 different beers to choose from. However, to some degree the event is a victim of its own success. Despite hiring in extra catering and toilet facilities, congestion is an issue and it is not unknown for emergency orders of extra beer being necessary on the Saturday to prevent the Sunday being a "dry" event.
Oxenhope
Oxenhope is a village and civil parish with a population of 2,476 in the metropolitan borough of Bradford, West Yorkshire, England, near Keighley. Oxenhope railway station is the terminus for the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway...
, near Haworth, and within the City of Bradford
City of Bradford
The City of Bradford is a local government district of West Yorkshire, England with the status of a city and metropolitan borough. It is named after its largest settlement, Bradford, but covers a far larger area which includes the towns of Keighley, Shipley, Bingley, Ilkley, Haworth, Silsden and...
Metropolitan District of West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire is a metropolitan county within the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England with a population of 2.2 million. West Yorkshire came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972....
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It is the terminus of the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway
Keighley and Worth Valley Railway
The Keighley and Worth Valley Railway is a long branch line that served mills and villages in the Worth Valley and is now a heritage railway line in West Yorkshire, England. It runs from Keighley to Oxenhope. It connects to the national rail network line at Keighley railway station...
, with trains to Haworth
Haworth
Haworth is a rural village in the City of Bradford metropolitan borough of West Yorkshire, England. It is located amongst the Pennines, southwest of Keighley and west of Bradford. The surrounding areas include Oakworth and Oxenhope...
and Keighley
Keighley
Keighley is a town and civil parish within the metropolitan borough of the City of Bradford in West Yorkshire, England. It is situated northwest of Bradford and is at the confluence of the River Aire and the River Worth...
.
Oxenhope was not in the original plans for the railway, with Haworth being the proposed terminus. However, a local mill owner successfully campaigned for the railway to be extended to Oxenhope, and the station opened in 1867, as the railways terminus. On the original plans the railway was to extend into Lowertown, and there is still a bridge (used as a road bridge) which was constructed as part of the railway to allow this, however it was decided to terminate the railway at its current location.
As with the rest of the line, it was closed in 1962 under the Beeching Axe
Beeching Axe
The Beeching Axe or the Beeching Cuts are informal names for the British Government's attempt in the 1960s to reduce the cost of running British Railways, the nationalised railway system in the United Kingdom. The name is that of the main author of The Reshaping of British Railways, Dr Richard...
, but was re-opened when the line was preserved in 1968. It now houses an exhibition shed, funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund
Heritage Lottery Fund
The Heritage Lottery Fund is a fund established in the United Kingdom under the National Lottery etc. Act 1993. The Fund opened for applications in 1994. It uses money raised through the National Lottery to transform and sustain the UK’s heritage...
, where some of the locomotives that are not currently used on the line are stored. There is also a station shop, buffet and a car park, and links with local bus services to Bradford
Bradford
Bradford lies at the heart of the City of Bradford, a metropolitan borough of West Yorkshire, in Northern England. It is situated in the foothills of the Pennines, west of Leeds, and northwest of Wakefield. Bradford became a municipal borough in 1847, and received its charter as a city in 1897...
and Hebden Bridge
Hebden Bridge
Hebden Bridge is a market town within the Metropolitan Borough of Calderdale, in West Yorkshire, England. It forms part of the Upper Calder Valley and lies 8 miles west of Halifax and 14 miles north east of Rochdale, at the confluence of the River Calder and the River Hebden .A 2004 profile of...
.
When the railway was reopened, it was envisaged that as the terminus of the line, Oxenhope would be the ideal place to base the locomotive department. To this end, the goods shed was extended with a two road building including an inspection pit.
However, the locomotive department once happily settled in Haworth never moved, so the intended locomotive shed is now the headquarters of the railway's Carriage & Wagon department, boasting workshop facilities, carriage lifting jacks and extensive stores.
Thanks to a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund, there is now also a large two road, twelve coach 'running shed' used to stable to coaches normally used on service trains. It also has facilities for servicing coaches and provides a more hospitable environment for light maintenance.
Also located at Oxenhope is the railways 'Beer Store'. When the railway reopened, it boasted the facility to serve 'Real Ale' on board trains as a Jibe at British Rail, who were unable to do so on their new Inter City Buffet Cars. Because normal cask ale cannot be used on a train (the movement would shake up the sediment in the barrel and result in an undrinkable pint), the beer is stored at Oxenhope and decanted into containers for use on trains.
Recently, this part of the railway has grown almost explosively, with an annual 'Beer & Music Festival' now a firm fixture in the railway's calendar. Held in late October, what started out as a weekend event is now a three or four day extravaganza, with four days worth of live music, consistently boasting over 100 different beers to choose from. However, to some degree the event is a victim of its own success. Despite hiring in extra catering and toilet facilities, congestion is an issue and it is not unknown for emergency orders of extra beer being necessary on the Saturday to prevent the Sunday being a "dry" event.