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Richmond railway station (North Yorkshire)
Encyclopedia
Richmond railway station was a railway station
that served the town of Richmond
in North Yorkshire
, England
.
.
In 1845, the Great North of England Railway (GNER) was granted powers to construct a branch line from Coopers House near Dalton, 6 miles south of Darlington, to Richmond. While construction of the line was underway the GNER was reconstituted as the York & Newcastle Railway, and it was this company which opened the line on 1846. Although the line opened on 10 September 1846, the present station at Richmond was not opened until 9 April 1847, a temporary wooden platform being provided in the interim.
The line from Dalton Junction (Renamed Eryholme Junction in 1911) had stations at Moulton, Scorton and Catterick Bridge, and was double track throughout. These stations are rare in that they were designed in a Tudor
style by architect G. T. Andrews
. The exuberant architectural style of the early railway stations reflects the desire of the railway companies to promote their new form of travel as a high status experience.
The line crossed the River Swale at Easby and terminated in the Parish of St Martins on the south bank of the Swale opposite the town of Richmond. The station layout consisted of much more than just the main station building now known as The Station. Generous facilities were provided for Goods Traffic, together with facilities for railway operations and staff accommodation. The principal features were:
• Large Goods Shed (Now the site of the swimming pool)
• Engine Shed (Now a Fitness Centre)
• Gasworks (Currently derelict)
• Signal box (Demolished 1968)
• Station Master’s House
• Goods Agent’s House
• 6 Staff Cottages
• 2 Goods Staff Cottages
• Water pumping station at Sand Beck.
• Turntable (Removed 1969)
• 50 coal ‘drops’ (Now site of car parks)
In addition to this the railway constructed a road bridge over the River Swale and built a road up in to the town to provide access to the station. This bridge with 4 gothic arches of 52 feet span and 10 feet rise was designed by Robert Stephenson, Engineer –in-Chief of the York & Newcastle Railway and son of George Stephenson (Although some sources credit GT Andrews). This bridge was almost unique in that it was a railway owned bridge carrying a road over a river. It was taken over by the Town Council about 1920 but still retains its North Eastern Railway bridge plates – No 8. This bridge is now known as Mercury Bridge in honour of the close association between the town and the Royal Corps of Signals
.
The main station building was the work of the architect GT Andrews of York was specifically designed for Richmond to blend in with the buildings and character of this historic market town. The two ridge train shed covered a platform line and two sidings. The original platform was both low and short, extending only a short distance outside the train shed. This was subsequently lengthened in 1860 and the front edge raised resulting in a downward slope towards the floor level of the offices, which survived until the recent renovations. The platform was further lengthened in 1915 to cope with the increased military traffic from the newly established Catterick Camp, and in its final form was 268 yards long.
The train shed was open at the south end and lit by gas. (Electricity was not provided until after the Second World War!). The station building included:
• Booking Office
• General Waiting Room (Later the enlarged Parcels Office)
• Ladies Waiting Room
• Refreshment Room (Later the Waiting Room)
• Parcels Office (Later enlarged)
• Stationmaster’s Office
• Porter’s Room
• Toilets.
At a later date a wooden Ticket Collectors booth was provided next to the main entrance and in the 20th century there was a small wooden bookstall operated by WH Smiths which closed in 1940.
The York & Newcastle Railway only survived for a further 7 years after the opening of the line, becoming part of the North Eastern Railway
in 1854. The NER era lasted for nearly 70 years until 1923 when it became part of the London & North Eastern Railway under the Grouping of railways following the First World War. The LNER itself lasted only 25 years until the railways were nationalized in 1948 when Richmond became part of the North Eastern Region of British Railways.
Few substantial alterations were made to the station building over the years. As mentioned, the platform was lengthened in 1860, again in 1892, and for a second time in about 1915. The rearrangements of the Offices and Waiting Rooms was carried out during the First World War, and at about the same time the large window at the buffer stop end of the platform was opened up to create a large door for handling parcels traffic.
The station bookstall was removed in 1940 and during the Second World War the Stationmasters Office was requisitioned by the army as the Railway Transport Officer (RTO) Office. The RTO also had a temporary wooden office under the Port Cochere. Electric lighting was finally installed in the late 1940s, but apart from that little was spent on the building in British Railways days. In the 1950s the rotten wooden screen above the platform lone was patched with zinc sheeting, and by the time of closure there were gaps in the wooden screen, smoke louvers and roof lights.
BR proposed closure of the line in 1963 but this was vigorously opposed by the local community and the proposal was withdrawn. However the line was progressively run down over the next few years. Goods traffic was withdrawn in 1967 and this enabled the railway to lift all the sidings, including the two in the train shed, and remove all the signals. The station was finally closed on 3 March 1969. The remaining track was lifted and the building lay derelict until the whole site was acquired by the District Council.
Before the line was closed the station was included in the List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest, it is a Grade II* listed building.
The goods shed was demolished but the rest of the railway infrastructure survives including the bridge which continues to form part of the main road between Richmond and Catterick Garrison, the A6136
.
Eventually the passenger terminus became a popular Farm and Garden Centre, though it closed in 2001.
In 2003 a community-based project to regenerate Richmond Station was given the go ahead. The aims of the project, which was spearheaded by the Richmondshire Building Preservation Trust, were:
The building re-opened - named simply The Station - on 9 November 2007, with two cinema screens, a restaurant and café-bar, an art gallery, a heritage centre, a number of rooms for public use, and a range of artisan food-producers.
Train station
A train station, also called a railroad station or railway station and often shortened to just station,"Station" is commonly understood to mean "train station" unless otherwise qualified. This is evident from dictionary entries e.g...
that served the town of Richmond
Richmond, North Yorkshire
Richmond is a market town and civil parish on the River Swale in North Yorkshire, England and is the administrative centre of the district of Richmondshire. It is situated on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales National Park, and serves as the Park's main tourist centre...
in North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire is a non-metropolitan or shire county located in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England, and a ceremonial county primarily in that region but partly in North East England. Created in 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972 it covers an area of , making it the largest...
, 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...
.
History
Richmond station was the terminus of the now closed Eryholme-Richmond branch lineEryholme-Richmond branch line
The Eryholme-Richmond branch line was opened in 1846 by the York and Newcastle Railway Company. The original section of the line ran from between a point in between Darlington and Northallerton on what is now the East Coast Main Line and the terminus at Richmond railway station.-Catterick sub...
.
In 1845, the Great North of England Railway (GNER) was granted powers to construct a branch line from Coopers House near Dalton, 6 miles south of Darlington, to Richmond. While construction of the line was underway the GNER was reconstituted as the York & Newcastle Railway, and it was this company which opened the line on 1846. Although the line opened on 10 September 1846, the present station at Richmond was not opened until 9 April 1847, a temporary wooden platform being provided in the interim.
The line from Dalton Junction (Renamed Eryholme Junction in 1911) had stations at Moulton, Scorton and Catterick Bridge, and was double track throughout. These stations are rare in that they were designed in a Tudor
Tudor style architecture
The Tudor architectural style is the final development of medieval architecture during the Tudor period and even beyond, for conservative college patrons...
style by architect G. T. Andrews
George Townsend Andrews
George Townsend Andrews was an English architect born in Exeter. He is noted for his buildings designed for George Hudson's railways, especially the York and North Midland Railway...
. The exuberant architectural style of the early railway stations reflects the desire of the railway companies to promote their new form of travel as a high status experience.
The line crossed the River Swale at Easby and terminated in the Parish of St Martins on the south bank of the Swale opposite the town of Richmond. The station layout consisted of much more than just the main station building now known as The Station. Generous facilities were provided for Goods Traffic, together with facilities for railway operations and staff accommodation. The principal features were:
• Large Goods Shed (Now the site of the swimming pool)
• Engine Shed (Now a Fitness Centre)
• Gasworks (Currently derelict)
• Signal box (Demolished 1968)
• Station Master’s House
• Goods Agent’s House
• 6 Staff Cottages
• 2 Goods Staff Cottages
• Water pumping station at Sand Beck.
• Turntable (Removed 1969)
• 50 coal ‘drops’ (Now site of car parks)
In addition to this the railway constructed a road bridge over the River Swale and built a road up in to the town to provide access to the station. This bridge with 4 gothic arches of 52 feet span and 10 feet rise was designed by Robert Stephenson, Engineer –in-Chief of the York & Newcastle Railway and son of George Stephenson (Although some sources credit GT Andrews). This bridge was almost unique in that it was a railway owned bridge carrying a road over a river. It was taken over by the Town Council about 1920 but still retains its North Eastern Railway bridge plates – No 8. This bridge is now known as Mercury Bridge in honour of the close association between the town and the Royal Corps of Signals
Royal Corps of Signals
The Royal Corps of Signals is one of the combat support arms of the British Army...
.
The main station building was the work of the architect GT Andrews of York was specifically designed for Richmond to blend in with the buildings and character of this historic market town. The two ridge train shed covered a platform line and two sidings. The original platform was both low and short, extending only a short distance outside the train shed. This was subsequently lengthened in 1860 and the front edge raised resulting in a downward slope towards the floor level of the offices, which survived until the recent renovations. The platform was further lengthened in 1915 to cope with the increased military traffic from the newly established Catterick Camp, and in its final form was 268 yards long.
The train shed was open at the south end and lit by gas. (Electricity was not provided until after the Second World War!). The station building included:
• Booking Office
• General Waiting Room (Later the enlarged Parcels Office)
• Ladies Waiting Room
• Refreshment Room (Later the Waiting Room)
• Parcels Office (Later enlarged)
• Stationmaster’s Office
• Porter’s Room
• Toilets.
At a later date a wooden Ticket Collectors booth was provided next to the main entrance and in the 20th century there was a small wooden bookstall operated by WH Smiths which closed in 1940.
The York & Newcastle Railway only survived for a further 7 years after the opening of the line, becoming part of the North Eastern Railway
North Eastern Railway (UK)
The North Eastern Railway , was an English railway company. It was incorporated in 1854, when four existing companies were combined, and was absorbed into the London and North Eastern Railway at the Grouping in 1923...
in 1854. The NER era lasted for nearly 70 years until 1923 when it became part of the London & North Eastern Railway under the Grouping of railways following the First World War. The LNER itself lasted only 25 years until the railways were nationalized in 1948 when Richmond became part of the North Eastern Region of British Railways.
Few substantial alterations were made to the station building over the years. As mentioned, the platform was lengthened in 1860, again in 1892, and for a second time in about 1915. The rearrangements of the Offices and Waiting Rooms was carried out during the First World War, and at about the same time the large window at the buffer stop end of the platform was opened up to create a large door for handling parcels traffic.
The station bookstall was removed in 1940 and during the Second World War the Stationmasters Office was requisitioned by the army as the Railway Transport Officer (RTO) Office. The RTO also had a temporary wooden office under the Port Cochere. Electric lighting was finally installed in the late 1940s, but apart from that little was spent on the building in British Railways days. In the 1950s the rotten wooden screen above the platform lone was patched with zinc sheeting, and by the time of closure there were gaps in the wooden screen, smoke louvers and roof lights.
BR proposed closure of the line in 1963 but this was vigorously opposed by the local community and the proposal was withdrawn. However the line was progressively run down over the next few years. Goods traffic was withdrawn in 1967 and this enabled the railway to lift all the sidings, including the two in the train shed, and remove all the signals. The station was finally closed on 3 March 1969. The remaining track was lifted and the building lay derelict until the whole site was acquired by the District Council.
Before the line was closed the station was included in the List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest, it is a Grade II* listed building.
After closure
The station complex consists of Station Bridge, re-named Mercury Bridge in 1975, the passenger terminus, the goods shed, engine shed, gas house, depot manager's house, Station Cottages and the station master's house. The houses were sold off and still survive.The goods shed was demolished but the rest of the railway infrastructure survives including the bridge which continues to form part of the main road between Richmond and Catterick Garrison, the A6136
A6136 road
The A6136 is a 4 digit A road in North Yorkshire, England. It begins in the market town of Richmond as "Station Road" . Moving on, it reaches the outer suburbs of Richmond. Passing through sparse woodland, it soon enters the outer suburbs of another town, Catterick Garrison; this is the main road...
.
Eventually the passenger terminus became a popular Farm and Garden Centre, though it closed in 2001.
In 2003 a community-based project to regenerate Richmond Station was given the go ahead. The aims of the project, which was spearheaded by the Richmondshire Building Preservation Trust, were:
- To provide activities and recreational spaces that will meet established local demands at affordable prices.
- To include a limited number of commercial operations sufficient to generate an income to maintain the project and subsidise community activities on site.
- To include at least one use that will attract substantial numbers of visitors to provide the building tenants, and (as a consequence) the building management, with income.
The building re-opened - named simply The Station - on 9 November 2007, with two cinema screens, a restaurant and café-bar, an art gallery, a heritage centre, a number of rooms for public use, and a range of artisan food-producers.
See also
External links
- The Station
- Richmond station, SubBrit disused stations project
- Richmond station on navigable 1947 O. S. map