Hartington railway station

Hartington railway station opened in 1899 about two miles away from the village it served - Hartington (gbmapping|SK129604) in Derbyshire, south east of Buxton.

It was on the Ashbourne Line built by the LNWR as a branch from the Cromford and High Peak Railway (which ran from Whaley Bridge to Cromford) at Parsley Hay

To the north of the station is Hand Dale viaduct. It was reported that, when digging the foundations for the piers, the remains of a lead mine in which the miners had perished, was discovered.

In common with the other stations on this line, the platforms and buildings were of timber construction. From Parsley Hay to Ashbourne, the line was single with passing loops at the stations, though provision was made for doubling which never occurred.Like all the stations on the line, it was popular with ramblers, and had both a ladies' and a general waiting room, with a booking office. However, its distance from the village meant that when bus services began, it lost much of its local trade. Like the other intermediate station it had no footbridge so passengers arriving at the entrance and requiring the down platform had to walk to the end and use the barrow crossing. Water for both the station and the nearby Hartington Quarry was brought by rail using a tender.

Regular passenger services ended in 1954, though excursions continued until 1963. Freight continued until October of that year, the track to Ashbourne finally being lifted in 1964.

The track bed from Ashbourne to Parsley Hay was acquired by Derbyshire County Council in 1968 and the Peak National Park for a cycle and walking route. This, the Tissington Trail, was one of the first of such ventures in the country. Later, Ashbourne Tunnel was acquired by Sustrans.

Of the station buildings, the typical LNWR signal box has been preserved as a visitor centre.

Today, this is also an alternative southern starting point of the Pennine Bridleway, joining the main trail at nearby Parsley Hay.

ee also

* Cromford and High Peak Railway

References

* Bentley, J.M., Fox, G.K., (1997) "Railways of the High Peak: Buxton to Ashbourne (Scenes From The Past series 32)," Romiley: Foxline Publishing

External links

* [http://www.peakdistrict.gov.uk/hptt/ Tissington & High Peak Trails - access and facilities]
* [http://www.ramblers.org.uk/info/paths/penninebridleway.html The Pennine Bridleway]
* [http://www.npemap.org.uk/tiles/map.html#407,342,1 Hartington station on navigable 1946 O. S. map]