Good stations and their exits which inspire and reflect their settlement

[johnnychips]

As an opposite to this thread:

Dismal Stations Which Give A Poor First Impression Of The Town They Serve

Enjoyable walk yesterday on the scenic Macclesfield canal with some pals and used two of the stations on the route, Kidsgrove and Congleton to access the canal. Kidsgrove station is a quite a large grotty station, with four platforms and a run down, rusty footbridge to access three of the...

www.railforums.co.uk

How about good stations with a nice exit which make you think ‘hey, this place will be good!’

I will nominate Sheffield. The station is OK, especially if you visit the Tap, then there is a piazza with the steel fountains (whenever they turn them on after Covid).

Doncaster really has improved now the car park has been pedestrianised.

Both suffer from infrequent litter bin emptying.

 

[bramling]

As an opposite to this thread:

Dismal Stations Which Give A Poor First Impression Of The Town They Serve

Enjoyable walk yesterday on the scenic Macclesfield canal with some pals and used two of the stations on the route, Kidsgrove and Congleton to access the canal. Kidsgrove station is a quite a large grotty station, with four platforms and a run down, rusty footbridge to access three of the...

www.railforums.co.uk

How about good stations with a nice exit which make you think ‘hey, this place will be good!’

I will nominate Sheffield. The station is OK, especially if you visit the Tap, then there is a piazza with the steel fountains (whenever they turn them on after Covid).

Doncaster really has improved now the car park has been pedestrianised.

Both suffer from infrequent litter bin emptying.

Beverley
Hebden Bridge
Tynemouth
Battle
Ramsgate
Bournemouth
Aberystwyth

Just a few which spring to mind.

 

[zwk500]

York is an obvious one, if exiting towards the city. The exit out through the booking hall with the signal and then the walls above you, turn left and you can see the Minster tower. Brighton also has a nice view, straight down the road of the reason anybody visits the town - the Sea! Although the actual walk down Queen's Road isn't great.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

As an opposite to this thread:

Dismal Stations Which Give A Poor First Impression Of The Town They Serve

Enjoyable walk yesterday on the scenic Macclesfield canal with some pals and used two of the stations on the route, Kidsgrove and Congleton to access the canal. Kidsgrove station is a quite a large grotty station, with four platforms and a run down, rusty footbridge to access three of the...

www.railforums.co.uk

How about good stations with a nice exit which make you think ‘hey, this place will be good!’

I will nominate Sheffield. The station is OK, especially if you visit the Tap, then there is a piazza with the steel fountains (whenever they turn them on after Covid).

Doncaster really has improved now the car park has been pedestrianised.

Both suffer from infrequent litter bin emptying.

Doncaster station, like Dewsbury station, writes cheques that the town hasn't a hope of cashing!

 

[Peregrine 4903]

London Kings Cross
London St Pancras International
London Blackfriars
London Bridge

 

[yorksrob]

Ramsgate and Margate are fine station buildings which mark an impressive gateway to their towns. The old Hastings used to be as well.

 

[bramling]

Ramsgate and Margate are fine station buildings which mark an impressive gateway to their towns. The old Hastings used to be as well.

The only problem with Hastings was (and I’d imagine still is - I’ve not been out there for a while) the string of beggars encountered between station and sea front!

 

[yorksrob]

The only problem with Hastings was (and I’d imagine still is - I’ve not been out there for a while) the string of beggars encountered between station and sea front!

Ah well, I've always had a soft sport for the place - not noticed the beggars - no doubt they are, but the town reminds me of youthfull thumper rides and days out before it became quite so down at heel !

 

[johnnychips]

This is the problem that the other thread got confused with: the idea is that an inspiring station reflects an inspiring town or city. With respect to @61653 HTAFC , if you vaguely pass through the shopping centre and turn left and see the Mansion House and the market, Doncaster looks a great place. If you went the other way, there are nondescript streets with a lot of boarded-up shops like everywhere else!

 

[farleigh]

Ah well, I've always had a soft sport for the place - not noticed the beggars - no doubt they are, but the town reminds me of youthfull thumper rides and days out before it became quite so down at heel !

Hastings has been transformed since the nineties. the town centre is still a bit grotty but the Old Town & St Leonards are now very smart

 

[urbophile]

Liverpool Lime Street – ho hum! If you leave by the exit immediately opposite the London platforms and look ahead and slightly to your right, you will see one of the finest and certainly biggest Neo-classical buildings in Europe, with just beyond an almost equally impressive array of art gallery, library and museum. You could plot a walking route to the Pier Head which would leave you in no doubt that this was the second city of the Empire. On the other hand, if you turn left down the (otherwise well-designed and constructed) ramp you will be faced with the blandest in-your-face example of late twentieth century shopping mall, of a decidedly tacky and down-market variety. You then have a choice (if you are heading for the Merseyrail trains at Central) of continuing down another, and dingier, ramp to a featureless pedestrian 'square' with poor quality paving and cheap shops; or trying to avert your eyes and ears from the raucous 'singing' and shouting from the various seedy karaoke bars (Wetherspoons is by far the classiest), while avoiding puddles and uneven paving stones. And it's only a five minute walk, which you can avoid by taking the Wirral Line for one stop, maybe the shortest journey between stations anywhere except from Charing Cross to Embankment in London, which I doubt anyone ever does.

 

[yorksrob]

Hastings has been transformed since the nineties. the town centre is still a bit grotty but the Old Town & St Leonards are now very smart

Just a shame they don't have the grand old station anymore !

 

[Timmyd]

Crystal Palace - a wonderful piece of exuberant architecture fitting for the surroundings and the area’s interesting history

 

[Tomos y Tanc]

The only problem with Hastings was (and I’d imagine still is - I’ve not been out there for a while) the string of beggars encountered between station and sea front!

Show me a station without beggars and I'll show you a station without trains or passengers.

 

[Western 52]

How about Great Malvern? Lovely station building and a nice town too.

 

[Class360/1]

Has to be Norwich- a grand, beautiful station building with lots of colourful plants. Reflects the city pretty well

 

[Skie]

Water Street exit of James Street.

With its sister station on the other side of the river, Hamilton Square, it’s the joint oldest deep level underground station on the planet and still has some original features on the rarely used platform 2. If you avoid the lifts you can walk along the original and nicely restored ramp up to Water Street. You emerge under India Buildings, itself a listed building and Water Street itself has a large collection of grand listed buildings.

https://twitter.com/merseyrail/status/831552007068590080?s=21

 

[greyman42]

Show me a station without beggars and I'll show you a station without trains or passengers.

Do you mean on the station property?

Huddersfield has a nice exit but the town centre seems to have become a bit shabby.

 

[Djgr]

Water Street exit of James Street.

With its sister station on the other side of the river, Hamilton Square, it’s the joint oldest deep level underground station on the planet and still has some original features on the rarely used platform 2. If you avoid the lifts you can walk along the original and nicely restored ramp up to Water Street. You emerge under India Buildings, itself a listed building and Water Street itself has a large collection of grand listed buildings.

https://twitter.com/merseyrail/status/831552007068590080?s=21

Of course it's a lot more enjoyable using it as an entrance, given its steep and long slope!

 

[WesternBiker]

Just a shame they don't have the grand old station anymore !

I agree totally: with a sensitive restoration Hastings could have been quite something. Now it looks like an out-of-town shopping development.

 

[yorksrob]

I agree totally: with a sensitive restoration Hastings could have been quite something. Now it looks like an out-of-town shopping development.

Apparently it had some quite impressive murals in SR days as well.

 

[TechDan2002]

Penmere Station is by far the best presented on the Falmouth branch line, shame about the steep uphill to get to Falmouth from it though