Stations that don't contain the name of a settlement, particularly termini

[Elecman]

I suppose I could concede to "Sandwell and Dudley Parkway", i.e. it being aimed at the wider area for longer distance trips. Does it have a car park though?

Sandwell has 2 car parks

 

[Bevan Price]

It's not really about rail knowledge though is it? The former is a large(ish) city and regional centre; the latter (where admittedly I've never been) is a much smaller town with only local signficance. I would bet that more people in Manchester know where Newcastle on Tyne is than the other. Though you'd have thought that the railway would give it its full name.


I used to live in Kirkby (within ten minutes walk of Headbolt Lane) and hardly knew of its existence. I'd have had to look and at A to Z to find it. If they did insist on calling it after a thoroughfare rather than a locality, County Road would have been almost equally appropriate and better known.

Tower Hill and/or Northwood might be better names for Headbolt Lane station, as it lies between those two suburbs of Kirkby.
Old maps show a Headbolt Smithy at the North Eastern end of Headbolt Lane, but no indication of any village or hamlet called Headbolt.
I suppose that in the past, head bolts may have been made at a smithy.

 

[Rescars]

Is there much of a settlement at Devils Bridge? There wasn't much of one at Devils Dyke.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Freshfield was so named because the L&YR built the station for the convenience of the local landowner Thomas Fresh.

Ben Rhydding was named for the local hydropathic hotel and the name subsequently attached itself to that end of Ilkley.

As far as termini are concerned, how about Windermere? There’s no settlement called Windermere and the station is in Bowness-on-Windermere.

It's not in Bowness. It's in the settlement called Windermere which used to be called something else but ended up renamed after the station which itself was named after the lake!

 

[Rescars]

The Mound (the other end of the Dornoch branch) could be almost anywhere.

 

[gingertom]

Dunrobin castle?

 

[John Griffiths]

Ryde Pier Head. Terminus, not a settlement, not in Ryde.

 

[gingertom]

I wonder if Gleneagles qualifies. The station serves the hotel of the same name, which is situated at the north end of Glen Eagles; no settlement of that name, just an old tollbooth.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Fairly sure <Place> Harbour/Airport/Parkway has been ruled out.

Though "Worcestershire Parkway" is somewhat vague... counties are usually quite big and aren't settlements in and of themselves

 

[William3000]

Moorgate is an area of London but interesting that it’s the only terminus without a ‘London’ prefix’.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

It's not in Bowness. It's in the settlement called Windermere which used to be called something else but ended up renamed after the station which itself was named after the lake!

The area near to where Windermere station is located was once known as 'Birthwaite'.

 

[zwk500]

Though "Worcestershire Parkway" is somewhat vague... counties are usually quite big and aren't settlements in and of themselves

Its an interesting question - are there any other stations named for the county? excluding stations that include the county as a clarifier, so no Ashford (Midx).

 

[Ken H]

Its an interesting question - are there any other stations named for the county? excluding stations that include the county as a clarifier, so no Ashford (Midx).

Durham?

 

[THC]

Fair enough. Some people would say there is no place called Londonderry. I would disagree with them and advise them to consult the Letters Patent, but there we are.

The only city with six silent letters at the start of its name.

THC

 

[Gathursty]

Hall Road is a road on the fringes of Crosby/Blundellsands.
Georgemas Junction - I don't recall seeing much more than a house near the station so I doubt there's such a place called Georgemas.
Because Lane's been mentioned. Not sure if New Lane has.
Chassen Road is in Flixton.
I'm not sure if Moses Gate is an actual settlement distinct from Farnworth.

 

[Ken H]

Verney Junction. Named after Sir Harry Verney. Said to be so named because there was nithing else nearby to name it after.

 

[John Luxton]

Dduallt on the Ffestiniog. No settlement just the unused station house which I think is a bat sanctuary now and an old barn on the hill above the deviation.

 

[zwk500]

There are a number of stations named for Grand Country Residences rather than settlement (e.g. Sheffield Park on the Bluebell), would these count even if a settlement has since grown up around them to take the name?

 

[D365]

Could all the airport stations count? Most of them aren't in the settlement the airport is named after. There's too many to go listing them all.

Stansted does contain the name of a settlement, though.

 

[Rescars]

Although not a terminus, Gatehouse of Fleet Station was so distant from Gatehouse that it was opened as Dromore, named after the adjacent uninhabited hills. However, as Gatehouse was the closest settlement, the station was renamed after the town. But being over 5 miles away, the new name was rather misleading. IIRC the name was flipped at least five times before the station was finally closed.

 

[zwk500]

Durham?

Named for the City, not the County.

 

[Fleetmaster]

Tyne and Wear Metro:

* Central Station
* Monument (terminus)
* Airport (terminus)
* St James (terminus)
* University

I only mention it because perhaps some people don't understand that the Metro covers an entire region, linking two cities and spanning multiple metropolitan boroughs, so not using geographic qualifiers for these places seems unwise at best, and a deliberate act of one upmanship at worst.

Central Station is perhaps a fair if cruel reminder to all within the region that there's only one rail terminus worthy of the name.

There is only one airport in Tyne and Wear, but there are definitely two airports in the North East region, potentially confusing outsiders if not insiders.

Monument is a very bizarre choice of terminal name, with Sunderland residents in particular forced to picture their relative position to a famous monument in Newcastle city centre, when from their perspective, there is a much more famous monument in their neck of the woods, Penshaw. Not everyone will know that It's nowhere near the Metro.

St James (home stadium of Newcastle United F.C., slap bang in the city centre) of course must rankle Sunderland fans for the same reasons as Monument, but they at least get their own stadium stop with their marketing name, Stadium of Light. Both names must annoy Gateshead residents, who are forced to ensure having their stadium stop qualified as "Gateshead Stadium", despite being a small but internationally recognised venue, literally one stop along from "Gateshead".

Sunderland also gets a minor win via "University", even though the region has multiple universities.

 

[plugwash]

Moorgate is an area of London but interesting that it’s the only terminus without a ‘London’ prefix’.

Perhaps to do with the fact that it was built by "underground" companies rather than mainline companies, I think it's probablly the only terminus with more London Underground platforms than national rail platforms.

 

[Meerkat]

I only mention it because perhaps some people don't understand that the Metro covers an entire region, linking two cities and spanning multiple metropolitan boroughs, so not using geographic qualifiers for these places seems unwise at best, and a deliberate act of one upmanship at worst.

Its a metro system - you look up where the nearest stations are to your departure point and destination.

There is only one airport in Tyne and Wear, but there are definitely two airports in the North East region, potentially confusing outsiders if not insiders.

I really can't see someone getting on the Metro in Newcastle thinking it went to Teeside airport!

Moorgate is an area of London but interesting that it’s the only terminus without a ‘London’ prefix’.

Its a local terminal, for local people.

 

[steamybrian]

Christs Hospital was named after the public school. No settlement as such although houses near the station mayhave adopted the name.

Swale is named after the river estuary.

Doleham is named after the nearby farm although the few houses nearby may have adopted the name.

Dovey Junction is named after the river. (no settlement)

 

[Fleetmaster]

Its a metro system - you look up where the nearest stations are to your departure point and destination.

I really can't see someone getting on the Metro in Newcastle thinking it went to Teeside airport!

You assume too much I think.

It takes only 50 minutes to drive from Sunderland city centre to Teeside Airport, three minutes less than it takes to get from Sunderland Metro to their "Airport". That would no doubt confuse even some locals, let alone complete outsiders, since in real terms, as the crow flies, Teeside Airport is over twice the distance away from Sunderland.

Similarly, a student not familiar with the region, boarding at Newcastle "Airport", is probably going to have no idea that it should only take ~20 odd minutes to get to the stop nearest Newcastle University, rather than the ~50 minutes it would take to get to "University".

 

[Meerkat]

You assume too much I think.

It takes only 50 minutes to drive from Sunderland city centre to Teeside Airport, three minutes less than it takes to get from Sunderland Metro to their "Airport". That would no doubt confuse even some locals, let alone complete outsiders, since in real terms, as the crow flies, Teeside Airport is over twice the distance away from Sunderland.

Similarly, a student not familiar with the region, boarding at Newcastle "Airport", is probably going to have no idea that it should only take ~20 odd minutes to get to the stop nearest Newcastle University, rather than the ~50 minutes it would take to get to "University".

Tyneside v Teesside - just can't see anyone getting mixed up. If they don't know then they are going to use Google/journey planner and are going to need to specify which airport.
A student is the most likely to know that there are loads of universities! And very likely to use Google/journey planner. Good chance they have near zero geographical awareness and are using google/satnav to get everywhere.

 

[Topological]

Its an interesting question - are there any other stations named for the county? excluding stations that include the county as a clarifier, so no Ashford (Midx).

East Midlands Parkway (albeit that is a region comprising multiple counties)

Apologies if East Midlands Parkway appeared previously in the thread.

I appreciate there is East Midlands Airport nearby, but they are certainly not the same place and you would not want to walk between the station and the airport. I also cannot think of a train which serves East Midlands Parkway where you would actually want to get off when visiting the East Midlands.

 

[WizCastro197]

. I also cannot think of a train which serves East Midlands Parkway where you would actually want to get off when visiting the East Midlands.

Leicester, Nottingham, Lincoln, Derby? Some people get off for the airport bus.

 

[Topological]

Leicester, Nottingham, Lincoln, Derby? Some people get off for the airport bus.

But if you were visiting any one of those cities you would stay on the train to take you there (or have missed the stop), you would not get off the train to visit any of them

I realise there may be an itinerary where someone comes from the south on a train bound for Derby but change for one going to Nottingham (or vice versa), but not many cases I do not think.

Even then East Midlands Parkway is not the destination for most people visiting the East Midlands.