Trivia: Stations in Villages which serve nearby Towns

[Neo9320]

Not strictly on topic but the issue created by having a station in one place serving a larger settlement is well illustrated by what is now called "Highbridge & Burnham". The sequence of name changes since the closure of the branch to Burnham-on-Sea is almost neurotic. (The Somerset & Dorset Joint branch to Burnham's own station closed to regular passenger services in 1951 and to excursion trains in 1962.)

It was called "Highbridge" until 1962; then "Highbridge for Burnham-on-Sea" - sometimes shown with or without brackets; then back to just "Highbridge" in 1974; and since 1991 "Highbridge & Burnham".

The odd part being that people mainly use it for Burnham being as it’s a holiday destination.

 

[fairysdad]

I've often thought that with a bit of marketing, and an extension to the car park, Umberleigh could be a good railhead for South Molton and the surrounding area. (Although if they extend the car park, they'll probably add parking fees so you might as well go to Barnstaple or Tiverton Parkway instead...)

 

[adc82140]

Hook for Odiham?

Hook is a much bigger settlement than Odiham.

How about Micheldever? It is located in the settlement of Micheldever Station, some distance from Micheldever itself. But I suppose calling it Micheldever Station Station would be a bit silly.

 

[WesternBiker]

I've often thought that with a bit of marketing, and an extension to the car park, Umberleigh could be a good railhead for South Molton and the surrounding area. (Although if they extend the car park, they'll probably add parking fees so you might as well go to Barnstaple or Tiverton Parkway instead...)

I've thought that in the past- but now South Molton is so close to the A361 North Devon link road, Tiverton Parkway is the obvious way of accessing the wider network - it is only 15 minutes more by car than going to Umberleigh. Umberleigh might make sense for Exeter, though.

 

[Western Lord]

Working many years ago with the RAF, I was told of a new recruit who, when asked to nominate the nearest rail station to his home for a rail warrant to be issued, said 'Bergen' (Norway)

He lived in Shetland.

I've always believed that this story originated with Jo Grimond, former Liberal leader and MP for Orkney and Shetland, when filling in some parliamentary travel chit.

 

[D6130]

Hook is a much bigger settlement than Odiham.

Apologies. When my Basingstoke friends picked me up from Hook station a few Sundays ago for a canal walk and pub lunch, we must have gone round the by-pass and not seen much of Hook itself.

 

[adc82140]

Apologies. When my Basingstoke friends picked me up from Hook station a few Sundays ago for a canal walk and pub lunch, we must have gone round the by-pass and not seen much of Hook itself.

Hook Station is towards the edge of town in the Odiham direction so you can be forgiven for thinking that the town is much smaller.

BTW the Water Witch pub in Odiham is great.

 

[D6130]

BTW the Water Witch pub in Odiham is great.

That's where we went! (Sorry - OT, I know, but good pub reccommendations are always welcome in my experience!)

 

[Grecian 1998]

Templecombe station is the nearest to Wincanton.

Overton station is actually in the much smaller Quidhampton.

 

[DeeGee]

Habrough for Immingham has been mentioned. Next one along, Barnetby should really be the station for Brigg unless you're on one of the three trains a week which serve Brigg directly. However, the two-hourly bus service rather requires the casual traveller to go via Scunny instead.

It's also the railhead that the folk of Caistor use on the rare occasions they need to go anywhere, although its a bit of a drive, and no buses are to be had.

 

[faltskog36abba]

Greenfield for the nearby villages of Saddleworth [ Uppermill, Diggle etc. Its also the only Rail station in the Borough of Oldham.

 

[D6130]

Church Fenton for Tadcaster (Ulleskelf is actually slightly closer, but very few trains stop there).

 

[RH Liner]

Habrough for Immingham has been mentioned. Next one along, Barnetby should really be the station for Brigg unless you're on one of the three trains a week which serve Brigg directly. However, the two-hourly bus service rather requires the casual traveller to go via Scunny instead.

It's also the railhead that the folk of Caistor use on the rare occasions they need to go anywhere, although its a bit of a drive, and no buses are to be had.

Is Barnetby also the station for Humberside Airport?

 

[THC]

How about Micheldever? It is located in the settlement of Micheldever Station, some distance from Micheldever itself. But I suppose calling it Micheldever Station Station would be a bit silly.

In the same vein Tring station is in the settlement of Tring Station, about 2km from the eponymous town.

THC

 

[zwk500]

In the same vein Tring station is in the settlement of Tring Station, about 2km from the eponymous town.

THC

There's lots of examples of this, but in most cases the station was built in completely undeveloped land, and the settlement grew up around the station so I think it isn't really what the OP was after

Berwick (Sussex) was the classic one round where I grew up.

 

[Mikey C]

Haddenham and Thame Parkway does fit this, as the station is in Haddenham (a village of 4502 according to Wiki) whereas the larger conurbation is Thame (a town of 11561)

Thame of course used to have its own station, whereas now the Parkway is its nearest station

 

[D6130]

Carstairs for Carnwath?

 

[Kilopylae]

To say that Kings Nympton "serves" South Molton might be pushing it, but I personally knew a family from South Molton who used to drive to Kings Nympton (~10–15 drive if I recall correctly) for trains to Exeter. Though Kings Nympton isn't even in the village of King's Nympton, it's just....Nowhere, Middle Of.

 

[70014IronDuke]

Dent for ...

... Cowgill?

 

[johnnychips]

Is Barnetby also the station for Humberside Airport?

Yes, apparently. I passed through it this morning and it was so signed. Whether there is a bus to connect with the very few flights is a different matter!

 

[PaulLothian]

Uphall station is in the village of Uphall Station, but mostly serves the neighbouring town of Uphall, as well as Broxburn and east Livingston.

 

[Mark24]

Hanborough for Witney; Kingham for Chipping Norton; Radley for Abingdon.

I think Abingdon must be one of the largest towns in the country that isn’t served with its own station.

 

[TheWalrus]

Pewsey for Devizes
Tiverton Parkway for Tiverton
Bodmin Parkway for Bodmin, Padstow, Wadebridge?
Castle Cary for Wells, Shepton Mallett, Glastonbury?
Cam & Dursley for Dursley?
Witham for Maldon?

 

[70014IronDuke]

I think Abingdon must be one of the largest towns in the country that isn’t served with its own station.

is your lead.

I follow with Rushden and Higham Ferrers ....... ok, ostensibly two places, but de facto one location.

I now await a man who writes in red ink with a severe warning ...

 

[snookertam]

Glengarnock for Beith.

Barrhill for Newton Stewart

Tweedbank for Melrose

Lenzie for Kirkintilloch

and....looking to the future:

Reston for Duns and Coldingham

Stretching it a wee bit with Barrhill….

Glengarnock is of more use to residents of Kilbirnie than Beith as well.

 

[D6130]

Stretching it a wee bit with Barrhill….

True....but one day a few years ago when I was travelling back from Stranraer, a family of four joined the train at Barrhill, en route to an event in Glasgow, having driven from Newton Stewart and parked-up at the station. Both the signalman and the guard seemed very surprised that so many people had appeared at Barrhill at the same time....let alone actually boarded the train together!

 

[Starmill]

Cattal for Wetherby

Did you mean for Whixley?

 

[AlastairFraser]

I don't know if it's been mentioned, I had a skim through, but Northallerton station I believe is in the neighbouring village of Romanby.
Aldermaston is Tadley's rail head, except for services South where they would choose Basingstoke or Mortimer.

 

[bramling]

Glengarnock for Beith.

Barrhill for Newton Stewart

Tweedbank for Melrose

Lenzie for Kirkintilloch

and....looking to the future:

Reston for Duns and Coldingham

I was looking at the maps of the Reston area recently, and whilst Reston is slightly nearer to Duns, I can see little benefit in choosing it as a railhead over Berwick. The distance is slightly less, but means coming off the main A-road onto lesser roads, to reach a station with a much sparser service. I can’t see many people using it as a railhead for southbound journeys, nor north at least until the service improves. About the only thing it seems to have going for it is less chance of turning up and not getting a parking space.

 

[skyhigh]

The names on the platform used to read Weeton then underneath in Huby. Is this no longer the case I haven’t been that way in a while?

As far as I can remember that went when the Abellio Northern signs went up. They definitely don't now.