Alton railway station, Staffordshire
Encyclopedia
Alton Towers railway station is a disused railway station in the village of Alton
, Staffordshire
, England
.
The station was a stop on the North Staffordshire Railway
's Churnet Valley Line
from Macclesfield
to Uttoxeter
.
style. It was used by the Earl of Shrewsbury
who had a luggage lift installed to hoist his baggage up to Alton Towers
, his gothic revival residence which is situated at the top of nearby Bunbury Hill. The station also comprised a three-storey tower which contained the Earl's suite of waiting rooms and its platform was particularly long to satisfy the Earl's desire to have impressive surroundings in which to receive his guests.
It became part of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway
during the Grouping
of 1923. The station then passed on to the London Midland Region of British Railways
on nationalisation in 1948, The station was renamed "Alton Towers" in recognition of its previous service to the Alton Towers estate in 1954, only to be closed ten years later by the British Transport Commission
.
, which converted the stationmaster's house into holiday accommodation, opening in 1972 In 2008 the Landmark Trust converted the waiting-room to provide additional accommodation space. The buildings are occasionally open to the public as part of an "Open Day" scheme run by the Trust.
Alton, Staffordshire
Alton is a village in the county of Staffordshire, England. It is noted for the theme park Alton Towers, built around the site of Alton Mansion , which was owned by the Earls of Shrewsbury and designed by Augustus Pugin....
, Staffordshire
Staffordshire
Staffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...
, 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...
.
The station was a stop on the North Staffordshire Railway
North Staffordshire Railway
The North Staffordshire Railway was a British railway company formed in 1845 to promote a number of lines in the Staffordshire Potteries and surrounding areas in Staffordshire, Cheshire, Derbyshire and Shropshire....
's Churnet Valley Line
Churnet Valley Line
The Churnet Valley line was one of the three original routes planned and built by the North Staffordshire Railway. Authorised in 1846, the line opened in 1849 and ran from in Cheshire to in East Staffordshire...
from Macclesfield
Macclesfield
Macclesfield is a market town within the unitary authority of Cheshire East, the county palatine of Chester, also known as the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. The population of the Macclesfield urban sub-area at the time of the 2001 census was 50,688...
to Uttoxeter
Uttoxeter
Uttoxeter is a historic market town in Staffordshire, in the West Midlands region of England. The current population is approximately 13,711, though new developments in the town will increase this figure. Uttoxeter lies close to the River Dove and is near the cities of Stoke-on-Trent, Derby and...
.
History
Alton station opened on 13 July 1849 and was built in an Italianate villaVilla
A villa was originally an ancient Roman upper-class country house. Since its origins in the Roman villa, the idea and function of a villa have evolved considerably. After the fall of the Roman Republic, villas became small farming compounds, which were increasingly fortified in Late Antiquity,...
style. It was used by the Earl of Shrewsbury
Charles Chetwynd-Talbot, 19th Earl of Shrewsbury
Charles John Chetwynd-Talbot, 19th Earl of Shrewsbury, 19th Earl of Waterford, 4th Earl Talbot, PC , styled Viscount Ingestre between 1849 and 1868, was a British Conservative politician...
who had a luggage lift installed to hoist his baggage up to Alton Towers
Alton Towers
Alton Towers is a theme park and resort located in Staffordshire, England. It attracts around 2.7 million visitors per year making it the most visited theme park in the United Kingdom. Alton Towers is also the 9th most visited theme park in Europe...
, his gothic revival residence which is situated at the top of nearby Bunbury Hill. The station also comprised a three-storey tower which contained the Earl's suite of waiting rooms and its platform was particularly long to satisfy the Earl's desire to have impressive surroundings in which to receive his guests.
It became part of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway
London, Midland and Scottish Railway
The London Midland and Scottish Railway was a British railway company. It was formed on 1 January 1923 under the Railways Act of 1921, which required the grouping of over 120 separate railway companies into just four...
during the Grouping
Railways Act 1921
The Railways Act 1921, also known as the Grouping Act, was an enactment by the British government of David Lloyd George intended to stem the losses being made by many of the country's 120 railway companies, move the railways away from internal competition, and to retain some of the benefits which...
of 1923. The station then passed on to the London Midland Region of British Railways
London Midland Region of British Railways
The London Midland Region was one of the six regions created on the formation of the nationalised British Railways and consisted of ex-London, Midland and Scottish Railway lines in England and Wales. The region was managed first from buildings adjacent to Euston Station and later from Stanier...
on nationalisation in 1948, The station was renamed "Alton Towers" in recognition of its previous service to the Alton Towers estate in 1954, only to be closed ten years later by the British Transport Commission
British Transport Commission
The British Transport Commission was created by Clement Attlee's post-war Labour government as a part of its nationalisation programme, to oversee railways, canals and road freight transport in Great Britain...
.
The site today
The station buildings, which are grade II listed, were acquired by the Landmark TrustLandmark Trust
The Landmark Trust is a British building conservation charity, founded in 1965 by Sir John and Lady Smith, that rescues buildings of historic interest or architectural merit and then gives them a new life by making them available for holiday rental...
, which converted the stationmaster's house into holiday accommodation, opening in 1972 In 2008 the Landmark Trust converted the waiting-room to provide additional accommodation space. The buildings are occasionally open to the public as part of an "Open Day" scheme run by the Trust.