Chesterfield Market Place railway station
Encyclopedia
Chesterfield Market Place was a railway station
in the centre of the town of Chesterfield
, England
. It was opened by the Lancashire, Derbyshire and East Coast Railway
in March 1897 and was the headquarters of the line. It was closed by British Rail
ways in 1951 following a collapse of the Bolsover Tunnel. The station possessed four platforms on two islands - 1 & 2, 4 & 5. In the centre, in place of the missing platform 3, was a release line for the locomotives. The adjacent goods depot was, at the time, the largest covered area in the town.
Leaving the station, the line travelled along an embankment 700 feet long at Horns Bridge, which passed, in turn, over the River Hipper
, the Great Central Railway
, the Midland Railway
and the main road. It consisted of four brick arches and four girder spans, 63 feet high. From there, the line climbed at 1 in 100 as far as the first summit at the 501 yard Duckmanton Tunnel, to the station at Arkwright Town
Market Place station was situated on West Bars, adjacent to two old inns; the White Horse and the Bird in Hand. To take advantage of the additional custom generated by the railway, the owners of the White Horse, William Stones
brewery of Sheffield, applied to build a new hotel. This was approved by the licensing magistrates in April 1898.
As the licensing laws of the time prevented a pub from closing down during rebuilding, the new hotel was built in two parts. Building of the first phase commenced on the site of the Bird in Hand which had closed and had recently been demolished, its licence being transferred to the refreshment rooms in Market Place station. When the first part was complete the licence was transferred from the White Horse, along with the landlord, Job Siddall. The second phase was then erected on the site of the White Horse. The hotel, named after the Duke of Portland, on whose estate much of the railway ran, was officially opened Christmas 1899 by the Earl of Rosebery
Archibald Primrose.
Until 1927, the station was also served by Chesterfield Tramway
which ran from Brampton
to Whittington
. A dead end spur was built near the station and was situated on Market Place.
Former Services
Train station
A train station, also called a railroad station or railway station and often shortened to just station,"Station" is commonly understood to mean "train station" unless otherwise qualified. This is evident from dictionary entries e.g...
in the centre of the town of Chesterfield
Chesterfield
Chesterfield is a market town and a borough of Derbyshire, England. It lies north of Derby, on a confluence of the rivers Rother and Hipper. Its population is 70,260 , making it Derbyshire's largest town...
, 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...
. It was opened by the Lancashire, Derbyshire and East Coast Railway
Lancashire, Derbyshire and East Coast Railway
The Lancashire, Derbyshire and East Coast Railway was a British railway company built toward the end of the era of British railway construction. It opened its line from Chesterfield to Lincoln in 1897....
in March 1897 and was the headquarters of the line. It was closed by British Rail
British Rail
British Railways , which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was the operator of most of the rail transport in Great Britain between 1948 and 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the "Big Four" British railway companies and lasted until the gradual privatisation of British Rail, in stages...
ways in 1951 following a collapse of the Bolsover Tunnel. The station possessed four platforms on two islands - 1 & 2, 4 & 5. In the centre, in place of the missing platform 3, was a release line for the locomotives. The adjacent goods depot was, at the time, the largest covered area in the town.
Leaving the station, the line travelled along an embankment 700 feet long at Horns Bridge, which passed, in turn, over the River Hipper
River Hipper
The River Hipper is a tributary of the River Rother in Derbyshire, England. Its source is a large expanse of wetlands, fed by the surrounding moors between Chatsworth and Chesterfield, known as the Hipper Sick on Beeley Moor which is part of the Chatsworth Estate...
, the Great Central Railway
Great Central Railway
The Great Central Railway was a railway company in England which came into being when the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway changed its name in 1897 in anticipation of the opening in 1899 of its London Extension . On 1 January 1923, it was grouped into the London and North Eastern...
, the Midland Railway
Midland Main Line
The Midland Main Line is a major railway route in the United Kingdom, part of the British railway system.The present-day line links London St...
and the main road. It consisted of four brick arches and four girder spans, 63 feet high. From there, the line climbed at 1 in 100 as far as the first summit at the 501 yard Duckmanton Tunnel, to the station at Arkwright Town
Arkwright Town railway station
Arkwright Town railway station is a former railway station in Arkwright Town, Derbyshire.-History:Opened by the Lancashire, Derbyshire and East Coast Railway in March 1897, and joining the Great Central Railway it became part of the London and North Eastern Railway during the Grouping of 1923...
Market Place station was situated on West Bars, adjacent to two old inns; the White Horse and the Bird in Hand. To take advantage of the additional custom generated by the railway, the owners of the White Horse, William Stones
William Stones Ltd
Stones Brewery was a brewery founded in 1868 by William Stones in Sheffield, West Riding of Yorkshire, England, and purchased by Bass in 1968 before closing in 1999. Its most famous brand, Stones Bitter, is owned by the Molson Coors Brewing Company who continue to market it.William Stones had...
brewery of Sheffield, applied to build a new hotel. This was approved by the licensing magistrates in April 1898.
As the licensing laws of the time prevented a pub from closing down during rebuilding, the new hotel was built in two parts. Building of the first phase commenced on the site of the Bird in Hand which had closed and had recently been demolished, its licence being transferred to the refreshment rooms in Market Place station. When the first part was complete the licence was transferred from the White Horse, along with the landlord, Job Siddall. The second phase was then erected on the site of the White Horse. The hotel, named after the Duke of Portland, on whose estate much of the railway ran, was officially opened Christmas 1899 by the Earl of Rosebery
Archibald Primrose, 5th Earl of Rosebery
Archibald Philip Primrose, 5th Earl of Rosebery, KG, PC was a British Liberal statesman and Prime Minister. Between the death of his father, in 1851, and the death of his grandfather, the 4th Earl, in 1868, he was known by the courtesy title of Lord Dalmeny.Rosebery was a Liberal Imperialist who...
Archibald Primrose.
Until 1927, the station was also served by Chesterfield Tramway
Chesterfield Tramway
The Chesterfield and District Tramways Company was a tramway system in the Derbyshire town of Chesterfield.The company was formed in 1879 and began operations in 1882. Due to not achieving a measure of solvency, the company took on debts of £500 and went into liquidation.The Chesterfield Tramways...
which ran from Brampton
Brampton, Derbyshire
Brampton is an area of Chesterfield, Derbyshire. Originally a village separate from the town, it became absorbed into it over time due to urban sprawl.- Entertainment :...
to Whittington
Old Whittington
Old Whittington is a village in Derbyshire and north of Chesterfield and is/ south-east of Sheffield. The village lies on the River Rother....
. A dead end spur was built near the station and was situated on Market Place.
See also
Chesterfield was, at one time, served by three railway stations. The other two are- Chesterfield Central StationChesterfield Central railway stationChesterfield Central was a railway station in the town of Chesterfield, Derbyshire.The station was on the Great Central Chesterfield Loop which ran between and Heath Junction on the Great Central Main Line. The station opened in 1892 and was closed in 1963...
(now closed) - Chesterfield Midland StationChesterfield railway stationEntrance to the station is on Crow Lane and includes a car park, taxi rank and bus stop. There is also a small car park on the other side of Crow Lane which does not have a parking charge. The main entrance leads to the station concourse, which is very spacious and was built in the late 1990s. It...
External links
- Photograph from outside Market Place Station
- Photograph from inside Market Place Station looking north towards the town hall
