Hawes railway station
Encyclopedia
Hawes railway station is a disused railway station that served the town of Hawes
in North Yorkshire
, England
. It was closed in 1959 and now forms part of the Dales Countryside Museum
.
(MR) as the terminus of their 6 miles (9.7 km) branch line from Hawes Junction
. The MR branch made an end-on junction here with the North Eastern Railway
(NER) line from Northallerton
via Bedale
which had been opened as far as Leyburn
by 1856 and then extended onwards to Hawes in the summer of 1878. Although the station belonged to the Midland, the NER (and later the LNER) operated most of the passenger services from there — the MR section being worked as an extension of the service to/from Northallerton. The only exception to this was a single daily return service between Hawes and Hellifield
that for much of its life was known by the somewhat unusual nickname of Bonnyface.
The NER section of the line lost its passenger service in April 1954, but the station retained a nominal service of one train each way from Hawes Junction (by now renamed Garsdale) until final closure to passengers on 16 March 1959. Goods traffic from the Leyburn direction continued until complete closure in April 1964, after which the track was lifted and the buildings left to fall into disrepair. However after many years of disuse, the site was purchased by the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority and converted into a museum and tourist information centre in the early 1990s, a role it continues to fulfil to this day. As part of this scheme, the station buildings and platforms were refurbished, a short length of track relaid and a preserved NER tank locomotive and a pair of ex-BR Mark 1 coaches installed as a static exhibit (as can be seen from the accompanying photo).
Although isolated from the national rail network for over fifty-five years, the Wensleydale Railway
hopes to one day eventually rebuild, re-instate and re-open the currently abandoned and derelict section of line between Redmire
and Garsdale
(thus would involve restoring the station to its former glory and active use).
However the train with three carriages whom currently reside in the platform whole would have to be removed and be placed in a new-built siding out of harms way as the project would involve re-instating the entire station to its good old use for future generations to come.
Hawes
Hawes is a small market town and civil parish in the Richmondshire district of North Yorkshire, England, being granted its market charter in 1699...
in North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire is a non-metropolitan or shire county located in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England, and a ceremonial county primarily in that region but partly in North East England. Created in 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972 it covers an area of , making it the largest...
, 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 closed in 1959 and now forms part of the Dales Countryside Museum
Dales Countryside Museum
The Dales Countryside Museum is a local museum for the Yorkshire Dales National Park in Northern England. Run by the National Park Authority, it is located in the disused Hawes railway station in the small town of Hawes at the head of Wensleydale...
.
History
The station was opened in October 1878 by the Midland RailwayMidland Railway
The Midland Railway was a railway company in the United Kingdom from 1844 to 1922, when it became part of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway....
(MR) as the terminus of their 6 miles (9.7 km) branch line from Hawes Junction
Garsdale railway station
Garsdale railway station is a railway station which serves the immediate hamlet of Garsdale Head, Cumbria, England, together with the valley of Garsdale and the nearby towns of Sedbergh, Cumbria and Hawes, North Yorkshire...
. The MR branch made an end-on junction here with the North Eastern Railway
North Eastern Railway (UK)
The North Eastern Railway , was an English railway company. It was incorporated in 1854, when four existing companies were combined, and was absorbed into the London and North Eastern Railway at the Grouping in 1923...
(NER) line from Northallerton
Northallerton railway station
Northallerton railway station serves the town of Northallerton in North Yorkshire, England. The station lies on the East Coast Main Line north of York...
via Bedale
Bedale railway station
Bedale railway station is on the Wensleydale Railway and serves the town of Bedale in North Yorkshire, England.First opened by the Bedale and Leyburn Railway in November 1855, the station very nearly did not get built at all as the initial plans for the Leeming to Leyburn route would have...
which had been opened as far as Leyburn
Leyburn railway station
Leyburn railway station is on the Wensleydale Railway and serves the town of Leyburn in North Yorkshire, England. During the summer months it is served by at least three trains per day; at other times of the year the service is mainly at weekends and public holidays.The Leyburn branch of the...
by 1856 and then extended onwards to Hawes in the summer of 1878. Although the station belonged to the Midland, the NER (and later the LNER) operated most of the passenger services from there — the MR section being worked as an extension of the service to/from Northallerton. The only exception to this was a single daily return service between Hawes and Hellifield
Hellifield railway station
Hellifield railway station serves the village of Hellifield in North Yorkshire, England.The station is north west of Leeds on the Leeds to Morecambe Line towards Carlisle and Morecambe. The Ribble Valley Line from Blackburn also meets the Leeds to Morecambe Line at Hellifield which is managed by...
that for much of its life was known by the somewhat unusual nickname of Bonnyface.
The NER section of the line lost its passenger service in April 1954, but the station retained a nominal service of one train each way from Hawes Junction (by now renamed Garsdale) until final closure to passengers on 16 March 1959. Goods traffic from the Leyburn direction continued until complete closure in April 1964, after which the track was lifted and the buildings left to fall into disrepair. However after many years of disuse, the site was purchased by the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority and converted into a museum and tourist information centre in the early 1990s, a role it continues to fulfil to this day. As part of this scheme, the station buildings and platforms were refurbished, a short length of track relaid and a preserved NER tank locomotive and a pair of ex-BR Mark 1 coaches installed as a static exhibit (as can be seen from the accompanying photo).
Although isolated from the national rail network for over fifty-five years, the Wensleydale Railway
Wensleydale Railway
The Wensleydale Railway is a railway line in Wensleydale and Lower Swaledale in North Yorkshire, England and the name of the company that operates services on the line....
hopes to one day eventually rebuild, re-instate and re-open the currently abandoned and derelict section of line between Redmire
Redmire railway station
Redmire railway station is the current western terminus of the Wensleydale Railway and serves the village of Redmire in North Yorkshire, England. The site was redeveloped in the early 1990s by the Ministry of Defence to allow movement of military equipment by rail to and from Catterick Garrison,...
and Garsdale
Garsdale railway station
Garsdale railway station is a railway station which serves the immediate hamlet of Garsdale Head, Cumbria, England, together with the valley of Garsdale and the nearby towns of Sedbergh, Cumbria and Hawes, North Yorkshire...
(thus would involve restoring the station to its former glory and active use).
However the train with three carriages whom currently reside in the platform whole would have to be removed and be placed in a new-built siding out of harms way as the project would involve re-instating the entire station to its good old use for future generations to come.