Hopton Heath railway station
Encyclopedia
Hopton Heath railway station is a railway station (though in present times is more akin to a halt) in Hopton Heath
, a hamlet in Shropshire
, England
. It lies on the Heart of Wales Line
, 25½ miles (41km) south west of Shrewsbury
.
The station is situated in a very rural area; the nearest sizeable settlement is Hopton Castle
and further afield are the larger villages of Clungunford
and Leintwardine
(the latter in Herefordshire
). The station is, according to recent years' figures, the least used National Rail station in Shropshire.
The railway station is located below street level, to the south of the B4385 road bridge. The original station building is now private houses. Originally having two tracks running through, one has been lifted with the "singling" of the line in general. The station has two platform
s: the original, but now disused, Shrewsbury-bound platform extends entirely to the south of the bridge; the remaining passenger platform (originally for Swansea-bound trains, but now used for all trains) extends under the bridge, though at present only the part to the south is usually used by passengers.
Access to the platform is via steps from the road bridge or alternatively via a level footpath (which cycles
are also allowed to use) which runs south from the station to the "Ashlea Pools" holiday park entrance.
, whereby passengers have to signal to the driver to board or alight from the train.
All trains serving the station are operated by Arriva Trains Wales
.
service (the Arriva
738/740) runs by the station, which travels between Ludlow
and Knighton and calls at the nearby villages of Bedstone
, Clungunford and Leintwardine.
Hopton Heath
Hopton Heath, or Hoptonheath, is a hamlet in Shropshire, England. The border with Herefordshire is close by. It lies on the border of the civil parishes of Clungunford and Hopton Castle....
, a hamlet in Shropshire
Shropshire
Shropshire is a 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. It borders Wales to the west...
, 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 lies on the Heart of Wales Line
Heart of Wales Line
The Heart of Wales Line is a railway line running from Craven Arms in Shropshire to Llanelli in South Wales. It runs, as the name suggests, through some of the heartlands of Wales. It serves a number of rural centres en route, including several once fashionable spa towns, including Llandrindod Wells...
, 25½ miles (41km) south west of Shrewsbury
Shrewsbury railway station
Shrewsbury railway station is the railway station serving Shrewsbury, county town of Shropshire, England. It is the only remaining railway station in the town; Shrewsbury Abbey, as well as other small stations around the town, having long closed. The station was built in 1848 and has been extended...
.
The station is situated in a very rural area; the nearest sizeable settlement is Hopton Castle
Hopton Castle
Hopton Castle is a small village and civil parish in Shropshire, England.The village grew up near to the keep of Hopton Castle, which was opened as a visitor attraction in 2011. Nearby is the hamlet of Hopton Heath, with its small station on the Heart of Wales Line...
and further afield are the larger villages of Clungunford
Clungunford
Clungunford is a village and civil parish in Shropshire, England, located near the border with Herefordshire.The name comes from the fact that this part of the Clun area was owned by the Saxon Lord Gunward and so was called "Clun Gunward". The River Clun here was forded and the name became...
and Leintwardine
Leintwardine
Leintwardine is a large village and civil parish in north Herefordshire, England, close to the border with Shropshire.- Roman Leintwardine :...
(the latter in Herefordshire
Herefordshire
Herefordshire is a historic and ceremonial county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire" NUTS 2 region. It also forms a unitary district known as the...
). The station is, according to recent years' figures, the least used National Rail station in Shropshire.
The railway station is located below street level, to the south of the B4385 road bridge. The original station building is now private houses. Originally having two tracks running through, one has been lifted with the "singling" of the line in general. The station has two platform
Railway platform
A railway platform is a section of pathway, alongside rail tracks at a train station, metro station or tram stop, at which passengers may board or alight from trains or trams. Almost all stations for rail transport have some form of platforms, with larger stations having multiple platforms...
s: the original, but now disused, Shrewsbury-bound platform extends entirely to the south of the bridge; the remaining passenger platform (originally for Swansea-bound trains, but now used for all trains) extends under the bridge, though at present only the part to the south is usually used by passengers.
Access to the platform is via steps from the road bridge or alternatively via a level footpath (which cycles
Bicycle
A bicycle, also known as a bike, pushbike or cycle, is a human-powered, pedal-driven, single-track vehicle, having two wheels attached to a frame, one behind the other. A person who rides a bicycle is called a cyclist, or bicyclist....
are also allowed to use) which runs south from the station to the "Ashlea Pools" holiday park entrance.
Services
There are four trains a day in each direction from Monday to Saturday, and two services on Sundays. This is a request stopRequest stop
In public transport, a request stop or flag stop describes a stopping point at which trains or buses stop only on an as-need or request basis; that is, only if there are passengers to be picked up or dropped off. In this way, infrequently used stopping points can be served efficiently.Trains save...
, whereby passengers have to signal to the driver to board or alight from the train.
All trains serving the station are operated by Arriva Trains Wales
Arriva Trains Wales
Arriva Trains Wales is a train operating company, owned by Arriva, that operates urban and inter urban passenger services in Wales and the Welsh Marches...
.
Bus service
A local busBus
A bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. Buses can have a capacity as high as 300 passengers. The most common type of bus is the single-decker bus, with larger loads carried by double-decker buses and articulated buses, and smaller loads carried by midibuses and minibuses; coaches are...
service (the Arriva
Arriva
Arriva plc is a multinational public transport company owned by Deutsche Bahn and headquartered in Sunderland, United Kingdom. It has bus, coach, train, tram and waterbus operations in 12 countries across Europe, employs more than 47,500 people and services over 1.5 billion passenger journeys each...
738/740) runs by the station, which travels between Ludlow
Ludlow
Ludlow is a market town in Shropshire, England close to the Welsh border and in the Welsh Marches. It lies within a bend of the River Teme, on its eastern bank, forming an area of and centred on a small hill. Atop this hill is the site of Ludlow Castle and the market place...
and Knighton and calls at the nearby villages of Bedstone
Bedstone
Bedstone is a small village and civil parish in Shropshire, England, close to the borders of Herefordshire and Wales.The village is approximately 1½ miles from the railway stations at Hopton Heath and Bucknell and is situated just off the B4367 road.- Norman Origin :Its church dates back to...
, Clungunford and Leintwardine.