Lewiefield Halt railway station
Encyclopedia
Lewiefield Halt was a wooden-built halt that served the hamlet of Lewie, and a Ministry of Labour training camp, in Northumberland
, England.
which linked the Newcastle and Carlisle Railway
, near Hexham
, with the Border Union Railway
at Riccarton Junction
. The first section of the route was opened between Hexham
and Chollerford
in 1858, the remainder opening in 1862. The line was closed to passengers by British Railways in 1956. Part of the line is now beneath the surface of Kielder Water
.
The halt was constructed primarily to serve a Ministry of Labour
training camp built on Forestry Commission
land nearby. The halt remained busy during the Second World War when the local camp was used to first house conscientious objectors, then refugees. After the war traffic to the halt was limited and it closed in 1953. Only an overgrown platform remains of the halt today.
Former services
Northumberland
Northumberland is the northernmost ceremonial county and a unitary district in North East England. For Eurostat purposes Northumberland is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "Northumberland and Tyne and Wear" NUTS 2 region...
, England.
History
The halt was on the Border Counties RailwayBorder Counties Railway
The Border Counties Railway was a railway line in Northumberland, England, with a small section in Roxburghshire, in the Borders region of Scotland. The railway was incorporated in 1854; and was absorbed by the North British Railway on 13 August 1860...
which linked the Newcastle and Carlisle Railway
Newcastle and Carlisle Railway
The Newcastle and Carlisle Railway, occasionally referred to as the Tyne Valley Line, is a railway line in northern England. The line was built in the 1830s, and links the city of Newcastle upon Tyne in Tyne and Wear with in Cumbria. Formal opening took place on 18 June 1838.The line follows the...
, near Hexham
Hexham
Hexham is a market town and civil parish in Northumberland, England, located south of the River Tyne, and was the administrative centre for the Tynedale district from 1974 to 2009. The three major towns in Tynedale were Hexham, Prudhoe and Haltwhistle, although in terms of population, Prudhoe was...
, with the Border Union Railway
Border Union Railway
The Border Union Railway was a railway line in south of Scotland. It was authorised on 21 July 1859 and advertised as the Waverley Route by the promoters - the North British Railway...
at Riccarton Junction
Riccarton Junction railway station
Riccarton Junction, in the county of Roxburghshire in the Scottish Borders, was a railway village and station. In its heyday it had 118 residents and its own school, post office and grocery store...
. The first section of the route was opened between Hexham
Hexham
Hexham is a market town and civil parish in Northumberland, England, located south of the River Tyne, and was the administrative centre for the Tynedale district from 1974 to 2009. The three major towns in Tynedale were Hexham, Prudhoe and Haltwhistle, although in terms of population, Prudhoe was...
and Chollerford
Chollerford
Chollerford is a village in Northumberland, England. It is situated approximately four miles to the north of Hexham on the B6318 road, not far from Hadrian's Wall. There is a roundabout in the village where the B6318 and B6320 roads meet, and the traffic light-controlled Chollerford Bridge...
in 1858, the remainder opening in 1862. The line was closed to passengers by British Railways in 1956. Part of the line is now beneath the surface of Kielder Water
Kielder Water
Kielder Water is a large artificial reservoir in Northumberland in North East England. It is the largest artificial lake in the United Kingdom by capacity and it is surrounded by Kielder Forest, the largest human-made woodland in Europe. It was planned in the late 1960s to satisfy an expected rise...
.
The halt was constructed primarily to serve a Ministry of Labour
Ministry of Labour
The Ministry of Labour was a British civil service department established by the New Ministries and Secretaries Act 1916. It was renamed the Employment Department in 1988, and finally abolished in 1995...
training camp built on Forestry Commission
Forestry Commission
The Forestry Commission is a non-ministerial government department responsible for forestry in Great Britain. Its mission is to protect and expand Britain's forests and woodlands and increase their value to society and the environment....
land nearby. The halt remained busy during the Second World War when the local camp was used to first house conscientious objectors, then refugees. After the war traffic to the halt was limited and it closed in 1953. Only an overgrown platform remains of the halt today.