Rowsley railway station
Encyclopedia
Rowsley railway station was opened in 1849 by the Manchester, Buxton, Matlock and Midlands Junction Railway
to serve the village of Rowsley
in Derbyshire
.
at Ambergate
to provide a route from Manchester
to the East Coast. The Midland Railway
bought shares in the line as it saw an opportunity to run through trains to London. The Manchester and Birmingham Railway
, which would provide access from Stockport
to Manchester over its own line, supported the project for the same reason. However in 1846 it merged into the new London and North Western Railway
which was opposed to any competition into London.
The station however had a busy trade with some sixty or seventy thousand visitors to Chatsworth House
each year.
The stalemate lasted until 1862 when the Midland realigned the track and moved the station as it extended the line into Buxton. The original station building, which had been designed by Joseph Paxton
, was used as a goods office until closure in 1967. It still exists within a shopping centre.
The new station was particularly grand, with large first- and third-class facilities and, unusually, in 1891, a subway between the platforms to cater for dignitaries visiting the Duke of Devonshire
.
southwards from the Peak District
and, in particular, coal
northward from the Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Coalfield.
Northwards from Rowsley, the line climbed over 600 feet in fourteen miles to its summit at Peak Forest
with punishing gradients. A large Motive Power Depot
and marshalling yard was opened in 1877 to provide banking engines
and to split trains as necessary. This was not so much due to the lack of powerful engines, but because of the need to limit the strain on wagon couplings. Thus, in theory, a class 8F locomotive could haul 37 wagons, but a banker would still have to be provided. Moreover account had to be taken of the braking capacity on the downhill stretch towards Chinley, such that larger engines were no more capable than the ubiquitous "4Fs".
The Midland Railway became part of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway
during the Grouping
of 1923.
as a heritage railway reaching to its present terminus at a new station at Rowsley South
in 1997. There are plans to rebuild the line from Rowsley South through Rowsley station to Bakewell and beyond.
Manchester, Buxton, Matlock and Midlands Junction Railway
The Manchester, Buxton, Matlock and Midland Junction Railway ran from a junction with the Midland Railway at Ambergate to Rowsley north of Matlock and thence to Buxton....
to serve the village of Rowsley
Rowsley
Rowsley is a village on the A6 road in the English county of Derbyshire.It is at the point where the River Wye flows into the River Derwent and prospered from mills on both.-Overview:...
in Derbyshire
Derbyshire
Derbyshire is a county in the East Midlands of England. A substantial portion of the Peak District National Park lies within Derbyshire. The northern part of Derbyshire overlaps with the Pennines, a famous chain of hills and mountains. The county contains within its boundary of approx...
.
Opening
The original plan for the line was to meet the proposed Ambergate, Nottingham, Boston and Eastern Junction RailwayAmbergate, Nottingham, Boston and Eastern Junction Railway
The Ambergate, Nottingham, Boston and Eastern Junction Railway was an early British railway company, which opened in 1850.The original aim was to link to the proposed Manchester, Buxton, Matlock and Midlands Junction Railway at Ambergate to link Manchester with Boston and the East Coast...
at Ambergate
Ambergate railway station
Ambergate railway station is a railway station owned by Network Rail and managed by East Midlands Trains Train operating company . It serves the village of Ambergate in Derbyshire...
to provide a route from Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
to the East Coast. The Midland Railway
Midland 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....
bought shares in the line as it saw an opportunity to run through trains to London. The Manchester and Birmingham Railway
Manchester and Birmingham Railway
The Manchester and Birmingham Railway was built between Manchester and Crewe and opened in stages from 1840. Between Crewe and Birmingham, trains were worked by the Grand Junction Railway...
, which would provide access from Stockport
Stockport
Stockport is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on elevated ground southeast of Manchester city centre, at the point where the rivers Goyt and Tame join and create the River Mersey. Stockport is the largest settlement in the metropolitan borough of the same name...
to Manchester over its own line, supported the project for the same reason. However in 1846 it merged into the new London and North Western Railway
London and North Western Railway
The London and North Western Railway was a British railway company between 1846 and 1922. It was created by the merger of three companies – the Grand Junction Railway, the London and Birmingham Railway and the Manchester and Birmingham Railway...
which was opposed to any competition into London.
The station however had a busy trade with some sixty or seventy thousand visitors to Chatsworth House
Chatsworth House
Chatsworth House is a stately home in North Derbyshire, England, northeast of Bakewell and west of Chesterfield . It is the seat of the Duke of Devonshire, and has been home to his family, the Cavendish family, since Bess of Hardwick settled at Chatsworth in 1549.Standing on the east bank of the...
each year.
The stalemate lasted until 1862 when the Midland realigned the track and moved the station as it extended the line into Buxton. The original station building, which had been designed by Joseph Paxton
Joseph Paxton
Sir Joseph Paxton was an English gardener and architect, best known for designing The Crystal Palace.-Early life:...
, was used as a goods office until closure in 1967. It still exists within a shopping centre.
The new station was particularly grand, with large first- and third-class facilities and, unusually, in 1891, a subway between the platforms to cater for dignitaries visiting the Duke of Devonshire
Duke of Devonshire
Duke of Devonshire is a title in the peerage of England held by members of the Cavendish family. This branch of the Cavendish family has been one of the richest and most influential aristocratic families in England since the 16th century, and have been rivalled in political influence perhaps only...
.
The through line
Finally in 1867 the line reached Manchester and became part of one of the Midland's most prized assets. Besides the London expresses, some of which called at the station, there was substantial goods traffic. This included limestoneLimestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
southwards from the Peak District
Peak District
The Peak District is an upland area in central and northern England, lying mainly in northern Derbyshire, but also covering parts of Cheshire, Greater Manchester, Staffordshire, and South and West Yorkshire....
and, in particular, coal
Coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
northward from the Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Coalfield.
Northwards from Rowsley, the line climbed over 600 feet in fourteen miles to its summit at Peak Forest
Peak Forest railway station
Peak Forest railway station was opened in 1867 by the Midland Railway on its extension of the Manchester, Buxton, Matlock and Midlands Junction Railway from Rowsley, part of the main Midland Line from Manchester to London. It was also the northern junction for the line from Buxton. It closed in...
with punishing gradients. A large Motive Power Depot
Motive power depot
Motive power depot, usually abbreviated to MPD, is a name given to places where locomotives are stored when not being used, and also repaired and maintained. They were originally known as "running sheds", "engine sheds", or, for short, just sheds. Facilities are provided for refuelling and...
and marshalling yard was opened in 1877 to provide banking engines
Bank engine
A bank engine or helper engine or pusher engine is a railway locomotive that temporarily assists a train that requires additional power or traction to climb a grade...
and to split trains as necessary. This was not so much due to the lack of powerful engines, but because of the need to limit the strain on wagon couplings. Thus, in theory, a class 8F locomotive could haul 37 wagons, but a banker would still have to be provided. Moreover account had to be taken of the braking capacity on the downhill stretch towards Chinley, such that larger engines were no more capable than the ubiquitous "4Fs".
The Midland Railway 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.
Closure
The station closed in 1967, the line closing the following year, and subsequently the track was removed.. The line has been reopened in stages from Matlock by Peak RailPeak Rail
Peak Rail is a preserved railway in Derbyshire, England, which operates a steam service for tourists and visitors to both the Peak District and the Derbyshire Dales....
as a heritage railway reaching to its present terminus at a new station at Rowsley South
Rowsley South railway station
Rowsley South railway station lies approximately a mile short of Rowsley village, the location of the settlement's previous stations. This makes Rowsley South the third station to be built in the area, constructed as it was by Peak Rail volunteers in the latter part of the 1990s.Opened to...
in 1997. There are plans to rebuild the line from Rowsley South through Rowsley station to Bakewell and beyond.