Simonstone railway station
Encyclopedia
Simonstone railway station was located on the east side of Simonstone Lane, 0.75 miles (1 km) south of Simonstone
centre and near Padiham
, Lancashire
, England. It was on a branch line (usually known as the Great Harwood
loop) of the East Lancashire Line
, from Burnley to Blackburn.
and Simonstone in the vicinity of Martholme Viaduct
over the River Calder.
It was closed on 2 December 1957 and the station later demolished. The railway line from Burnley to Simonstone was partly retained as far as Blackburn Road, just west of Padiham, for continuing deliveries of coal to Padiham Power Station
until the power station closed in 1993. The nearest station is now at Hapton
, about 2 miles (3 km) south of Padiham.
Part of the old station site has been converted to an industrial estate.
The Martholme Viaduct on the line between Simonstone and Great Harwood
remains and is about 2.5 miles (4 km) west.
began work in 2005 to convert part of the line to a footpath/bridleway/cycle path to be called Padiham Greenway. The route stretches from Mollywood Lane, Rose Grove to Padiham Memorial Park and is about 1.5 miles (2 km) long. The Greenway was officially opened on 24 June 2010. It links to the River Calder
Greenway and the towpath of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal
to form a circular route and also has a branch to Gawthorpe Hall
a National Trust property in Padiham. The route also links to the East Lancashire line at Hapton, Rose Grove
and Burnley Barracks.
Simonstone, Lancashire
Simonstone is a small, largely residential, village in the Ribble Valley area of East Lancashire about west of Padiham, west of Burnley and south of Pendle Hill...
centre and near Padiham
Padiham
Padiham is a small town and civil parish on the River Calder, about west of Burnley and south of Pendle Hill, in Lancashire, England. It is part of the Borough of Burnley but also has its own town council with varied powers.-History:...
, Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
, England. It was on a branch line (usually known as the Great Harwood
Great Harwood
Great Harwood is a small town in the Hyndburn district of Lancashire, England, north-east of Blackburn.-History:Great Harwood is a town with a industrial heritage. The Mercer Hall Leisure Centre in Queen Street and the town clock pay tribute to John Mercer , the 'father' of Great Harwood, who...
loop) of the East Lancashire Line
East Lancashire Line
The East Lancashire Line is a railway line in the Lancashire region of England, which runs between Preston and Colne, through Blackburn, Accrington and Burnley ....
, from Burnley to Blackburn.
History
The line between Padiham and Rose Grove opened in 1875. West of Padiham it opened two years later as a result of difficulties in constructing the embankments between Great HarwoodGreat Harwood
Great Harwood is a small town in the Hyndburn district of Lancashire, England, north-east of Blackburn.-History:Great Harwood is a town with a industrial heritage. The Mercer Hall Leisure Centre in Queen Street and the town clock pay tribute to John Mercer , the 'father' of Great Harwood, who...
and Simonstone in the vicinity of Martholme Viaduct
Martholme Viaduct
Martholme Viaduct is a 19th-century railway viaduct in the English county of Lancashire. It lies between the town of Great Harwood and the village of Read, and belongs to both the district of Hyndburn and that of Ribble Valley. The viaduct was constructed 1870–77 by engineer Sturges Meek. It was...
over the River Calder.
It was closed on 2 December 1957 and the station later demolished. The railway line from Burnley to Simonstone was partly retained as far as Blackburn Road, just west of Padiham, for continuing deliveries of coal to Padiham Power Station
Padiham Power Station
Padiham Power Station was a coal-fired power station in Padiham, east Lancashire, England, which began operation in 1926 and generated power from 1927 till it was closed in 1993.-Location:...
until the power station closed in 1993. The nearest station is now at Hapton
Hapton, Lancashire
Hapton is a village and civil parish in the borough of Burnley, in the English county of Lancashire. The village is west of Burnley town centre, and has a railway station on the East Lancashire Line. It has a population of 3,769...
, about 2 miles (3 km) south of Padiham.
Part of the old station site has been converted to an industrial estate.
The Martholme Viaduct on the line between Simonstone and Great Harwood
Great Harwood
Great Harwood is a small town in the Hyndburn district of Lancashire, England, north-east of Blackburn.-History:Great Harwood is a town with a industrial heritage. The Mercer Hall Leisure Centre in Queen Street and the town clock pay tribute to John Mercer , the 'father' of Great Harwood, who...
remains and is about 2.5 miles (4 km) west.
Greenway
Lancashire County CouncilLancashire County Council
Lancashire County Council is the upper-tier local authority for the non-metropolitan county of Lancashire, England. It currently consists of 84 councillors, and is controlled by the Conservative Party, who won control of the council in the local council elections in June 2009, ending 28 years of...
began work in 2005 to convert part of the line to a footpath/bridleway/cycle path to be called Padiham Greenway. The route stretches from Mollywood Lane, Rose Grove to Padiham Memorial Park and is about 1.5 miles (2 km) long. The Greenway was officially opened on 24 June 2010. It links to the River Calder
River Calder, Lancashire
The River Calder is a major tributary of the River Ribble, starting in Cliviger close to Burnley in Lancashire, England and is around 24 km / 15 miles in length. Its source is very close to that of the West Yorkshire river with the same name, and that of the River Irwell. It flows through...
Greenway and the towpath of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal
Leeds and Liverpool Canal
The Leeds and Liverpool Canal is a canal in Northern England, linking the cities of Leeds and Liverpool. Over a distance of , it crosses the Pennines, and includes 91 locks on the main line...
to form a circular route and also has a branch to Gawthorpe Hall
Gawthorpe Hall
Gawthorpe Hall, a Lancashire County Council property managed by the National Trust is an Elizabethan house near the town of Padiham, in the borough of Burnley, Lancashire, England...
a National Trust property in Padiham. The route also links to the East Lancashire line at Hapton, Rose Grove
Rose Grove railway station
Rose Grove railway station serves the western area of Burnley in Lancashire, England, 11 miles east of Blackburn railway station.The Caldervale Line and the East Lancashire Line join at Gannow Junction near Rose Grove, but there are no direct services between here and Burnley Manchester Road...
and Burnley Barracks.