Wirksworth railway station
Encyclopedia
Wirksworth Railway Station is a heritage railway station that serves the town of Wirksworth
in Derbyshire
. It was the former terminus of the Midland Railway
Wirksworth branch line, leaving the Midland Main Line
at . The line was reopened as the Ecclesbourne Valley Railway
.
on 1 October 1867.
Dale Quarry was opened in 1874, 0.7 miles (1.1 km) west of the station yard. Stone was initially conveyed by horse and cart, but plans for a tramway were unpopular as it would have passed through the town. A standard gauge tunnel was built under the town, linking the quarry and the station yard and was opened on 17 November 1877.
The final timetabled service ran between and Wirksworth on 14 June 1947, although the line remained listed as 'suspended' for another two years before final closure in 1949. The station yard remained in use for the carriage of stone as the surrounding quarries and mineral lines were still operational. Unfortunately this resulted in the demolition of the station buildings in 1968 as the space was needed for construction of freight facilities.
In the mid 1984 the station was the terminus for a number of test runs of new class 150
diesel multiple units, which were later combined with charity fund raising special excursions known as the Wirksworth Phoenix
The station was reopened on 1 October 2002 by Mr George Repton, who had been an engine driver on the line and the Wirksworth deputy mayor.
, season 22, episode 05. In August 2009, the station was also used under the fictional guise of Castlebury for a new BBC Drama aired between 1st and 5th March 2010 called "Five Days II".
Wirksworth
Wirksworth is a small market town in Derbyshire, England, with a population of over 9,000.The population of the Wirksworth area including Cromford, Bolehill and Middleton-by-Wirksworth is about 12,000. Wirksworth is listed in the Domesday Book in 1086. Within it is the source of the River...
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...
. It was the former terminus of 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....
Wirksworth branch line, leaving the Midland Main Line
Midland Main Line
The Midland Main Line is a major railway route in the United Kingdom, part of the British railway system.The present-day line links London St...
at . The line was reopened as the Ecclesbourne Valley Railway
Ecclesbourne Valley Railway
The Ecclesbourne Valley Railway is a long heritage railway in Derbyshire, the headquarters of the railway centre around Wirksworth station and services operate between Wirksworth and Duffield and Wirksworth and Ravenstor...
.
History
The station was opened 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....
on 1 October 1867.
Dale Quarry was opened in 1874, 0.7 miles (1.1 km) west of the station yard. Stone was initially conveyed by horse and cart, but plans for a tramway were unpopular as it would have passed through the town. A standard gauge tunnel was built under the town, linking the quarry and the station yard and was opened on 17 November 1877.
The final timetabled service ran between and Wirksworth on 14 June 1947, although the line remained listed as 'suspended' for another two years before final closure in 1949. The station yard remained in use for the carriage of stone as the surrounding quarries and mineral lines were still operational. Unfortunately this resulted in the demolition of the station buildings in 1968 as the space was needed for construction of freight facilities.
In the mid 1984 the station was the terminus for a number of test runs of new class 150
British Rail Class 150
The British Rail Class 150 "Sprinter" diesel multiple units were built by BREL from 1984-87. A total of 137 units were built in three main subclasses, replacing many of the earlier first-generation "Heritage" DMUs.- Background :...
diesel multiple units, which were later combined with charity fund raising special excursions known as the Wirksworth Phoenix
The station was reopened on 1 October 2002 by Mr George Repton, who had been an engine driver on the line and the Wirksworth deputy mayor.
Film and TV appearances
In June 2007 Wirksworth was used as the fictional station of Lightbourne in the BBC television series CasualtyCasualty (TV series)
Casualty, stylised as Casual+y, is a British weekly television show broadcast on BBC One, and the longest-running emergency medical drama television series in the world. Created by Jeremy Brock and Paul Unwin, it was first broadcast on 6 September 1986, and transmitted in the UK on BBC One. The...
, season 22, episode 05. In August 2009, the station was also used under the fictional guise of Castlebury for a new BBC Drama aired between 1st and 5th March 2010 called "Five Days II".
Operation
The service runs regularly at weekends, holidays and special events. Several separate services are provided from Wirksworth, depending on the event and the day. Platform 3 is reserved for the shuttle service to . Services to Ravenstor leave from platform 3 and the majority of services to Duffield operate from Platforms 2 and occasionally Platform 1 .Station Facilities
- Booking Hall with seating area
- Rest facilities
- Buffet/café facilities (open operating weekends)
- Children's play area
- Picnic area
- Charity gift shop (open operating weekends)
- Historical railway museum (open operating weekends)
- Model Railway layouts (open operating weekends)