Wirksworth railway station

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 Duffield. The line was reopened as the Ecclesbourne Valley Railway.

Wirksworth
Station on heritage railway
Wirksworth station is the major destination on the Ecclesbourne Valley Railway
LocationWirksworth, Derbyshire
England
Coordinates53.0832°N 1.569°W / 53.0832; -1.569
Grid referenceSK289540
Operated byEcclesbourne Valley Railway
Platforms3
History
Original companyMidland Railway
Key dates
1 October 1867Opened
16 June 1947Closed to Passengers
4 December 1989Last Freight train
1 October 2002Reopened

History

The station was opened by the Midland Railway on 1 October 1867.[1] The station was designed by the Midland Railway company architect John Holloway Sanders.[2]

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.[3]

The final timetabled service ran between Derby 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 mid-1984 the station was the terminus for a number of test runs of the then newly introduced BR class 150 diesel multiple units, which were later combined with charity fund raising special excursions known as the Wirksworth Phoenix[4]

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 Casualty, season 22, episode 05.[5] In August 2009, the station was also used under the fictional guise of Castlebury for a new BBC Drama aired between 1 and 5 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 Ravenstor. 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 7 days a week all year)
  • Children's play area
  • Picnic area
  • 2 ft Narrow Gauge line and 5 inch gauge miniature railway (open when staffed)
  • Charity gift shop (open operating weekends)
  • Historical railway museum (open operating weekends)
  • Model Railway layouts, including N and OO scale (open operating weekends)[6]

Route
Preceding station Historical railways Following station
Idridgehay   Midland Railway
Wirksworth Branch		   Terminus
  Heritage railways
Idridgehay   Ecclesbourne Valley Railway
Main Line		   Terminus
Terminus   Ecclesbourne Valley Railway
Ravenstor Branch		   Ravenstor

References
  1. "Ancient History – A History of the Midland Railway's Line to Wirksworth". Retrieved 5 April 2009.
  2. "Notes by the Way". Derbyshire Times and Chesterfield Herald. British Newspaper Archive. 1 November 1884. Retrieved 12 July 2016 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  3. "Dale Quarry (Big Hole)". Retrieved 18 April 2009.
  4. "Wirksworth Specials". Retrieved 5 April 2009.
  5. "RailFilmLocations Filming in Derbyshire, UK - Casualty". Retrieved 12 April 2009.
  6. "Stations on the Ecclesbourne Valley Railway - Wirksworth". Retrieved 15 December 2009.
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