Love train journeys and atmospheric train stations? The UK has some of the world's prettiest and most atmospheric small stations. The United Kingdom has its fair share of rail aficionados and trainspotters who chart trains and stations the same way as birders do, well, birds. The National Rail Awards were recently revealed in the UK, and the world of rail enthusiasts was abuzz. These are the largest celebrations of train-related achievements in the UK. One of the several categories focuses on Station of the Year. This is based on the station's size and incorporates a 'Small Station of the Year' award. This year's winner was Okehampton station in Devon. Devon County Council, in collaboration with GWR, Network Rail, and the UK Government, recently undertook a restoration project at the station (on the Dartmoor Line), which has held onto the 1950s vibe of the place. Okehampton is one of the many old stations in the UK which are known for their vintage look. Here is a look at some of the prettiest stations in the UK, which have a retro vibe.
The atmospheric Corfe Castle station looks like something out of an Agatha Christie novel. It is part of the 12-mile Swanage Railway, a railway branch line from near Wareham, Dorset to Swanage, Dorset, England which opened in 1885 and is now operated as a heritage railway. More about it here. The station ticket office still has wooden floors. You can see coal fires and powder your nose in the Ladies' Waiting Room. Wait for a train while listening to the ancient signal chimes of the heritage signal box. The Goods Shed is now the Swanage Railway Museum, where you can see vintage signs and artefacts related to the long history of trains in Purbeck and Dorset. The original Station Master's lounge has been restored to get the feel of the 1950s, complete with a radio and newspapers from the era. The museum is free to visit. Walk to the footbridge for a glimpse of Corfe Castle.
Berwyn Station, Denbighshire
Also known as “The Station in the Gorge”, the pretty Berwyn station is located in the stunning landscape of Denbighshire, Wales. The heritage station was adjudged among the 10 best railway stations in the UK by The Guardian in 2019. The station opened in May 1865 and remained operational for over a century. It was closed in December 1964 owing to water damage. It reopened as part of the heritage Llangollen Railway in 1986. Have a British high tea at the tea room, which is located in the restored first-class waiting room. The booking office still sells special souvenir Edmondson tickets.
Goathland Station, North York Moors National Park
Muggles ahoy! You can identify this charming station as the (fictitious) Hogsmeade station, which served Hogsmeade village and the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in the wildly successful Harry Potter films. In real life, the station serves the lovely moorland village of Goathland in the North York Moors National Park in Yorkshire. It is part of the North Yorkshire Moors Railway, which is the largest preserved heritage railway in the UK in terms of route distance and passenger volume.
Grange-Over-Sands Station, Morecombe Bay
This heritage station, built in 1857, lies at Station Square on the north side of Grange-over-Sands, a town in Cumbria, a few miles south of the Lake District National Park. The station building is designated Grade II on England's National Heritage List. During the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, the station and railway were instrumental in growing Grange-over-Sands as a popular seaside resort.
Rannoch Station, Kinloch Rannoch
Rannoch Station, located 18 miles from Kinloch Rannoch in Scotland, is one of the most isolated and remote railway stops in the British Isles. Originally constructed in the late 1800s, you can experience the rugged beauty of the Scottish landscape here. It is part of the West Highland Line, a stunning railway that runs from Glasgow to Mallaig through breathtaking scenery of heather moors, hills and viaducts. People come here in order to explore the rugged Rannoch Moor, which is home to a variety of wild animals such as red deer and golden eagles. You may recognise Rannoch Moor as the place where the Death Eaters stop the Hogwarts Express in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1.
