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Great relaxed little explore this. Been meaning to do some railway related explores for a while now. This report is one of three relating to the former Penrith-Darlington railway around the Barnard Castle area. Not a vast amount to see at Broomielaw apart from an old signal box and the station itself. The station is virtually intact, albeit in a very dilapidated condition. The platform is overgrown by vegetation and trees but the brick and timber station building and the canopy remain. The former covered stairway down from the road above has now long since gone though. The signal box is at the west end of the station along with a number of other small railway-related buildings, alongside the old siding to the north of the station. The station house on the road above the station is a private house. Here's the history.
Broomielaw was originally a private halt on the Darlington and Barnard Castle railway. It was opened on 8th July 1856. It was closed to passengers on 30th November 1964 by British Railways (North Eastern Region). Initially it served as private halt for the influential Bowes-Lyon family who lived in the nearby Streatham Castle. The halt had a single platform situated in a cutting on the up side of the line with the aforementioned covered stairway down from the road above. The halt was also used by children from the local village when catching excursion trains before the station was opened to the public during World War II on 9th June 1942. In 1950 timetable the station boasted seven trains each way. The trip to Darlington took approximately 40 minutes while the journey time to Barnard castle was a mere six minutes. The station had no freight facilities although it did have a siding on the north side of the line, controlled by a signal box to the west of the station. Broomielaw did handle parcels though right up until the final closure of the line on 5th April 1965, as a result of the Beeching railway closures.
Picture of the station and signal box taken on 8th May 1965, shortly after the line's closure:
OK…on with the pictures:
The signal box is in a rather poor way:
img9281 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img9245 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img9246bw by HughieDW, on Flickr
img9247 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img9252 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img9253 by HughieDW, on Flickr
As are the nearby railway-related huts:
img9279 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img9277 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img9278 by HughieDW, on Flickr
As short distance West the platform of Broomielaw Halt appears:
img9257 by HughieDW, on Flickr
As the undergrowth gives up its secret:
img9260 by HughieDW, on Flickr
The platform canopy is still intact:
img9267 by HughieDW, on Flickr
Which is quite amazing for a predominantly wooden structure:
img9268 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img9271 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img9272 by HughieDW, on Flickr
And the odd bit of concrete:
img9274 by HughieDW, on Flickr
And, of course, the platform itself:
img9276 by HughieDW, on Flickr
Broomielaw was originally a private halt on the Darlington and Barnard Castle railway. It was opened on 8th July 1856. It was closed to passengers on 30th November 1964 by British Railways (North Eastern Region). Initially it served as private halt for the influential Bowes-Lyon family who lived in the nearby Streatham Castle. The halt had a single platform situated in a cutting on the up side of the line with the aforementioned covered stairway down from the road above. The halt was also used by children from the local village when catching excursion trains before the station was opened to the public during World War II on 9th June 1942. In 1950 timetable the station boasted seven trains each way. The trip to Darlington took approximately 40 minutes while the journey time to Barnard castle was a mere six minutes. The station had no freight facilities although it did have a siding on the north side of the line, controlled by a signal box to the west of the station. Broomielaw did handle parcels though right up until the final closure of the line on 5th April 1965, as a result of the Beeching railway closures.
Picture of the station and signal box taken on 8th May 1965, shortly after the line's closure:
OK…on with the pictures:
The signal box is in a rather poor way:
img9281 by HughieDW, on Flickrimg9245 by HughieDW, on Flickrimg9246bw by HughieDW, on Flickrimg9247 by HughieDW, on Flickrimg9252 by HughieDW, on Flickrimg9253 by HughieDW, on FlickrAs are the nearby railway-related huts:
img9279 by HughieDW, on Flickrimg9277 by HughieDW, on Flickrimg9278 by HughieDW, on FlickrAs short distance West the platform of Broomielaw Halt appears:
img9257 by HughieDW, on FlickrAs the undergrowth gives up its secret:
img9260 by HughieDW, on FlickrThe platform canopy is still intact:
img9267 by HughieDW, on FlickrWhich is quite amazing for a predominantly wooden structure:
img9268 by HughieDW, on Flickrimg9271 by HughieDW, on Flickrimg9272 by HughieDW, on FlickrAnd the odd bit of concrete:
img9274 by HughieDW, on FlickrAnd, of course, the platform itself:
img9276 by HughieDW, on Flickr
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