Entwistle railway station
Encyclopedia
The rural Entwistle station is served by Northern Rail
services on the Manchester Victoria/Bolton
'Ribble Valley' Line
towards Blackburn
and Clitheroe
. The station is 9 km (5¾ miles) north of Bolton.
It is the closest station to Edgworth, but lack of parking and a difficult approach along minor roads make it unpopular with commuters. Services are infrequent and, unlike the nearby Bromley Cross, the station lies outside the GMPTE boundary, meaning that passengers cannot take advantage of their special offers and ticketing. Owing to the remote location and low passenger numbers, Entwistle has been a request stop
for nearly two years. This means passengers wishing to alight must signal, as they would for a bus, and those wishing to depart a train must inform the conductor.
The station was once substantially larger and served the factories at Knowmill. Until recently the remains of an overhead cable railway, connecting the factory to the railway goods yard, were visible in an adjoining woods. The mills were demolished when the level of the Wayoh Reservoir
was raised and the station was reduced in size following Beeching's
report.
In the 1986 film adaptation
of Jeffrey Archer's novel First Among Equals, the sequences at the fictional Redfern Station were filmed there.
In Episode 2 of Max and Paddy's Road to Nowhere
, as part of the storyline, the station was renamed Middlewood (not to be confused with a real life station of the same name
on the Buxton Line
) due to its supposedly rural backwater location.
Northern Rail
Northern Rail is a British train operating company that has operated local passenger services in Northern England since 2004. Northern Rail's owner, Serco-Abellio, is a consortium formed of Abellio and Serco, an international operator of public transport systems...
services on the Manchester Victoria/Bolton
Bolton railway station
Bolton Interchange is a transport interchange combining the railway station and a four stand bus station in the town of Bolton in Greater Manchester, England. The station is located on the Manchester spur of the West Coast Main Line and is managed by Northern Rail...
'Ribble Valley' Line
Ribble Valley Line
The Ribble Valley Line is a railway line that runs from Manchester Victoria through Blackburn to the small market town of Clitheroe in Lancashire. Regular passenger services normally only run as far as Clitheroe, but occasional passenger services run along the line through north Lancashire towards...
towards Blackburn
Blackburn railway station
Blackburn railway station is a railway station that serves the town of Blackburn in Lancashire, England. It is east of Preston and is managed and served by Northern Rail.-Description:The station is served by two lines...
and Clitheroe
Clitheroe railway station
Clitheroe railway station serves the town of Clitheroe in Lancashire, England. The station is the northern terminus of the Ribble Valley Line operated by Northern Rail and is north of Blackburn. The station forms part of the multi-award winning Clitheroe Interchange.- History :The original station...
. The station is 9 km (5¾ miles) north of Bolton.
It is the closest station to Edgworth, but lack of parking and a difficult approach along minor roads make it unpopular with commuters. Services are infrequent and, unlike the nearby Bromley Cross, the station lies outside the GMPTE boundary, meaning that passengers cannot take advantage of their special offers and ticketing. Owing to the remote location and low passenger numbers, Entwistle has been a request stop
Request stop
In public transport, a request stop or flag stop describes a stopping point at which trains or buses stop only on an as-need or request basis; that is, only if there are passengers to be picked up or dropped off. In this way, infrequently used stopping points can be served efficiently.Trains save...
for nearly two years. This means passengers wishing to alight must signal, as they would for a bus, and those wishing to depart a train must inform the conductor.
The station was once substantially larger and served the factories at Knowmill. Until recently the remains of an overhead cable railway, connecting the factory to the railway goods yard, were visible in an adjoining woods. The mills were demolished when the level of the Wayoh Reservoir
Wayoh Reservoir
Wayoh Reservoir is a water reservoir in the town of Edgworth, Lancashire, England. It was completed on 28 April 1876 to supply water to Bolton. Wayoh, together with the Turton and Entwistle Reservoir, make up 50% of Bolton's drinking water....
was raised and the station was reduced in size following Beeching's
Richard Beeching
Richard Beeching, Baron Beeching , commonly known as Doctor Beeching, was chairman of British Railways and a physicist and engineer...
report.
Media Appearances
The station has been used as a location for filming on more than one occasion:In the 1986 film adaptation
First Among Equals (TV series)
First Among Equals is a ten-part miniseries based on Jeffrey Archer's 1984 novel First Among Equals, produced by Granada Television and aired on ITV in 1986....
of Jeffrey Archer's novel First Among Equals, the sequences at the fictional Redfern Station were filmed there.
In Episode 2 of Max and Paddy's Road to Nowhere
Max and Paddy's Road to Nowhere
Max and Paddy's Road to Nowhere was an award-winning British comedy television show on Channel 4 starring and written by Peter Kay and Patrick McGuinness. All the episodes were also directed by Kay. It began on 12 November 2004 and ran for six 30 minute episodes up until 17 December 2004, with each...
, as part of the storyline, the station was renamed Middlewood (not to be confused with a real life station of the same name
Middlewood railway station
Middlewood railway station serves the Middlewood and Higher Poynton districts of Poynton, Cheshire.It is on the Stockport to Buxton line, opened in 1879 by the London and North Western Railway on the Stockport, Disley and Whaley Bridge Railway which they had acquired in 1866...
on the Buxton Line
Buxton Line
The Buxton Line is a railway line in northern England, connecting Manchester with Buxton in Derbyshire. Passenger services on the line are currently operated by Northern Rail and most continue through Manchester from Blackpool North.-History:...
) due to its supposedly rural backwater location.