Furness Abbey railway station
Encyclopedia
Furness Abbey railway station was a railway station
on the Furness Line
between Barrow-in-Furness
and Carnforth
, built by the Furness Railway
. It served the tourist attraction
of Furness Abbey
and the suburbs of Barrow-in-Furness
in Cumbria
. The line on which the station was located is still open, but Furness Abbey station closed in 1950.
The station was opened in 1864, with an island platform
. It was built alongside a hotel to cater for visitors to the abbey, with the station buildings and hotel built from local sandstone
, in keeping with the architecture of the abbey itself. The station's closure in 1950 followed significant damage in World War II
, though the hotel remains open as the Abbey Tavern. The station buildings are now used as residential property. As it is situated on an active line, studies into reopening the station have occasionally been undertaken, though it is now thought that if this were to occur a new site away from the curve of the railway would need to be found.
Train station
A train station, also called a railroad station or railway station and often shortened to just station,"Station" is commonly understood to mean "train station" unless otherwise qualified. This is evident from dictionary entries e.g...
on the Furness Line
Furness Line
The Furness Line, in North West England, runs from Barrow-in-Furness to Ulverston and Grange-over-Sands, connecting with the West Coast Main Line at Carnforth...
between Barrow-in-Furness
Barrow-in-Furness
Barrow-in-Furness is an industrial town and seaport which forms about half the territory of the wider Borough of Barrow-in-Furness in the county of Cumbria, England. It lies north of Liverpool, northwest of Manchester and southwest from the county town of Carlisle...
and Carnforth
Carnforth
- References :...
, built by the Furness Railway
Furness Railway
The Furness Railway was a railway company operating in the Furness area of Lancashire in North West England.-History:The company was established on May 23, 1844 when the Furness Railway Act was passed by Parliament...
. It served the tourist attraction
Tourist attraction
A tourist attraction is a place of interest where tourists visit, typically for its inherent or exhibited cultural value, historical significance, natural or built beauty, or amusement opportunities....
of Furness Abbey
Furness Abbey
Furness Abbey, or St. Mary of Furness is a former monastery situated on the outskirts of the English town of Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria. The abbey dates back to 1123 and was once the second wealthiest and most powerful Cistercian monastery in the country, behind only Fountains Abbey in North...
and the suburbs of Barrow-in-Furness
Barrow-in-Furness
Barrow-in-Furness is an industrial town and seaport which forms about half the territory of the wider Borough of Barrow-in-Furness in the county of Cumbria, England. It lies north of Liverpool, northwest of Manchester and southwest from the county town of Carlisle...
in Cumbria
Cumbria
Cumbria , is a non-metropolitan county in North West England. The county and Cumbria County Council, its local authority, came into existence in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972. Cumbria's largest settlement and county town is Carlisle. It consists of six districts, and in...
. The line on which the station was located is still open, but Furness Abbey station closed in 1950.
The station was opened in 1864, with an island platform
Island platform
An island platform is a station layout arrangement where a single platform is positioned between two tracks within a railway station, tram stop or transitway interchange...
. It was built alongside a hotel to cater for visitors to the abbey, with the station buildings and hotel built from local sandstone
Sandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
, in keeping with the architecture of the abbey itself. The station's closure in 1950 followed significant damage in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, though the hotel remains open as the Abbey Tavern. The station buildings are now used as residential property. As it is situated on an active line, studies into reopening the station have occasionally been undertaken, though it is now thought that if this were to occur a new site away from the curve of the railway would need to be found.