Monsal Dale railway station

Monsal Dale
The station remains in 2006
Operations
Pre-grouping	Midland Railway
Post-grouping	London, Midland and Scottish Railway
History
1 September 1866	Station opened
10 August 1959	Partial closure
circa August 1960	Final closure
Disused railway stations in the United Kingdom
Closed railway stations in Britain A B C D–F G H–J K–L M–O P–R S T–V W–Z
UK Railways portal

[v · Monsal Trail[1][2]
Legend Topley Pike junction Millers Dale viaducts Chee Tor #1 tunnel Millers Dale Litton Tunnel Cressbrook Tunnel Monsal Dale Headstone Viaduct Headstone Tunnel Great Longstone Hassop Bakewell Coombs Road viaduct Haddon Tunnel (closed) Rowsley Rowsley South Peak Rail line

Monsal Dale railway station was opened in 1866 by the Midland Railway on its line from Rowsley, extending the Manchester, Buxton, Matlock and Midlands Junction Railway.

The original intention was merely to have a goods depot to serve the nearby Cressbrook Mill, to be called Cressbrook or Cressbrook Sidings. However a passenger station would also serve the villages of Upperdale and Cressbrook.

The down line and platform was built on a shelf carved in the rock face, while the up was built on wooden trestles over the hillside. The wooden buildings for the latter were obtained from Evesham railway station.

It was written :

“

"There is not in the whole range of Peak scenery such a lovely landscape in so small a space as can be viewed from the platform of this singular and romantically situated station." [3]

”

The station closed in 1959,^[4] the down platform edge can still be seen, nothing remains of the up platform or timber buildings.

From Monsal Dale, the line proceeded through Cressbrook 471 yards (431 m) and Litton 515 yards (471 m) tunnels to Millers Dale on its way north. Cut through solid limestone, they were both complex tunnels on a gradient of 1 in 100, and curved to allow the line to conform to the terrain.

Today this section of line forms part of the Monsal Trail, an 8.5 miles (13.7 km) walk and cycleway. The tunnels previously mentioned were re-opened in 2011, and the previous path diversions over the river via a permissive path by Cressbrook Mill are still available.

Route

Preceding station	Disused railways			Following station
Millers Dale		Midland Railway Monsal Trail		Longstone

References

1. ^ "Monsal Trail Derbyshire Peak District Litton Cressbrook Mill Cycling Bike Track Disused Railway". http://www.thepeakdistrict.info/monsal_trail.php. Retrieved 2009-04-21. 
2. ^ "Monsal Trail structures". http://www.forgottenrelics.co.uk/bridges/monsal.html. Retrieved 2010-04-17. 
3. ^ Truman, P., Hunt, D., (1989) Midland Railway Portrait Sheffield: Platform 5 Publishing
4. ^ Butt, R. V. J. (1995). The Directory of Railway Stations: details every public and private passenger station, halt, platform and stopping place, past and present (1st ed.). Sparkford: Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN 1-8526-0508-1. OCLC 60251199. 

Coordinates: 53°14′55″N 1°44′44″W / 53.24863°N 1.74549°W / 53.24863; -1.74549