Cromford railway station

Cromford
National Rail
General information
LocationCromford, Derbyshire Dales
England
Grid referenceSK302574
Managed byEast Midlands Railway
Platforms1
Other information
Station codeCMF
ClassificationDfT category F2
History
Opened4 June 1849[1]
Passengers
2018/19Decrease 41,640
2019/20Increase 44,548
2020/21Decrease 8,594
2021/22Increase 29,452
2022/23Increase 35,328
Notes
Passenger statistics from the Office of Rail and Road

Cromford railway station serves the village of Cromford in Derbyshire, England. It is a stop on the Derwent Valley Line, which connects Derby with Matlock; it is located 15+1⁄2 miles (24.9 km) north of Derby. The station, which is Grade II listed,[2] is owned by Network Rail and managed by East Midlands Railway.

History

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Platform 2 (southbound) is no longer used by trains, but its ornate waiting room is used as a holiday cottage

Known originally as Cromford Bridge, it was opened by the Manchester, Buxton, Matlock and Midland Junction Railway in 1849.[3] This is one of the few stations on the line that has been preserved and is a Grade II listed building. It is said to have been designed by G. H. Stokes, son-in-law of Joseph Paxton. It is believed that Stokes designed Station House (built in 1855), the extremely ornate former station master's residence opposite the station on the side of the hill as well as the ornate villa style waiting room, on what was the up platform. According to English Heritage,[4] this is the original station building; the present building on the opposite (down) platform was added by the Midland Railway at a later date.

In 2024 Cromford Railway Station was named as "one of the five most beautiful and remarkable [railway stations] in the world".[5][6]

Willersley Tunnel, which is 764 yards (699 m) long, is situated immediately north of the station.

Following many years of neglect and decline, a long lease on the main station building was purchased by the Arkwright Society; the building has been restored and improved, re-opening as office space in May 2009. Station House, of which the old waiting room is a part, is now self-contained holiday accommodation.[7]

In the year from 1 April 2009 to 31 March 2010, journeys from the station had increased by 16.88%.[8]

On 17 September 2009, taxi driver Stuart Ludlam was murdered at the station by gun fanatic Colin Cheetham.[9]

Station masters

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On 18 January 1853, the station master William Lees was summoned by Joseph Wain, a clark employed by the railway at Matlock Bath, for having beaten him. It transpired that bad feeling had previously existed between the plaintiff and defendant; on 15 January 1853, they had met on the causeway between Matlock Bath and Cromford, close to the Glenorchy chapel. Both of them were on the pavement and a dispute arose between them as to the etiquette of taking the wall. Wain accused Lees of beating him repeatedly but Lees denied it.[10] The following year William Lees left Cromford. The Derbyshire Courier of 25 November 1854[11] reported that

Mr Lees assures our correspondent, that although a little unpleasantness, arising most likely from well meant but mistaken motives, has latterly arisen among a few of his Cromford friends, he leaves the respectable inhabitants with a feeling akin to regret.

  • William Lees 1849 - 1854[11]
  • Edwin Furniss ca 1859[12] - 1881[13]
  • R. J. Oram 1881 - 1888[13] (afterwards station master at Chorlton-cum-Hardy)
  • Lewis Wright 1888 - 1894[13] (afterwards station master at Edale)
  • Harry l’Anson 1894 - 1898[13] (afterwards station master at Chinley)
  • H. V. Weston 1898[13] - 1902[14] (afterwards station master at Cheadle Heath)
  • J. G. Goss 1902 - 1907[14] (afterwards station master at Bamford)
  • Thomas Cooper 1907[14] - 1913 (formerly station master at Hazel Grove, afterwards station master at Belle Vue, Manchester)
  • William Brown 1913 - 1921[15]
  • Walter Best from 1921[16]
  • Harry Huntington ca. 1948 until 1957 (afterwards station master at Wennington)
  • A. C. Phillips 1957 - 1958 (formerly station master at Whatstandwell, afterwards station master at Pelsall)
  • Alfred George Armitage 1958 - ca. 1960 (afterwards station master at Harlington)

Services

[edit]

All services at Cromford are operated by East Midlands Railway, using Class 170 diesel multiple units.

The typical off-peak service is one train per hour in each direction between Matlock and Nottingham, via Derby. On Sundays, the station is served by one train every two hours in each direction in the morning, increasing to hourly in the afternoon.[17]

Preceding station National Rail National Rail Following station
Whatstandwell   East Midlands Railway
  Matlock Bath
[edit]

The disused southbound platform was used on the cover of the 1995 Oasis single "Some Might Say".[18][19]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Our Kist. The Dales of Derbyshire". Derbyshire Courier. England. 9 June 1849. Retrieved 26 January 2021 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  2. ^ Historic England, "Cromford Station (Main Building on West Platform) (1247945)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 11 March 2017
  3. ^ Truman, P., Hunt, D., (1989) Midland Railway Portrait, Sheffield: Platform 5 Publishing.
  4. ^ "Railway Station, Cromford, Derbyshire". Viewfinder. English Heritage. Archived from the original on 6 June 2011. Retrieved 8 February 2009.
  5. ^ https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0h84mmy. Retrieved 16 October 2024.
  6. ^ https://www.derbytelegraph.co.uk/news/local-news/derbyshire-railway-station-named-one-9070510. Retrieved 16 October 2024.
  7. ^ "Restored Cromford station reopens after completion of a £300,000 refurbishment" (PDF). Railway Herald. 15 June 2009.[permanent dead link‍]
  8. ^ "Record Growth on the Derwent Valley Line". September 2010. Retrieved 27 September 2010.
  9. ^ "Man found guilty of Cromford taxi driver murder". BBC News. 29 June 2010. Retrieved 17 May 2011.
  10. ^ "Wirksworth Petty Sessions". Derbyshire Courier. England. 22 January 1853. Retrieved 30 December 2021 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  11. ^ a b "Presentation to a Station-Master". Derbyshire Courier. England. 25 November 1854. Retrieved 30 December 2021 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  12. ^ "1859-1866". Midland Railway Miscellaneous Depts: 86. 1914. Retrieved 30 December 2021.
  13. ^ a b c d e "1881-1898 Coaching". Midland Railway Operating, Traffic and Coaching Depts: 227. 1881. Retrieved 30 December 2021.
  14. ^ a b c "1899-1908 Coaching; Piece 1026". Midland Railway Operating, Traffic and Coaching Depts: 431. 1899. Retrieved 30 December 2021.
  15. ^ "Man's Death after Wasp Sting". Dundee Evening Telegraph. England. 11 August 1921. Retrieved 30 December 2021 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  16. ^ "Derbyshire". Sheffield DailyTelegraph. England. 15 September 1921. Retrieved 30 December 2021 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  17. ^ "Timetables". East Midlands Railway. 2 June 2024. Retrieved 25 September 2024.
  18. ^ Jenkins, S (2017). Britain's 100 Best Railway Stations. Penguin Random House.
  19. ^ Oasis - Some Might Say - Sleeve Artwork Explained, 28 February 2022, retrieved 17 March 2022
[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Cromford railway station.

53°06′47″N 1°32′56″W / 53.113°N 1.549°W / 53.113; -1.549

  1. ^ https://www.eastmidlandsrailway.co.uk/media/3150/download?inline
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