Ravenscar railway station

Ravenscar was a railway station on the Scarborough & Whitby Railway and served the village of Ravenscar, North Yorkshire, England.

Ravenscar
The remaining platform of the former station at Ravenscar
General information
LocationRavenscar, Scarborough
England
Coordinates54.397400°N 0.485050°W / 54.397400; -0.485050
Grid referenceNZ984013
Platforms2
Other information
StatusDisused
History
Original companyScarborough and Whitby Railway[1]
Pre-groupingNorth Eastern Railway
Post-groupingLondon and North Eastern Railway
Key dates
16 July 1885[1]Opened as Peak
6 March 1895[1]Closed
1 April 1896[1]Reopened
1 October 1897[1]Renamed Ravenscar
4 May 1964Closed to freight
8 March 1965[1]Closed
Location

History

The station, located 10 miles 30 chains (16.7 km) north of Scarborough Central and 11 miles 22 chains (18.1 km) south of Whitby West Cliff, was opened on 16 July 1885 and was originally named Peak as it was situated at the highest point on the line at 631 feet (192 m) above sea level.[2][3] It was renamed Ravenscar on 1 October 1897, after a company had been formed to market the area for investors in property. Up until that point, the area was known as Peak (or Old Peak), but the Scarborough & Whitby Railway Company agreed to change the name of the station to one taken from the name of the local hall (Raven Hall) and the Yorkshire suffix for a cliff, Scar.[4][5] The planned building boom never materialised and just before the First World War, the company went bankrupt and the scheme was abandoned.[6]

Ravenscar station was at the top of a steep climb from both north and south directions; the 1-in-39 climb south from Fyling Hall being 3 miles (4.8 km) long) while from the other direction there was a climb of over 2 miles (3.2 km) at a gradient of 1-in-41.[4] There was also a 279-yard (255 m) tunnel immediately north of the station that curved sharply away to the west. The tunnel was problematic for drivers ascending from Fyling Hall as it was open to the sea and trains often stalled inside it.[7]

When the Scarborough & Whitby Railway Company failed to have a station house built, as requested by the NER, the latter had the station closed on 2 March 1895, although some excursion trains still stopped there.[8] After a station house was built, the station was reopened on 1 April 1896.[9] Originally there was only a single platform and a siding, but a second platform was added in 1908.[8] Ravenscar was the smallest equipped passing loop on the line, being able to pass trains consisting of 14 wagons, a brake van and the engine.[10]

The 1956 Handbook of Stations listed Ravenscar as being able to handle general goods only, and there was no crane at the yard. The station was host to a LNER camping coach in 1935 and two coaches from 1936 to 1939.[11] Two camping coaches were positioned here by the North Eastern Region from 1954 to 1964[12][13]

Freight traffic ended on 4 May 1964 and the station closed completely on 8 March 1965.[14] All buildings except the up platform have been removed since.[9]

References
  1. Butt, R. V. J. (October 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. pp. 182, 195. ISBN 978-1-85260-508-7. OCLC 60251199. OL 11956311M.
  2. "Disused Stations: Ravenscar Station". www.disused-stations.org.uk. Retrieved 26 October 2015.
  3. Hoole, Ken (1983). Railways of the North York Moors : a pictorial history. Clapham: Dalesman Books. p. 47. ISBN 0-85206-731-3.
  4. Young, Alan (2015). Lost Stations of Yorkshire; the North and East Ridings. Kettering: Silver Link. p. 94. ISBN 978-1-85794-453-2.
  5. "Parishes: Scalby | British History Online". www.british-history.ac.uk. Retrieved 18 March 2020.
  6. Young, Alan (2015). Lost Stations of Yorkshire; the North and East Ridings. Kettering: Silver Link. p. 97. ISBN 978-1-85794-453-2.
  7. "Ravenscar Tunnel". www.forgottenrelics.co.uk. Retrieved 26 October 2015.
  8. Bairstow, Martin (2008). Railways around Whitby : Scarborough - Whitby - Saltburn, Malton - Goathland - Whitby, Esk Valley, Forge Valley and Gilling lines. Farsley: Martin Bairstow. p. 56. ISBN 978-1-871944-34-1.
  9. Catford, Nick. "Disused Stations: Ravenscar Station".
  10. Chapman, Stephen (2008). York to Scarborough, Whitby & Ryedale. Todmorden: Bellcode Books. p. 80. ISBN 978-1-871233-19-3.
  11. McRae, Andrew (1997). British Railway Camping Coach Holidays: The 1930s & British Railways (London Midland Region). Vol. Scenes from the Past: 30 (Part One). Foxline. p. 10. ISBN 1-870119-48-7.
  12. Chapman, Stephen (2008). York to Scarborough, Whitby & Ryedale. Todmorden: Bellcode Books. p. 74. ISBN 978-1-871233-19-3.
  13. McRae, Andrew (1998). British Railways Camping Coach Holidays: A Tour of Britain in the 1950s and 1960s. Vol. Scenes from the Past: 30 (Part Two). Foxline. p. 40. ISBN 1-870119-53-3.
  14. Hoole, Ken (1985). Railway stations of the North East. Newton Abbot: David & Charles. p. 182. ISBN 0-7153-8527-5.
Preceding station   Disused railways   Following station
Staintondale
Line and station closed		   North Eastern Railway
Scarborough & Whitby Railway		   Fyling Hall
Line and station closed


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