Bell Busk railway station

Bell Busk
Bell Busk station after closure in 1961
Location
Place	Bell Busk
Area	Craven
Coordinates	54°00′15″N 2°09′07″W / 54.00415°N 2.152°WCoordinates: 54°00′15″N 2°09′07″W / 54.00415°N 2.152°W
Grid reference	SD9056
Operations
Original company	"Little" North Western Railway
Pre-grouping	Midland Railway
Post-grouping	London, Midland & Scottish Railway
Platforms	2
History
30 July 1849	Opened
4 May 1959	Closed to passengers
Disused railway stations in the United Kingdom
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Bell Busk railway station served the hamlet of Bell Busk in North Yorkshire, England. It was located on the Leeds to Morecambe Line between Gargrave and Hellifield, 32 ³⁄₄ miles (53 km) north of Leeds.^[1]

History

It was opened by the "Little" North Western Railway in July 1849 as one of the intermediate stations on their line between Skipton and Ingleton, which subsequently became part of a through route between West Yorkshire and the Lancashire seaside town of Morecambe (and ultimately part of the Midland Railway main line from London to Scotland). The main buildings were located on the southbound side, whilst the two offset platforms were initially linked by a foot crossing. This however was subsequently replaced by a footbridge, possibly as the result of a fatal accident on the crossing in 1880 that resulted in the deaths of two elderly travellers.^[2]
Although situated some way from the nearest large communities, it was the most convenient station for the village of Malham and the surrounding countryside - a popular tourist destination. Consequently, the station was well patronised by ramblers heading for Malhamdale, as well as by local farmers sending their produce & livestock to market in Skipton & Leeds.

The station also had another somewhat unusual claim to fame, in that it was used as a shooting location for the 1951 feature film Another Man's Poison.^[3] The film's main star, noted American actress Bette Davis was apparently so impressed by it (according to reports in the local press) that she inquired if the station was for sale. It is not known whether her interest was genuine or not, but no formal purchase offer was made and so it remained in use until 1959, when it was closed by the British Transport Commission. Although more than 100 local objections were lodged to the proposed closure, the local Transport Users' Committee accepted the British Railways arguments that the station was unviable and it was duly closed to passengers on 4 May 1959.^[4]

The site today

The station platforms and footbridge were removed some years after closure (along with the goods facilities & signal box), but the main station buildings were retained and sold off by British Rail for use as a private dwelling. They were subsequently converted into a guest house in 1982 and remain in use as such today. The adjacent line meanwhile remains a busy freight & passenger route between Leeds & Morecambe/Carlisle, with more than 20 trains each way passing every weekday.

Notes

1. Binns 1981, p.48
2. Binns (1982), p.33.
3. The Station Bette Davis Wanted To Take Home With Her Lesley Tate, www.cravenherald.co.uk news article; Retrieved 2012-10-27
4. Binns (1982), p.11

References

• Binns, D. (1981), Railways Around Skipton, Wyvern Publications, Skipton.
• Binns, D. (1982), The Little North Western Railway, Wyvern Publications, Skipton, ISBN 0-907941-01-X.

External links

• Bell Busk Railway Station
• Tudor House Bed & Breakfast - Railway History