Notes: Prior to opening the name of Thornthwaite was considered for this station (announced in a CK&P Board meeting on 4 May 1864) but by 2 June it appears that the name Braithwaite, another nearby village, had been chosen with Mr Richard Hopes appointed as stationmaster. The station was to open with the line on 2 January 1865. There was never a loop at this station which therefore possessed only a single, gently curving platform on the down (south-west) side of the track. Immediately north-west of the platform was a minor level crossing. There was no signal box or gate box although, in time, an unprotected four-lever ground frame was installed to work signals whilst the block instruments were in the station office.
The stone-built single-storey station building resembled those at some of the other minor CK&P stations, such as Embleton and Penruddock, having a pitched roof and a stepped-forward section containing the booking office at the north-west end with a half-hipped gable. Braithwaite resembled Troutbeck in that the two-storey stationmaster’s house, also in stone, abutted the station buildings. The house was extended c1889 by adding a further room for station purposes behind the waiting room and an additional bedroom above; extensions were also made at the opposite end,
Freight traffic was handled at Braithwaite in a yard behind the platform. In effect there were four short sidings, the two southerly ones forming a loop. Mineral traffic was an important element, with a small warehouse provided in 1866 to lease to the Goldscope Mining Co, followed in 1867 by a coal depot for the use of G I May of the mining company. In 1887 the extension of the warehouse to accommodate the Cumberland Lead Mining Co’s product was approved. Lead and zinc extracted by Thornthwaite Mines Ltd (later styling themselves Threlkeld Lead Mines, Thornthwaite) used the station’s freight facilities; the company was active from 1873 until 1921. Timber was also loaded at Braithwaite. In later CK&P years minor extensions were made to the goods yard layout.
Up trains: weekdays
August 1887 |
Destination |
Down trains: weekdays |
Destination |
7.18am |
Penrith |
7.57 Ø |
Cockermouth |
9.40am |
Penrith |
9.22am § |
Workington |
11.41am |
Penrith |
10.50am |
Workington |
4.02pm |
Penrith |
2.45pm |
Workington |
6.28pm |
Penrith |
6.06pm |
Cockermouth |
- |
- |
6.50pm |
Workington |
- |
- |
8.35pm |
Workington |
Up trains: Sunday |
Destination |
Down trains: Sunday |
Destination |
9.58am |
Penrith |
7.55am |
Workington |
6.38pm |
Penrith |
6.55pm |
Workington |
Ø Goods and passenger train; punctuality not guaranteed
§ Stops to set down through passengers; or to take up for Cockermouth or beyond on informing the guard
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Although a minor station, most of the branch passenger trains called at Braithwaite.
In common with the other minor CK&P stations, oil lighting was replaced by acetylene gas; at Braithwaite this was installed in April 1902.
Up trains: weekdays
June 1920 |
Destination |
Down trains: weekdays |
Destination |
7.30am |
Penrith |
8.23am |
Workington |
9.15am |
Penrith |
9.51am |
Cockermouth |
11.42am |
Penrith |
10.47am |
Workington |
2,56pm |
Penrith |
2.06pm |
Workington |
6.21pm |
Penrith |
3.49pm |
Workington |
7.34pm |
Penrith |
7.16pm |
Workington |
- |
- |
9.19pm |
Workington |
No Sunday service
From 1 January 1923 at the ‘Grouping’ the line became part of the London, Midland & Scottish Railway (LMS). Under this regime there was little visible change at Braithwaite station, although the LMS installed camping coaches in the goods yard. These redundant passenger coaches were refurbished to provide inexpensive rented accommodation and could be found at many British stations in favoured holiday areas from the 1930s until the early 1960s. Holidaymakers were required to arrive at and depart from the station by train, which assured the railway company of additional revenue.
Up trains: weekdays
6 May to 6 Oct 1946 |
Destination |
Down trains: weekdays |
Destination |
7.36am |
Penrith |
8.29am |
Workington |
8.49am SX ¶ |
Penrith |
11.11am † |
Workington |
10.50am SO § |
Liverpool Exchange |
12.21pm ‖ |
Workington |
11.55am ‡ |
Penrith |
1.26pm SO |
Workington |
12.46pm SO |
Keswick |
2.22pm # |
Workington |
3.06pm SX |
Penrith |
3.48pm SO ++ |
Cockermouth |
6.15pm |
Penrith |
5.56pm SX |
Workington |
7.05pm |
Penrith |
6.41pm MFSO |
Workington |
- |
- |
7.31pm SO |
Workington |
- |
- |
9.09pm |
Workington |
No Sunday service
SX Saturday excepted SO Saturday only MFSO Monday, Friday and Saturday only
‡ 6 minutes later on Monday, Friday and Saturday
† 8 minutes later on Monday, Friday and Saturday
‖ 7 minutes later on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday ~ Continues to Workington on Saturday
¶ From 8 June ++ 15 June to 21 September # 18 May to 28 September
§ 22 June to 14 September
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From 1 January 1948 Braithwaite station was administered by British Railways (BR) London Midland Region (LM).
The former CK&P saw the introduction of diesel multiple units in January 1955 which gradually replaced steam-hauled passenger trains. In the summer 1956 timetable (below) a Sunday train service commenced on the line, calling at Braithwaite.
Up trains: weekdays
11 Jun – 16 Sep 1956 |
Destination |
Down trains: weekdays |
Destination |
7.42am |
Carlisle |
8.00am |
Workington |
8.48am SO* |
Crewe |
10.57am |
Workington |
9.20am # |
London Euston |
12.24pm |
Workington |
10.27am |
Carlisle ‡ |
2.14pm |
Workington |
12.12pm |
Penrith |
3.42pm SO § |
Workington |
1.01pm |
Carlisle |
3.53pm SX |
Workington |
2.04pm |
Penrith |
4.19pm SO |
Workington |
3.43pm |
Penrith |
5.50pm |
Workington |
6.07pm |
Carlisle |
7.03pm |
Workington † |
7.19pm |
Penrith |
7.47pm # |
Workington |
- |
- |
8.59pm~ |
Workington |
Up trains: Sunday |
Destination |
Down trains: Sunday |
Destination |
9.35am |
Carlisle |
10.10am |
Workington |
11.50am |
Carlisle |
12.01pm |
Whitehaven |
2.51pm |
Keswick |
- |
- |
Sunday services operate until 2 September 1956
SX Saturday excepted SO Saturday only § 22 June to 1 September # 9 July to 7 Sep SX; until 15 September SO ‡ Terminates at Penrith SO † Continues to Whitehaven SO ~ 2 minutes later on Saturday *16 July to 8 September
The station, along with most of the others on the Workington – Penrith line, was fitted with BR(LM) maroon vitreous enamel nameboards, but the complementary ‘totem’ nameplates were not provided at this station; apart from Braithwaite, Embleton and Brigham all of the Penrith-Workington stations received them, probably in the late 1950s, which suggests that Braithwaite was seen as a possible candidate for closure (which did affect Embleton in 1958). No specific threat to Braithwaite at that time has been discovered, but the viability of whole route was assessed in 1959 with a view to possible closure.
In BR days camping coaches continued to be placed at Braithwaite, but there was some reduction of the siding provision, leaving only the siding on which the coaches stood and a new, short loop.
The station was never to be demoted to an unstaffed halt but from 1960 staffing was reduced to only one man on each turn of duty. Because Braithwaite was a block post the staff had to be qualified signalmen. Bowtell (1989) gives a vivid description of the responsibilities of one of the staff – Bob Bond – who relieved at the boxes west of Keswick in the early 1960s:
‘…the acceptance and offering-on of a train had to be conducted in the office on the platform, after which one crossed to the far side of the line to “set the road” before returning to receive the token for the section in rear and give the driver the token for the section in advance. The received staff would be put in the appropriate instrument, the signals restored to danger and maybe the gates opened. There would also be tickets to issue and any merchandise to handle, often crated chickens to load. The train was then despatched with all customers safe and satisfied, including any arriving visitors or walkers who required directions to the village (one half-mile south) or by Whinlatter Pass, up behind Braithwaite, to the Lorton Fells and Loweswater. In quieter moments the signalman refilled the trays of lighting plant and kept everything tidy.’
The staff had a tradition of tending the station garden, which included topiary on the up side bank opposite the platform and a fine display of roses.
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Nothing came of the murmurings of closure in 1959 until March 1963 when the ‘Beeching Report’ recommended that the entire route from Workington to Penrith be ‘axed’. All goods facilities, including those at Braithwaite, were withdrawn with effect from 1 June 1964 (except for access to the quarries at Flusco and Blencow close to the eastern end of the CK&P route).
A proposal to withdraw all passenger services was published on 5 July 1963 and followed the usual TUCC procedure. In late December 1966 Barbara Castle became Minister of Transport and one of her early decisions, announced on 10 January 1966, was that the route should be closed between Workington and Keswick but that the remainder of the line to Penrith should be retained in view of the hardship which would be suffered by users of that section of the route. It seems ironic that Mrs Castle, herself at one time a keen rambler, should have refused closure of some Hope Valley (Derbyshire) stations so that ramblers could use them, whilst approving the closure of Braithwaite and Bassenthwaite Lake stations and the exceptionally scenic stretch of railway between them. The last trains ran between Workington and Keswick on 16 April 1966 and on 18 April Braithwaite station closed. Below is the final list of train departures from Braithwaite.
Up trains: weekdays
14 June 1965 to 17 April 1966 |
Destination |
Down trains: weekdays |
Destination |
07.42 |
Carlisle |
07.59 |
Workington |
08.58 SO * |
Manchester Victoria / Crewe |
10.10 |
Workington |
09.18 SO ++ |
London Euston |
14.16 |
Workington |
10.00 |
Carlisle |
14.42 SO ɫ |
Workington |
13.01 |
Carlisle |
17.48 |
Workington |
15.59 |
Carlisle ¶ |
18.47 |
Workington |
18.03 |
Keswick |
19.07 |
Workington |
19.50 |
Carlisle |
20.22 |
Workington |
Up trains: Sunday |
Destination |
Down trains: Sunday |
Destination |
14.52 $ |
Keswick |
15.01 $ |
Workington |
16.35 $ |
Keswick |
16.53 $ |
Workington |
18.50 $ |
Keswick |
19.03 $ |
Whitehaven |
$ Until 5 September * 17 July until 21 August = 11 July until 29 August ¶ Terminates at Penrith Friday and Saturday 18 June to 4 September ɫ Until 21 August
+ + SO Until 4 September. Departs 0935 SX 28 June until 27 August
The former stationmaster’s house and the adjoining station building at Braithwaite station survive and are used for residential purposes.
The station appeared briefly in the 1947 Alfred Hitchcock film The Paradine Case, an American film noir courtroom drama set in England starring Gregory Peck and Ann Todd. In the film Braithwaite station depicted Coniston station. Click here to see the film. Braithwaite station is seen 37 minutes into the film.
Route map drawn by Alan Young. Tickets from Michael Stewart. Bradshaw from Nick Catford.
To see the other
stations on the Cockermouth - Penrith line click on the station name: Cockermouth 1st, Cockermouth 2nd, Embleton, Bassenthwaite Lake, Keswick, Briery Siding Halt, Threlkeld, Highgate Platform, Troutbeck, Penruddock & Blencow
Click here for a brief history of the Cockermouth, Keswick and Penrith Railway |