Station Name: BUXWORTH

[Source: Paul Wright]


Date opened: 1.2.1867
Location: West side of of Station Road. (B6062)
Company on opening: Midland Railway
Date closed to passengers: 15.9.1958
Date closed completely: 15.9.1958
Company on closing: British Railways (London Midland Region)
Present state: Station building and down platform extant
County: Derbyshire
OS Grid Ref: SK024824
Date of visit: 2.4.2010

Notes: Buxworth station was located on the Midland Railway (MR) main line route that ran between Manchester Central and Ambergate.

The MR had opened a line in stages between Ambergate and Buxton by the 1st June 1863. However the company’s real goal was to get to Manchester. The original idea had been for the line to continue westwards from Buxton but opposition from the London North Western Railway (LNWR) and geological factors forced the MR to think again.

As the line to Buxton was nearing completion the MR began to look for alternative routes. A route from Blackwell Mill, which lay to the east of Buxton, to Chinley and Marple looked favourable. During the Autumn of 1861 the MR chairman Mr Beale along with the deputy Chairman Mr Hutchinson and the company general manager James Allport were visiting
the proposed route for the line which had been surveyed by company engineers. Whilst driving down a narrow lane they came across a cart which was carrying the Director and two officers of the Manchester Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway (MSLR).

The two groups got to talking and discovered that each was looking at the same route for a railway. Rather than waste time and energy competing against each other the group retired to a hostelry for food and drink. They spent the rest of the day together and reached an accord.

The MSLR had recently received an Act that would allow it to build a line from Hyde near Manchester to New Mills. It was agreed that if the MR could build a line from Blackwell Mill to the proposed MSLR line then both companies would benefit. The MR could have a route to Manchester by using MSLR metals and the MSLR could have access to the Peak District and
beyond.

In 1862 an act was passed giving the MR authority to build a line from Blackwell Mill to a point just over three miles to the west of Chinley where an end on connection with the MSLR line at New Mills was made. The act was called the ‘Rowsley and Buxton Extension Line’.

The line opened to good traffic on 1st October 1866. Passenger services were to have commenced on 1st November, but a landslip at Bugsworth resulted in its closure while a new deviation was constructed. This deviation actually took the line (which re-opened for goods traffic on 24th January 1867 and to passenger traffic on 1st February) on the opposite side of Bugsworth station (as it was originally known), so what had been intended as the entrance side became the platform side, and vice versa.

At the time of opening the line through Bugsworth was twin track, the station being provided with two platforms. The main station building was located on the south side of the line on the down platform. It was a two storey stone building of a similar style to the original station at Chinley. The up platform had a small timber waiting shelter.

Bugsworth station was provided as a local station and as such it was served by local stopping trains running between Buxton and Manchester and on shorter workings. In 1894 the MR opened a direct line from Sheffield to Chinley which lay to the east of Bugsworth station. This added a lot of extra traffic to the section of line through Bugsworth station. The station never had goods facilities.


The MR also had plans to create a direct line from New Mills to Cheadle Heath which would speed up express services between Manchester Central and London St Pancras. This new line would make matters even worse. The solution was to add two extra tracks to the route from New Mills to the junction between the Sheffield and the Ambergate lines. The MR
received an act to do this in 1900. The 261 yards Bugsworth Tunnel, a short distance west of the station was removed as part of the widening. The platform arrangement at Bugsworth remained unchanged with no platfrorms provided on the new lines.

In 1923 Bugsworth became part of the London Midland & Scottish Railway (LMS). It continued to be served by local trains. In the early 1900s the population of Bugsworth became embarrassed by the village's name, some villagers wouldn't get off at the station and carried on to Chinley; they then walked over a mile back to Bugsworth. A campaign was launched by the local vicar and the local head teacher to have the name changed to Buxworth and, following a referendum in 1929, the new name was adopted. On the 4th June 1930 the LMS re-named the station

On the 1st January 1948 Buxworth station became part of the nationalized British Railways (London Midland Region). Again very little changed and the station continued to be served by local stopping services. Passengers could travel into Manchester or out towards Sheffield, Derby or Buxton. As Buxworth was one of the quieter stations on what was otherwise
a very busy main line it was closed by British Railways on the 15th September 1958. The line through Buxworth is still open and the station building and the down (Manchester direction) platform have survived to the present day.

Other web sites: Peak Rail now providing a regular steam service between Matlock and Rowsley. David Hey's Collection - Transition from BR steam. Includes railway photographer ER Morten's photographic tour from Buxton - Derby.

Further reading: Railway from Buxton to Bakewell, Matlock and Ambergate (Scenes from the Past) by JM Bentley, 1992. Railways around Buxton by JM Bentley, 1987.

Tickets from Michael Stewart except 6283 Glynn Waite, timetable from Glynn Waite, route map drawn by Alan Young

To see other stations between Manchester Central & Matlock click on the station name:Manchester Central, Chorlton-cum-Hardy, Withington & West Didsbury, Didsbury, Heaton Mersey, Cheadle Heath, Hazel Grove (Midland), Chinley (2nd site) STILLOPEN, Chinley (2nd site) STILLOPEN, Chinley (1st site), Chapel-en-le-Frith Central, Peak Forest, Cheedale Halt, Buxton (Midland), Blackwell Mill Halt, Millers Dale, Monsal Dale, Great Longstone, Hassop, Bakewell, Rowsley (Second site), Rowsley (First site), Rowsley South PEAK RAIL, Darley Dale,
Matlock Riverside PEAK RAIL & Matlock STILL OPEN.
See also Stockport Tiviot Dale & Stockport Portwood


Buxworth station up platform in early 20th century before the line was quadrupled, the additional tracks were added on the far side of the up platform. Note the simple timber waiting shelter.
Photo from Rowsley Association



Down freight train bypassing the passenger platforms at Buxworth in May 1953.
Copyright photo by E R Morten

London St. Pancras express approaching Buxworth station in May 1963
Copyright photo by E R Morten


Looking west along Station Road towards Buxworth station in May 1965. The station building can clearly be seen up on the railway embankment towards the right of the picture.
Photo by Ben Brooksbank


2 Class 24s hauling a lime train east through Buxworth in April 1975 shortly after 2 tracks were lifted.
Photo from BR/Sulzer Type 2 web site


Buxworth station looking towards the east in 1990.
Photo by Martin Potter collection

Buxworth station looking southwest in April 2010. The station building and its Manchester direction platform have survived closure intact. When the station opened the line at this point was double track. Between 1900 and 1905 the line at this point was quadrupled. In the mid 1970s it reverted
to being double track.
Photo by Paul Wright

The former entrance to the Derby/Sheffield direction platform at Buxworth station in April 2010
Photo by Paul Wright

Last updated: Sunday, 04-Jun-2017 10:09:11 CEST
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