Notes: Hadlow Road station was opened on the 1st October 1866 as part of the GWR and LNWR Joint Railway’s Hooton to Parkgate branch line. Hooton was located on the Joint Companies Birkenhead to Chester line which had opened in 1840. At the time of opening three stations were provided the other two being Neston and Parkgate. .
Hadlow Road was situated on the east side of its namesake which the line crossed by means of a level crossing. It served the village of Willaston a short distance to the north. The station was provided with a substantial brick built building which included a two storey house for the station master. Facilities included a booking office, a waiting room and a lamp room used |
 |
by railway staff to replenish signal lamps with oil. Although the line to Parkgate was single track Hadlow Road was a passing point so it had two lines and two platforms. The buildings were situated on the Hooton direction platform where a brick built shelter was provided.
Goods facilities were provided to the east of the station on the north side of the line and comprised two sidings.
At the time of opening passenger services mostly ran between Hooton and Parkgate with some services continuing on to Birkenhead Monks Ferry.
 |
On the 19th April 1886 the branch line was extended from Parkgate to West Kirby. From this time the pattern of passenger services at Hadlow Road was westbound to West Kirby and eastbound to Hooton with some going forward to Birkenhead Woodside. At this time some long distance passenger services used the connection and excursion traffic used the
|
connection at West Kirby onto the Wirral line.
In later years the only significant through service was once a day when one or two coaches ran from New Brighton via Bidston to Hooton and Chester, where it was attached to a London Euston train; this ran until 1939.
One of the major users of the line were scholars travelling from stations along the route to the secondary schools in West Kirby. The line became uneconomical after WW1 with a further reduction in passenger traffic in 1927 when Neston Colliery closed but the line remained open serving a largely agricultural community and also day trippers visiting the sea side towns of Parkgate and West Kirby.
In 1923 the line became GWR and LMS Joint but things continued as they had done previously. In 1948 the line became part of the British Railways (London Midland Region). In 1950 nine trains operated in each direction on weekdays with four on a Saturday. The Hooton to West Kirby line suffered from increasing road competition in the 1950s and its passenger |
|
service was withdrawn on the 17th of September 1956. Hadlow Road closed to passengers on this day. The very last train was to Hooton having left West Kirby at 9:55pm.
In 1961 newly introduced DMUs passed through Hadlow Road station. However they were not for the use of passengers. The line was being used to train drivers in the use of the DMUs.
Hadlow Road station continued to be used for goods until the 7th May 1962. The last goods train stopped at all of the former passenger stations and removed any remaining fixtures and fittings that were of value. Early in 1964 the demolition gangs began their work and the line was lifted.
 |
In 1968 the route of the Hooton - West Kirby Branch was chosen to create Britain's first country park the Wirral Country Park opening in 1973. The park forms the central section of Wirral Way, a 12 miles cycleway and footpath that follows the course of the railway between West Kirby and Hooton.The station building and the eastbound platform was restored to its 1950s |
state as a typical village station, although the westbound platform, with its brick shelter, remains unrestored. Today it serves as one of two visitor centres for the Wirral Way.
Tickets from Michael Stewart
To see the other
stations on the Hooton - West Kirby line click on the station
name:West Kirby, Kirby Park, Caldy, Thurstaston, Heswall, Parkgate (2nd), Parkgate (1st), Neston South & Hooton |
old1.jpg)
road7.jpg)
road9.jpg)
road_thumb8.jpg)
road_thumb10.jpg)
road_thumb13.jpg)
road_thumb14.jpg)
road_thumb11.jpg)
road_thumb12.jpg)
Home Page