Hampsthwaite: Hampsthwaite Village buildings and their histories

Station House (the old station)

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Looking north from the river bridge it is possible, even today, to see the route of the railway which passed through Hampsthwaite on its way to Pateley Bridge before the line was closed in the 1950s.

As the road (Station Lane) winds it way up from the river and towards Clint it bends sharply right as it passes on its left the remains of the old railway embankment and railway bridge.

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The embankment is clearly visible as it heads west but to the east the ground has been levelled somewhat and the land on that side of the road gives no immediate clue as to its former use.

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However, over to the east can be seen the station building now converted to a dwellinghouse as seen in the first photograph above.

The railway line opened in 1862 and carried both passengers and freight. Hampsthwaite station was opened in 1866 but was the first of the branch line's stations (the others were Ripley, Birstwith, Darley, Dacre and Pateley Bridge) to close - in 1950.

In the following photograph we see a view of the station probably taken when the line had been closed to passenger traffic but when freight was still being carried (1951-1964).

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In the next photograph we see one of the station masters standing on the platform which still remains and can be glimpsed in the photograph of the modern house at top of page.

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Here is a similar view taken in 2010 . . .

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Following the closure of the station, the building was converted into a hostel used by such groups as the Scout Association. In 1971 it was acquired by the Lister family and occupied by their gamekeeper Robin Hill and his wife Dorothy. Robin was known for training gun-dogs on the premises and when the house was acquired by the present occupants, Mr and Mrs Weston, in 1991 a number of kennels could still be found in the gardens.

At present we know only of one family in occupation during the years the station was operational. According to the 1871 census the stationmaster was Thomas Chandler aged 34 and he shared the house with his wife Matilda (30) and their four sons Thomas (11), Charles (6), Christopher (4) and George A. (2). Both Christopher and George were said to have been born in Clint (the parish in which Station House actually stands) so, presumably, the family had been in occupation since 1867 or earlier which suggests that Thomas senior was the first stationmaster for Hampsthwaite. By the time of the 1881 census Thomas and his family had moved to Leeds where Thomas was employed as an "agent" and his son Christopher (14!) as a railway porter. Who the remaining stationmasters at Hampsthwaite were has yet to be established.

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