The old Manors BR staircase

[robertclark125]

Some people may be aware of the old access to Manors (BR), the stairway from Melbourne Street. That stairway has been removed, and the entrance to the platform sealed. At street level, the windows are now boarded up, and, thanks to a look on google streetview, the "premises" are up for sale.

A few years ago, there was a plan to make this a restaurant, which clearly hasn't materialised. It made me thus wonder, how easy/difficult would it be to reinstate the stairway, and make it another means of access to todays Manors NR station?

The reason I ask is that the current station does serve a nearby busines spark and University premises, and a sort of interchange with Tyne and Wear Metro. If the stairway was opened, could it then allow quicker access to the quayside, than what Newcastle central offers? And also, would it make awareness of this station better, as I feel at present Manors is a bit hard to find, even though a battered sign showing a walking route does exist!

 

[Gathursty]

I was tracking down Manors station two weeks ago and found it a little struggle to find in a car. I was worried I was driving into a pay and display until I found the Metro station and a few more moments on foot helped me establish this very small station.

It is a pity, as you say, that it is less accessible or in the public awareness since the closeness of both Newcastle and Manors reminds me of the Manchester Piccadilly-Oxford Rd-Deansgate string which although very close together, they provide quick and frequent access to different parts of the city as opposed to being primarily transported to Newcastle station and having to find your own way towards the eastern side of the city.

 

[swt_passenger]

I can see the idea given the changes in the area south of the site, but I think re-opening an entrance via the old stairs would be a relatively massive project, especially if required to meet modern safety standards. The entire area below the old platform 7/8 island, which joined the long stairs under the old P9, are in a terrible condition as far as the pictures on the disused stations website show:

http://www.disused-stations.org.uk/m/manors_east/index.shtml

If you get your bearings from the various diagrams the area where the old stairs came up is on the disconnected section of old island platform on the west side of Trafalgar St. Not an insurmountable problem in itself, but still in the wrong place for access to the current in use section of platform.

 

[theageofthetra]

The disused stations article is fascinating. Am I correct in thinking the stairs shown in the pictures and refered to by the previous poster are the ones from that scene in Get Carter?

 

[robertclark125]

Yes they were. There used to be a Get Carter Tour website which showed this.

One other thought about my idea; in this day and age, would a lift have to be installed as well to allow access?

 

[sarahj]

There was also an access to the subway just next to manors car park. You can still see it, though its boarded up. After the station closed it was left for a few years. In 1986 It was still possible to get into the old subways (just wished I had a camera). The walk along trafalgar st, esp under the railway is not a pleasant walk, but there used to be some old BR signs pointing to the station.
But, the access from Manors, both rail and metro to the quayside had been talked about for years, IIRC there was even a plan to call it Manors (quayside), but all have come to naught. The area round manors station and car park is still seen as a bit seedy and run down and the way things are I cannot see any improvment soon, if ever.

 

[swt_passenger]

Yes they were. There used to be a Get Carter Tour website which showed this.

I remember that one, but Google can't find it - I wonder if the chap who did it possibly lost it all when Fotopic failed?

There is a pair of shots for comparison here though, people may have missed it if they didn't realise that
there were two on the page: http://www.disused-stations.org.uk/m/manors_east/index15.shtml

One other thought about my idea; in this day and age, would a lift have to be installed as well to allow access?

Difficult to work out what the formal party line is on that one. Obviously there isn't currently any lift access, but you might only be reopening a previous route that also had no lift access. Sometimes you'll read that such and such a footbridge can't be reopened at a reasonable cost because it would have to have lifts as well, and although most new construction gets lifts it seems long ungainly ramps are also OK in certain places.

 

[robertclark125]

The premises are up for sale by Network Rail. They also used to give access to the Manors multi storey car park (access sealed off now), as well as access elsewhere at the old manors east station. Again, these are sealed off. As I say, with an hourly daytime service calling there now, this would give good access to the City road area, especially if anything is done where the old Tyne Tees TV studios were based.

 

[JohnCarlson]

The premises are up for sale by Network Rail. They also used to give access to the Manors multi storey car park (access sealed off now), as well as access elsewhere at the old manors east station. Again, these are sealed off. As I say, with an hourly daytime service calling there now, this would give good access to the City road area, especially if anything is done where the old Tyne Tees TV studios were based.

Yes I think there is some potential there although if the line to Ashington were open as well that would help even more.