Trivia: geographically anomalous station names

[johnnychips]

Oxenholme Lake District, it's not within the Lake District National Park.

Penrith The North Lakes, again it's not in the Lake District National Park.

Just because a place isn't within the defined boundaries of a National park does not mean it isn't perceived as being in what most people think of its general definition. Many National Parks' boundaries deliberately exclude urban areas so as not to saddle them with more restrictive planning restrictions. Kendal, Oxenholme and Penrith would certainly strike me as being in 'The Lake District', even though not in the National Park. The same thing applies to Buxton, Glossop and Matlock in the Peak District.

 

[Calthrop]

"ea" (or "y" in Ely) is an old ending meaning "island" and indicated a piece of land that was mororless dry in the days when the Fens were marshes, hence an obvious place for settlement. Parts of Manea and Whittlesea for example above the 5m contour on the OS 25000 map (the surrounding land being below sea level), but there is nothing big enough at Shippea Hill to merit a contour. There may be a rise of less than five metres, or as suggested above the fact the name dates from much later may mean no connection to any change in elevation.

Shippea Hill has always intrigued me. There's certainly no obvious hill there nor any settlement - in fact I believe it could even be below sea level! The land is below even if the level crossing might be around about sea level. A consequence of draining the fens causing the peat to shrink.

... "When you say 'hill,' " the Red Queen interrupted, "I could show you hills, in comparison with which you'd call that a valley"...

 

[Western Lord]

Oxenholme Lake District, its not within the Lake District National Park.

Penrith The North Lakes, again its not in the Lake District National Park.

Belfast Central, its not most central station in Belfast.

Mill Hill Broadway, North London is not really a place known for acting or musicals.



Many airports that retain the word "International" in their title are small ones such as Exeter, Cambridge, Norwich, Kent Manston or whatever it was called, Blackpool and others that I can't think of.

Cambridge is certainly not an international airport, and Manston and Blackpool have both been closed for some time.

 

[thenorthern]

Broadway Metrolink Stop, I suppose being next to MediaCityUK its got performance but its not exactly New York Style Broadway.

The now closed Gretna Station which was located in England.

Shirebrook, previously Shirebrook West even though it is located east of the town.

Phoenix Park tram stop in Nottingham, not much of a park.

Acton Main Line, except on Sundays when its Acton Not Served.

Just because a place isn't within the defined boundaries of a National park does not mean it isn't perceived as being in what most people think of its general definition. Many National Parks' boundaries deliberately exclude urban areas so as not to saddle them with more restrictive planning restrictions. Kendal, Oxenholme and Penrith would certainly strike me as being in 'The Lake District', even though not in the National Park. The same thing applies to Buxton, Glossop and Matlock in the Peak District.

I know that its a trivial matter but thats what this thread is all about.

Cambridge is certainly not an international airport, and Manston and Blackpool have both been closed for some time.

Blackpool has reopened although I think its just Blackpool Airport now, correct about Cambridge I don't think it even has any scheduled services any more.

I suppose if it was a station Carlisle Lake District Airport would fall into the scope of this thread.

 

[najaB]

...correct about Cambridge I don't think it even has any scheduled services any more.

That doesn't stop them from styling themselves 'International' - see the website.

 

[EbbwJunction1]

Sandwell & Dudley - it's in Sandwell, but miles from Dudley, as a very expensive taxi fare proved to me some years ago!

Dudley Port - it's nearer Tipton than Dudley, and is there still (or was there ever) a port there?
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Although there's no station there any more, Wells-next-the-Sea used to be called Wells-on-Sea until 1957.

 

[Strathclyder]

On the Glasgow Subway, Shields Road is actually located on Scotland Street. Not sure if a name change has been considered for it, though.

 

[Mr Fizz]

Dudley Port - it's nearer Tipton than Dudley, and is there still (or was there ever) a port there?

I believe the area got its name due to all of the canals and basins that were there serving the local industries in the 1800's.

 

[Martin S Heron]

When I was young it always struck me as weird that on the District Line neither of the two stations between East Ham and West Ham were Ham, Ham Central, Ham Town or suchlike.

Of course, with age and experience I know that there is isn't an area called Ham just the ones pronounced locally as E Stam and Stam.

 

[MK Tom]

Burton-on-Trent is one of a few 'on/upon' stations that get their town names wrong. Bradford-on-Avon is another (the town has no hyphens).

Phoenix Park (to reply to thenorthern) is in the Phoenix Park industrial estate. The word 'park' is being used in the 'business park' sense.

Charsholton Beeches always sounds like a seaside resort until you notice the spelling.

What often bothers me is stations that serve a town not telling you they do - Hartford serves Northwich for the WMCL but you wouldn't know it. Upholland is the worst offender - I think it needs to be Upholland for Skelmersdale or even just Skelmersdale. Long Buckby could mention Daventry too.

 

[gsnedders]

That doesn't stop them from styling themselves 'International' - see the website.

They're a customs port, are they not? So, y'know, can handle international flights (and they certainly have some business jets flying in and out).

 

[Calthrop]

What often bothers me is stations that serve a town not telling you they do - Hartford serves Northwich for the WMCL but you wouldn't know it. Upholland is the worst offender - I think it needs to be Upholland for Skelmersdale or even just Skelmersdale. Long Buckby could mention Daventry too.

Not meaning to be contentious for the sake of it; but this line of thought would seem to threaten the opening-up of an endless series of "why-doesnt?'s". Daventry is some four miles from Long Buckby station: on that model, I suspect that there could be any number of similar vexed questions. Also, inevitable conservatism and inertia will sometimes take a hand: Daventry had until 1958, its own station, on the Weedon -- Leamington Spa branch line.

 

[Steve Harris]

Cambridge is certainly not an international airport, and Manston and Blackpool have both been closed for some time.

As regards Cambridge Airport, I have to disagree with you. I have a family member who works for the company who own the airport.

I know for a fact that there used to be scheduled passenger flights to Holland and Jersey and 1 of the hostesses on the Holland flight got given a rather funny tasting piece of dutch cake by one of the passengers, which made her feel 'funny' !

And there are numerous military and private flights to far flung places in the world.

Btw, been reading the forum for some time but just had to join to add what precious little knowledge I have.

 

[HowardGWR]

Didcot Parkway. Normally stations called 'Parkway' are remote from the town centre, such as Tiverton Parkway. Didcot station is about 200 yards from the main street in Didcot, if that far.

 

[Steve Harris]

That doesn't stop them from styling themselves 'International' - see the website.

I agree they may no longer have any "scheduled" international flights, but as I stated above, they do have private flights and several international countries military aircraft landing there. Just take a look at http://marshalladg.com/

 

[thenorthern]

St James on the Tyne and Wear Metro serving St James' Park Stadium which for some reason The Mags like to put an apostrophe after the "James".

Peartree serves the area of Pear Tree in Derby although I think the area is unsure of its correct name as both Pear Tree and Peartree are used.

 

[yorkie]

Stratford international - no international trains, and no other justifiable reason for that suffix.

 

[MK Tom]

Not meaning to be contentious for the sake of it; but this line of thought would seem to threaten the opening-up of an endless series of "why-doesnt?'s". Daventry is some four miles from Long Buckby station: on that model, I suspect that there could be any number of similar vexed questions. Also, inevitable conservatism and inertia will sometimes take a hand: Daventry had until 1958, its own station, on the Weedon -- Leamington Spa branch line.

Daventry is perhaps not a great example although some mention of its proximity wouldn't hurt. I do really think Upholland should be re-named to acknowledge it as the station for Skelmersdale though.

 

[urbophile]

I do really think Upholland should be re-named to acknowledge it as the station for Skelmersdale though.

But anybody arriving there would be faced with a 20-minute walk through a dreary industrial estate before they arrived at the fringes of the (equally dreary) town. The town centre would be a good 20 minutes further. And no buses from the station nor any sizeable car park.

 

[adrock1976]

A couple from me here.

Harlow Town - this station serves the New Town part of Harlow, and not the original old town a couple of miles away.

Bristol Parkway - Although I am aware that it is named after the main road that runs between Stoke Gifford and Bristol, Bristol Parkway station is sited in Stoke Gifford which is in Gloucestershire, with Bristol Temple Meads being in Somerset.

Deviating sideways onto London Underground, there is no such place called Arsenal. The Piccadilly Line station started out as Gillespie Road (which can still be evident of the wall tiles at platform level), and was renamed to Arsenal when the football team relocated from Woolwich to Highbury in 1913. As Arsenal FC have relocated to Ashburton Grove, perhaps Arsenal station could revert back to Gillespie Road maybe?

 

[6Gman]

Sandhills would be better named Scrapheap Challenge.

like!

 

[Calthrop]

Harlow Town - this station serves the New Town part of Harlow, and not the original old town a couple of miles away.

I gather that this nomenclature makes sense, at least "sort-of" -- it's the result of an adjustment when the New Town of Harlow was at full pitch of development (end of 1950s / beginning of 60s?). Previously, and since the line's opening, what is now Harlow Mill station (near the old town), was called Harlow station. What is now Harlow Town station was called, before the change of names, Burnt Mill; serving the village of that name -- said village basically swallowed up and obliterated by Harlow New Town.

 

[martinsh]

Birkenhead North is actually west of Birkenhead

 

[6Gman]

Canterbury East and West are basically north and south of each other.

 

[Cherry_Picker]

Lapworth railway station in Warwickshire is in a village called Kingswood, with Lapworth being a mile or so away. The station was originally called Kingswood for the first fifty years of it being open for business but was renamed Lapworth a couple of years after another Kingswood station was opened in Surrey.

 

[PR1Berske]

Birkenhead North is actually west of Birkenhead

Am I right in thinking that Conway Park is not named for a park, further along the Wirral...?

 

[snowball]

Lapworth railway station in Warwickshire is in a village called Kingswood, with Lapworth being a mile or so away. The station was originally called Kingswood for the first fifty years of it being open for business but was renamed Lapworth a couple of years after another Kingswood station was opened in Surrey.

Kiveton Bridge station is in a village called Kiveton Park, while Kiveton Park station is in a village called Kiveton Park Station.

 

[Clansman]

Edinburgh Gateway
Edinburgh Park
Exhibition Centre

 

[EbbwJunction1]

I believe the area got its name due to all of the canals and basins that were there serving the local industries in the 1800's.

Ah, thanks.

When I was young it always struck me as weird that on the District Line neither of the two stations between East Ham and West Ham were Ham, Ham Central, Ham Town or suchlike.

Of course, with age and experience I know that there is isn't an area called Ham just the ones pronounced locally as E Stam and Stam.

And West Ham United (before they left the Boleyn Ground aka Upton Park) technically played in East Ham!

 

[Western Lord]

I gather that this nomenclature makes sense, at least "sort-of" -- it's the result of an adjustment when the New Town of Harlow was at full pitch of development (end of 1950s / beginning of 60s?). Previously, and since the line's opening, what is now Harlow Mill station (near the old town), was called Harlow station. What is now Harlow Town station was called, before the change of names, Burnt Mill; serving the village of that name -- said village basically swallowed up and obliterated by Harlow New Town.

Lest anyone contemplating a trip to Harlow be misled, from the platforms of Harlow "Town" station one can study the ducks on the River Stort Navigation and the fields of Hertfordshire. It is a mile or so (uphill) to the town centre.