Trivia: Most ridiculously named station in UK

[snowball]

A British take on Indian pickle, I believe

You're thinking of "piccaninny" there. Or perhaps "peccadillo".

 

[Calthrop]

By my understanding -- supported by the Shorter Oxford English Dictionary -- "piccadill" is a rather archaic word (derived, by stages, from French and Spanish words) denoting a ruff / collar / general stuff re clothing in that area. (Piccadilly, I believe, used to be the part of London occupied by ruff-and-collar-makers. Re other cities -- counterparts? copying the London name? don't know.)

 

[ChilternTurbo]

Not really ridiculous but three of my favourites are Winnersh Triangle, Snodland in Kent and the intriguing Besses o' th' Barn on the Bury line of the Manchester Metrolink.

 

[LewFinnis]

Folkestone Central may be the closest station to the town but it's far from central (at least half a mile away) and was originally called Radnor Park (which is just over the road). The renaming of stations in this area could take up a lot of space........

 

[Wombat]

I've always liked the fact that Hazel Grove evokes a mental picture which is utterly opposed to the reality.

 

[scragend]

I've always liked the fact that Hazel Grove evokes a mental picture which is utterly opposed to the reality.

Whereas Hag Fold evokes a mental picture which is totally in line with reality!

 

[IainG81]

I've always thought Latimer Road was a bit strange as the station is about 500 meters from Latimer Road and the A40 Westway in between.

 

[snowball]

I've always thought Latimer Road was a bit strange as the station is about 500 meters from Latimer Road and the A40 Westway in between.

The present Preston Road (which is fairly near the station, though admittedly not the nearest road) was part of Latimer Road before Westway was built in about 1970.

 

[Dr Hoo]

Not really ridiculous but three of my favourites are Winnersh Triangle, Snodland in Kent and the intriguing Besses o' th' Barn on the Bury line of the Manchester Metrolink.

As a former resident (it isn't that far from Hoo!) I am glad that you don't think that Snodland is ridiculous. The station is in the middle of the settlement of Snodland, a name that goes back to the Domesday Book where it referred to some land owned by someone called Snod.
So I would humbly suggest that Snodland might actually eligible for the LEAST ridiculous station name contest.
Whereas people still can't make up their minds about where a settlement called London got its name from.

 

[unlevel42]

Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch
An invented name to keep businesses going after the opening of the Britannia Bridge as Llanfair was only going to be used as a terminus to/from Holyhead. Passengers took carriges through Menai Bridge, over Menai Bridge past Menai Bridge station to Bangor.

Beddgelert
Correct name but nothing to do with a dogs grave. The location was invented by a hotelier to attract tourists.

 

[Dr_Paul]

I've always liked the fact that Hazel Grove evokes a mental picture which is utterly opposed to the reality.

My dad worked with a chap newly arrived from Scotland who thought that Bethnal Green, London Fields and Hackney Downs sounded so picturesque... until he took the train out from Liverpool Street.

 

[Dr_Paul]

They're long closed now, but some of the stations on the fens had curious names, such as Cowbit, Counter Drain and Twenty, the last two being adjacent. In Yorkshire, on the line to Hornsea from Hull, there was Swine; whether this name derived from pigs I don't know.

 

[duffield]

As a former resident (it isn't that far from Hoo!) I am glad that you don't think that Snodland is ridiculous. The station is in the middle of the settlement of Snodland, a name that goes back to the Domesday Book where it referred to some land owned by someone called Snod.
So I would humbly suggest that Snodland might actually eligible for the LEAST ridiculous station name contest.
Whereas people still can't make up their minds about where a settlement called London got its name from.

However, it's just as well that Nottingham lost it's initial "S" many centuries ago.

 

[PR1Berske]

However, it's just as well that Nottingham lost it's initial "S" many centuries ago.

But happily, Scunthorpe did not.

 

[Scotty]

They're long closed now, but some of the stations on the fens had curious names, such as Cowbit, Counter Drain and Twenty, the last two being adjacent. In Yorkshire, on the line to Hornsea from Hull, there was Swine; whether this name derived from pigs I don't know.

Promounced "cubbit". We do have a Swineshead in Lincolnshire.

 

[Steddenm]

Heuston or Connolly? Or maybe Pearse?

In Ireland most of the stations don’t actually use the name of the town they serve.

For example, Kent Station serves the city of Cork (Irish: Stáisiún Cheannt) and Clarke Station serves Dundalk (Irish: Stáisiún Dún Dealgan Uí Cleirigh).

I’ve never heard any announcements list the Dublin stations as “Dublin xxx”. The ‘International’ Enterprise service does refer to Connolly as Dublin Connolly but this is mainly, according to Irish Rail and Translink, to make it easier for tourists.

 

[Taunton]

All the major stations in Ireland were renamed in 1966 after prominent historical forebears of the political party that happened to be in power at the time.

The Paris Metro is similar, naming (and renaming) stations after various personalities who were in favour at the time. Russia the same, to the extent that in each city there is a repetition of names.

 

[D6975]

Of the London Termini, I'm guessing that Victoria is the only one which needs the London prefix to avoid confusion (with Manchester Victoria)?

I would have thought that London Bridge rather needs the London prefix...

 

[onlinespotting]

I would have thought that London Bridge rather needs the London prefix...

Surely London Bridge is named after the bridge name rather than just being a station called Bridge :/

 

[bussnapperwm]

'University' in Birmingham. There are many universities in the UK, in fact there are 4 in Birmingham alone. It's especially ridiculous considering CrossCountry trains stop at the station which serve other cities which contain Universities too.

'Birmingham University' would be a much more appropriate title, or 'Edgbaston South' if that is deemed to still be too unclear.

Or even "Harborne & University"? I mean, Harborne is quite nearby to the University.

Maybe even rename Five Ways as "Edgbaston & Five Ways" to reduce confusion for non Midland residents.

 

[randyrippley]

meanwhile.....there are no naturists near Bare Lane (though the council were once asked to make Bare Beach nudist friendly - they refused)

 

[allaction]

Saundersfoot station is actually in the village of Pentlepoir, which although unlike Saundersfoot doesn’t have a beach, does, surprisingly, still have two petrol stations.

 

[DavidGrain]

Or even "Harborne & University"? I mean, Harborne is quite nearby to the University.

Maybe even rename Five Ways as "Edgbaston & Five Ways" to reduce confusion for non Midland residents.

University station is in Edgbaston not Harborne. Five Ways is also in Edgbaston and the current plan to extend the West Midlands Metro to Five Ways is calling the stop Edgbaston. Oh and by the way the Five Ways junction has six roads although realinement when the roundabout was built in the late 1960s does slightly obscure this fact. (Calthorpe Road was a later addition to the other five).

Many of the passengers using University Station are actually going to/from the Queen Elizabeth Hospital which has its own campus adjacent to the University campus.

 

[Rail Blues]

Bryn, sounds like it is just some rich eccentric Welsh bloke living in the North West of England who built a station for his own personal use.

 

[DanTrain]

Bryn, sounds like it is just some rich eccentric Welsh bloke living in the North West of England who built a station for his own personal use.

This one perhaps :

 

[Rail Blues]

This one perhaps :

That's who I had in mind! Should he want rapid and exclusive access to Wigan North Western!

 

[stut]

The Paris Metro is similar, naming (and renaming) stations after various personalities who were in favour at the time. Russia the same, to the extent that in each city there is a repetition of names.

Strictly speaking, Paris Metro stations are generally named after nearby roads or squares which bear the name of said personalities, it's just that they often omit the designator. Victor Hugo is next to place Victor Hugo; Parmentier is on avenue Parmentier; Étienne Marcel is on rue Étienne Marcel.

There are some fairly constructed ones, though, like Montparnasse Bienvenüe, which incorporates the mainline station name alongside Place Bienvenüe, in order to ensure a tribute to Fulgence Bienvenüe, the "father of the Metro". And of course, some that include the designator, like rue du Bac and place de Clichy.

 

[Rail Blues]

Wigan North Western is located to the south east of Wigan Wallgate.

(Though of course that's not why it has that name)

I always sing 'Wigan North Western' to the tune of Viva Las Vegas and Trans Pennine Express in the style of Kraftwerk's Trans Europe Express. The journey between Liverpool and Scotland is a lot of fun, so long as we don't change at Preston.

 

[xotGD]

I always sing 'Wigan North Western' to the tune of Viva Las Vegas and Trans Pennine Express in the style of Kraftwerk's Trans Europe Express. The journey between Liverpool and Scotland is a lot of fun, so long as we don't change at Preston.

If you change at Preston you could sing something by The Ordinary Boys.

 

[Trackman]

Surely London Bridge is named after the bridge name rather than just being a station called Bridge :/

It is!