Most beautiful stations

[Amos]

I’m genuinely shocked that Euston didn’t make the list.

 

[vic-rijrode]

Although long closed and starting to look its age (especially on the track side), I give you Monkwearmouth (a mini Huddersfield).

It's currently festooned in front with Sunderland AFC flags which, whilst commemorating the Black Cats rise back to the Premier League, do not enhance its appearance.

 

[Sealink]

I absolutely love Kings Cross - I think one reason is that I remember what it used to be like with the awful shops blocking the view of the station frontage.
I also love that when you are looking "north" under the main train shed, the overhead lines are practically invisible. It's amazing how they have done that.

 

[yorksrob]

Edinburgh Waverley is notable that, right in the middle of an architecturally spectacular world heritage city, from different eras on either side, its large bulk is virtually hidden, and all it can show from many viewpoints is an extensive flat roof, which I think has been a longstanding planning requirement. The disposal of rainwater from such a roof must be an engineering task in its own right. The adjacent, onetime railway-owned, Balmoral Hotel, is an architectural high point, and may be on land still owned ultimately by the station.

I've always liked Waterloo, another with its roofline perpendicular to the tracks. It unfortunately goes through stages of rising and falling; some years ago the various concourse retail shacks were all cleared away for passenger flow, and indeed safety, benefit, but progressively the commercial side seem to be sneaking them back in. The various peripheral retail units do seem to be letting things down though - the renovation of the high level onetime railway offices in the back wall of the main concourse into shops doesn't seem to have worked well for footfall or keeping tenants, and the recent new area beneath the old Eurostar platforms seems an unmitigated disaster commercially.

The Victory pub seems to be doing alright whenever I'm in there.

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Indeed. Two of my favourite in Scotland are Aberdour and Kyle.

Then you’ve got plenty of stations in the South West too - St Erth being one of them!

Agree with St Erth. Delightful country junction.

 

[styles]

Edinburgh Waverley is notable that, right in the middle of an architecturally spectacular world heritage city, from different eras on either side, its large bulk is virtually hidden, and all it can show from many viewpoints is an extensive flat roof, which I think has been a longstanding planning requirement. The disposal of rainwater from such a roof must be an engineering task in its own right. The adjacent, onetime railway-owned, Balmoral Hotel, is an architectural high point, and may be on land still owned ultimately by the station.

Funnily enough, just last week I saw what looked to be a couple of tourists stood at the top of the Scotsman Steps, taking an aerial photo of Waverley. I'd never really thought a corrugated glass roof would be that appealing, but maybe they captured it better than I'm imagining!

 

[Sealink]

Indeed. Two of my favourite in Scotland are Aberdour and Kyle.

Then you’ve got plenty of stations in the South West too - St Erth being one of them!

Indeed! Didn't Aberdour double as Forres in the BBC comedy, Only Child?

 

[Thebaz]

Some of the selections seemed a bit random to me.

I always think these sort of lists should include Lewes.

Yes Lewes is an interesting and rather lovely station, but then almost everything else about Lewes is lovely too, especially the beer!

 

[dcbwhaley]

Buxton deserves a mention for its great fan window

 

[ThisIsSurbiton]

I’m genuinely shocked that Euston didn’t make the list.

I'm genuinely shocked that Yahoo still exists...

My list would include Lewes, definitely, and Margate and my local, Surbiton, could do well until you look at the platforms. Definitely Manchester Victoria. I think stations like Waterloo and Leeds, being many different eras stuck together like the cities they are in have their own charm if not beauty, although the Victory Arch is something special.

 

[GatwickDepress]

The most surprising thing is that a list of the UK's most beautiful railway stations actually included one from Northern Ireland!

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Does Cromford station definitely deserve third place in the listing?

 

[QueensCurve]

Yahoo has compiled a list of the UK's 24 most beautiful stations. You might disagree with their choices, but there is a good photo of each one. Some of the small ones are not the "usual suspects" and we could probably spend the rest of our lives suggesting alternatives and a different ranking. But here's the link

The UK’s most beautiful railway stations, ranked

From Victorian feats of engineering to cutting edge contemporary designs, we've ranked the UK’s most eye-catching railway stations – from sleek city hubs to charming small town stops.

uk.style.yahoo.com

St Pancras would be top of my list. I wouldn't have included Birmingham New Street - it would have on my lists for the most ugly and the most dysfunctional.

 

[yorksrob]

Agreed!

Indeed. Two of my favourite in Scotland are Aberdour and Kyle.

Then you’ve got plenty of stations in the South West too - St Erth being one of them!

Yes Lewes is an interesting and rather lovely station, but then almost everything else about Lewes is lovely too, especially the beer!

I'm genuinely shocked that Yahoo still exists...

My list would include Lewes, definitely, and Margate and my local, Surbiton, could do well until you look at the platforms. Definitely Manchester Victoria. I think stations like Waterloo and Leeds, being many different eras stuck together like the cities they are in have their own charm if not beauty, although the Victory Arch is something special.

Good to see the Lewes love !

Chuck in a phase 1 CIG and you have perfection.

Whilst we're in Sussex, Brighton's train shed must surely hold its own against all others !

 

[Sorcerer]

I can't argue too much with the list, but I absolutely disagree with Berwyn, a single-track single-platform station on a heritage railway, being ranked in first ahead of St Pancras, a grand terminus with historical Gothic beauty and a large single-span roof above modernised platforms full of Eurostar trains at the end point of Britain's fastest and first proper high-speed railway. In fact on a purely aesthetic level I'm not sure I'd even rank it on a personal list at all.

 

[GatwickDepress]

Whilst we're in Sussex, Brighton's train shed must surely hold its own against all others !

If your perfect Lewes involves a slammer, Brighton can't be considered unless there's a 5-BEL!

 

[Zomboid]

I can't argue too much with the list, but I absolutely disagree with Berwyn, a single-track single-platform station on a heritage railway, being ranked in first ahead of St Pancras, a grand terminus with historical Gothic beauty and a large single-span roof above modernised platforms full of Eurostar trains at the end point of Britain's fastest and first proper high-speed railway. In fact on a purely aesthetic level I'm not sure I'd even rank it on a personal list at all.

Bedwyn and Ribblehead (maybe others, I'm doing this from memory) are pretty stations in beautiful settings. The stations themselves are nice enough but aren't pulling up any trees in comparison to St Pancras. But the Euston road isn't a patch on the Dee Valley, scenically speaking.

 

[yorksrob]

If your perfect Lewes involves a slammer, Brighton can't be considered unless there's a 5-BEL!

Indeed - with a PUL unit alongside !

 

[D6130]

If your perfect Lewes involves a slammer, Brighton can't be considered unless there's a 5-BEL!

They were not infrequently diverted via Lewes on a Sunday.

 

[duffield]

Does Cromford station definitely deserve third place in the listing?

It's a great little station, I've even stayed in the nicely restored waiting room cottage. But I would guess it's only there because of the Oasis connection.

 

[Railwaysceptic]

I like Hertford East Station and think its architecture deserves more recognition. I also think Darlington's superb trainshed is underrated. Melton Mowbray and Oakham are small interesting stations, well worth looking at.

 

[D6130]

I like Hertford East Station and think its architecture deserves more recognition. I also think Darlington's suburb trainshed is underrated. Melton Mowbray and Oakham are small interesting stations, well worth looking at.

When you say Darlington's suburb trainshed, do you mean North Road?

 

[yorksrob]

I also think Darlington's suburb trainshed is underrated.

Yes, that's a favourite of mine.

 

[duffield]

When you say Darlington's suburb trainshed, do you mean North Road?

I'm guessing it's pesky auto correct changing "superb" to "suburb"!

 

[Sealink]

I love Enfield Chase, it has quirky "two tier" steps/walkway inside.

 

[D6130]

I'm guessing it's pesky auto correct changing "superb" to "suburb"!

Ah yes, of course....although North Road does have a rather attractive train shed, which is older and smaller than that at Bank Top.

 

[duffield]

Ah yes, of course....although North Road does have a rather attractive train shed, which is older and smaller than that at Bank Top.

...which the photos on Google maps show as being out of bounds to passengers with them being expelled to the windswept platform with a small bus shelter.

 

[Omnidekkalover]

I think Birmingham moor street is miles ahead of new street

 

[Mat17]

Moor Street a gem of a station.

 

[ian1944]

I've always liked Dumfries and Lockerbie, maybe not beautiful (as many of those cited are not), but as I see it perfect of their kind.

 

[BeijingDave]

isn't a patch on the Dee Valley, scenically speaking.

This is the Dee Valley of Chester/North Wales, of course.

Both places known as Deeside or the Dee Valley are absolutely beautiful, especially Ballater in Scotland.