Bleakest UK Station (Trivia)

[sad1e]

I saw the "Bleakest UK terminal station" thread and was wondering what people thought which station is the bleakest of them all. However this time closed stations can be included and stations in their historical states can also be included.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

I'll start off with a nomination for the one-time Godley East station (closed May 1995). Manchester->Glossop trains still runs past it.

 

[steamybrian]

Berney Arms

 

[brad465]

One of New Hythe or Yalding for me, the bleakest of a generally bleak Medway Valley line.

 

[sad1e]

Watford West station seemed like one of the most grim ones to me. , Never went to it while it was open but I've had an explore through the abandoned remains of it and a poorly maintained single track station without even a bus shelter and with peak hour only service in the middle of a copy and paste 1930's housing development must have seemed pretty grim (Photos attached of the station in the early 90's and of when i visited it in may this year)

 

[sh24]

Ardwick. The very definition of post industrial Northern bleak.

 

[james73]

Breich has to be up there. Or down there.

 

[Ridercross]

Bordesley - Grim from the moment you approach the entrance under the bridge: Then a horrible dark staircase leading to bleak windswept platforms with a basic concrete shelter.

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[Iskra]

Garsdale and Dent are both beautiful, but definitely bleak in winter.

I do think a number of posters in both threads are mis-defining ‘bleak’ however, and naming ‘grim’ stations instead…

 

[xotGD]

Brightside.

It's grim up north.

 

[Class15]

Overall - Ardwick

Of the ones I regularly use - Kentish Town West

 

[sad1e]

Of the ones I regularly use - Kentish Town West

As a Londoner i do agree Kentish Town West is quite grim , The white fencing that runs along the backside of the platform doesn't help either. At least it has a decent service from London Overground now , Wouldn't have wanted to be there in Silverlink or BR days.

 

[Gathursty]

Bleakest near me would be Ince, an island platform in a housing estate that has very recently had a new footbridge installed.

Bleakest I've been to is Grimsby Docks. Similar vibes to Ardwick but Grimsby is much further away from me.

 

[Cheshire Scot]

Similar vibes to Ardwick but Grimsby is much further away from me.

Ardwick, a yes from me!

 

[The exile]

Imagine missing your train on a wet Saturday in February at Pilning....


While clearly several of the urban candidates mentioned above certainly qualify on a year round basis, there will be quite a lot of remote rural ones which would count as idyllic on a sunny summer's evening, but would suddenly seem very bleak on a wet Wednesday in the winter months as the delay minutes mount up.

 

[Redmike]

Denton station hasn't got much going for it.

 

[Ian Hardy]

Vauxhall on a cold February morning with the wind whistling past.

 

[sad1e]

While clearly several of the urban candidates mentioned above certainly qualify on a year round basis, there will be quite a lot of remote rural ones which would count as idyllic on a sunny summer's evening, but would suddenly seem very bleak on a wet Wednesday in the winter months as the delay minutes mount up.

I wouldn't want to imagine being stuck in Chathill on a wet winter Wednesday. At least you have interesting ECML traffic going past but with its's meagre amount of trains per day i wouldn't exactly want to see my train cancelled there.

 

[MadMarsupial]

Dove Holes in winter.
As a nameless guard used to say in the early 90s "Dove Holes - change here for Murmansk and the Artic Circle"

 

[Acfb]

I find Wester Hailes somewhat bleak, both the platforms and the access to it even if it's not necessarily the bleakest.

In terms of closed/mothballed stations ones like IBM, British Steel Redcar, Teesside Airport etc obviously come to mind.

 

[sh24]

I wouldn't want to imagine being stuck in Chathill on a wet winter Wednesday. At least you have interesting ECML traffic going past but with its's meagre amount of trains per day i wouldn't exactly want to see my train cancelled there.

In a November storm, the 20min wait during the unit reversal at Bellshill is more than long enough for the bleakness to set in.

 

[Acfb]

Breich has to be up there. Or down there.

I think they've done a pretty good job with the rebuild whatever one thinks of the money spent on it. I think the village is a lot more bleak than the actual station. I did choose an awful dreich day to visit it in Autumn 2020 though when the return train was cancelled due to high winds etc and I had to walk to West Calder.

 

[Rescars]

Garsdale and Dent are both beautiful, but definitely bleak in winter.

I do think a number of posters in both threads are mis-defining ‘bleak’ however, and naming ‘grim’ stations instead…

Garsdale has a proven history of bleakness. Surely the Hawes Junction stockaded turntable (as a means of maintaining control when turning locos in high winds) was unique.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

I did choose an awful dreich day to visit it in Autumn 2020 though when the return train was cancelled...

Dreich in Breich?! A job's waiting for you at 'Visit Scotland'!

 

[james73]

I think the village is a lot more bleak than the actual station.

I didn't want to be the one to say that....

 

[Rescars]

The RCH 1904 Handbook of Stations lists Bleak Hills Siding on the Midland. In Notts. Got to be in with a shout!

 

[Russel]

Thorp-Le-Soken always feels bleak, especially in winter when it gets dark at 4pm, the huge abandoned building next door and the general feeling of isolation doesn't make for a pleasant place to wait.

 

[Bertie the bus]

Flimby, especially on a wet day with the wind gusting off the Irish Sea. The natives aren’t too welcoming either.

 

[Johnhayworth21]

Bescot Stadium

 

[stadler]

Newhaven Harbour is certainly a strong contender.