Ulverston Station wasn’t always the grand dame it is today. Picture the scene in the blustery 1850s: a lone platform, its wooden planks bleached and splintered by the relentless sun and the bite of the salty sea winds, stood stark against the slate-grey sky. Patches of rust stained the rails like dried blood. This was all that greeted the iron horses when the Furness Railway’s line from Barrow-in-Furness and Dalton first steamed into town on 7 June 1854. The lonely whistle of the arriving train echoed across the empty expanse of the estuary, competing only with the cries of gulls and the rhythmic crash of waves against the nearby shore. The air was thick with the tang of salt and seaweed, mingled with the acrid smell of coal smoke from the approaching engine. It was a humble beginning for what would become a bustling hub.
Just three years later, in 1857, the Ulverstone and Lancaster Railway extended the line south to Carnforth, and a new station was built on the current site. This expansion left the old Furness Railway terminus to be used as a goods depot. Eventually, in 1862, the Furness Railway absorbed the Ulverstone and Lancaster company, consolidating its influence in the region.
But the most dramatic transformation was yet to come. Fast forward to 1873, and imagine the scene: the clang of pickaxes and the thunderous boom of hammers echoing through the town, a symphony of construction heralding the arrival of a new era. A cloud of dust hung in the air as a grand new station, befitting its status as one of the main stations of the Furness Railway, rose from the ground. This wasn’t just a station; it was a palace! Red sandstone walls, glowing like embers in the afternoon sun, were crowned by a clock tower soaring upwards, its golden hands glinting against the azure sky. A roof adorned with intricate ironwork, reminiscent of a fancy French chateau, completed the magnificent structure. Inside, the waiting room offered a haven of warmth and comfort, with plush velvet seats and smooth, polished wooden floors. The scent of freshly cut wood mingled with the aroma of steam and coal dust, creating a unique and exciting atmosphere. The clock tower and glass awnings, with their supporting decorative ironwork, were extensively restored and repainted in 1990, though sadly, they are now in need of attention once again.
The grand opening in 1873 was a spectacle no one wanted to miss! The station yard buzzed with a cacophony of sounds: the hiss of escaping steam, the excited chatter of the crowd, the cries of vendors hawking their wares, and the laughter of children chasing pigeons across the platform. Children, sticky with sweet treats like treacle toffee or sugared almonds, darted amongst the crowd, while important men in top hats debated the best place for a cup of tea, their voices momentarily lost in the cacophony of whistles, shouts, and laughter. Ulverston Station
wasn’t just a place to catch a train; it was the beating heart of the town, a place where stories began and ended with a whistle and a puff of smoke, a place where the future seemed as grand and exciting as the magnificent new station itself.
A Branch Line to Lakeside
The station’s unusual platform layout, where the northbound line has a face on both sides, is a legacy of its role as the interchange for the branch line to Lakeside. This line, branching off at Plumpton Junction, meandered through Greenodd and Haverthwaite to reach Lakeside on the southern shore of Windermere. The island platform facilitated easy transfers for passengers. Opened in 1869, the branch line was a hit with summer tourists, who could connect with the Windermere steamboats at Lakeside. Though the line closed in 1965, a portion was thankfully reopened in 1973 as the Lakeside and Haverthwaite Railway, preserving a part of this fascinating history for future generations.
A huge thank you to Cumbria Archives for providing the captivating photos used in this blog post and for their dedication to preserving Cumbria’s heritage. With their kind permission, these images help bring the story of Ulverston Station to life. Image courtesy of Cumbria Archives #CumbriaArchivesPhotos
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