Thursday, July 23, 2009

Sutton Town (upside)






Inspired by an article (see Sutton Town - A Recent Visit, on the right hand side) I went to have a look at the derelict upside station building at Sutton Town. The pathway has recently been cleared of brambles etc and so was quite easy to negotiate. Passing over the electrified Cross City north route below we passed the remains of an old railway gate and came out at the building, which seemed quite substantial for such a small station. Although windows and doors have been bricked up the local kids have knocked out large holes in them so entry was easy.

1. The overgrown and derelict upside platform building, which almost mirrors the downside one in style and size. The platforms have long been removed, and the railway corridor blocked off with nasty pallisade fencing.

2. Exposed girders and surviving chimney at the east end.

3. Close up of ornate brickwork detail.

4. Inside the tall room at the eastern end of the building block, presumably the waiting room area. It's quite eerie in here as the outside world is instantly shut out, the darlness adding to the effect. A great place for a kids den, though I wonder how sturdy the structure is...

5. Amazingly these seem to be original Midland Railway benches, and there are more along the walls in the west end waiting room ! Also note the brick tile patterned floor...

I can't see this old building lasting much longer, I assume it's been virtually derelict since disuse as storage rooms for railway items in the 1970s, and would cost a fortune to renovate, and what purpose could it serve nowadays ?

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