CravenArms-footbridge01.jpg (156947 bytes)

The footbridge at Craven Arms station in rural Shropshire. The small town in Shropshire owes its existence and unusual name to the railway. The rail junction with the Heart of Wales Line immediately south of the station (this photograph is looking north) was named after a nearby inn the Craven Arms, which was named after Lord Craven, who held the marno house of Stokesay Castle about a mile to the south. The station itself was named for the rail junction. The railway brought trade and population to what had been a tiny village called Newton, and expanded it so much that it eventually took the name of the station. Photo by Chris McKenna 17/12/2005. Larger, higher quality copies of most of my pictures are available, please email if you want a copy. If you wish to use this, or any other of my photographs, under a different license see my relicensing policy.

CravenArms-footbridge02.jpg (157116 bytes)

The entrance to the footbrdige at Platform 1 of Craven Arms station in rural Shropshire. Photo by Chris McKenna 17/12/2005. Larger, higher quality copies of most of my pictures are available, please email if you want a copy. If you wish to use this, or any other of my photographs, under a different license see my relicensing policy.

CravenArms-footbridge03.jpg (162910 bytes)

The entrance to the footbrdige at Platform 2 of Craven Arms station in rural Shropshire. The metal box on the left serves to give the only live train information available at the station - a very firm press of button gives details of the next two services at either platform 1 or 2. Photo by Chris McKenna 17/12/2005. Larger, higher quality copies of most of my pictures are available, please email if you want a copy. If you wish to use this, or any other of my photographs, under a different license see my relicensing policy.

CravenArms-lookingnorth-01.jpg (162923 bytes)

Looking north from platform 1 at Craven Arms station in rural Shropshire. The small town in Shropshire owes its existence and unusual name to the railway. The rail junction with the Heart of Wales Line immediately south of the station (this photograph is looking north) was named after a nearby inn the Craven Arms, which was named after Lord Craven, who held the marno house of Stokesay Castle about a mile to the south. The station itself was named for the rail junction. The railway brought trade and population to what had been a tiny village called Newton, and expanded it so much that it eventually took the name of the station. Photo by Chris McKenna 17/12/2005. Larger, higher quality copies of most of my pictures are available, please email if you want a copy. If you wish to use this, or any other of my photographs, under a different license see my relicensing policy.

CravenArms-lookingnorth-02.jpg (158632 bytes)

Looking north from platform 1 at Craven Arms station in rural Shropshire. The semaphore signals in this area and also the gates of the level crossing the yellow 4x4 van is on are controlled from the cream building on the right of the track. The crossing between rail lines visible in the middle foreground allows southbound trains from Crewe and Shrewsbury access to platform 1 at the station and then onto the Heart of Wales line south of the station. Southbound services to Hereford and south-east Wales call at platform 2. The small town in Shropshire owes its existence and unusual name to the railway. The rail junction with the Heart of Wales Line immediately south of the station (this photograph is looking north) was named after a nearby inn the Craven Arms, which was named after Lord Craven, who held the marno house of Stokesay Castle about a mile to the south. The station itself was named for the rail junction. The railway brought trade and population to what had been a tiny village called Newton, and expanded it so much that it eventually took the name of the station. Photo by Chris McKenna 17/12/2005. Larger, higher quality copies of most of my pictures are available, please email if you want a copy. If you wish to use this, or any other of my photographs, under a different license see my relicensing policy.

CravenArms-lookingnorth-03.jpg (158938 bytes)

Looking north from the southern end of platform 1 at Craven Arms station in rural Shropshire. This platform is served by northbound trains on the Cardiff/Newport and Hereford to Shrewsbury, Crewe and Manchester Welsh Marches Line, and services in both directions on the Heart of Wales Line which runs from here to Llanelli. Platform 2 is served by southbound trains on the Welsh Marches Line only. The small town in Shropshire owes its existence and unusual name to the railway. The rail junction with the Heart of Wales Line immediately south of the station (this photograph is looking north) was named after a nearby inn the Craven Arms, which was named after Lord Craven, who held the marno house of Stokesay Castle about a mile to the south. The station itself was named for the rail junction. The railway brought trade and population to what had been a tiny village called Newton, and expanded it so much that it eventually took the name of the station. Photo by Chris McKenna 17/12/2005. Larger, higher quality copies of most of my pictures are available, please email if you want a copy. If you wish to use this, or any other of my photographs, under a different license see my relicensing policy.

CravenArms-lookingnorth-04.jpg (157351 bytes)

Looking north from the footbridge at Craven Arms station in rural Shropshire. The large amount of unused land behind platform 1 on the left leads me to think this is the former location of a goods yeard. A smaller one may also have existed on land now occupied by the station car park and buildings that look to be no later than 1980s by the style of the architecture. The small town in Shropshire owes its existence and unusual name to the railway. The rail junction with the Heart of Wales Line immediately south of the station (this photograph is looking north) was named after a nearby inn the Craven Arms, which was named after Lord Craven, who held the marno house of Stokesay Castle about a mile to the south. The station itself was named for the rail junction. The railway brought trade and population to what had been a tiny village called Newton, and expanded it so much that it eventually took the name of the station. Photo by Chris McKenna 17/12/2005. Larger, higher quality copies of most of my pictures are available, please email if you want a copy. If you wish to use this, or any other of my photographs, under a different license see my relicensing policy.

CravenArms-lookingnorth-05.jpg (161834 bytes)

Looking north from the footbridge at Craven Arms station in rural Shropshire. The singals on the gantry on the right of the picture are set to allow a southound service to enter platform 2. The small town in Shropshire owes its existence and unusual name to the railway. The rail junction with the Heart of Wales Line immediately south of the station (this photograph is looking north) was named after a nearby inn the Craven Arms, which was named after Lord Craven, who held the marno house of Stokesay Castle about a mile to the south. The station itself was named for the rail junction. The railway brought trade and population to what had been a tiny village called Newton, and expanded it so much that it eventually took the name of the station. Photo by Chris McKenna 17/12/2005. Larger, higher quality copies of most of my pictures are available, please email if you want a copy. If you wish to use this, or any other of my photographs, under a different license see my relicensing policy.

CravenArms-lookingsouth-01.jpg (160521 bytes)

Looking south from the northern end of platform 1 at Craven Arms station in rural Shropshire. This platform is served by northbound trains on the Cardiff/Newport and Hereford to Shrewsbury, Crewe and Manchester Welsh Marches Line, and services in both directions on the Heart of Wales Line which runs from here to Llanelli. Platform 2 is served by southbound trains on the Welsh Marches Line only. I suspect that northbound Heart of Wales Line trains used to call at the opposite face of this platform and join the mainline north of the station. This arrangement most likely ended when the Heart of Wales Line was single tracked. The small town in Shropshire owes its existence and unusual name to the railway. The rail junction with the Heart of Wales Line immediately south of the station (this photograph is looking north) was named after a nearby inn the Craven Arms, which was named after Lord Craven, who held the marno house of Stokesay Castle about a mile to the south. The station itself was named for the rail junction. The railway brought trade and population to what had been a tiny village called Newton, and expanded it so much that it eventually took the name of the station. Photo by Chris McKenna 17/12/2005. Larger, higher quality copies of most of my pictures are available, please email if you want a copy. If you wish to use this, or any other of my photographs, under a different license see my relicensing policy.

CravenArms-lookingsouth-02.jpg (162210 bytes)

Looking south from the southern end of platform 1 at Craven Arms station in rural Shropshire. The junction with the Heart of Wales Line is visible immediately beyond the end of the platform. I suspect that northbound Heart of Wales Line trains used to call at the opposite face of this platform and join the mainline north of the station. This arrangement most likely ended when the Heart of Wales Line was single tracked. The small town in Shropshire owes its existence and unusual name to the railway. The rail junction with the Heart of Wales Line immediately south of the station (this photograph is looking north) was named after a nearby inn the Craven Arms, which was named after Lord Craven, who held the marno house of Stokesay Castle about a mile to the south. The station itself was named for the rail junction. The railway brought trade and population to what had been a tiny village called Newton, and expanded it so much that it eventually took the name of the station. Photo by Chris McKenna 17/12/2005. Larger, higher quality copies of most of my pictures are available, please email if you want a copy. If you wish to use this, or any other of my photographs, under a different license see my relicensing policy.

CravenArms-lookingsouth-03.jpg (163829 bytes)

Looking south at the start of the Heart of Wales Line from the southern end of platform 1 at Craven Arms station in rural Shropshire. The lines heading straight on at the left of the photograph carry services on the Welsh Marches Line between Cardiff, Newport and Hereford to the south and Shrewsbury Crewe and Manchester to the north. The small town in Shropshire owes its existence and unusual name to the railway. The rail junction with the Heart of Wales Line immediately south of the station (this photograph is looking north) was named after a nearby inn the Craven Arms, which was named after Lord Craven, who held the marno house of Stokesay Castle about a mile to the south. The station itself was named for the rail junction. The railway brought trade and population to what had been a tiny village called Newton, and expanded it so much that it eventually took the name of the station. Photo by Chris McKenna 17/12/2005. Larger, higher quality copies of most of my pictures are available, please email if you want a copy. If you wish to use this, or any other of my photographs, under a different license see my relicensing policy.

CravenArms-lookingsouth-04.jpg (160521 bytes)

Looking south at the junction that forms the start of the single track Heart of Wales Line from the southern end of platform 1 at Craven Arms station in rural Shropshire. Trains on this line bear right on a scenic but slow journey to the south-west Wales town of Llanelli. The lines heading straight on carry services on the Welsh Marches Line between Cardiff, Newport and Hereford to the south and Shrewsbury Crewe and Manchester to the north. The small town in Shropshire owes its existence and unusual name to the railway. The rail junction with the Heart of Wales Line immediately south of the station (this photograph is looking north) was named after a nearby inn the Craven Arms, which was named after Lord Craven, who held the marno house of Stokesay Castle about a mile to the south. The station itself was named for the rail junction. The railway brought trade and population to what had been a tiny village called Newton, and expanded it so much that it eventually took the name of the station. Photo by Chris McKenna 17/12/2005. Larger, higher quality copies of most of my pictures are available, please email if you want a copy. If you wish to use this, or any other of my photographs, under a different license see my relicensing policy.

CravenArms-lookingsouth-05.jpg (160837 bytes)

Looking south at the junction that forms the start of the single track Heart of Wales Line from the footbridge at Craven Arms station in rural Shropshire. Trains on this line bear right on a scenic but slow journey to the south-west Wales town of Llanelli. The lines heading straight on carry services on the Welsh Marches Line between Cardiff, Newport and Hereford to the south and Shrewsbury Crewe and Manchester to the north. The small town in Shropshire owes its existence and unusual name to the railway. The rail junction with the Heart of Wales Line immediately south of the station (this photograph is looking north) was named after a nearby inn the Craven Arms, which was named after Lord Craven, who held the marno house of Stokesay Castle about a mile to the south. The station itself was named for the rail junction. The railway brought trade and population to what had been a tiny village called Newton, and expanded it so much that it eventually took the name of the station. Photo by Chris McKenna 17/12/2005. Larger, higher quality copies of most of my pictures are available, please email if you want a copy. If you wish to use this, or any other of my photographs, under a different license see my relicensing policy.

CravenArms-nonstopClass158.jpg (159414 bytes)

An Arriva Trains Wales Class 158 DMU races through Craven Arms station at about 90mph with a non-stop southbound service. Photo by Chris McKenna 17/12/2005. Larger, higher quality copies of most of my pictures are available, please email if you want a copy. If you wish to use this, or any other of my photographs, under a different license see my relicensing policy.

CravenArms-trainstophere.jpg (162353 bytes)

Craven Arms station in rural Shropshire is very rarely served by trains with more than two carriages, despite the platforms being much longer than this. To aid the unfamiliar travellers trains stop here has been painted on the platform edge. This ascertation certainly proved true on my first visit to this station in the late summer of 2005 - the train I was on from Wilmslow to Cardiff Central waited here for nearly an hour and a half - ostensibly due to asbestos being discovered in a signal box controling the gates to a level crossing about 5 miles south of here. Photo by Chris McKenna 17/12/2005. Larger, higher quality copies of most of my pictures are available, please email if you want a copy. If you wish to use this, or any other of my photographs, under a different license see my relicensing policy.