Kirklee railway station

Kirklee railway station was a railway station serving the Kelvinside area in the West End of Glasgow, Scotland.

Kirklee
Kirklee station platforms in October 2007
General information
LocationKelvinside, Glasgow
Scotland
Grid referenceNS567678
Platforms2
Other information
StatusDisused
History
Original companyGlasgow Central Railway
Pre-groupingCaledonian Railway
Post-groupingLMS
Key dates
10 August 1896Opened
1 January 1917closed
1919reopened
1 May 1939Closed to passengers
5 October 1964Line closed
1971Station buildings demolished

History

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The station was opened on 10 August 1896 by the Glasgow Central Railway.[1] Also known as Kirklee for North Kelvinside, it was closed between 1 January 1917 and 2 March 1919 [1] 2 June 1919 [2] and closed permanently to passengers on 1 May 1939,[1] with the line being closed on 5 October 1964.

The station building was designed by famous architect Sir J.J. Burnet who earned his knighthood on the basis of his design for the extension of the British Museum.[3] The construction of the station was controversial in the 1890s as it destroyed a local beauty spot known as the Peartree Well.[4] Little is known of the station's use after closure but a photo taken in 1959 appears to show it in use a private house.[5] The station buildings were demolished in 1971 having fallen into disrepair.

The bulk of the station site is now occupied by blocks of apartments, however the platforms partially remain in place to the south, beyond the supports for a bridge which has since been removed, and just before a long tunnel leading to Botanic Gardens railway station. A telegraph pole dating from the line's operation is still present just before the mouth of the tunnel.

The station has been fenced in on both sides in 2017.

Footnotes

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  1. ^ a b c Butt, page 136
  2. ^ Railway Passenger Stations by M.Quick page 253
  3. ^ Urquhart, Chapter on West End Railways
  4. ^ Morton,
  5. ^ Anderson and Smith,

References

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  • Anderson, Paul and Smith, W.A.C. (1993). Illustrated History of Glasgow's Railways. Irwell Press. ISBN 1-871608-33-3.
  • Butt, R. V. J. (1995). The Directory of Railway Stations. Patrick Stephens Ltd, Sparkford. ISBN 1-85260-508-1.
  • Morton, Henry B. (1973). 'A Hillhead Album'. Unknown publisher. ISBN 0-9502034-3-2.
  • Urquhart, Gordon R. (2000). 'Along Great Western Road: An Illustrated History of Glasgow's West End'. Stenlake Publishing. ISBN 1-84033-115-1.
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Preceding station Historical railways Following station
Botanic Gardens
Line and station closed
  Caledonian Railway
Glasgow Central Railway
  Dawsholm
Line and station closed
  Caledonian Railway
Glasgow Central Railway
  Maryhill Central
Line and station closed

55°52′55″N 4°17′33″W / 55.8820°N 4.2926°W / 55.8820; -4.2926