Keswick railway station

Keswick
Keswick station, with new DMU, 1956
General information
LocationKeswick, Cumberland
England
Grid referenceNY270237
Platforms2
Other information
StatusDisused
History
Original companyCockermouth, Keswick and Penrith Railway
Pre-groupingCockermouth, Keswick and Penrith Railway
Post-groupingLondon, Midland and Scottish Railway
London Midland Region of British Railways
Key dates
2 January 1865Opened
1 June 1964Closed to goods
18 April 1966All traffic westwards ceased
1 July 1968Station became unstaffed
6 March 1972Final closure to passengers
Location
Keswick is located in the former Allerdale Borough
Keswick
Keswick
Location in the former Allerdale borough
Keswick is located in Cumbria
Keswick
Keswick
Location in present-day Cumbria, England

Keswick railway station was on the Cockermouth, Keswick and Penrith Railway between Penrith and Cockermouth in Cumberland (now in Cumbria), England. It served the town of Keswick and accommodated the offices of the Cockermouth, Keswick and Penrith Railway Company.

The station has its origins in 1861, when the construction of a railway line between Cockermouth and the West Coast Main Line of the London and North Western Railway (LNWR) company at Penrith was authorised. In 1862, the company decided to establish its office at the station. The site had an engine shed, a carriage shed capable of accommodating at least six carriages and a turntable. The station was designed by the railway engineer Thomas Bouch; construction was by contractor George Bolton & Sons. On 2 January 1865, the station was opened to passenger traffic.

As a result of the Beeching cuts, the line beyond Keswick to Cockermouth and Workington was closed on 18 April 1966, leaving a single line branch between Keswick and Penrith. The station survived for six years before closing on 6 March 1972. The main station building has been used as a hotel in recent years but most of the other structures have been demolished and the land used for car parking. A trail managed by the Lake District National Park Authority has been established along part of the former railway line.