Disused Stations: Simonstone Station

A nice photo of Simonstone's station down (eastbound) platform. The photo was taken from the west, Blackburn end of the down platform looking east towards Padiham and Rose Grove. Here a train is almost ready to depart for Burnley or Colne near to the home starter signal which is in the up or clear position. One carriage door is still open and two members of staff stand on the platform ready to assist passengers. Looking around, one or two advertisements can be seen as can five lampposts towards the eastern end of the platform, these posts and two larger lamps were all lit with oil due to the fact the station had no gas supply. The two larger lamps are either side of the booking office exit onto the platform itself. Above the exit onto the platform is the short ugly replacement awning, the original one spanned the length of the building, no details of when this replacement awning was erected. As for the date of the photo, it is from the early British Railways era. The carriages of the train look to be the older LMS ones but that doesn't help with dating the photo as they were used well into BR days. Near the bottom left of the photo you can see the original LMS Hawkseye station name sign and the advertising boards have LMS on them but they are painted out. I checked another photo from a book which was taken in 1957, the poster next to the name sign was still there. The platform here has a white line on the platform's edge but this line is not there in the 1952 photo. The only thing we can possibly say is that this photo looks to be from around 1956/57. The poster seems to have survived until closure of the station in November 1957.
Photo from Graham Larkbey collection

Two men are cutting up the remains of the railway bridge that spanned Simonstone Lane on 30 May 1968. The bridge stone abutments still stand and are clearly visible. This view is from the station side (east) looking west. The row of houses was known as Bank Terrace.

Copyright photo from the Burnley Civic Trust Heritage Image Collection.

Taken from the former station site at Simonstone in 1974, here we are looking west towards the village of Read and Great Harwood. The bridge here over Simonstone Lane was removed in May 1968, and either side of the missing bridge is fenced off for safety. The stone bridge in the distance carries Gooseleach Lane over the former line.
Photo by Paul Kirkup

A view of the Simonstone station area in 1974 looking east back towards Padiham; the degraded rmains of the platforms are seen. On the left, the original wooden goods shed that was behind the down platform and its building. This shed still st and is the only surviving building connected with the loop line. Roughly in the middle near the trackbed on the left a buffer stop can be seen sticking out of the grass, and from here running to our left the track the buffer was on can still just be seen. This section of track was a short loop off the main lines for access to and from the goods yard area. The grass on the right hand side of the trackbed was where the up platform was, and directly behind us was a bridge carrying the line over Simonstone Lane, Simonstone, which was taken away some eight years previously by the time this photo was taken.
Photo by Paul Kirkup

A photo taken in March 1987 showing the degraded remains of the platforms and one side of the old goods shed to the left. The yard on closure was purchased and remained a coal yard for many years, just has it had been since 1957.

Photo by John Mann

Hidden away and surrounded by trees are the remains of the up (westbound) platform of Simonstone station. The stone slabs of the edge of the platform lie covered with moss and vines. To the right (out of sight) a mound of bricks and stone cover the former down platform area. Between the two platforms more bricks and rubble can be seen to the right, where the tracks used to run through. The small up platform shelter was made from wood so there wouldn't have been too much to demolish on this side. Only slightly further along from here was Simonstone Lane railway bridge. Should you wish to go and have a look for yourself be very careful, the bridge has gone! It's incredible how the up platform has survived all these years. This photo was taken in April 2021 some 56 years after the station was demolished in the last quarter of 1965. The view is looking west towards Simonstone Lane and Great Harwood.
Photo by Mark Jones

The western edge of what was the railway bridge crossing over Simonstone Lane which led directly to the station on the other side. The bridge stone abutment still stands and a set of wooden steps have been provided for walkers which leads to the Lane. As viewed, the left side is the up line side looking westt.

Photo by Tom Rawley

The eastern end of the railway bridge over Simonstone Lane. At the top of the stone abutment trees can be seen growing. This is where the platforms began for the station. As viewed, the right side is the up line side looking east.
Photo by Tom Rawley

Looking north up Simonstone Lane. The trackbed to the left ran to Great Harwood in the west, and the right led directly to the station in the east. The two stone abutments for the former bridge can be seen in the centre of the photo where Simonstone Lane dips down. The bridge here was removed and cut up 30 May 1968.
Photo by Tom Rawley

Close up to one end of the up (westbound) platform of Simonstone station in December 2022. The photographer is standing between the two former platforms where the up line was situated. A tree tries its best to push up one of the platform flags but it looks like the flag won. Not too far from here continuing on was Simonstone Lane railway bridge which carried the line over Simonstone Lane and onto Great Harwood and Blackburn. The view is looking west.
Photo by Mark Jones

The up (westbound) platform edge of Simonstone station still there in December 2022. It's quite remarkable how it has survived all these years, some 57 years after the station was demolished, and 65 years since the last passenger train stopped. Here in the winter months the platform edge is quite visible but in summer it could easily be completely hidden away beneath the vegetation, perhaps one reason why it's survived so many years. The view is looking west towards Simonstone Lane.

Photo by Mark Jones

Behind the bare trees in December 2022, Simonstone goods yard shed still stands. This is the original shed built of wood in 1885. It is located behind what was the down platform building just off to one side at the Rose Grove (eastern) end of the station. The shed itself was open fronted and originally a siding ran through it. This photo shows an extra portion has been added to one side of it (date unknown). This extra structure is not shown in the original drawings of the shed and its purpose is unclear. In front of the trees is what's left of the down platform, a mixture of rubble and bricks covered with undergrowth and dead branches. The shed itself is on private land, and the view is from the Rose Grove end of the station. Simonstone goods shed is sadly the only surviving station area building from the entire North Lancashire loop line.

Photo by Mark Jones

[Source: Andy Hunt}

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Station Name: SIMONSTONE