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Victorian railway station on sale for £250,000

Train spotters can get their own piece of rail history

Joanna Whitehead
Friday 10 August 2018 14:54 BST
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The former Chapeltown central station near Sheffield was closed in 1954
The former Chapeltown central station near Sheffield was closed in 1954 (Photos Mark Jenkinson and Son)

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Railway enthusiasts looking for their dream home are in luck, as a Victorian train station complete with original waiting rooms, ticket office and an overgrown platform goes up for auction next month.

The former Chapeltown central station near Sheffield in south Yorkshire, which closed in 1954, has been listed for auction with a guide price of £250,000.

Occupying almost one acre, the three bedroom property also includes original features such as a former booking hall and porter’s office, although it requires extensive renovation.

The property is located in a secluded woodland spot, where the South Yorkshire Railway Blackburn Valley line used to run between Ecclesfield East and Westwood.

The line served by the station was closed to passenger traffic in 1953, and goods trains in 1987, following the opening of a new Chapeltown station close by.

Don’t keep them waiting: the room where passengers used to kill time before the train arrived
Don’t keep them waiting: the room where passengers used to kill time before the train arrived (Mark Jenkinson & Son)

The site was once of great interest to conservationists, when the fossilised remains of a giant club moss tree was discovered there in 1875. The now extinct species is reported to have grown in coal forests thousands of years ago and reached heights of up to 100ft. The stump is now on display in Sheffield’s Botanical Gardens.

Rumours that the property is also home to the ghost of a man killed during a World War Two air raid while loading tanks onto a goods train are unsubstantiated, however.

Just the ticket: where people used to buy their boarding pass
Just the ticket: where people used to buy their boarding pass (Mark Jenkinson & Son)

Those looking to work on their handicap may also be tempted by the historic property, which is situated just over a mile away from Tankersley Park Golf Club.

It’s also less than two miles from the M1 motorway, making it an ideal location for commuters based in the Midlands.

All aboard: the property is now surrounded by woodland
All aboard: the property is now surrounded by woodland (Mark Jenkinson & Son)

Outdoor enthusiasts are well served with the dramatic expanse of the Peak District just over 10 miles away.

Lot number 26 will go up for auction on 4 September. Those seeking more information can contact auctioneers Mark Jenkinson and Son.

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