Longwitton railway station

Longwitton station was a weather board and corrugated iron built railway station in Northumberland on the Rothbury Branch. Originally known as Rothley and built as a private halt for the Trevelyan Estate, the name was changed in 1875 to Longwitton when it became a public station.

Longwitton
Location
Place	Rothley
Area	Northumberland
Coordinates	55.2111°N 1.9298°W / 55.2111; -1.9298
Grid reference	NZ045908
Operations
Original company	Rothbury Branch
Pre-grouping	North British Railway
Post-grouping	London and North Eastern Railway North Eastern Region of British Railways
Platforms	1
History
1 November 1870	Station opened as Rothley private station
April 1875	renamed Longwitton and became public station
15 September 1952	Station closed to passengers
11 November 1963	Station closed to freight
Disused railway stations in the United Kingdom
Closed railway stations in Britain A B C D–F G H–J K–L M–O P–R S T–V W–Z

History

In 1859 Parliament authorised the Wansbeck Railway Company to build the line from Morpeth to Reedsmouth. In 1862 the line from Morpeth to Scotsgap opened.

The next year the Northumberland Central Railway were authorised to construct a line from Scotsgap to Ford on the Berwick to Kelso line. They also were permitted to build a short branch line to Cornhill. Due to financial difficulties the line was to be built in stages[1] starting with the section from Scotsgap to Rothbury which was started in August 1869 and completed by November 1870. The North British Railway and the branch line became part of the London and North Eastern Railway in 1923. In September 1952 passenger services were withdrawn and the line closed in November 1963.[2]

The station was opened as Rothley a private station serving the local Trevelyan Estate but became public when the line was absorbed into the North British Railway. Renamed Longwitton in April 1875 the station served a limestone quarry and colliery until the 1920s. On 3 July 1875 a major accident occurred on the line just south of Longwitton[3] leading to the deaths of three people.

Preceding station		Disused railways		Following station
Scotsgap Line and station closed		North British Railway Rothbury Branch		Ewesley Line and station closed

Rothbury Branch
Locale Northumberland Dates of operation 1870 – 1963 Successor line North British Railway Line length 13 miles (21 km) Track gauge 4 ft 8 ^1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)
Rothbury Brinkburn Fontburn Halt Fontburn Viaduct Ewesley Longwitton Scotsgap Wansbeck Railway to Reedsmouth │ to Morpeth

References

1. http://www.subbrit.org.uk/sb-sites/stations/s/scots_gap/index.shtml
2. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 8 October 2009. Retrieved 28 October 2009.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
3. http://www.railwaysarchive.co.uk/eventsummary.php?eventID=4102

External links

• Longwitton station on Disused Stations
• Longwitton on a navigable 1956 O. S. map
• The line on RailScot