Place Thornton Grid reference SD343421 | Area Wyre Platforms in use 2 | |
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Pre-grouping Preston and Wyre Joint Railway Post-grouping London, Midland and Scottish Railway April 1865 (1865-04) Station opened as Cleveleys Original company Preston and Wyre Joint Railway Similar Poulton Curve Halt railway st, Shirdley Hill railway station, Shawforth railway station, Fleetwood railway station, Banks railway station | ||
Thornton–Cleveleys (originally simply-named Cleveleys) was a small-sized railway station which served the two English Lancashire towns of Thornton and Cleveleys, but was situated in the centre of Thornton. Located on the now disused line between Poulton-le-Fylde and Fleetwood, the station also had a shunting yard for the making-up of freight trains for Preston and beyond. During its life it was also known at times as Thornton station and Thornton for Cleveleys station. In the 1860s and early 1870s the line was of great importance being the direct route from London to Glasgow. Before the Shap route was opened, passengers (allegedly including Queen Victoria) would travel from Euston to Fleetwood and then onwards via steamer to Scotland.
The original station was opened in April 1865, and was named Cleveleys. It was to the south of Station Road in Thornton, near an older halt called Ramper Road. The Station Master's house and station building can still be seen in use as a private residence. The station was renamed Thornton for Cleveleys on 1 April 1905. This station closed in 1927 when the new station (the first to be built by the LMS) opened to the north of the level crossing. In February 1953, the station was renamed again, this time to Thornton–Cleveleys. Rationalised in the 1950s/60's the station eventually closed on 1 June 1970 when the Fleetwood line was closed to passengers. Freight continued on the line to nearby Burn Naze until 1999.
The station site Today (and Preservation)
Today, the majority of the buildings at the station have long since been demolished but the platforms remain along with one of the original walls used to support the station's canopy and the bases for the waiting rooms on the up platform.
The site of the main station buildings and bus turning circle are now the site of a supermarket and small shops, narrowing the original down platform by a small amount.
On 1 July 2007, the station was leased by Network Rail to the Poulton & Wyre Railway Society to allow the group of volunteers access to the site to return the station to a restored condition.
Extensive improvements have occurred since the Poulton & Wyre Railway Society have been working on the station, with the site cleared of vegetation and almost all the fences rebuilt in a traditional picket fence style; the society has recently begun resurfacing the down platform.
In April 2013 the Poulton & Wyre Railway society were granted permission to extend their licence and begin work on the next station along the line towards Fleetwood at Burn Naze.