Your favourite seaside terminus UK station (and town)

[prod_pep]

Now that the whole UK is allowed, Llandudno absolutely. I love the place and the only pity is the station has lost its grand old roof.

Also, shame on me for failing to mention Looe last night.

 

[Calthrop]

Again with all UK included: I can't resist Portrush -- largely because of (see below)... I've been there, briefly: station nowadays pretty basic-ish -- serving a jolly, but relatively sedate as they go, seaside resort; as befits that part of the world.

It can't but call to mind, the local doggerel from long ago --

Ye may talk of Bundoran, of Warrenpoint and Bangor,
But come to Portrush if ye want to be gay [definitely from long ago -- days when the word meant just cheery / merry / in high spirits];
So Sammy me boy, put yer hand in yer pocket,
And come out with saxpence, and come to the say...

 

[Skipness]

Saltburn! Lovely small Victorian town, lovely pier and cliff lift.
Nice chip shop (Cat Nabs), and nice coastal walks along beach or along cliff tops towards Skinnigrove.
Also nice walks through the Valley Gardens.

The presenf two platform bus shelter station is adjacent to the former grand station buildings now given over to retail. Unfortunately the cliff tramway suffered a serious fire early this year and is currently closed. (I am biased because I did work there)

 

[JD2168]

Cleethorpes has the advantage of being able to see the beach & sea as you come into the station although it is not the prettiest station around.

Bridlington is ok, some of the bridges could do with painting & unlike Cleethorpes there is a walk to the beach, harbour & sea but there is a very late opening supermarket next door which is handy as most facilities on the station close early & Northern don’t have catering trolleys on their services.

Blackpool North is imposing as you come into it & you can see the Tower from a way out but sometimes walking from the station to the front is not the most pleasant especially late in the day.

 

[Rescars]

Has anyone mentioned Weymss Bay yet. A stunning effort by the Caledonian!

 

[infobleep]

I actually prefer Eastbourne station to Brighton, because it's quieter so retains a much nicer feel to it and isn't worked so hard.

I agree with you.

Stations wise I like Bognor but I don't know the town so well.

 

[Trainlog]

My hometown is Hastings, so I'm a little biased towards it as one of my favourite seaside termini - a lot of services do terminate there, so I'm counting it as a terminus.

The cutting on one side together with semaphores and working signal box give the station a more bucolic feel than most other seaside resorts, and stepping out of the station to see the castle ruins up on the cliffs and the 'Welcome to Hastings' message daubed on the side of the Seadog pub always reminds me why I love the town. Obviously, the new station building isn't as grandiose as the much-missed Southern Railway structure, but it's certainly not soulless with its yellow stone and blue glass. From a more practical perspective, the bus stands are right outside and it's a short walk to the town centre and beach. Pity about the derelict eyesore that is Queensbury House, but word is the owners are actually starting the long journey to convert it into flats.

Oh, and I do love how each line has its own character. A slow jaunt through the wetlands of Kent on the Marshlink, snaking through the laborious High Weald terrain to Tunbridge Wells, or enjoying the sea views and a quick glance at the St Leonards depot on the East Coastway.

Brighton was mentioned before, and the view from the London Road Viaduct is as amazing on the hundredth journey as it was on the first. It really feels like a proper terminus too, a little Victoria as someone called it on this thread.

I agree with your points on Hastings, I like watching the Semaphores at that station. Also quite like Paignton NR station aswell as a terminus.

For closed terminals: Folkestone harbour station - i really like what has happened with the restoration of the old station. I did enjoy that when I went to Weymouth in 2019, it still had a lot of the old tramway tracks left over in the harbour area.

Heritage railways: Though I did like Swanage and Minehead, I like Dungeness on the RHDR best. Though it not interesting architecture-wise, it has an interesting layout with the balloon loop to turn the train around, there is many cameos in the area such as the old abandoned standard gauge platform and old standard gauge coaches and wagons, and its a strong contrast with the other terminal at Hythe as Dungeness is Britain's only desert.

Would reccomend going through Dungeness on one of the RHDR express trains. When I did it on the end-of-season steam gala last year it was interesting watching the station at sunset with the train running round the loop. Sure it was raining that day but it was a good express run.

 

[John Luxton]

Good shout, but is Porthmadog Harbour in England?

The thread does say UK! I don't think Yes Cymru have secured independence yet.

Oops I see that the scope of the message was expanded after I posted my origial comment - you therefore were correct at querying my post.

the Brutalist entrance is a carbuncle not befitting of the town at all.

This is what spoils Southport as a good seaside terminal. The walk through the dreary and dim tunnel. I am just old enough to remember the old station building rather than the concrete carbuncle! Thank goodness the trainshed survives and is generally well maintained.

Last night I didn't have time to elaborate on my choice of Penzance as I was in rush. To me Penzance brings back many happy memories long before I first arrived there on the train. Holidays to the area were always by car from Liverpool. As a very young child my parents took me to a guest house in Penrose Terrace - the bay windows of the house offering a view of the station just before steam was eliminated. My parents would walk me along the footpath and my father would take me into the station to buy newspapers from the bookstall. Later my parents hired a caravan for holidays at the Eastern Green caravan site where Tesco is now. Yet we my father would still go down to the station for papers. Though I had discovered the St Ives and travelled on it from about the age of 6 I don't think I actually arrived into Penzance by train until 1978 when I bought an All Lines Railrover to celebrate leaving school!

It is not just Penzance station which does it for me but that final mile or so beside the sea from when the train bursts through the bridge and St Michael's Mount and Mount's Bay come into view. There are few stretches of railway in my opinion which offer the drama and feeling of conclusion of this section which I rate even higher than Dawlish / Teignmouth sea wall.

After I started driving in the early 80s rail trips into Pz ended. In recent years I have been staying around Tavistock just over the border in Devon and have taken to driving to Bere Alston, Gunnislake or Liskeard and taking the train down to Penzance.

The magic of that last mile into Penzance still remains, and the station still looks good and has worn better than most seaside stations on the mainline network. You can still walk up the steps and take in the view that inspired artist Stanhope Forbes to produce his masterpeice "The Terminus" which is at the National Railway Museum. The trains and platform configuration may have changed over the past 99 years but it is still the same view.


Perhaps this scope of this thread should also include Ireland - if it did I would throw in Cóbh as my third favourite!

 

[Busaholic]

The thread does say UK! I don't think Yes Cymru have secured independence yet.

Oops I see that the scope of the message was expanded after I posted my origial comment - you therefore were correct at querying my post.




Last night I didn't have time to elaborate on my choice of Penzance as I was in rush. To me Penzance brings back many happy memories long before I first arrived there on the train. Holidays to the area were always by car from Liverpool. As a very young child my parents took me to a guest house in Penrose Terrace - the bay windows of the house offering a view of the station just before steam was eliminated. My parents would walk me along the footpath and my father would take me into the station to buy newspapers from the bookstall. Later my parents hired a caravan for holidays at the Eastern Green caravan site where Tesco is now. Yet we my father would still go down to the station for papers. Though I had discovered the St Ives and travelled on it from about the age of 6 I don't think I actually arrived into Penzance by train until 1978 when I bought an All Lines Railrover to celebrate leaving school!

It is not just Penzance station which does it for me but that final mile or so beside the sea from when the train bursts through the bridge and St Michael's Mount and Mount's Bay come into view. There are few stretches of railway in my opinion which offer the drama and feeling of conclusion of this section which I rate even higher than Dawlish / Teignmouth sea wall.

After I started driving in the early 80s rail trips into Pz ended. In recent years I have been staying around Tavistock just over the border in Devon and have taken to driving to Bere Alston, Gunnislake or Liskeard and taking the train down to Penzance.

The magic of that last mile into Penzance still remains, and the station still looks good and has worn better than most seaside stations on the mainline network. You can still walk up the steps and take in the view that inspired artist Stanhope Forbes to produce his masterpeice "The Terminus" which is at the National Railway Museum. The trains and platform configuration may have changed over the past 99 years but it is still the same view.


Perhaps this scope of this thread should also include Ireland - if it did I would throw in Cóbh as my third favourite!

No guest houses in Penrose Terrace now, and hardly any in the town! No newsagents now, either, WH Smith and the supermarkets are the only newspaper purveyors.

I didn't know about that Stanhope Forbes painting. He is my favourite of the Newlyn School painters, with Abbey Slip and Basin my absolute favourite. Imagine my amazement when visiting someone at home a few months after moving here in 1988 to find that huge painting residing on his modest living room wall! He'd been a local GP and been buying Newlyn School art for decades without paying a fortune. It's now proudly displayed in Penlee House museum.

 

[507021]

Paignton, many happy childhood memories of quite a few summer holidays there, but I haven't been since 2009. I'm hoping to go again at some point, could well be soon as it's looking like a budget option for our summer holiday this year. Others I like are Aberystwyth, Brighton, Penzance and St Ives.

 

[D6130]

Has anyone mentioned Weymss Bay yet. A stunning effort by the Caledonian!

A wonderful station and pier....but no town to speak of surrounding it. The resort that it serves - Rothesay - is across the water on the Isle of Bute.

 

[randyrippley]

Some of the best ones are closed: West Bay (Bridport branch), Abbotsbury, Portland, Lyme Regis, Sidmouth

 

[AlbertBeale]

Just a shame it's no longer possible to enjoy the same view by taking the short trip to Kemp Town.

Was that loop round to Kemptown ever a passenger service as well as freight?

I have fond memories of Paignton as a child, though I haven't been there for so many years I don't know what the town is like these days.

Me too - once went a bucket-and-spade trip there as a kid, back in steam days.

Seaford is a bit of a dump although it does have a nice old historic core from it's time as part of the Cinque Ports (limb of Hastings, IIRC), and an excellent chippy. The station though is not really loved and the line definitely has a 'former glory' feel to it, although there are plenty of points of interest from the train between Brighton and Seaford.

I actually prefer Eastbourne station to Brighton, because it's quieter so retains a much nicer feel to it and isn't worked so hard.

Ah yes - the Seaford chippy - not been there for a year or two now.

 

[railfan99]

In that case, Oban jumps to the top of the chart. Lovely town, constant ferry activity, and the station right on the harbour. Still a pleasant enough terminus, though of course not a patch on the former, much-lamented, Victorian building.

Agree: town was pleasant in October 2023, with many historic buildings.

I thought the station was a bit threadbare, given IIRC the platforms lacked awnings. (But probably once had a trainshed or awnings).

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

Now that the whole UK is allowed, Llandudno absolutely. I love the place and the only pity is the station has lost its grand old roof.

I liked the now lost novelty of being able to drive up and park on the platform!

 

[Russel]

Some of the best ones are closed: West Bay (Bridport branch), Abbotsbury, Portland, Lyme Regis, Sidmouth

West Bay does still has track and a train in situ though!

 

[railfan99]

Cleethorpes has the advantage of being able to see the beach & sea as you come into the station although it is not the prettiest station around.

Late last year I was only at Cleethorpes for a few minutes as the day started at Nottingham and then went via Cleethorpes to Barton-on-Humber and (using a bus that stopped outside the single platform) over the impressive bridge to Hull ('Paragon'), the latter being a lovely station, one of the highlights in the UK but not oceanside.

Yes, enjoyable being able to see the sea at Cleethorpes. OK weather was a bonus. Having changed at Grimsby Town on the way to C, the line from C to B-on-H was interesting despite travelling through one of the UK's more socially disadvantaged areas. I regretted not having refreshments in the 'spoons pub in an historic building adjacent to Grimsby Town station. The driver to B-on-H was a pleasant man surprised to have a foreigner with a Eurailpass on board. Patronage good.

 

[lyndhurst25]

Nobody has mentioned Ravenglass, which is a terminus on the Ravenglass & Eskdale railway. In a village, not a town, but it is quite pretty with two pubs, a hotel/restaurant, and an “interesting” post-office and village shop (think “Royston Vasey”). It is the only coastal village in the Lake District National Park. There’s a railway museum and cafe at the R&ER station.

 

[Sad Sprinter]

I’m a Brighton Line person through and through. I’ve never done the Essex Coast, although in recent years I’ve developed a fondness for the Kent Coast.

I’d have to go with Brighton really, as it’s the only “terminus” on the coast I’ve been to. Interesting station, lots of stock, and I had a deep fondness for the Connex Express 319s as a child which would periodically race over the high street at Balham. I’d always point them out to my mum when we’d see one.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

..I had a deep fondness for the Connex Express 319s as a child...

Banana trains!

 

[Rescars]

Was that loop round to Kemptown ever a passenger service as well as freight?

Yes, but not since 1932. The LBSC tried petrol railcars on the route in the 1900s, so it has its place in history.

 

[DarloRich]

Whitby is the best especially by steam train. I quite like Saltburn ( not so much for the station but happy memories of days out there) St Ives is nice. Lymington is nice.

Scarborough has gone downhill and seems very tired these days. I have never liked Brighton. The beach is horrible but the station is nice. I also find the town a bit grubby and dirty. Blackpool is miserable and the north station is about as welcoming as Colditz. The south station barely counts as a station! As for "Great" Yarmouth. Just bulldoze it into the sea. If I go back there this side of the next ice age it will be too soon.

And before anyone starts: I lived in Great Yarmouth. It is the most depressing place ever. Awful. So bad Jim Davidson was on at the pier theatre. Try it in February and come back and tell me you like it. Horrible place.

 

[yorksrob]

I’d have to go with Brighton really, as it’s the only “terminus” on the coast I’ve been to. Interesting station, lots of stock, and I had a deep fondness for the Connex Express 319s as a child which would periodically race over the high street at Balham. I’d always point them out to my mum when we’d see one.

I always looked askance at how those could have replaced CIG-DIG stock on the premier express service.

 

[Bletchleyite]

I always looked askance at how those could have replaced CIG-DIG stock on the premier express service.

Replied here: https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/brighton-express-319s.267334/

 

[Ken H]

@railfan99 mentions Hull. Its not far from the tidal Humber. Does it count. Its a good station. Town not so good, but its Hull.

 

[sprunt]

Great Yarmouth station may be a bit of a dump but I like the little historical display they have along one of the walls. Same for the town somehow, undoubtedly a bit of a dump but there's a lot of fun to be had there. There's a model village, after all!

Brighton, on the other hand, I can't help feeling is a bit fur coat and no knickers - it feels a bit forced, as though the people there aren't really having fun but feel obliged to plaster a smile on their face as if their dad's told them that they *will* enjoy themself. And how fond of the station are you really at the end of the day when you're trudging up that hill back to it?

Also, Blackpool is, obviously, undoubtedly the finest seaside town in the world, but I can't comment on the stations as I've never been there by train.

 

[DarloRich]

undoubtedly a bit of a dump but there's a lot of fun to be had there.

there is no fun to be had. honestly. Awful. As I sad: try in in February and tell me you like it.

Best thing about Yarmouth? The Acle straight. The start of the long journey to freedom and the 21st century.

 

[Bletchleyite]

there is no fun to be had. honestly. Awful. As I sad: try in in February and tell me you like it.

Is any seaside town nice in February?

 

[75A]

Brighton, on the other hand, I can't help feeling is a bit fur coat and no knickers - it feels a bit forced, as though the people there aren't really having fun but feel obliged to plaster a smile on their face as if their dad's told them that they *will* enjoy themself. And how fond of the station are you really at the end of the day when you're trudging up that hill back.

That's the 'crockles', for the locals it's uphill in the morning and downhill @ night. I lived right on the seafront and that walk on a wet night for a 4am start really wasn't fun, but finishing at that time on a summers morning made up for it.

Is any seaside town nice in February?

I've had some fun watching the lightening over the sea at that time of year.

 

[sprunt]

there is no fun to be had. honestly. Awful. As I sad: try in in February and tell me you like it.

Best thing about Yarmouth? The Acle straight. The start of the long journey to freedom and the 21st century.

I certainly wouldn't want to live there - or visit out of season - but I think that the context of this thread is about visiting these places. I had an excellent Easter weekend break there a few years ago and there was plenty of stuff to fill my time. It's got one of the last surviving roller coasters with a brake man for one thing.