By Marjorie Stephinson
“By the way,” said Ken as we walked up the drive, “I forgot to mention it’s a railway station with real trains.”
At that point the 10.51 to Manchester shot past.
I turned and walked back down, muttering something like, “You’ll never get me to move in there” – but move in I did and thirty five years later I’m still here.
Was it the persuasive reasoning of my husband or the romantic allure of a stone built gable- ended Victorian building tucked into the Pennines, with views of Diggle, Dobcross and Pots and Pans and over a century of history?
We moved in on June 4, 1978 with our two Siamese cats, Tom & Sam.
The station had closed on 7 October 1968 – the same time as Diggle as both were victims of Dr Beeching’s cuts – but its closure had left reminders of its existence with sleepers, cobbled paths and the inevitable Willow Herb.
There was a lot to do. A JCB working for a week cleared the lot and left us with… absolutely nothing.
We sourced top soil from the new runway being built at Manchester Airport – 600 tons of it – spread it ourselves and the beds and lawns just evolved around the paths we decided to hang on to.
Friends gave us trees and shrubs for wedding presents, a telephone box provided storage for garden tools and the outdoor picture was under control.
Inside, the Lamp Room and Ladies Waiting Room became the kitchen/diner and the Ticket Office with arched windows – originally doors to the platform – is now the sitting room.
Sadly we know few details of the interior even though people have told us they went to school or Huddersfield or did their courting from Saddleworth Station: perhaps they had other things on their minds.
We have added a 23ft conservatory from where we can comfortably enjoy the changing seasons and in 1990 we acquired the adjoining Station Master’s Cottage.
It is a special, private place, as those who have been here will testify. Not just Michael Palin who sat transfixed adding to his precious book of numbers or David Essex who ‘tripple-tongued’ with Dobcross B at a barbecue but all those hundreds of generous souls who supported the Charity lunches we’ve had here over the years.
Just for the record, I’m a light sleeper yet it took me only a couple of months to get used to the first and last trains of the day! Maybe it’s the two foot deep, solidly built stone walls or maybe the contentment of someone who was persuaded to keep walking up the drive all those years ago and has never regretted it.
Sad thing is… the cats and the husband are no longer here… time to move on and hand this piece of Saddleworth history on to another generation who will love it as much as we did.
Saddleworth Station is on the market with Bridges Estate Agents. For more details, please visit: http://www.bridgesestateagent.co.uk
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