As part of my ongoing mission to visit every railway station in South Yorkshire (the Barnsley, Doncaster and Sheffield areas), I found myself travelling to both the easternmost and northernmost stations in the area. Coincidentally, they are both in the same town; Thorne, near Doncaster.
I caught a direct train to Sheffield from Burton on Trent. This gave me a 40 minute wait for my next train, so I headed out of the station to have a walk up to the Crucible Theatre, which was hosting the annual World Snooker Championship. I hung around outside, watching a bit of the match in play at the time on the big screen which is outside the theatre, before heading back to the station.
My next train was to a new station for me, Doncaster. I arrived, and had to make my way to the unusual Platform 0, a bay platform which is located a long way from the main station. It is reached via a long walkway, with step-free access via lifts. I will return to Doncaster one day for a proper visit, so I will explain more about the station history when I have been there again.
The third train of the morning took me to Thorne South, although it was a little bit late because it had to stop for a short while just before arriving at the station, in order to let another train pass.
Thorne South was opened in September 1866 by the South Yorkshire Railway. It sits on the line from Doncaster towards Cleethorpes on the east coast. It was originally called Thorne upon opening, as was the other station in Thorne. The confusion was not resolved until 1923 when this station and the other one in the town were renamed Thorne South and Thorne North respectively. Thorne South was a larger, staffed station until the 1970s, when the original station buildings were demolished. A ramp giving easy access between the platforms was installed in 2013, while the station was closed following the Hatfield Colliery landslip which shut the railway line for a few months.
I left the station and headed down the road to the Wykewell Lift Bridge, which carries traffic over the Stainforth and Keadby Canal.
After crossing the bridge, I walked the canal towpath for a few minutes, until the path suddenly ended and I was forced to walk on the wet grass. I passed by the water tower which is near the railway station, and walked under the railway line.
I made my way to Thorne Memorial Park, a public park in the centre of the town which contains the local war memorial, along with a lake, a bandstand and a miniature railway.
The miniature railway was closed for the winter. In 1996, some local railway enthusiasts approached the council, asking if they wanted a miniature railway in the park. The response was favourable, and the railway opened in 1998.
Not far from the park is the impressive local parish church, St Nicholas’s. A church has stood there since the 6th century, with the current building dating from 1326.
Over the road from the church’s cemetery is an ancient motte called Peel Hill. This used to have a tower on top until it was demolished in 1829. It is easy enough to climb up, there are stairs up the back of it. Judging by the amount of litter around it, the area is well used by local youngsters.
I had a stroll through the town centre, stopping off at the supermarket for lunch on the way. Thorne is a former mining town with a population of around 15,000. The colliery opened in 1924 and was closed in 1958. Oddly, it wasn’t demolished until 2004, after several attempts to restart coal production in the 1980s and 1990s failed. Notable people from Thorne include the opera singer Lesley Garrett, former England Women football captain Gillian Coultard and Thomas Crapper, who invented the ballcock used in modern toilets, but he did not invent the toilet, as is widely believed.
My next destination was The Delves, a fishing lake which is also open for the public to have a walk around.
There is a cafe on site, as well as a children’s playing area. There is also a kind of assault course, with tyres hanging from things and on the ground. I may or may not have had a little go on some of the equipment. The paths around the lake were covered in mud, which has been a recurring theme of my trips to South Yorkshire over the last couple of years.
The Delves are just across the road from Thorne North railway station.
Thorne North was opened in August 1869, three years after its colleague in the south. It is on the line between Doncaster and Hull, and was also named Thorne until 1923, as mentioned before. Unlike Thorne South, Thorne North is staffed, with a ticket office and internal waiting room. A footbridge traverses the railway line, with a barrow crossing for those less able to use stairs, although users must be accompanied by a member of staff when crossing over. There is an information board on one of the platforms which gives some fascinating information about Doncaster’s railway heritage, compiled by local schools. The station is very pleasant, with flowers and plant pots brightening the place up, even in the rain.
The journey back took me an eye-watering four trains (Thorne North to Doncaster, Doncaster to Sheffield, Sheffield to Derby and Derby to Burton on Trent). Remarkably, all four trains ran on time. Well done to the UK rail network.
That’s it for this post, thanks for reading.
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