Names of

Railway Stations, Churches

and other religious sites

in Great Britain and Ireland

Here you will find details of railway features that take their name from nearby churches or other religious establishments, existing or historical. In general, stations named after towns or villages which themselves have religious names, as distinct from being named directly after a church or similar building in a community, are not included.

The information on this page essentially represents work in progress and further information will be appreciated - please Email me. Where this symbol ☻ appears, additional information will be particularly welcome.

A B C F H K L M N P St A St B St C St D St E St F St G St H St I St J St L St M St N St P St R St T St V St W S T W

A

Abbey (Cumbria)

Station (NY174509) and junction (NY180516). Line from Drumburgh to Silloth opened 1856, with Abbey station. Abbey Junction created 1869 with opening of line to Brayton, Solway Junction Railway. Abbey station renamed Abbey Town 1889. Brayton line closed and ceased to form a junction 1933. Remaining line and station closed 1964. Near the remains of Applegarth Abbey (NY177508).

Abbey (Nuneaton)

Junction (SP355926). A nearby station was named Abbey Street. Line from Whitacre Junction to Nuneaton Midland Junction opened 1864, Midland Railway, passing above the main line of the London & North Western Railway without connection. Abbey Junction created 1867, with spur connecting with the London & North Western line. Another line from the junction, the Ashby & Nuneaton Joint Committee line to Moira and Coalville, opened 1873. Last section of latter line closed by 1971. Flyover closed and Abbey Junction abolished 1992. Line to former London & North Western station remains open. Junction a little over ¼ mile from the site of Nuneaton Priory (approx SP357923), also known (incorrectly) as Nuneaton Abbey.

Abbey (St Alban's)

Station (TL145064). St Alban's station opened 1858, London & North Western Railway. Renamed St Alban's Abbey 1924. Remains open. About ½ mile from St Alban's Cathedral and Abbey Church.

Abbey (Shrewsbury)

Station (SJ498124). Opened 1866, Potteries, Shrewsbury & North Wales Railway. Closed to passengers 1933. Closed completely 1968. Near Shrewsbury Abbey. Abbey Foregate station (SJ502127) on the Shrewsbury & Birmingham line takes its name from the thoroughfare, rather than directly from the Abbey.

Abbey (Stoke-on-Trent)

Level crossing (SJ901491). Line and crossing opened 1860, North Staffordshire Railway. Closed 1989, although line remains in situ. The crossing name probably refers to nearby Abbey Farm, the precise location of Hulton Abbey having been lost at the time the railway was opened. Remains of the Abbey were later rediscovered in open ground near the junction of Leek Road and Woodhead Road (SJ906492), where they can be seen today.

Abbey (Waterford)

Junction (approx S612127, Irish grid). Line from Waterford to New Ross opened 1904, Dublin, Wicklow & Wexford Railway. Waterford, Abbey Junction (Gaelic Port Láirge Gabhal an Mhainistir) created 1906 with opening of line to Felthouse Junction (near Rosslare), Fishguard and Rosslare Railways & Harbours Company. Line to New Ross closed to passengers 1963, remains open for occasional freight. Line from Waterford to Rosslare remains open. Junction near Abbey Street, which marks the site of an ancient abbey of which just a few ruins remain.

Abbey (West Dereham)

Station (TL655997). Opened 1862, Downham & Stoke Ferry Railway. Abbey station renamed Abbey & West Dereham 1923. Closed 1930. Line from Abbey to Stoke Ferry closed 1965, remainder of line closed 1982. The remains of West Dereham Abbey lie about ½ mile away (TF661005).

Abbey (Wymondham)

Station (TG104015). Line from Wymondham to Dereham opened 1846, Norfolk Railway. Closed 1989. Reopened as a tourist line circa 1999, Mid Norfolk Railway, with Wymondham Abbey station. Near Wymondham Abbey Church.

All Saints

Station (TQ380810). Line from Bow to Poplar opened 1851, East & West India Docks & Birmingham Junction Railway. Closed 1981. Reopened 1987, Docklands Light Railway, with All Saints station. Near All Saints Church, East India Dock Road, London E14 0EH.

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B

Bow Church

Station (TQ380810). Line from Bow to Poplar opened 1851, East & West India Docks & Birmingham Junction Railway. Closed 1981. Reopened 1987, Docklands Light Railway, with Bow Church station. About ¼ mile from Bow Road Methodist Church, 1 Merchant Street, London E3 4LY, whose premises are shared with the Anglican parish of Holy Trinity. Not to be confused with St Mary-le-Bow Church, Cheapside, London EC2V 6AU, also known as Bow Church and celebrated for the sound of Bow Bells.

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C

Capel Bangor

Station (SN647798). Opened 1902, Vale of Rheidol Railway, a 600 mm gauge line. Remains open. The surrounding area was known as Bangor from the middle ages. A Calvinist Chapel was built at Penllwyn (SN653804) in 1790. This Capel Bangor subsequently gave its name back to the developing village.

Capel Soar

Level crossing (SN609895). Line from Borth to Aberystwyth opened 1864, Aberystwyth & Welsh Coast Railway, with level crossing at Borth, Capel Soar. Line and crossing remain open. Near the Calvinist Capel Soar.

Chapel (Cornwall)

Level crossing (SW841607). Line opened as a horse drawn mineral tramway (with level crossing at Chapel) 1849, Treffry Tramways. Line rebuilt as a standard gauge steam hauled railway 1874, Cornwall Minerals Railway. Line and crossing remain open. The crossing is located in a hamlet known as Chapel. This small cluster of farms and other dwellings takes its name from a medieval chapel that reputedly once stood on the site, but there are few records relating to the building and there were no traces of it on the ground even at the time when the railway was built.

Chapel (Southampton)

Level crossing (SU428116). Line from Northam Road to Southampton (Docks) opened 1840, London & South Western Railway, with Chapel Crossing level crossing and signal box. Box closed 1981, crossing renamed Chapel Road Crossing and reduced to AOCL status. The Chapel after which the crossing was named has disappeared, it was probably replaced in the 1920s by the construction of the Methodist Central Hall, now the Community Church, Central Hall, St Mary Street, Southampton SO14 1NF.

Church

Sidings (approx TL927138). Line from Kelvedon to Tollesbury opened 1888, Kelvedon, Tiptree & Tollesbury Light Railway, a subsidiary of thte Great eastern Railway. Line closed beyond Tiptree 1954. Date of opening and closing of sidings not known ☻. Near All Saints Church, Rectory Road, Tolleshunt Knights, Maldon CM9 8EZ.

Cross Chapel

Tram stop (N994166, Irish Grid). Opened 1888, Dublin & Blessington Steam Tramway. Line and stop closed 1933. The Cross Chapel is located a short distance up a side road.

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F

Friars Field

Horse tram depot (approx ST313879). Opened 1874, Newport Tramways Company. Closed 1886. Off Union Road, now Friars Street. The Field originally served the Monastery of Austin (or Augustinian) Friars, which lay a short distance to the north. The remains of the Monastery, long in ruins, had already been demolished in the early part of the 19th Century.

Furness Abbey

Station (SD218719) and tunnel. Line from Barrow-in-Furness (Rabbit Hill) to Dalton-in-Furness and Kirkby-in-Furness opened 1846, Furness Railway, with Furness Abbey Tunnel (76 yards, 69 m). Station opened 1847, closed 1950. Line and tunnel remain open. Near the remains of Furness Abbey.

H

Holywell (Hackney)

Viaduct (TQ333824). Line from Broad Street to Dalston opened 1865 North London Railway, with Viaduct. Closed 1986. Planned to reopen 2010 as part of the London Overground East London Line. The district of Holywell takes its name from a Well located in the grounds of the former Benedictine nunnery of St John the Baptist. The exact location is uncertain, but is believed to be in the vicinity of present day Batemans Row, alongside the viaduct.

Holywell (North Wales)

See St Winefride's.

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K

Kirkham Abbey

Station and level crossing (SE733657). Line from York to Scarborough opened 1845, York & North Midland Railway, with Kirkham station. Station renamed Kirkham Abbey, 1875. Station closed 1930. Signal box retained as block post and to control level crossing. Line, box and crossing remain open. About ¼ mile from the remains of Kirkham Priory, also known as Kirkham Abbey (SE736657).

Kirkstall Abbey

Tram stop (approx SE261361) and station (SE261359). Horse drawn tram line from Leeds City Centre to Kirkstall Abbey opened circa 1870 by a private company. Some horse drawn services replaced by steam trams from circa 1880. Line absorbed into Leeds Corporation Tramways, 1894. Line electrified, 1897. Line extended to Horsforth circa 1910. Section from Kirkstall Abbey to Horsforth closed 1949. Route closed completely 1954. Station on narrow gauge tourist railway opened 1976, Abbey Light Railway. Both locations near the remains of Kirkstall Abbey (SE260362).

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L

Long Meg

Viaduct (NY561377), signal box (NY562375) and sidings. Line from Settle Junction to Carlisle opened 1875, Midland Railway, with Long Meg Viaduct (also known as Eden Lacy Viaduct). Signal box opened 1896, controlling access to mine company's sidings. Mine, sidings and signal box closed 1915, reopened 1922. Mine and sidings closed 1976, signal box retained as a block post. Signal box closed 1983, demolished 2005. Line and viaduct remain open. Long Meg is a tall standing stone near an extensive stone circle (Long Meg's daughters) located on a hilltop about ½ mile away (NY571372), making these perhaps the only railway features to be named after a Stone Age monument.

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M

Monk Spring

Junction (SE371046). Line from Wombwell to Barnsley opened 1897, Midland Railway. Junction created 1899 with opening of line to Cudworth. Latter line closed 1962, junction abolished. Signal box believed to have been retained as block post until 1998, when control transferred to Barnsley. Original line remains open. In spite of the delightfully evocative name, there seems to be no record of how it originated ☻.

Mourne Abbey

Station (W575921, Irish Grid). Line from Limerick Junction to Cork opened 1849, Great Southern & Western Railway. Station opened 1892, closed 1963. Line remains open. About ¼ mile from the ruins of Mourne Abbey, around which the small village of Mourneabbey has grown up.

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N

Nunnery (Castle Hedingham)

Signal box (TL777359). Line opened 1862, Colne Valley & Halstead Railway, closed 1964. Reopened 1986 as a tourist line, the Colne Valley Railway. Nunnery Junction Signal Box opened 1987 controlling access to the runround loop at the southern end of the line. The end of the line is near a former nunnery, which became a farmhouse on the dissolution. Now Nunnery Farm, Nunnery Street, Castle Hedingham, Halstead CO9 3DR.

Nunnery (Sheffield)

Junctions, tunnel, goods station and tram depot. Line from Tapton Junction to Grimesthorpe Junction via Sheffield opened 1870, Midland Railway, with a short spur from the main line connecting with the Manchester, Sheffield & Lincolnshire Railway. Both main line and spur ran through two short tunnels just north of the junction: Broad Street Tunnel (113 yards, 103m) and Nunnery Tunnel (40 yards, 37 m; also known as Cricket Inn Tunnel). Spur closed 1895. City goods station (SK368877) opened 1895, London & North Western Railway. New City goods station (approx SK360877) opened 1903, original City station renamed Nunnery. New spur opened 1908, Midland Railway, Nunnery Colliery Branch Junction (SK363876) to Nunnery Colliery. New connection opened 1924, London, Midland & Scottish Railway, from former Midland Railway Nunnery Colliery branch at Nunnery Single Line Junction (SK368878) to former London & North Western Railway east of Nunnery Goods station, thus allowing trains from the Midland line to reach the London & North Eastern Railway (former Manchester, Sheffield & Lincolnshire) at Woodburn Junction. At same date, Nunnery Colliery Branch Junction renamed Nunnery Main Line Junction. Colliery closed, circa 1951. Line from Nunnery Main Line Junction reconnected to former Manchester, Sheffield & Lincolnshire line at Nunnery Junction (previously Nunnery Single Line Junction), 1965, British Rail; City goods station closed. Nunnery goods station closed 1977. Nunnery Junction abolished circa 1982, spur from Main Line Junction extended as double track to join former Manchester, Sheffield & Lincolnshire line at Woodburn Junction. These lines remain in use, as does the former Midland Railway main line with Nunnery Main Line Junction. Tram depot (SK373878) opened 1994, South Yorkshire Supertram. Remains open. All apparently named after Nunnery Colliery which stood nearby (approx SK373877), presumably itself named after an actual Nunnery, though I have been unable to locate any information about the latter ☻.

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O

Old Chapel

Level crossing (SH913019). Line from Moat Lane Junction to Machynlleth opened 1863, Newtown & Machynlleth Railway, with level crossing. Line and crossing remain open. Near y Hen Gapel, or Old Chapel, Dolfach, Llanbrynmair SY19 7AF.

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P

Patrick's Well

Level crossing (S169230, Irish Grid). Opened 1852, Waterford & Limerick Railway. Remains open. Near a Chapel incorporating the ancient St Patrick's Well.

Priory (Dover)

Station (TR314415) and tunnel. Dover Town station opened 1861, London, Chatham & Dover Railway. Renamed Dover Priory, 1863. Remains open. The 684 yard (625 m) Priory Tunnel lies just south of the station. Both near the former St Martin's Priory, now Dover College, Crescent House, Effingham Crescent, Dover CT17 9RH.

Priory (Wrabness)

Halt (approx TM167314) and signal box. Line from Manningtree to Harwich opened 1854, Eastern Union Railway. Date of opening and closing of halt and signal box unknown ☻. Line remains open (with some realignments, not in the immediate area of Wrabness). There does not appear to be any trace of a Priory in the immediate vicinity; the location apparently takes its name from Priory Farm, about ½ mile to the south, which was probably and outlier of a large Priory such as St Botolph's ☻.

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St A

St Andrew's (Avonmouth)

Junction (ST514786). Line from Avonmouth Docks to Pilning Junction opened 1900, Great Western Railway. Line from Avonmouth Dock Station (present Avonmouth) opened 1906, jointly by Great Western and Midland Railways, creating St Andrew's Junction. Line from Docks closed 1967, St Andrew's Junction Signal Box retained to control level crossing and as block post. Remains open. Near St Andrew's Church, Richmond Terrace, Avonmouth, Bristol BS11 9EW.

St Andrew's (Birmingham)

Junction (SP091869). Line from Camp Hill to Grand Junction opened 1841, Birmingham & Gloucester Railway. St Andrew's Junction created with opening of line from Landor Street Junction, 1866, Midland Railway. All lines and junction remain open. About ¼ mile from St Andrew's Church, Bordesley (approx SP088866), which no longer exists.

St Andrew's (Derby)

Goods station (SK352353). Opened 1871, London & North Western Railway, to provide their own goods facilities separate from those of the Midland Railway. Closed 1971, but two sidings parallel to the main line retain the name St Andrew's Sidings. Near St Andrew's Church, demolished in the 1960s to make way for an office block: St. Andrews House, 201 London Road, Derby DE1 2TZ.

St Ann's or St Anne's (Blarney)

Station (approx W588752, Irish grid). Opened 1887, Cork & Muskerry Light Railway, a 3 foot (914 mm) gauge line. Line closed 1934. There does not appear to be a church in the immediate vicinity, the name may refer to a holy well a little to the north (W588759) ☻.

St Ann's (Faversham)

Level crossing (TR009609). Line from Rochester to Faversham opened 1858, East Kent Railway, with level crossing at Hangman's Lane. Hangman's Lane renamed St Ann's Road, late 19th century, reason for choice of new name not apparent. Level crossing reduced to status of occupation crossing and St Ann's Crossing signal box abolished, unknown date. Line remains open.

St Ann's Well (Nottingham)

Station (about SK589420). Opened 1889, Nottingham Suburban Railway. Station closed 1916. Line closed to through traffic 1941, and completely 1951. By the 19th Century, the area known as St Ann's (or St Anne's) Well was a popular location for pleasure outings, although the precise original location of the Holy Well had been lost. Owswell is recorded in medieval times as the source of Nottingham Beck; by 1409 a Hermitage had been established in its vicinity. King Henry IV visited it in that year and endowed a chapel of St Anne, which later gave its name to the well. The well site had been built over by the 18th century. The local landscape has been considerably altered since the closure of the railway, with much infilling and building work, and the line is virtually untraceable on the ground today.

St Anthony's

Station (NZ285631). Opened 1879, North Eastern Railway. Closed 1960. Line closed 1985. Near St Anthony's Church, Belmont Street, Newcastle-upon-Tyne NE6 3SN; not to be confused with St Anthony's Roman Catholic Church, Church Street, Newcastle-upon-Tyne NE6 3BT.

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St B

St Bede's

Junction (approx NZ345645). Line from Pelaw to Tyne Dock via Jarrow opened 1872, North Eastern Railway. Shorter route formed by a cutoff from St Bede's Junction to Bottom Junction, opened circa 1885 with creation of both junctions. Both lines and junctions closed 1984. Original line (no junction) reopened 1984, Tyne & Wear Metro, with new station: Bede (NZ344645). Remains open. It appears that the name was given to the junction not because of any particular neighbouring landmark, but simply because of the importance of St Bede in the history of the Jarrow area. He lived and worked at St Paul's Monastery, and was buried in St Paul's Church (Church Bank, Jarrow NE32 3DZ), although his remains were later translated to Durham Cathedral.

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St C

St Catherine's (Doncaster)

Junction (SK594995). Line from Rotherham Lane (near Maltby) to Kirk Sandall Junction opened 1909, South Yorkshire Joint Railway, with connections from St Catherine's Junction to the Great Northern and Great Eastern joint line at Decoy South Junction and Black Carr East Junction, also connection opened by the Dearne Valley Railway to its own line at Black Carr West Junction. Line to Black Carr East Junction closed, date uncertain. Line to Black Carr West Junction closed 1985. Main line, junction and connection to Decoy South Junction remain open. About 2 miles from St Catherine's Well (SK565993).

St Catherine's (Guildford)

Tunnel (SU994482). Opened 1849, London & South Western Railway. Remains open. The 132 yard (120 m) St Catherine's Tunnel (also known as Sand Tunnel) runs below St Catherine's Chapel.

St Cross

Tunnel (SU473270). Opened 1838, London & South Western Railway. Remains open. The 62 yard (57 m) St Cross Tunnel runs beneath St Cross Road, about ½ mile from the ancient almshouses and church of St Cross Hospital, St Cross Road, Winchester SO23 9SD.

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St D

St David's (Exeter)

Station (SX911933) and Tunnel (SX915929). Exeter St David's station opened 1844, Bristol & Exeter Railway. Broad gauge line, converted to mixed gauge 1862 and standard gauge 1892. The 184 yard (168 m) tunnel under St David's Hill opened 1862, London & South Western Railway, on the (standard gauge) line connecting their own Exeter Queen Street (now Central) station with St David's station. Stations and tunnel remain open. Near St David's Church (SX915931).

St David's (Llanelli)

Junction (approx SS512990). Line from Llanelly Docks to Dafen opened 1833, Llanelly Railway & Dock Company. Junction created with opening of line to Llanelly (now Llanelli) station, 1850. All lines closed 1963. Although there is a Parish of St David in Llanelli and moreover Llanelli is part of St David's Diocese, the actual origin of the name of the junction is not clear from available records ☻.

St Devereux

Station (SO440310). Opened 1853, Newport, Abergavenny & Hereford Railway. Closed 1958. line remains open. Near St Devereux Church (SO441312).

St Dunstan's

Station (SE167321) and Junctions. Line from Hammerton Street Junction to Mill Lane Junction opened 1867, Great Northern Railway, with closure to passengers of Adolphus Street station. Line to City Road goods station opened 1876, with creation of St Dunstan's East and West Junctions. Station opened 1877, closed 1952. Line to City Road closed 1972, junctions out of use. Original line remains. St Dunstan was a Bishop of Bradford in the 10th century and it seems likely that there was a church dedicated to him, but I have not located any records ☻.

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St E

St Enoch

Station and underground station (NS590649). Station opened 1876, City of Glasgow Union Railway. Closed 1966. Now a shopping centre. Underground station opened 1896, Glasgow District Subway Company, a 4 foot (1220 mm) gauge cable hauled system. Converted to electric traction 1935. Closed 1977 to 1979 for extensive modernisation. Remains open. St Enoch's Church stood in St Enoch's Square, next to the station. The church was closed in the 1920s and replaced by St Enoch's Hogganfield Church, 860 Cumbernauld Road, Glasgow G33 2QW

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St F

St Fintan's

Tram stop (O271381, Irish grid). Opened 1901, Hill of Howth Tramway, an Irish standard gauge electric tramway wholly owned by the Great Northern Railway of Ireland. Line closed 1959. Near St Fintan's Church, Sutton, Co Dublin. The church was replaced by a modern building in 1973.

St Fort

Station (NO411242) and junctions. Line from Leuchars Junction to Dundee via Tay Bridge opened 1878, North British Railway, with St Fort station. Line to Glenbirnie opened 1909, Newburgh and North Fife Railway, with creation of Station Junction, South and West Junctions. Line between South and West Junctions closed 1912. Line to Glenbirnie closed 1964, when station ceased to be a junction. Station closed 1965. Original line from Leuchars Junction to Tay Bridge remains open. Not named after a church, the village name is actually that of a local family and is probably a corruption of "Sand Ford".

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St G

St Gabriel's

Station (SS641942). Oystermouth Railway opened 1807 as a tramway from Swansea to Mumbles. Authorities differ as to its gauge, which may have been 48 inch (1219 mm) or 50 inch (1270 mm). Rebuilt as standard gauge circa 1856. Gorse Lane station opened 1877. Renamed St Gabriel's 1900. Closed 1922. Line closed 1960. About ¼ mile from St Gabriel's Church, Bryn Road, Brynmill, Swansea SA2 0AP.

St George's (London)

Two neighbouring stations (TQ349810). Shadwell station opened 1840, London & Blackwall Railway. Renamed Shadwell & St George's East, 1900. Closed 1941. Line remains open. Shadwell station opened 1876, East London Railway. Renamed Shadwell & St George's in the East, 1900. Renamed Shadwell, circa 1918. Remains open. Line now part of London Underground although there are proposals to reintegrate it with the overground network. Shadwell station on the Docklands Light Railway (opened 1987) is on the line of the London & Blackwall Railway but some distance east of the original station. All stations near St George's in the East Church, Cannon Street Road, London E1 0BH. Church destroyed by bombing, 1941, rebuilt on same site 1960.

St George's (Wolverhampton)

Station (SO916985). Opened 1999, Midland Metro. Remains open. Near the former St George's Church, the structure of which has been incorporated into the supermarket of J Sainsbury plc, 20 St George's Parade, Wolverhampton WV2 1AY.

St Germain's (Isle of Man)

Station and level crossing (SC270855). Opened 1879, Manx Northern Railway, a 3 foot (914 mm) gauge line. Station closed 1961. Line closed 1968. The name does not appear to derive from any nearby feature, but from St Germain's Cathedral in Peel, some 2 miles away.

St Germain's (Norfolk)

Station and level crossing (TF617139). Opened 1846, Lynn & Ely Railway. Station closed 1850. Line and level crossing remain open. Although a nearby farm is said to stand on the site of a ruined abbey, the name appears to relate to the church in the village of St Germain's (or St German's, or Wiggenhall St Germans), ½ mile away (TF597140).

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St H

St Harmon's

Station (SN988728). Line from Llanidloes to Talyllyn Junction opened 1864, Mid Wales Railway. Station opened 1879. Line and station closed 1962. Next to St Harmon's Church, which has given its name to the village of St Harmon.

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St I

St Ishmael's

Sea wall (SN362083 to SN363094). Line from Landore to Carmarthen opened 1852, South Wales Railway, with St Ishmael's Sea Wall. Broad gauge line, converted to standard gauge 1872. Remains open. Southern end of sea wall near St Ishmael's Church (SN363084).

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St J

St James (Bath)

Viaduct (ST751643). Opened 1840, Great Western Railway, a broad gauge line. Converted to mixed gauge 1874, standard gauge 1892. Remains open. Near St James' Church, which was destroyed in the Second World War; its exact location is unclear ☻

St James (Cheltenham)

Two stations, both named Cheltenham Spa St James: first station (approx ST944246) opened 1847, Great Western Railway, terminus of mixed gauge line from Gloucester. Line converted to standard gauge 1872. Line extended to new second station (ST945245) and first station closed 1894. Line and second station closed 1966. Not named after a church (St James Church, Suffolk Square is some ¾ mile to the south, the opposite side of the City Centre), but after nearby St James Square. It is believed that the Square, developed in the early decades of the 19th century, was given its name to reflect that of a fashionable district of London.

St James (Liverpool)

Station (SJ352890) and tunnels. Station opened 1874, Cheshire Lines Committee, with a series of 4 short tunnels (185, 172, 153 and 211 yards; 169, 157, 140 and 193 m) leading away to the south. Station closed 1916. Line and tunnels remain open. Near St James' Mount, which takes its name from an old church, now disappeared. The Anglican Cathedral now stands on part of the Mount.

St James (Loscoe)

Tram stop (approx SK424475). Opened 1913, Nottinghamshire & Derbyshire Tramways Company. Closed 1932. Near St James' Church.

St James (Newcastle)

Metro station (NZ243645). Opened 1982, Tyne & Wear Metro. Remains open. Not named after a church, but after the nearby St James' Park Football Ground of Newcastle United. The origin of the name of the Park is not clear ☻, but of course any member of the Toon Army will tell you that this is a site of (almost) religious significance!

St James (Paisley)

Station (NS472648). Line from Paisley to Greenock opened 1841, Glasgow, Paisley & Greenock Railway. Paisley St James station opened 1883, Caledonian Railway; original Paisley station renamed Paisley Gilmour Street. About ½ mile from St James Church, Underwood Road, Paisley PA3 1TL.

St John's (Bedford)

Two stations. Bedford station (TL053489) opened 1846, as terminus of the Bedford Railway line from Bletchley. Line extended to Sandy, 1862, Bedford & Cambridge Railway. Station later known as Bedford (LNW) to distinguish it from Bedford (Midland). Renamed Bedford St John's, 1924. Line to Sandy closed beyond Goldington Sidings 1968, and completely 1981. Original station and line from West Junction closed 1984. New Bedford St John's station (TL050490) opened 1984 on curve from West Junction to LNW Junction on the former Midland Railway line. Remains open. Both stations near St John's Church, 38 St John's Street, Bedford MK42 0DH.

St John's (Glasgow)

Junction (approx NS600649) and tunnel. Line from Clyde Junction to High Street East Junction opened 1871, City of Glasgow Union Railway. St John's Junction created 1893, Glasgow & South Western Railway, with opening of spur to Gallowgate Junction, allowing the company's trains to access the Bridgeton Cross (later Bridgeton Central) station of the North British Railway. Spur ran via St John's Tunnel, also known as Barrack Street Tunnel. Spur closed 1913. Original line closed to passenger traffic 1966, remains open for freight. Near St John's Church, which stood at the junction of Gallowgate and McFarlane Street (NS601647).

St John's (London)

Station (TQ374763). Line from North Kent East Junction to Charlton via Lewisham and Blackheath opened 1849, South Eastern Railway. Station opened 1873. Remains open. Near St John's Church, St Johns Vale, London SE8 4EA.

St Julian's

Bridge (ST321902). Line from Newport to Pontypool via Caerleon opened 1874, Pontypool, Caerleon & Newport Railway, with St Julian's River Bridge. Remains open. Bridge adjacent to the St Julian's Estate of the Herbert family, which included St Julian's House, said to have been built on the site of an old Chapel containing the relics of St Julian (or Julius). A new St Julian's Church was opened in 1891, on a site in Durham Road. Although a temporary building, this survived until 1926, when it was replaced by the present day Church of Ss Julius & Aaron, St Julian's Avenue, Newport NP19 7JT.

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St L

St Laurence (Dublin)

Tram stop (approx O088349, Irish grid). Opened 1881, Dublin & Lucan Tramway, a 3 foot (914 mm) gauge steam hauled line. Converted to 3 foot 6 inch (1067 mm) gauge electric traction circa 1900, Dublin & Lucan Electric Tramway. Line closed 1927. Reopened 1928, Dublin United Tramway Company, as an Irish standard gauge electric tramway. Line finally closed 1940. Near St Laurence's Church, Chapelizod, Co Dublin (O091354).

St Lawrence (Bodmin)

Platform (SX049664). Line from Bodmin to Boscarne Junction opened 1888, Great Western Railway. Platform opened 1906, closed 1917. Line closed 1983, subsequently reopened as a tourist line (Bodmin & Wenford Railway). Near the ancient Hospital of St Lawrence, which is now part of the Bodmin Hospital, Boundary Road, Bodmin PL31 2QT. The former hospital chapel is now the Church of St Lawrence with St Leonard.

St Lawrence (Ventnor)

Station (approx SZ535767) and tunnel. Ventnor St Lawrence station opened 1897 as temporary terminus of Newport, Godshill & St Lawrence Railway, with a tunnel located a little distance to the north east. Line extended to Town 1900, original station renamed St Lawrence. Line, stations and tunnel closed 1952. Near the Old Church of St Lawrence.

St Leonard's (Edinburgh)

Station (approx NT267728), tunnel and incline. Line from Dalhousie opened 1831, Edinburgh & Dalkeith Railway, approaching St Leonard's via a tunnel and incline. Station opened to passengers 1834, closed 1860. Line closed 1968. Built on an area of land known since the Middle Ages as St Leonard's, once belonging to the Abbey of Holyrood and becoming part of the City of Edinburgh following the Reformation.

St Luke's

Two stations, later combined as one (approx SD347168). Line from Wigan to Southport (London Street) opened 1855, jointly by Lancashire & Yorkshire and East Lancashire Railways, with Garton Street station. Station renamed St Luke's Road, 1883. Line from Hesketh Bank opened 1878, West Lancashire Railway, to terminus at Windsor Road. Line extended to Southport (Central) 1882, Windsor Road station renamed Ash Street. St Luke's Road and Ash Street stations combined 1902, Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway, renamed St Luke's. Line from Hesketh Bank closed 1964. Direct line from Pool Hey Junction to St Luke's (not via Meols Cop) closed 1965. St Luke's station closed 1968. Line from Wigan to Southport via Meols Cop remains open. A little over ¼ mile from St Luke's Church, St Luke's Road, Southport PR9 9AP.

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St Margaret's (Edinburgh)

Station (NT280742). Meadowbank station opened 1846, North British Railway. Renamed The Queens 1850. Station extended and renamed St Margaret's 1860. Station closed circa 1900. Line remains open. The extension of 1860 occupied the site of St Margaret's Holy Well. The well house that had formerly covered the well was moved to St David's Well in Holyrood Park (NT271737), which thereafter became known as St Margaret's Well. St Margaret's Parish Church, 176 Restalrig Road South, Edinburgh EH7 6EA lies about ½ mile to the north.

St Margaret's (North Queensferry)

Tunnel (about NT125810). Line from North Queensferry Pier to Dunfermline opened 1877, North British Railway. Closed to passenger traffic 1890, on the opening of the Forth Bridge. Remained open for freight until 1954, when line to pier and tunnel closed. Ran under St Margaret's Head, named after St Margaret, Queen of Scotland. Legend speaks of a shipwreck from which the young Margaret was saved, later to become Queen and Saint, but details are unclear because the event is often confused with a later shipwreck in which another Margaret, known as the Maid of Norway, lost her life when on her way to Scotland to marry Edward, the future King of England.

St Margaret's (Twickenham)

Station (TQ168742). Line from Richmond to Datchet opened 1848, Windsor, Staines & South Western Railway. Station opened 1876. Remains open. The area of London known as St Margaret's was formerly an estate owned by the Marquesses of Ailsa, which was named after St Margaret, Queen of Scotland, an ancestor of the family.

St Mark's

Station (SK973708). Lincoln station opened 1846, Midland Railway, as terminus of line from Nottingham. Line extended to Wrawby Junction 1848, Manchester, Sheffield & Lincolnshire Railway. Lincoln (Midland) station renamed Lincoln St Mark's 1950. Line and station closed 1985. Near the small church of St Mark on St Mark's Street, later used as a Church Hall and now an Animal Welfare Centre of the RSPCA.

St Marnock's

Goods station (NS422377). Opened 1847, Kilmarnock & Troon railway. Closed, date uncertain. Line remains open. About ½ mile from St Marnock's Parish Church, St Marnock Street, Kilmarnock KA1 1DZ.

St Mary's (Derby)

Goods station (SK356370) and Junction. Opened 1855, Midland Railway, the Junction being the point where lines serving the station joined the main line. Goods station closed 1969, junction retained with crossovers between main and goods lines. Near the ancient chapel of St Mary on the Bridge, St Marys Bridge, Sowter Road, Derby DE1 3AT. The Roman Catholic Church of St Mary, built in 1838, is a little further away.

St Mary's (Lydney)

Halt (SO634025). Line from Lydney Junction to Wimberley Colliery opened 1869, Severn & Wye Railway & Canal Company. Closed 1975. Part reopened as a tourist line 1991, Dean Forest Railway, to Lydney Lakeside station. Extended to Lydney Junction 1995, and Lydney Lakeside renamed St Mary's Halt. Near St Mary's Church, Church Road, Lydney GL15 5ED.

St Mary's (Ramsey, Huntingdon)

Station (TL254871). Opened 1863, Ramsey Railway. Station closed 1947. Line closed 1973. Near The Church of St Mary, Ugg Mere Court Road, Ramsey Heights, Ramsey, Huntingdon PE26 2RQ.

St Mary's (Stroud)

Level crossing and halt (SO886022). Line from Kemble to Standish Junction, with St Mary's Crossing, opened 1845, Great Western Railway, as a broad gauge line. Converted to standard gauge 1872. Halt opened 1903, closed 1964. Line and level crossing remain open. Crossing leads only to St Mary's Mill, from which it takes its name. The name of the Mill is said to be taken from the Chantry and Chapel of St Mary the Virgin in Holy Trinity Church, Minchinhampton (SO872008), over a mile away; although sources do not make clear the reason for the connection ☻.

St Mary's (Whitechapel)

Underground station and junction (TQ342816). Line from Aldgate to Whitechapel opened 1884, jointly by the Metropolitan and Metropolitan District Railways, together with St Mary's station. At same date, East London Railway opened a short connection from St Mary's Junction to connect with its line from Shoreditch to New Cross and New Cross Gate. Station renamed St Mary's Whitechapel Road, 1923. Station closed, 1938. Connection to East London Line closed and junction abolished 2007. Aldgate to Whitechapel line remains open, served by trains of the Hammersmith & City and District Lines. Station and junction near St Mary's Church, built in 1880 on the site of an earlier chapel and itself now disappeared. A small park (Altab Ali Park) on the south side of Whitechapel Road marks its location.

St Michael's (Liverpool)

Station (SJ366870) and tunnel. Opened 1864, Garston & Liverpool Joint Committee, with the short tunnel (103 yards, 94 m) to the south east of the station passing under Southwood Road and St Michael's Road. Station closed 1972, reopened 1978. Line, station and tunnel remain open. Near St Michael's Church, St Michael's Church Road, Liverpool L17 7BD.

St Michael's (Tenterden)

Station (approx TQ883851) and tunnel (approx TQ883356). Line and tunnel opened 1905, Kent & East Sussex Light Railway. Station opened 1912. Line, station and tunnel closed 1954. Near the Church of St Michael and All Angels, Ashford Road, St Michaels, Tenterden TN30 6PU.

St Mildreds

Carriage sidings (TQ883851). Also known as Grove Park (Up) Carriage Sidings. Line from St Johns to Chislehurst (Bickley Park) opened 1865, South Eastern Railway. Grove Park station opened 1871. Carriage sidings opened, unknown date. Remain open. The Church of St Mildred, St Mildreds Road, London SE12 0RA is located about ¼ mile (400 m) to the east, at the corner of Helder Grove.

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St Nicholas

Goods Station (approx NY408549). Opened 1863, London & North Western Railway. Closed 1867. Site subsequently occupied by later railway lines and facilities. At or near the site of the Hospital of St Nicholas, built and destroyed several times during the Middle Ages, becoming part of the properties of Carlisle Cathedral in 1477, and finally destroyed during the Civil War. Its precise location is uncertain.

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St Pancras

Station (TQ301830). Opened 1867, Midland Railway. Renamed St Pancras International 2007, with arrival of Eurostar services. Remains open. Near St Pancras Parish Church, Euston Road, London NW1 2BA. St Pancras Junction (TQ297841) on the North London line is so named because it gave access to St Pancras Station.

St Patrick's

Tunnel (approx W482538, Irish grid). Opened 1866, West Cork Railway. Line closed 1961. Tunnel ran under the hill on which stands St Patrick's Church, Brandon, Co Cork, which was only a few years old when the railway opened.

St Paul's (Birmingham)

Station (SP066877). Opened 1999, Midland Metro. Remains open. Near St Paul's Church, St Paul's Square, Birmingham B3 1QZ.

St Paul's (London)

Station, underground station and bridge:

• Station (TQ317813). Line from Blackfriars to West Street (junction with Metropolitan Railway) opened 1866, London, Chatham & Dover Railway. Snow Hill station opened 1874. Renamed Holborn Viaduct Low Level 1912. Station closed (and line closed to passengers) 1918. Line closed completely 1969. Line reopened to passengers (but without station at this location) 1988 as part of British Rail's Thameslink scheme. Line closed and reopened on a new alignment slightly to the east (partly occupying site of former Holborn Viaduct High Level station) 1990, with new station St Paul's Thameslink. Station renamed City Thameslink 1991. Remains open.
• Underground station (TQ321813). Line from Shepherd's Bush to Bank opened 1900, Central London Railway, with Post Office station. Station renamed St Paul's, 1937. Remains open as part of the Central Line.
• Bridge (TQ317807). Opened 1864, London, Chatham & Dover Railway, crossing the River Thames south of Blackfriars station, parallel to Blackfriars Bridge. Remains open.

All named after the nearby St Paul's Cathedral.

St Peter's

Station (NZ285631). Opened 1879, North Eastern Railway. Closed 1973. Line closed 1987. St Peter's Road leads from the station to Byker Parish Church, Headlam Street, NE6 2DX; however, the latter is actually dedicated to St Michael with St Lawrence. The St Peter name was probably given to mark the fact that the 19th Century Parish Church replaced an older St Peter's Church on Oxford Street in the City Centre ☻.

St Philip's

Station (ST601732). Not to be confused with St Philip's Marsh, about 1km to the south. Line opened 1858, Midland Railway, as a branch off its line to Temple Meads. Station opened 1870, closed 1953. Line closed 1967. Near the Church of St Philip & St Jacob, Tower Hill, Bristol BS2 0ET.

St Pinnock

Viaduct (SX178646). Opened 1859, Cornwall Railway, a broad gauge line. Converted to standard gauge 1892. Remains open. The viaduct is actually located at Trago Mills, about 2 miles from the Church of St Pinnock (SX200632), which gives its name to a small hamlet.

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St Rollox

Two stations and a works: first station (approx NS603664) opened 1831, Garnkirk & Glasgow Railway. Line extended to Port Dundas goods station circa 1847, Caledonian Railway. New line opened from Sighthill Junction to Buchanan Street 1849, and original station closed. Locomotive works opened 1854, extended 1882 to present site (NS609669). Second station (NS604667) opened on new line adjacent to works. Station closed 1952. Port Dundas closed 1964. Buchanan Street line closed 1966, with the works then being accessed from Barnhill only. Original line closed 1968. In the 1990s St Rollox Works became the Springburn Works of Railcare, now part of Alstom Traincare. St Rollox Church was originally located on Tharsis Street (about NS608662). In 1894 a new church was opened at the junction of Springwell Road and Fountainhead Road, overlooking the second station, and the original church became a mission. The 1894 church was destroyed by fire in 1982 and replaced by a new building in 1984.

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St Thomas (Brampton)

Tram stop (approx SK362706). Opened 1882, Chesterfield & District Tramways Company as a horse tram route. Converted to electric trams 1904, Chesterfield corporation Tramways. Closed 1927. On Chatsworth Road, near St Thomas' Church.

St Thomas (Exeter)

Station (SX915920) and viaduct. Exeter St Thomas station opened 1846, South Devon Railway, located on viaduct known as St Thomas' Viaduct. Broad gauge line, converted to mixed gauge 1871 and standard gauge 1892. Remains open. Near St Thomas Church, Church Road, St Thomas, Exeter EX2 9BQ.

St Thomas (Swansea)

Station (approx SS662933). Opened 1860, Swansea Vale Railway. Closed 1950. About ¼ mile from St Thomas' Church, Lewis Street, St Thomas, Swansea SA1 8BP

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St Valery

Tram stop, never opened (approx O239179, Irish grid). The Bray & Enniskillen Street Tramway started work on a 3 foot 6 inch (1087 mm) gauge electric tramway in 1874 but it was never completed. The proposed station would have been near St Valery's Cross, an example of an early Christian decorated cross, standing in Fassaroe, Bray, Co Wicklow.

St Vigean's

Junction (approx NO639419). Line from Arbroath to Forfar opened 1838, Arbroath & Forfar Railway. Junction created 1880 with opening of line to Lunan Bay, North British Railway, line extended to Aberdeen 1880. Line to Forfar closed 1959, short section retained serving Letham Mill Sidings until 1965, when line closed altogether and junction abolished. Line from Arbroath to Aberdeen remains open. The divergence of the two lines was actually about ½ mile north of the Junction and its controlling signal box, near St Vigean's Church (NO639429).

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St Winefride's

Station (approx SJ185762). Opened 1912, London & North Western Railway. Line and station closed 1954. Near St Winefride's Well and Chapel. The town of Holywell takes its name from the well. The parish church was also once dedicated to St Winefride (or Winifred) but was rededicated to St James in the 18th century.

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Strata Florida

Station (SN711671). Opened 1866, Manchester & Milford Railway. Line closed 1965. Station takes its name from St Mary's Abbey at Strata Florida (Welsh: Ystrad Fflur) some 2 miles away (SN746657) rather than from the neighbouring villages of Ystradmeurig and Pontrhydfendigaid.

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Temple

Underground station (TQ310808). Opened 1870, Metropolitan District Railway. Remains open as part of London Underground District and Circle Lines. The area known as the Temple takes is name from The Temple Church, Temple, London EC4Y 7BB. The Church itself was so named by its medieval founders, the Knights Templar.

Temple Hirst

Station (SE603250) and Junction (SE602247). Line from Shaftholme Junction to Selby opened 1871, North Eastern Railway, with Temple Hirst station. Station closed 1961. Line remains open. Junction created 1983, British Rail, with opening of line to Colton Junction. Remains open. The ruins of the Knights Templar Preceptory of Temple Hirst lie a short distance to the west.

Temple Meads

Several successive stations on adjacent sites, each known as Bristol Temple Meads (ST597725). First station opened 1840, Great Western Railway. Second station opened 1844, Bristol & Exeter Railway. A new station opened 1878, Great Western Railway, replacing the Bristol & Exeter station and permitting through running of passenger trains. The first and last stations remained in use until 1965 when the 1840 station closed. Original station building now in use as the British Empire & Commonwealth Museum,. 1878 station remains open. Temple Meads, where the stations are located, were originally the grazing lands (meads) associated with the nearby Knights Templar Preceptory. The Temple Church (also known as Holy Cross) was badly damaged by bombing in the Second World War. Its remains, now in the care of English Heritage, are located a little distance away in Temple Street, off Victoria Street (ST593727).

Temple Mills

Goods station (TQ373861), sidings (TQ373863) and junctions (East TQ383855, West TQ366867). Line from Stratford to Broxbourne opened 1840, Northern & Eastern Railway. Loughton Junction created 1856, Eastern Counties Railway, with opening of line to Loughton. Temple Mills Goods Station opened 1871, with access from the west. Line from Loughton Junction to Channelsea Junction opened 1881, Great Eastern Railway. Line from Leyton to Loughton transferred to London Transport 1947, remains open as part of London Underground Central Line. Line from Loughton Junction to Leyton closed 1971, Loughton Junction (which also gives access to Temple Mills sidings on the north side of the main line) renamed Temple Mills East Junction. Temple Mills goods station closed, uncertain date, site now occupied by New Spitalfields Market (opened 1991). Lines from Stratford to Broxbourne and Temple Mills East Junction to Channelsea Junction remain open. A small section of the north side freight sidings remain in use as a permanent way depot. The remainder of the site is occupied by the new Eurostar servicing depot, due to open in 2007. The depot will be linked directly to the Channel Tunnel Rail Link at Stratford International Station, with no connection to other lines in the area. The original Temple Mills were corn mills owned by the Knights Templar, located on the nearby River Lea.

Templemore

(Gaelic: An Teampall Mór) Station (S120707). Opened 1848, Great Southern & Western Railway. Remains open. At first site this is a case of a station named after the town rather than directly after a church, but in fact when the station was opened there was no significant town here; the principal traffic of the station being provided by a nearby large military barracks. The "Great Church" to which the name refers is the ruined Abbey Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary, located in the town park.

Temple Newsam

Tram terminus (SE357323). Opened, date uncertain ☻, Leeds City Tramways. Closed 1959, with the tram line. Near Temple Newsam House, a 16th century manor house named after a Knights Templar Preceptory which formerly stood on the site.

Temple Sowerby

Station (NY613260). Opened 1862, Eden Valley Railway. Closed 1953. Line closed 1962. A little over ½ mile (1 km) south of the village of Temple Sowerby, itself some distance south of the site of the former Knights Templar Preceptory, now known as Acorn Bank (NY614283).

Templetouhy

(Gaelic: Teampall Tuaithe) Railway system serving peat extraction workings (approx S230670). 3ft (914mm gauge) system opened 1955, Bord na Móna. Believed to remain open, but not confirmed. The "Church of the Tuath (clan territory)" from which the bog takes its name is located about 3 miles (5 km) to the northwest.

Trinity

Station (NT250768). Opened 1842, Edinburgh, Leith & Newhaven Railway. Closed 1925. Line closed 1966. Trinity Church, described as "one of the most exqusite Gothic churches in Scotland" was demolished to make way for the railway.

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Wishing Well

Halt (SY672851). Line from Yeovil to Weymouth via Dorchester opened 1857, Great Western Railway. Halt opened 1905, closed 1957. Line remains open. About ¾ mile (1.2 km) from Upwey Wishing Well, 144 Church Street, Weymouth DT3 5QE. The Wishing Well is not a known religious site, but it has long been associated with reputed healing qualities and other legends which would seem to justify giving it a similar status to Holy Wells elsewhere.

© 2005-2008 Glyn Williams
Flag images from CIA World Factbook