The footbridge at the western end of the station leads to St Cuthbert’s Church which has a marvellous stained-glass window, created by Goddard and Gibbs in 1992, depicting a steam train passing through Kildale.
Each year, in the village hall which is decked out in harvest-festival style, the people of Kildale hold a traditional Mell Supper to celebrate the bringing in of the last sheaf of corn. Each person is given a piece of “mell cake” (a kind of spicy teacake, locally baked) at this event.
Trains stop at Battersby station for up to ten minutes because each train needs be reversed and the driver has to exchange tokens. This arrangement prevents any possibility of two trains occupying the single track simultaneously. From here until after Great Ayton, the boundary of the North York Moors National Park follows the railway line.
There are now two extra services that come down as far as Battersby Junction on Monday to Saturdays. A direct service from Newcastle (11:40, arrives 13:28, then back to Newcastle direct at 14:03, arrives 15:54) and also from Newcastle direct (15:40, arrives 17:31, then back to Newcastle direct at 17:57, arrives Newcastle 19:49). These services go via Hartlepool.
During the late 19th century, Battersby station was a busy and important railway junction as vast loads of ironstone, extracted from the Moors were transported through here to feed the hungry blast furnaces of County Durham and Teesside. There was also a railway line extending by means of a steep incline onto the moor at Bank Top.
The station features at Battersby which survive from that time include a water tower, a platform watercrane and a turntable base.
The old buildings are now private dwellings and there is now a playground nearby, maintained by the Battersby Junction Community. More information here.
Whilst on the train between Nunthorpe and Great Ayton, look out for the striking views of Roseberry Topping which, 1056 feet high, towers over the landscape. Scandinavian settlers called it “Othenesberg”, meaning Odin’s Hill. The unique shape is due to a landslip, as a direct result of the extraction of minerals. It was also used as a beacon hill, where a fire would be lit to warn of invasion. Views of Middlesbrough to the North-West and the surrounding moorland can be appreciated after walking to the top.
Dating back to the Middle Ages, Great Ayton was a centre of industrial activity, such as linen-making, tanning and brewing, long before the Industrial Revolution, when the mining of whinstone (a hard igneous rock used in road-making), ironstone, alum and jet came to predominate. These latter activities were serviced by the Esk Valley Railway. Nowadays most of Great Ayton’s residents commute to work in Middlesbrough, many of them using the train. The village is also a good base for exploring the nearby North Yorkshire Moors. For more information on Great Ayton.
There are now two extra service that come down to Great Ayton on Monday to Saturdays; both are direct services to and from Newcastle. Departs Newcastle 11:40 arrives 13:22 and the 15:40 arrives 17:25 Then heading back from Great Ayton; direct to Newcastle at 14:09 and 18:02 arriving in Newcastle (direct) at 15:54 and 19:49 respectively.
Nunthorpe is an outer suburb of Middlesbrough. The railway station is at its hub. The original village of Nunthorpe, about a mile south of here, grew up around Nunthorpe Hall, which dates from the 1620s, though that house was largely rebuilt in the 19th century. This stretch of the railway line forms the boundary between the boroughs of Middlesbrough and Redcar & Cleveland.
Whilst on the train between Nunthorpe and Great Ayton, look out for the striking views of Roseberry Topping.
There are now 18 services Monday to Saturday between Middlesbrough and Nunthorpe and 10 each way on Sundays, all year round.
Six services Monday to Saturday, and four on Sundays continue beyond Nunthorpe along the Esk Valley to Whitby. There are also two extended services that go beyond Nunthorpe; the 13:15 calls at Great Ayton and Battersby ONLY as does the 17:13.
Flatts Lane, Normanby, Middlesbrough, TS6 0NN
This is a good place to begin exploring the countryside south of Normanby, but is a 45 minute walk (just over 2 miles) up to the top of Ormesby Bank and then over the hill and through the woods. The visitor centre has an exhibition room, where you can learn more about the history and the wildlife of the country park or have a go at solving one of the puzzles. Rangers are on hand to provide further information. Other facilities here include toilets and a first-aid point. There is also a small shop selling refreshments and gifts.
Find out more about Flatts Lane
There are now 18 services Monday to Saturday between Nunthorpe and Middlesbrough via Gypsy Lane and 10 each way on Sundays, all year round. Six services (Monday – Saturday) continue beyond Nunthorpe along the Esk Valley to Whitby. There are also two extended services that go beyond Nunthorpe; the 13:09 calls at Great Ayton and Battersby ONLY as does the 17:10.
James Cook, the world’s most famous navigator and explorer, was born at Marton in 1728. Although his cottage no longer exists here, a monumental granite vase marks its site at his birthplace museum in Stewart Park, a short walk from the station.
There are now 18 services Monday to Saturday between Nunthorpe and Middlesbrough via Marton and 10 each way on Sundays, all year round. Six services (Monday – Saturday) continue beyond Nunthorpe along the Esk Valley to Whitby. There are also two extended services that go beyond Nunthorpe; the 13:06 calls at Great Ayton and Battersby ONLY as does the 17:07.
The James Cook University Hospital is one of Europe’s most modern hospitals. James Cook provides a wide range of district general hospital services and specialist services including neurosciences, renal medicine, spinal injuries, major trauma, cardiothoracic, vascular surgery and cancer services. The accident and emergency department is the designated major trauma centre for the southern half of the northern region and the hospital has a dedicated 24-hour acute admissions unit.
The station is ideally placed for visitors to the hospital, with connections from Leeds, Northallerton, Darlington and Newcastle at Middlesbrough and then just one stop (4 minutes) to James Cook Hospital Station and a seven minute walk to the South Entrance. It is also useful for residents from the North Yorkhire part of the Whitby to Middlesbrough railway line.
Find out more about The James Cook University Hospital
The James Cook University Hospital Station in Middlesbrough opened on the 18th May 2014 for patients, visitors and staff. The new station helps alleviate car parking pressure at the hospital and also eases congestion on Marton Road. Please use the train if you can.
The new facility, costing around £2.2 million, has a single platform on the Middlesbrough to Whitby route (on the hospital side of the railway line) and provides a fully-lit waiting shelter and seating, full CCTV coverage and passenger information including an electronic screen and public address announcements.
The project was developed in partnership between Tees Valley Unlimited (now Tees Valley Combined Authority – see here for their vision on transport) , the Hospital Trust, Middlesbrough Council, Network Rail and Northern Railway, with the train service managed by Northern Railway.
Middlesbrough is a lively modern city offering great shopping, entertainment and spectator sports, as well as a major art gallery. The Esk Valley Railway goes right into its heart, making this the ideal way to visit Middlesbrough; and by the same means, residents of this city can, quickly and comfortably, reach some of Yorkshire’s most spectacular countryside in the North York Moors National Park, or travel further to the historic seaside town of Whitby.
For Middlesbrough FC Fixtures check here, though matches are being played behind closed doors due to covid-19.
The first station was built in 1847 by John Middleton but it was too small for the rapid growth in traffic. The current structure was designed by William Peachey, a prominent Victorian architect and the imposing station was opened in 1877. It was badly damaged in WWII in 1942 but was re-built. Read more about the history of Middlesbrough railway station
Plans for an extension to the platforms and direct trains to London are underway, see here for more details.
In the Town Hall Square, take a look at the statue of John Vaughan. One of the bronze plaques on the base of this monument shows a sailing ship, ironworks and a very early locomotive hauling wagons of iron ore or coal, thus commemorating the industrial heritage of Middlesbrough and the origin of its railways.
