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Ebberston Station around 1910. The station master, Mr Francis Bradshaw is second from the right. All the children, including the one in railway uniform on the left are thought to be his.
Ebberston Station
Ebberston Station goods yard was equipped with coal cells, a weighhouse, a cattle dock and a short run round loop. At the eastern end was a crossing keepers cottage and the level crossing over Allerston Lane. The ground frame on the platform had nine levers and was covered by a wooden shelter.
The station was not built in the centre of Allerston due to the major landowner objecting to the railway being built.
After the track was lifted in 1953, the station and yard became a farm. A corrigated iron barn was built on the site of the cattle dock at the west end of the platform. The coal cells and part of the station building were used as garages.
In 1996 new owners moved to Ebberston Station with plans to start a holiday accommodation business. Mark & Carol Benson decided to use camping coaches for tourists just like the LNER and British Railways did in the past. Their plans not only involved re-laying track by the platform for the camping coaches to stand on, but also to restore the station to look like it would have done in the 1930's.
In 1997 a start was made on refurbishing the station with stone cleaning and new paint. The paint colours used were the 1930's chocolate and cream used by the LNER. Track was laid down half of the platform to hold three carriages. By 1998 three British Railways Mark 2 carriages had arrived and work started converting them into camping coaches. They were appropriately painted in the LNER tourist stock colours of green and cream. A lot of work has gone into returning the station to its former glory. The platform now looks a lot like it would have done in the 1930's with fencing, seats, gas lamps, nameboards and lots of flowers.
You can find out more about Ebberston station at www.theoldstationallerston.co.uk.
1890
Mr James Smales was station master at Wilton in 1890 and still there in 1891.
1899
Mr Francis Bradshaw was appointed as station master at Wilton in 1899 and still there in 1911. He was married to Louise and they are thought to have had at least nine children. Five of his sons all served in World War I and are believed to have all survived, some of them returning to railway employment. In 1911, his third child who was also named Francis and aged 18 was recorded as being a clerk at the station.
1903
Wilton Station was renamed to Ebberston on 1st April 1903 due to another Wilton opening elsewhere. An April Fools Joke some may have thought, as the station was actually on the outskirts of Allerston! The villages of Wilton and Ebberston were a mile in either direction, but there was an Allerton Station already on the N.E.R. network between York and Harrogate and so to avoid confusion with the similar title, Allerston was never used.
1919
Francis Bradshaw moved to become station master at Coxwold in 1919, where he served until 1928.
1921
By 1921 Walter Hollins was station master living at Ebberston Station with his wife Lillie and daughter also called Lillie.
1939
By the late 1930’s, Ebberston no longer had its own station master, that of Thornton Dale being in charge. by 1939 Walter Hollins had moved from Ebberston and was station master at Thornton Dale. Mr Ralph B. Bouch was a grade II porter in 1939, living with his family in the station building and was the last occupier before it closed in 1950. Ralph was called up in the Second World War, during which time Mr Frank Thorpe was porter.
1948
From 3rd November 1948 until closure, Mr Harold Jefferson was a porter/signalman at Ebberston. He lived in the gatehouse opposite the station.
More photos
After closure
