The station was located on the southern edge of Stake Pool village to the east of the road running south (now Bradshaw Lane), and was sometimes called Stake Pool station by the local press.[b] Although called Pilling station, it was about 1,500 yards (1,400 m) from Pilling village across country, or about 1.5 miles (2.4 km) by road.[4]
The line was a single track, and a passing loop, which appeared to cross the adjacent road on the level, was provided at the station to enable the locomotive to run round the train. At this time there was one platform to the south of the running line and a small building between the platform and the road.[4] A small goods yard was to the south and east of the station. Able to accommodate most types of goods including live stock, it was equipped with a half-ton crane.[5] The initial service was for four trains in each direction.[6]
Under the Knott End Railway
The railway company was bought out by the Knott End Railway and the line was extended to Knott End on 30 July 1908, at which time a second platform was built, so that the platforms were either side of the passing loop, the goods yard was extended and a goods shed provided. A substantially larger station building was constructed immediately south of the southern platform.[3][7]
In 1922, the service had increased to six trains each way, with an extra train on Fridays to and from Knott End. There were no services on Sundays.[8]
LMS and closure
The station closed to passengers on 31 March 1930.[2] Despite being closed, the station was still available for goods and parcels, by 1938 the crane had been upgraded to 1 ton capacity.[9] The line and station closed for freight on 31 July 1963.[10] In 1981, it was reported that the station goods yard was now a small industrial estate and the former station house had become a private dwelling.[c][11]
^Railways in the United Kingdom are, for historical reasons, measured in miles and chains. A chain is 22 yards (20 m) long, there are 80 chains to the mile.
^See for example "District News:Garstang". Preston Chronicle. 2 October 1875. p. 3. Retrieved 20 September 2020 – via British Newspaper Archive.
^Online mapping with street view shows the same situation in 2020
Grant, Donald J. (2017). Directory of the Railway Companies of Great Britain (1st ed.). Kibworth Beauchamp, Leicestershire: Troubador Publishing Ltd. ISBN978-1-78803-768-6.
The Railway Clearing House (1970) [1904]. The Railway Clearing House Handbook of Railway Stations 1904 (1970 D&C Reprint ed.). Newton Abbot: David & Charles Reprints. ISBN0-7153-5120-6.
The Railway Clearing House (1938). Official Hand-book of Railway Stations 1938. London: The Railway Clearing House.
Further reading
Rush, R.W.; Price, M.R.C. (1964). The Garstang & Knott End Railway. Oakwood Press.
