Longstone Railway Station Longstone Lane

MATERIALS: Gritstone ashlar and Welsh slate roofs with a band of fishscale slates.

DESCRIPTION: Pitched roofs and one-half hipped gable end with stack rising from the hipped part. Stone gable end stack, truncated stone ridge stack and a circular stone stack rising half way up the pitch of the roof. Fretted bargeboards with wooden finials. One and two storeys. South elevation of four bays. Two storey range on right with a 3-light wooden casement window to ground floor with relieving arch above and a 3-light wooden casement window above with trefoiled lights. Small single light window and doorway with overlight to left, each with segmental pointed arch. 2-light dormer window above. Single storey range to left with two 3-light wooden casement windows. North elevation, left hand bay, projects and the fenestration corresponds to similar bay on the south side. The L-plan formed by the projection is filled by the platform canopy on four wooden columns with curved brackets and a catslide roof from the main building. All the windows have chamfered stone surrounds.

HISTORY: Great Longstone Station opened in June 1863 on what became the Midland Railway's main line between Ambergate and Manchester. When completed, the line provided a Midland Railway route from London to Manchester via Derby, of which the section between Rowsley and Hassop near Bakewell had been opened by 1860. The station, known originally as Longstone Station, was intended to serve the communities of Longstone and Ashford in the Water, and also provided a convenient station for the owner of nearby Thornbridge Hall, who at the time was George Marples, a director of the Midland Railway Company.

The designer of the station building is believed to have been William Barlow, the Midland Railway Company engineer, although the building has also been attributed to Edward Walters.

 In October 1913, the station was renamed as 'Great Longstone for Ashford' and in 1923 became part of the London Midland Scottish Railway. In 1948 it became part of the nationalised British Railways network. The station was closed to passengers in 1962, and the last train passed through the station in March 1967. Five years later in 1982 the Peak District National Park established the Monsal Trail on the route of the former railway line.

REASONS FOR DESIGNATION Downside, the former station building at Great Longstone Station, Derbyshire is designated at Grade II for the following principal reasons: * Architectural Interest: The design of the main station building is of a high quality * Historic Interest: The connection with George Marple of Thornbridge Hall adds historic interest. * Group Value: The former station building has group value with Woodlands, constructed by George Marple to provide private access to the station.