Forge Valley railway station

Forge Valley railway station was situated on the North Eastern Railway's Pickering to Seamer branch line. It served the twin villages of East and West Ayton, and the local beauty spot Forge Valley.

History

The station opened to passenger traffic on 1 May 1882.
It was named Forge Valley after a local beauty spot to avoid naming it after either of the Ayton villages that it was located near. This was normal practice when another station existed on the network that could be confusing to passengers; in this case Great Ayton, which is on the Middlesbrough to Whitby line. The station's sidings and goods yard had a west-facing connection, and the station itself had only one platform. The goods yard was listed as being capable of handling livestock and horses, and was equipped with a crane which could lift weights up to.
The station was host to a London and North Eastern Railway camping coach from 1935 to 1939.
It was closed on 3 June 1950, when the line closed to passenger traffic.

The site today

The station building and environs were later reused as a road and council highways depot for North Yorkshire County Council and the old goods shed was in use as a garage. In 2024, the site was sold for a housing redevelopment, with the station building retained and being divided up into flats; the old goods shed will be renovated and become a community centre.