Malpas railway station


Malpas railway station was a railway station that served the market town of Malpas, Cheshire, on the Whitchurch and Tattenhall Railway or Chester–Whitchurch Branch Line. The station itself was at Hampton Heath and was also known locally as Hampton Station.

Opening

The station opened on 1 October 1872 when the London and [North Western Railway] opened the branch line between and.

Description

It was located just south of Hampton Heath centre, where the road to Malpas crossed the railway. Malpas village was away from the station.
The station had two platforms, one each side of the running lines, the northbound platform had a two-storey stone building providing a booking office, waiting room and a house for the station master, a parcels shed was adjacent to the main building and a canopy was provided covering part of the platform.
The other platform had a wooden shelter. This platform was accessible via a path down from the road overbridge, access between the platforms was via a barrow crossing at the end of the platforms.
There was a goods yard and shed to the north of the station on the western side of the lines, access to it was controlled by a small signal box. The goods yard was able to accommodate most types of goods including live stock and was equipped with a ten ton crane.

Unusual visitors

On the eve of an official visit to Chester in May 1917 during the First World War, the Royal Train carrying George V and Queen Mary stopped for the night at Malpas station. Troops from the Household Division guarded the area throughout the stay.
In 1944, wounded German POWs captured in Normandy during Operation Overlord were brought to Malpas before being transferred to the US Army hospital established just across the border in Penley, Wales.

Closure

The station closed to passengers on 16 September 1957 and to goods on 4 November 1963.
The station building has been restored as offices and the area landscaped. Hampton Heath industrial estate of single storey buildings, including the former goods shed, is located on what was the trackbed immediately north of the old station.
When there were suggestions in 1974 that an attempt might be made to reopen the branch, the Chester Chronicle pointed out that none of its stations had been well sited or used. The paper stated that revival rumours were without foundation because the cost would be prohibitive.