Garwick Glen Halt

Garwick Glen

Glion Garwick
Manx Electric Railway
General information
LocationLonan, Isle Of Man
CoordinatesPole Nos. 243-244
Owned byIsle Of Man Railways
PlatformsGround level
Tracks2 (Running Line and Crossover)
Construction
Structure typeDemolished
ParkingNone
History
Opened1894 (1894)
Closed1965 (1965)
Previous namesManx Electric Railway Co.

Garwick Glen Halt (Manx: Stadd Ghlion Garwick) is a rural intermediate request stop on the east coast route of the Manx Electric Railway on the Isle of Man.

Location

The station lies between Douglas and Laxey and is situated in a small valley of the same name which opens into Garwick Bay. The place name derives from the Manx Gaelic meaning "pleasant bay", derived from an old Celtic word.

History

The station was once one of the busiest on the railway, being home to sprawling pleasure gardens of the same name that operated successfully until the close of the 1965 summer season, when the station became privately owned. The station once had its own station master and covered waiting shelter for passengers as well as a rustic souvenir stand similar to those found at Laxey Station. The glen, with its topiaries and well-kept gardens, led down to a beach, where shoreline caves were marketed in contemporary literature for the station. At the turn of the 20th century, the area was marketed as featuring "smugglers' cove", "hermit's archway" and many other romantic names, and the site was dominated by a hotel of the same name (now a private dwelling and unavailable for public viewing). There is also a large lake in the grounds, which are home to the island's only maze.

Decline

Despite closure, the station remained open but was seldom used, and the structures were not demolished until 1978, when the site was cleared. There remains in situ a crossover set of points to facilitate short workings to and from Derby Castle, but this has been unused for years. From the passing tram, a solitary overgrown section of brick wall is the only reminder of this once-busy station. The glen and its grounds were once open to the public on special days, but this practice ended.

Route

Preceding station Manx Electric Railway Following station
Sunnycott
towards Derby Castle
Douglas–Ramsey Ballagawne

54°12′25″N 4°24′37″W / 54.2070369°N 4.4103224°W / 54.2070369; -4.4103224

See also

References

  • Mike Goodwyn (1993). Manx Electric. Platform Five. ISBN 978-1-872524-52-8.
  • Keith Pearson (1992). 100 Years Of Manx Electric Railway. Leading Edge. ISBN 0-948135-38-7.
  • Robert Hendry (1978). Manx Electric Album. Hillside Publishing. ISBN 0-9505933-0-3.
  • Norman Jones (1994). Isle Of Man Tramways. Foxline Publishing. ISBN 1-870119-32-0.

Sources