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We had heard from friends Chris and Jeff that a train has just arrived at their local station.

That wouldn't be surprising except that the station had closed over 50 years ago and all the rails had been removed.

The line was closed by by Mr Beeching back in the 60's and much of the route is now lost under the tarmac of the A66.

We called by to check it out . . .

Peel Wyke Station, latterly known as Bassenthwaite Lake Station, was part of

the Cockermouth, Keswick and Penrith Railway which operated between 1865 and and 1966.

The old station building can still be seen at the side of the road leading to The Pheasant Inn at Dubwath.

I've found a few historic pictures on line . . .


First posted by John Partridge	My thanks to Karen Shane for finding and posting this one.

The station looking west towards Cockermouth.	From the Signal Box looking east towards Keswick.

John Partridge

Steam hauled passenger trains complemented the busy freight business

John Partridge

Latterly diesel Multiple Units superceded steam for passenger transport, the one seen here is heading towards Keswick and Penrith.

A spring time photo with the remnants of snow on the Skiddaw fells behind.

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Local entrepreneurs Di and Simon Parums are aiming to create a cafe and visitor attraction

and the dream of restoring the station is starting to come true with some initial scrub clearance.

My thanks to Chris and Jeff Goode for sending me this photo.

Picture previously posted by Cheds in Railforum.co.uk

Just before Christmas (2019) they had the opportunity to buy a full size steam engine and coaches to make the whole plan commercially viable.

Traffic was halted temporarily as a low loader delivered the final part of the train . . . the steam engine.

Cheds of Railforum

It was famously used in the film set of Agatha Christie's "Murder on the Orient Express"

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Barrie Shutt

Along with the steam engine came three Orient Express coaches.

Karen Shane

In close up, a Baggage Car, the Buffet Car and below, the Saloon Bar.

Posted by Karen Shane

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Back to my photos now . . .

After much landscaping and scrub clearance a section of track bed and rail line has been re-laid to take the train.

[ However there's probably insufficient space to re-build the second platform and the signal box on the other side.]

A big undertaking but a great investment in the future.

The plan is to restore the buildings and open up the site to the public once again.

	- - - o o o - - - Work has started to re-roof the station buildings. With site permission and with a long lens from the roadside we can also see into the cab of the engine of the French SNCF Class 241 train. They are hoping to open the new business in October, but this will depend on the progress of the restoration work. - - - o o o - - -

We look forward with anticipation to the opening.

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Fort further information now and on into the future, try these links:

Cockermouth Times and Star Railforums.co.uk and of course the new Bassenthwaite Lake Station Facebook page.

Hi Roger and Ann, I remember that line so well I used to use it weekly either Friday or Saturday night to go to the Grand Theatre in Cockermouth that also closed shortly after the line closed. I have always wondered if the closure of the cinema was directly linked to the closure of the line as the train was always well used Friday and Saturday nights anyway great photos and memories. Steve Dawlish Devon

I have many happy memories about the railway as it was the start (and end) of many a summer holiday. We lived in Essex and were able to take the steam trains from Euston direct to Cockermouth where my Dad's parents lived. No change of trains - what a joy! Travelling along the side of Bass Lake meant we were almost there. Hilary B.

I think the cafe etc will be a very popular attraction, it's just a pity they could only find a French loco, but I can't imagine there are many old UK steam locos available for this kind of venture. Hopefully, dogs allowed in the cafe!
All the best, Richard R.

Thanks Roger for the photos of the station & train. Very interesting & informative. You keep us up to date with new things. We shall look forward to visiting the cafe once it’s up & running. It should be very busy once opened. We are in Keswick this Summer so will take a look at the site. Kind regards. Andrew (Bradford)

The train that has just arrived looks very splendid. good luck to them. More uses for old stations I say, just like Barter Books in the old Alnwick station, Northumberland. Monterey Pines (FB)

We spotted the train at the weekend. Thanks for adding the context. Anne-Marie Lorraine. (FB)

I live in Victoria on Canada’s west coast and have been watching the series called “Walking Britain's Lost Railways”. Fantastic show and very well put together. Rob Bell I believe is the young narrator and the pictures you show above is the one I just watched. The Lake District. Being a Scot far from my birth place I watch everything I get every chance I get and of course can record. We have a station called Knowledge Network, that’s my station almost exclusively thanks for your post. Incidentally my brother was a train driver out of Carlisle. Sadly killed on the job in 1964.

Christine Sigurgeirson Donnelly Ross (FB)

Thanks to everyone who viewed and commented on this page, both by email to us and on Facebook . We have recorded over a thousand site visits in the last week which is both interesting and gratifying, much higher than normal.

Thanks for writing, commenting and "sharing" this post. Let's hope the attraction gets equally good support. RmH.