The Huthwaite Railway Station
Grouping a Derby based Midland Railway Company brought competitive track constructions radiating from Nottingham. Lines northward through Ashfield connected Kirkby, before extending to Mansfield, via a Sutton Junction. That first opened our parish town passenger services in October 1849.
Derbyshire coal fields added another primary target for 1865 tracks reaching Alfreton. Heading further north into Sheffield steel industries, they ploughed through the Erewash Valley. Extending a Tibshelf and Teversal branch across into our county borders picked up Whiteborough, Skegby and Brierleyhill Collieries. Lay inside sharing those Nottinghamshire northwest boundaries are the areas Huthwaite and Teversal. Between those and through Whiteborough farmlands that Midland Railway carved and bridged its signal posted lines, found mapped 1884 leading up past the Miners Arms in Stanton Hill.
Incorporating station platforms offered welcomed incentive for gaining permission laying what would be profitable industrial railroads. Following lower valley levels skirting Hucknall-under-Huthwaite heights, a bridged Harper Lane afforded us this lines nearest road access. Built adjacent some Woodend farm cottages when opened on 1st May 1886, gives obvious reason for initially naming a Woodend Station
.
Sincere thanks extend to Glynn Waite whose specialist research among Midland Railway Society Journals details unique finds for its remoter siting. Adding maps and dating changes he noted after just five months it became called Woodend for Hucknall Huthwaite
. If this did not upgrade goods into ticket officed villager passengers services, it did at least advertise the purpose behind opening this remotely situated station, when potentially linked by taxi carrier carts along the Chesterfield Road.
Acknowledgement gratefully given Mr Andrew Knighton who permits above display of this excellent and unique view of those ticket offices facing the bridged Harper Lane, or what had then become called Station Road. The Railway Inn is sighted opposite and over the bridge, when looking east towards Huthwaite heights can also actually reveal atop Strawberry Bank the sited isolation hospital.
This station changes name nearly as many times the Hucknall-under-Huthwaite it was clearly meant to serve. 
Renaming on 20th January 1893 becomes fully titled Whiteborough for Hucknall Huthwaite
as shown signed on this platform photograph first shared from the album of Dr K Hill.
Authoritatively dated again by Mr Waite was 1st January 1908, when the suffix was dropped, to then shorten spelling into Whiteboro' Station
. On that same day the towns Midlands platform added Sutton-in-Ashfield for Huthwaite
. This clearly coincides with recent regular public tram services having entered Huthwaite, offering frequent direct rail connections through into our main and far busier Sutton town stations.
We hold no evidence as to why this station was actually renamed as Whiteborough in the first place. There is no doubt lines routed through lower valley fields claimed part Whiteborough farm lands when passing a small but working Whiteborough colliery. 
For reasons again unknown the area does gain far grander title the City of Whiteborough.
This may only confuse speculation to whom wielded greater influence. Either the railway company or a few, possibly one major landowner. Best suggestion so far heard passed down comes by a Mr Keetley, whose parents once ran the Railway Inn. Elaborate proposals planned constructing a whole separate community around this remotely sited station. Perhaps enough motive to invite passengers into the Railway Inn, here kindly revealed by Mr & Mrs Wallace dated 1901,
Ordinance surveys found between years 1899 to 1921 do map the stations layout, 
showing unique access from roadside onto platforms across county borders. In Derbyshire the Newton Wood highlights boundaries to also offer name first siting a Huthwaite Woodend. The farm buildings all earlier mapped 1884 are here shown after adopting role, unsurprised by naming the Railway Inn. A small row of mine worker homes took address Railway Cottages. Recalled families occupying tenancy included Bennet, Hill and Holmes. Clearance sited modern pub car parking for the Woodend Inn.
Companies competitively fought over freight leaving larger railways carrying passengers at lower profits. A struggling Midland further grouped 1923 as London, Midland and Scottish Railway. Cost efficiency led to closures. Losing Huthwaites little used station came 4th October 1926, although villagers kept a suitable public transport system by frequent trams still connecting Sutton Stations. They only lingered however until July 1930, before massive railroad closures followed same obsolete tracks as our trams.
Some station masters are identified at Huthwaite from the dated commercial directories, extracting these names.
1889 Benjamin Pointer
1891 Samuel Eaton
1900 Obadiah Haddock
1912 James King
1913 James King
Born 1924 Gordon Woodward recalled childhood memory of a Barker Street neighbour by name Mr Owen, once recognised being a station master and possibly last employed at Whiteboro. George and others also claim memories when playing among the picturesque tree lined disused platforms, before finding totally overgrown stone site clearance.
Tracks did carry coal laden trucks through from Brierley pit, until that closed 1989. Overgrown evidence left by sleepers and a few rusty rails were encountered while rambling paths around designated lands forming Brierley Forest Park. Now fully surfaced cycle trails pass between the last remnants of a few solidly built brick bridges, including the one shown above left spanning Chesterfield Road.
Written 26 Feb 04 Revised 14 Feb 08 © by Gary Elliott
