Granton Gasworks railway station

Coordinates: 55°58′42″N 3°14′29″W / 55.978334°N 3.2413191°W / 55.978334; -3.2413191
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Granton Gasworks railway station
Granton Gasworks railway station in February 2023.
General information
LocationGranton, Edinburgh
Scotland
Coordinates55°58′42″N 3°14′29″W / 55.978334°N 3.2413191°W / 55.978334; -3.2413191
Grid referenceNT226768
Owned byCity of Edinburgh Council
Platforms2
Construction
ArchitectWalter Ralph Herring
Architectural styleClassical Edwardian
Other information
StatusDisused; redeveloped
History
Original companyCaledonian Railway
Post-groupingLondon, Midland and Scottish Railway
Key dates
1902Opened
1942Closed
Listed Building – Category B
Official name4 Marine Drive and 11 West Shore Road, Granton Gasworks, Former Station/Office, including Railway Platform
Designated10 November 1998
Reference no.LB45794

Granton Gasworks railway station was a

Granton Gasworks in Granton, Edinburgh
, Scotland that operated from 1902 to 1942. After laying vacant for decades, the station was brought back into use in 2023 as Granton Station Creative Works, a creative enterprise hub operated by the arts charity Wasps.

History

A National Transport Trust plaque affixed to the station.

Granton Gasworks railway station was developed by the

clocking-in machines for the workers as well as toilets and lockers.[5][6] Until 1923, when the Caledonian Railway was grouped into the London, Midland and Scottish Railway, Gasworks workers were able to travel to and from Edinburgh Princes Street railway station at no cost.[3] While the station did not appear in timetables, it was nonetheless used by residents as well as workers. A journey from Edinburgh Princes Street railway station to Granton Gasworks railway station took 12 minutes in 1907.[2]

The station is two storeys high, built in a

corporation architecture applied to an industrial site".[1][7] Writing in 1984, Gifford, McWilliam, and Walker described the "bizarre and stately architecture [...] all red brick with yellow trim".[8]

The station was closed in 1942 by the

Second World War, it was identified by Nazi Germany as a potential bombing target but was never attacked.[4] The station lay largely disused for the next 81 years[9] while much of the surrounding land was redeveloped.[3] In 2000, Foster and Partners brought forward plans for a wider redevelopment of the Granton Gasworks that included the retention of the station.[10]

In 2018, Granton Gasworks railway station was acquired by the

civic square.[9] Designs for the redevelopment were prepared by ADP Architecture.[13][14] Work commenced in June 2021.[15] In August 2021, the City of Edinburgh Council announced that the enterprise hub would be operated under a lease by the arts charity Wasps.[13][16] In December 2022, the new civic square won a Future Cities Forum Winter Award in the "masterplanning - regeneration and mixed use" category.[14] The civic square formally opened on 11 March 2023, being named "Granton Station Square".[9][17] Granton Station Creative Works was opened by Wasps in autumn 2023.[18] In December 2023, the restoration of the station was shortlisted in the BAM Nuttall Partnership Award category of the National Railway Heritage Awards.[19] In March 2024, the restoration was shortlisted in the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors Awards Scotland.[20]

References

  1. ^ a b c "Edinburgh, Granton Gasworks, Former Station". Canmore. Archived from the original on August 1, 2021. Retrieved 12 March 2023.
  2. ^ .
  3. ^ a b c d e Deacon, Nick (October 2022). "Granton Gasworks" (PDF). Railway Bylines. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 March 2023. Retrieved 12 March 2023.
  4. ^ a b "Granton Gas Works Train Station". CuriousEdinburgh.org. 15 September 2019. Archived from the original on 18 September 2020. Retrieved 12 March 2023.
  5. ^ "Granton Gas Works". Disused-Stations.org.uk. Archived from the original on 25 February 2020. Retrieved 12 March 2023.
  6. ^ "Granton Gas Works". GrantonHistory.org. Archived from the original on 13 March 2022. Retrieved 13 March 2023. To the east of the retort house was the railway station. The building there also contained the time office – workers were required to pass through turnstiles on their way into and out of the works. This building also contained lavatories, bathrooms, and lockers for the men to store their outdoor clothing. A footbridge over the railway lines led to the works itself.
  7. ^
    HistoricEnvironment.scot. Historic Environment Scotland. Archived from the original
    on 7 August 2016. Retrieved 12 March 2023.
  8. . ...today's prosaic installations have little in common with the bizarre and stately architecture designed for the Edinburgh and Leith Corporation Gas Commissioners by W R Herring in 1898, all red brick with yellow trim.
  9. ^ a b c Swanson, Ian (12 March 2023). "Edinburgh's historic Granton station to be transformed into enterprise hub". Edinburgh Evening News. National World. Archived from the original on 1 October 2022. Retrieved 12 March 2023.
  10. ^ "Green plan for gasworks Park-based proposal to regenerate brownfield Granton site but gasometers would have to go". The Herald. 8 April 2000. Archived from the original on 13 March 2023. Retrieved 13 March 2023.
  11. ^ Quinn, Kevin (15 July 2020). "Opening of Granton Station Square in Edinburgh marks first major milestone of £1.3bn Granton Waterfront regeneration". Edinburgh Evening News. National World. Archived from the original on 13 March 2023. Retrieved 12 March 2023.
  12. ^ Stephen, Phyllis (15 March 2018). "Council buys Granton Waterfront site from National Grid". The Edinburgh Reporter. Archived from the original on 10 May 2018. Retrieved 24 January 2024.
  13. ^ a b McLean, David (26 September 2022). "Edinburgh photos show spectacular restoration of abandoned station ahead of opening". EdinburghLive.co.uk. Reach plc. Archived from the original on 19 November 2022. Retrieved 12 March 2023.
  14. ^ a b Hunt, Claire (21 December 2022). "Granton Station Square wins a Future Cities Forum Award". ADP-Architecture.com. Archived from the original on 13 March 2023. Retrieved 13 March 2023.
  15. ^ Stephen, Phyllis (23 June 2021). "Granton Station – work begins". The Edinburgh Reporter. Archived from the original on 23 June 2021. Retrieved 13 March 2023.
  16. ^ Pickering, Dave (13 August 2021). "Green light for Wasps to get Granton Station buzzing". North Edinburgh News. Archived from the original on 13 August 2021. Retrieved 12 March 2023.
  17. STV.TV. STV Group. Archived from the original
    on 11 March 2023. Retrieved 13 March 2023.
  18. ^ "Granton Station". WaspsStudios.org.uk. Wasps. 2023. Archived from the original on 15 December 2023. Retrieved 15 December 2023.
  19. ^ "Press Release" (PDF). NRHA.org.uk. National Railway Heritage Awards. 6 December 2023. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 January 2024. Retrieved 6 January 2024.
  20. ^ Purdie, Una (13 March 2024). "Six Edinburgh building projects shortlisted for prestigous awards". TheEdinburghReporter.co.uk. Archived from the original on 13 March 2024. Retrieved 13 March 2024.

External links