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Key Historical Milestones
8 March 1897: Opened as simply "Chesterfield" station.
1 January 1907: Renamed Chesterfield Market Place after the Great Central Railway took over the LD&ECR.
August 1948: Hosted the Stephenson Centenary Exhibition, a major event showcasing locomotives that attracted large crowds to its extensive grounds.
3 December 1951: Closed to passenger services. The primary reason for closure was the excessive cost of repairing the nearby Bolsover Tunnel, which suffered from severe subsidence and flooding.
4 March 1957: Closed completely following the end of its remaining freight services.
April 1973: The station building was demolished.
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Architecture and Design
Designed by architect Cole Alfred Adams, the station was a substantial three-storey building featuring a grand glass-roofed concourse and a long glass awning. It housed four curved platforms and a large covered goods depot—at the time, the largest covered area in the town. The railway line itself was famously ambitious, originally intended to link the Manchester Ship Canal to the east coast, but it never reached beyond Lincoln.
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The Site Today
The station was located on West Bars, right next to the Portland Hotel (which originally served railway passengers and is still standing as a JD Wetherspoon pub).
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Future Walk: The site is currently occupied by the Royal Mail finance headquarters.
Remnants: Very little remains, though subtle signs of the old embankment can still be spotted at the bottom of the car park.
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Would you like to see historic photos of the station frontage or details about the other "lost" station, Chesterfield Central?
Chesterfield Central was the town's second "lost" station, serving as a key stop on the Great Central Railway's (GCR) main line between Nottingham and Sheffield. While Market Place was a terminus, Central was a through-station known for its ornate, long glass canopies and its proximity to the town center.
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Chesterfield Central Station History
Opened: 4 June 1892.
Location: It was situated on Infirmary Road, near the former Royal Hospital and Trebor sweets factory.
Closure: Passenger services ended on 5 March 1963, and it closed completely in 1967.
The Site Today: The station was demolished in 1973 to make way for the inner relief road. However, the 474-yard Chesterfield Tunnel, which trains entered immediately after departing the station, still exists under the town today, though it is prone to flooding.
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Historic Visuals
Here are archival images of the grand Market Place frontage and the lost platforms of Chesterfield Central:
Who was the architect of Chesterfield Market Place Station ...
Who was the architect of Chesterfield Market Place Station ...
Derbyshire Victoria County History
Chesterfield Central railway station- Then and Now includes photo ...
Chesterfield Central railway station- Then and Now includes photo ...
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The Chesterfield Market Place Station after it was closed & track ...
The Chesterfield Market Place Station after it was closed & track ...
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Chesterfield Railway
Chesterfield Railway
Tupton History Society
Comparing the Three Original Stations
Station Railway Line Opened Closed Status
Chesterfield Market Place LD&ECR 1897 1951 Demolished (West Bars)
Chesterfield Central Great Central 1892 1963 Demolished (Relief Road)
Chesterfield (Midland) Midland Railway 1840 — Still Open (S41 7UB)
Would you like to know more about the Chesterfield Tunnel or perhaps the Stephenson Centenary Exhibition that took place at Market Place?
The Portland Hotel in Chesterfield was built in 1899 by the William Stones brewery to serve the newly opened Market Place Railway Station. It is named after the Duke of Portland, as the railway line it served ran through his estate.
J D Wetherspoon
J D Wetherspoon
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Early History & Construction
Site Origins: The hotel was constructed on the former sites of the Bird in Hand and White Horse public houses. Due to licensing laws, it was built in two phases so a pub was always open on the site during construction.
Architecture: Designed by Sheffield architect James Ragg Wigfull, the building features a distinctive mock-Tudor facade.
Railway Connection: It was the grandest of Chesterfield's three Victorian stations and served the Lancashire, Derbyshire and East Coast Railway. The adjacent station closed to passengers in 1951 and was demolished in 1973.
Previous Ownership: In 1925, the hotel was purchased by the Brampton Brewery Company for £16,750.
Chesterfield and District Civic Society
Chesterfield and District Civic Society
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Wetherspoon Era
Acquisition & Opening: JD Wetherspoon purchased the building and reopened it in June 2001 following an extensive refurbishment.
Current Use: Today, it operates as a JD Wetherspoon pub and hotel. While much of the original panelled interior was removed during the 2001 renovation, the exterior remains a key town landmark.
Commemoration: A blue plaque was unveiled at the site in July 2024 to commemorate both the hotel's history and the demolished railway station that once stood next to it.
Chesterfield and District Civic Society
Chesterfield and District Civic Society
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The Portland Hotel
Local History
Would you like to know more about the Lancashire, Derbyshire and East Coast Railway it once served?
The Lancashire, Derbyshire and East Coast Railway (LD&ECR) is often described as one of the most ambitious and "failed" railway projects of the Victorian era. Although its name promised a cross-country route from Warrington in the west to Sutton-on-Sea in the east, it famously reached neither.
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The "Grand Central of the North" Ambition
Original Scope: The project was authorized in 1891 as a 170-mile main line intended to link the Manchester Ship Canal to new deep-water docks on the Lincolnshire coast.
Engineering Marvels (Unbuilt): Had it been completed, it would have crossed the Peak District with staggering structures, including a proposed 275ft-high viaduct over Monsal Dale—nearly seven times taller than the current one at Monsal Head.
The "Dukeries Route": Because the completed section ran through the large estates of the "Dukeries" (including the Duke of Portland’s), it became popularly known by this nickname.
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Why It Failed
Financial Collapse: The sheer scale of the project was too expensive. Investors, including the Great Eastern Railway, eventually limited their support to the central section.
The Bolsover Tunnel Disaster: This 1.5-mile tunnel was the line's undoing. From the start, it suffered from heavy water ingress—pumping out 200,000 gallons daily—and severe mining subsidence that warped the track. By the 1940s, it was so dangerous it was reduced to a single track, and by 1951, repair costs of £1 million forced its total closure.
Absorption: The independent company lasted only a decade before being purchased by the Great Central Railway in 1907.
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Operational History at a Glance
Feature Details
Opened 8 March 1897 (Chesterfield to Lincoln)
Main Terminus Chesterfield Market Place Station (next to The Portland Hotel)
Primary Traffic Coal from Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire pits
Passenger End Services to Chesterfield ceased in Dec 1951; Lincoln services ended Sept 1955
Final Closure 4 March 1957 (Complete closure of Market Place terminus)
Today, parts of the old trackbed have been converted into leisure routes like the Sustrans cycle route near Skellingthorpe.
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Would you like to see a list of the remaining stations or structures you can still visit along the old route?
While much of the Lancashire, Derbyshire and East Coast Railway (LD&ECR) has been demolished, several stations and major engineering feats remain visible. Most are now part of the National Cycle Network (NCN), particularly National Route 647.
Surviving Stations
Clowne South: One of the best-preserved sites, the original booking hall, a short section of tunnel, and station ramps still exist. Local groups have recently worked to restore the area as a heritage feature.
Clifton-on-Trent: You can still see one remaining platform and an original station sign. The former station buildings survive but are now a private residence and fenced off.
Fledborough Station: Located near the viaduct, the old stationmaster’s house still stands and serves as a landmark for walkers on the local circular trail.
Sheepbridge & Whittington Moor: The street-level booking office and the stationmaster's house still survive at the junction of Station Road and the B6057.
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Major Structures & Landmarks
Fledborough Viaduct: The "crown jewel" of the remaining line. This massive 59-arch brick viaduct spans the River Trent and is fully accessible to walkers and cyclists on National Route 647.
Bolsover Tunnel (Portals): Though the tunnel is dangerous and sealed, the western portal can still be glimpsed, a haunting reminder of the line’s engineering failures.
High Marnham Test Track: A section between Shirebrook and Tuxford remains in use by Network Rail as a Rail Innovation & Development Centre for testing new trains.
Spinkhill Narrows: A unique surviving feature on the Chesterfield Canal where water was once fed to a trough to allow express LD&ECR trains to pick up water while moving.
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How to Visit
The best way to see these remains is to follow the Sustrans route from Lincoln to Fledborough. Starting from Skellingthorpe, you can cycle or walk along the old trackbed directly across the Fledborough Viaduct.
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Historic Railway Sites
Access & Infrastructure
Would you like more specific directions or a walking route map for the Fledborough Viaduct section?
The Fledborough Viaduct is most easily accessed via National Cycle Route 647, a flat, traffic-free trail that follows the former railway trackbed.
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Walking Routes & Maps
The Circular Loop (7 miles): This popular route starts at Dunham-on-Trent, follows the Trent Valley Way south along the riverbank, crosses the viaduct, and returns via the village of Fledborough and its medieval church.
The Short Loop (2.2 miles): A gentler option starting from South Clifton, taking you along the riverside path for views of the viaduct's 59 arches before looping back.
The Rail Trail (Linear): You can follow the old line directly from Harby or Skellingthorpe (near Lincoln) for a purely off-road experience on the elevated trackbed.
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How to Get There & Parking
Access can be tricky as the viaduct is in a rural area with no direct road access.
East Side (North/South Clifton): You can often find informal off-road parking near the bridge where the road (A1133 area) crosses the old railway line.
West Side (Fledborough/Dunham): Limited parking is available near St Gregory's Church in Fledborough or within Dunham-on-Trent village.
Skellingthorpe Access: For a longer walk, use the Skellingthorpe Community Centre car park and join the trail there.
The Ramblers
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Visitor Tips
Surface: The path is primarily flat gravel, suitable for most fitness levels, though it can be exposed to wind.
Facilities: There are no facilities on the viaduct itself; the nearest pubs are the Brownlow Arms in High Marnham or venues in Dunham-on-Trent.
Accessibility: While the top is flat, accessing the trackbed from ground level on the west side can involve steep or private paths, so staying on the waymarked Sustrans route is recommended.
Walk Wheel Cycle Trust
Walk Wheel Cycle Trust
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Primary Destination
Access & Parking
Sights Along Route
Would you like a detailed step-by-step guide for the 7-mile circular route starting from Dunham?
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