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Fountainhall Station
Railway Junction (20th Century), Railway Station (19th Century) (1848), Water Tower (19th Century)
Site Name Fountainhall Station
Classification Railway Junction (20th Century), Railway Station (19th Century) (1848), Water Tower (19th Century)
Alternative Name(s) The Waverley Line; Edinburgh To Hawick Branch Railway; Fountainhall Junction Station; Fountainhall Water Tower
Canmore ID 160820
Site Number NT44NW 33.01
NGR NT 42728 49793
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/160820
- Council Scottish Borders, The
- Parish Stow
- Former Region Borders
- Former District Ettrick And Lauderdale
- Former County Midlothian
NT44NW 33 42728 49793
The station and house is described in the Object Name Book of the Ordnance Survey as ' A dwelling house with Booking Office on the N.B. Railway at Fountainhall'.
Name Book 1853
Station (disused) [NAT]
OS 1:10,000 map, 1981.
This intermediate station on the Edinburgh-Carlisle main line (the 'Waverley Route') of the former North British Rly was also the junction station for the branch line to Oxton and Lauder. It opened on 4 August 1848 as Fountainhall Station, but was renamed Fountainhall Junction Station on 2 July 1901, presumably at the opening of the branch. The branch closed to regular passenger traffic on 12 September 1932, but the name of the station did not revert to Fountainhall Station until April 1959. The major portion of the Waverley Route, between Carlisle (No. 3 signal box) and Edinburgh (Portobello East Junction), closed to regular passenger traffic on 6 January 1969.
Information from RCAHMS (RJCM), 28 November 2005.
G Daniels and L Dench 1980; R V J Butt 1995.
The station building survives in use as a domestic residence. Built of course rubble with red sandstone dressings and slated roof, the building stands on what was the N end of the down side platform and on the W side of the trackbed. At this point a minor road leading from the A7 trunk road crossed the line on a level crossing guarded by a now demolished signal box which stood at NT 42716 49827. A footbridge also stood in this area.
The platform and trackbed area has been converted into a garden following the closure of the line in 1969.
The station was opened as a junction in 1901 following the construction of the Lauder Branch, it was renamed in 1959 as Fountainhall after the final closure of the branch and closed in 1969.
Visited by RCAHMS (DE), July 2006; R J V Butt 1995
Following a further visit to record the remains, it was noted that the down platform survives within the garden area and a stone building, the former water tower remains on the platform. The down and bay platforms have been completely removed and subsequently landscaped. A well was noted to the rear of the water tower.
The Ordnance Survey Object Name Book describes the station before the Lauder branch was built.
Project (April 2009 - February 2015)
The Borders Railway Project proposals are to reinstate the Newcraighall to Tweedbank section of the former Waverley Line. The reinstated railway line will be approximately 48km long and the majority of the route will use the existing railway embankment.
Several field surveys, archaeological evaluations and standing building surveys were undertaken by CFA Archaeology from April 2009 until February 2015.
CFA Archaeology
Sbc Note (15 April 2016)
Visibility: Standing structure or monument.
Information from Scottish Borders Council
Complete Demolition
The former Fountainhall Station water tower and up platform were demolished in 2014 during works to reinstate the Waverley rail line.
Standing Building Recording
NT 42728 49793 An Enhanced standing building survey was carried out by CFA Archaeology in September 2014 on the water tower and platform which were surviving components of the former Fountainhall railway station once serving the Edinburgh- Carlisle main line (the Waverley Route) of the former North British Railway. The station opened on 4 August 1848 and closed in 1969 with the closure of the major part of the Waverly Route. The water tower was situated on the west side of the up platform and comprised a stone-built structure. Historical photographs show that a cast-iron water tank surmounted the stone structure. This was removed along with a chimney stack that was attached to the structure following the demise of steam driven trains. The remains of the up platform survived for a length of 125m and this was constructed of brickwork that faced a bank of coal waste which formed the main body of the platform structure.
Information from M. Cressey & A. Brown - CFA Archaeology Ltd.
OASIS ID: cfaarcha1-214250
