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This station was built for the Duke of Northumberland whose Kielder Lodge (known as Kielder Castle) was just to the east. The station had a single platform on a loop on the east side of the line and, to the south of the loop, a siding serving a coal depot. The platform was short. The Duke had a shed for his connecting coach here.

The layout was altered to make the platform line the principal and the other line the loop. A new siding was laid in to the east, starting from the just south of the platform end replacing the previous siding.

The station building was stone built and of two storeys. The northern portion was the station cottage and southern the station house. To the south was a stone built signal box, typical of the line, opened in 1893.

The station was used by tourists and walkers, with even trains being run in connection, particularly after the Duke had to sell the estate to pay death duties and the estate was sold to the Forestry Commission in 1932.

Houses were built at the station. The Commission brought in conifer seedlings by rail from Aviemore for planting on the estate. The settlement expanded and further housing was built at Buttery Haugh to the south east.

The line closed to passengers in 1956 and completely closed in 1958, the box surviving until the end.

The station house still stands, in use, and a garage now occupied the southern portion of the station site.

There has been discussion for years of the possibility of re-opening the railway to Kielder to assist with the extraction of timber, probably a line via Riccarton Junction as the trackbed to the south is now flooded by Kielder Water, a large reservoir.

Kielder Viaduct, not far to the south, is on the north edge of the reservoirs. It is a fine single track seven arch castellated viaduct.

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Visit Kielder

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