Key Facts

In 1972, the Cheshire County Council levied a farthing rate deduction (one quarter of an old penny) in order to fund the purchase from British Railways 14 miles of track bed for conversion into a walkway and bridle path for horses.

Why Hadlow Road, and not Willaston Station?

Cheshire has another place called Willaston, it being situated near Crewe, and consequently that town got a rail link, and ours had to be differentiated to avoid confusing passengers and booking clerks alike.

The picture shows the railway station as it is today, a museum on the Wirral Way - but "frozen in time" to how it was in 1952, when it shut, because Lord Beeching axed the British Railways line from Hooton Junction to West Kirby. Historically it belonged to "The Cheshire Lines Company" - being unusual in that it had its own livery for rolling stock, but no locomotives - as the major shareholding companies used their own, LMS, GWR, etc.