Now and then

This is Bowness-on-Solway Railway Station – or at least it was the station many years ago. It is now the home of a lovely lady, a friend of marpaul, and her two great dogs. And what an afternoon I had there today!

A few years ago, when I was doing a some family history research, I found one of Gordon’s ancestors was living at Abbey Junction Station House, the wife of the Stationmaster. That encouraged us, as it would, to do some investigation into the Solway Junction Railway, a line that was a link between England and Scotland and crossed the Solway by a bridge. Gordon had heard many stories about this bridge when he was young, including what happened when the railway was closed, but the bridge could still be used as footbridge, so he was doubly interested. The remains of the ends of the bridge at Bowness, and across the Solway at Annan, can still be seen. In fact many will have had glimpses of the Bowness side in some of marpaul’s glorious sunset blips.
 
At that time we followed the line as best we could and this included peeping though the gate of the drive that led to the Bowness Station, now a private property.
 
Peep no more! This is it. I went to see marpaul at her delightful house at Glasson and then we went to Bowness and I had a conducted tour of the house, which was once the station house and ticket office, and around the extensive grounds, where the route of the railway tracks can clearly be seen. If you look at the two extra pictures, you can see the station as it was and then as it is now. In the second picture, we are looking in the same direction across the line and to the station building on the left. Hard to believe it is the same place isn't it. 
 
A wonderful day. Thank you so much Marian and Jo.