Alton Old Railway Station

A walking day and we decided to retrace footsteps from a walk earlier in the year, but reversing the route.  It's always interesting to see how things change over a relatively short time and here it was all about the nature's growth with bluebells prominent.

It meant the last 5 miles of the walk were along a dismantled railway track on the Churnet Way.  This is Alton Station and I was surprised by the length of the platform, significantly longer than the others we passed.  Perhaps the name of the village gives a clue as to why as it is the stop for Alton Towers.  Reading a bit about the history shows that it was a major attraction in the area from the 1860's.  It isn't just in its modern guise as a theme park that it was a magnet for local people.  Off the platform are wide paths up the hill to the Towers.  For many the train would have been the only way to get to the resort.