Wemyss Bay

The station at Wemyss Bay is a glorious example of engineering elegance, providing spacious, light and weather protected space for passengers. I have to admit that I only visited because of the station, but luckily it has a clock so it can be included in this blog.

The station dates from 1903, although the railway reached here in the 1860's. It is one of only ten 5-star stations in Simon Jenkins' book "Britain's 100 Best Railway Stations" (Viking Books - 2017), and indeed is the cover photograph. All of the other nine are big main line stations, so Wemyss Bay is somewhat of a unique gem.

It is also named as the Most Impressive Station by Vicki Pipe and Geoff Marshall's "The Railway Adventures" (September Publishing - 2018).

This is the view of the booking office, with its simple clock.

And now for some gratuitous pictures of the station.

 

 

Including some old posters:

Of which this one has some particular relevance i.e. Wemyss Bay station is also a ferry terminal for the journey across to the Isle of Bute.

This curved ramp leads down to the ferry....

...which waits outside.

 

 Once outside we also realise that the station has a prominent clock tower.

 

Hornsey, Crouch End and Finsbury Park

Today's post is entitled Hornsey, Crouch End and Finsbury Park because it takes in a walk starting at Hornsey, passes through Crouch End and finishes at Finsbury Park, the first and last points being the eponymous railway stations. See, coming up with titles is easy.

Leaving the unimpressive edifice which is Hornsey station, our first clock is spotted on St Mary's Tower.

I often seen this church tower as it is clearly visible from the East Coast Main Line, and I have always assumed that it was clock-less. But this cunning church has arranged it so that the dials are only on the sides which face away from the railway (obviously assuming that the trains would always be running to time).

This is the west facing dial:

 

And here's the east facing one:

The tower is all that remains of the building that originates from the1500's. A new church, ironically now demolished, was built in 1868.

Another church now - this time Holy Innocents on the corner of Tottenham Lane and Rokesley Avenue.

 

The white line, by the way, is not some laser defence system installed in the tower nor the ingress of a divine presence, but merely an aircraft contrail.

Holy Innocents was built in 1876-77.

The main purpose behind this trip was to see the Crouch End clock tower. So here it is.

The tower was built in 1895, and is dedicated to Henry Reader Williams, a local politician and benefactor.

 

The tower has several interesting features, including some nice old road signs:

.....a bust of HR Williams

(by Alfred Gilbert, whose most famous work is 'Eros' in Piccadilly Circus)

....a weather vane:

.....and a drinking fountain:

This estate agents is on the corner of Stroud Green Road and Tollington Park.

And finally to the small bus station by Finsbury Park station: