Old St Asaph rail station

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Old St Asaph rail station, Chester Street

There’s no public access through the gates here, but on the left side of the RN Williams builders’ yard you can see the brick-built former station building. The station and nearby goods sidings were once a busy focal point of the city.

The 1927 aerial photo, courtesy of the Royal Commission on the Ancient & Historical Monuments of Wales, shows the station's relationship to the town and cathedral. It is from the Aerofilms Collection of the National Monuments Record of Wales. The station and goods yard are at the top of the photo, with a freight train on the running line through the station.

St Asaph station was opened on 5 October 1858 by the Vale of Clwyd Railway, whose line ran from Rhyl to Denbigh. St Asaph was the third station out of Rhyl. The line was a single-track route with passing places at intermediate stations. It’s thought that some of the Irish navvies who built the railway lodged at Irish Square.

Aerial view of St Asaph including railway station 1927
Aerial view of St Asaph in 1927 with the railway station at the top, courtesy of the RCAHMW and its Coflein website

The consulting engineer was George Willoughby Hemans, who was born in 1814 at Bronwylfa, just down the hill from St Asaph station. His mother was the poet Felicia Hemans. He designed infrastructure for several countries.

The contractor was David Davies of Llandinam, Powys. He is said to have worked 16-hour days to get the railway built in just 14 months. He was also a philanthropist and successful industrialist in South Wales, and his statue overlooks Barry docks.

St Asaph station was originally provided with one platform. Another was added in 1877, when a passing loop was installed at the station so trains running in opposite directions could pass here. The two-storey station building provided the usual facilities on the northbound platform. A brick waiting shelter was available for passengers awaiting trains towards Denbigh.

In 1864 the London & North Western Railway absorbed the Vale of Clwyd Railway. Rail traffic through St Asaph increased after the Denbigh, Ruthin & Corwen Railway opened a line in 1869 from Denbigh to Corwen. In 1923 these lines became part of London Midland & Scottish Railway (LMS).

In 1883 tax surveyor John Lloyd Williams died after falling underneath a train at St Asaph station. He was travelling home to Denbigh from his Rhyl office when he decided to change carriages at St Asaph to be with his son. As he began to re-enter the train, the locomotive started and he lost his footing.

By 1947 St Asaph station was served by eight passenger trains in each direction. With nationalisation in 1948, the station became part of British Railways’ London Midland Region. Passenger services decreased in the 1950s to only a couple of trains in each direction. On 19 September 1955 regular passenger services were withdrawn altogether. Goods services passed through St Asaph until 1 March 1965, when the Vale of Clwyd line was completely closed.

With thanks to John Roberts

Postcode: LL17 0RE    View Location Map

Copies of the old photo and other images are available from the RCAHMW. Contact: nmr.wales@rcahmw.gov.uk