Bishop's Court railway station

Bishop's Court Halt (Manx: Staad Chooyrt Yn Aspick) was a station on the Manx Northern Railway, later owned and operated by the Isle of Man Railway; it served the residence of the local bishop in the Isle of Man and was a stopping place on a line that ran between St. John's and Ramsey.

Bishop's Court Cooyrt Yn Aspick
The Isle of Man Railway Co., Ltd. The Manx Northern Railway Co., Ltd.
Former Bishop's residence
General information
Location	Off Ramsey Road, Patrick.
Coordinates	54°18′13″N 4°34′13″W
Owned by	Isle of Man Railway Co.
Line(s)	The Ramsey Line
Platforms	One, Ground Level
Tracks	One, Running Line
Construction
Structure type	None
Parking	None Provided
History
Opened	See Text
Closed	1950 (1950)
Previous names	Manx Northern Railway Co.
Passengers
Passenger Only (Limited)
Services
Waiting Bench

Description and history

The halt was built to serve the nearby estate of Bishop's Court, the home of the Bishop of Sodor and Man for the use of the bishop, his staff and visitors. The halt was marked only by a bench and some steps leading down from the estate.

Dates

The opening date of the halt is not recorded although it probably dates from the opening of the line (23 September 1879 (1879-09-23)). The halt never appeared in the public timetable and saw only limited use which is well documented in The Isle of Man Railway by James I.C. Boyd (Oakwood Press, 1962).

Usage

Although originally intended as a private station, it was opened to the public between 23 September 1930 (1930-09-23) and 3 March 1935 (1935-03-03) and referred to as Bishopscourt Halt. A hand-operated signal was installed at the site which was operated by the bishop and his guests and staff in order to halt trains for them to board; the guard needed to be informed if someone wanted to alight. After 1935 it was only occasionally used as a private halt until closed in 1950.

Route

Preceding station		Disused railways		Following station
Kirk Michael towards St. John's		Manx Northern Railway later Isle of Man Railway		Ballaugh towards Ramsey

See also

• Isle of Man Railway stations
• Manx Northern Railway

Sources

• Isle of Man Steam Railway Supporters' Association

References

• Bishop's Court Halt at the Subterranea Britannica Disused Stations website
• Tom Heavyside. Narrow Gauge Branch Lines – Douglas to Ramsey ISBN 1-904474-39-X