From Platform 9 and 3/4 in Harry Potter to the station where the Railway Children befriended porter Albert Perks, train stations hold a special place in the British psyche.
And thanks to the nation’s industrial past we are blessed with many surviving examples of fine architecture and locations dating back to the age of steam engines.
One such special location is the chocolate box-looking Berwyn Station, in Denbighshire, Wales, which has been providing a beautiful backdrop to those wanting to catch a train since 1865.
Trains stopped using the station 1964 when the site was closed following damage from a flood and it looked like enthusiasts might never get to experience boarding a locomotive from the platforms again.
But thankfully the stunning station was restored and reopened as part of the heritage Llangollen Railway in 1986, and the Grade II-listed buildings mean Berwyn is viewed as one of the top 10 most beautiful places to catch a train in Britain.
In fact, it’s so pretty that you might never even want to leave.
The station, which features charming lamplit platforms and a Tudor-style former station house, sits alongside the steep banks of the River Dee and overlooks the Llangollen Canal
Timeout.com reports Berwyn is on “mystical Welsh railway” and that the location of the terminus close to a bridge over a nearby valley offers “serious views of the neighbouring lush countryside”.
It adds: “It’s operated by the heritage Llangollen Railway and the singular platform leads directly across the chain bridge which peers over the Llangollen Canal, talk about views on views.”
According to operators at Llangollen Railway, Berwyn is also known as “The Station in the Gorge”.
The railway website states: “Situated between the A5 road and the River Dee. When the station is manned light refreshments are on sale, and you can view the restored waiting room and booking office.
“The river can be crossed via the historic and restored Chain Bridge, which leads to the Chain Bridge Hotel where a wide range of food and drink is available.”
Not far from Berwyn, along the Llangollen Canal, stands the very impressive 126-foot-tall Pontcysyllte Aqueduct which carries canal boats across the the River Dee and the Vale of Llangollen.
Built in 1805 the impressive feat of cast iron engineering spans a huge 336 yards and is the longest aqueduct in Britain, as well as the highest canal aqueduct in the world.