The Lost Stations of Cambridge 

Might you consider supporting my channel even more? www.buymeacoffee.com/rediscovering

Truly excellent young Sir! An absolutely fascinating addition to your railway history programmes. Your decision to provide narration in the video was a very wise decision as your voice is clear and very pleasant to listen to. Please continue presenting your future video programmes along the same lines (apologies for the deliberate pun!). I also appreciated your decision not to have music in the background during your narration. Incidentally, I think you were also very constrained in your comments regarding the Radio Telescope’s unfortunate siting on the old railway. Other commentators have been much less restrained and polite! Congratulations on a superb presentation. I look forward to many more. Rob.

Fascinating stuff. I've lived in Cambridge nearly 40 years and much of this was news to me, I was vaguely aware that there were a few remnants of stations dotted about but I had no idea of the extent of it. This might be a different city if we still had this rail infrastructure.

Update from 2023: Cherry Hinton station is planned to be rebuilt. East West Rail might be entering via the north of Cambridge, which would in turn open up some of the old stations along the line. As someone who lives near Cambridge, and hunts for lost stations for fun, this channel is a pure haven for knowledge and fun. Thank you. You should investigate the old Kings Lynn to Hunstanton railway as there is still some parts that remain.

Thank you for a succinct and engaging tour of Cambridge's former stations, complete with photos from the past: very enjoyable. Your narration is very clear (with your Radio 4 voice!), and was absolutely right for this film. Looking forward to an outbreak of commonsense on the part of transport planners responsible for Cambridge, although it's encouraging that regional mayor James Palmer is rattling their cages about the speed - or lack of it - of providing a rail station to the south of the city!

As an ex-Cambridge local I would like to say I enjoyed this very much!

This is great! Love the narration, you've got a great, clear, well paced voice for it! Awesome 😊

In 1963, as an ATC cadet, I was taken by diesel railcar from Cambridge to the station west of Hinton...Oakington. Thence we were conveyed in an RAF tender to the nearby RAF station. I remember that in the station windows were displayed certificates of winning the annual station gardening trophy. 1950s editions of the Railway Magazine show an E4 2-4-0 tender engine with a garden seat in front of the smoke box (!) in order for the judges to best view the station gardens entered in the competition.

A top-notch video. The narration makes all the difference. Sheer quality.

Fantastic video! Love the new narration

Having spent 18 months working in Cambridge (returning home in March 2020 to remote-work due to Covid), it was a pleasure to find this informative historical document. Thank you for the hard work and research which went into its production.

Excellent presentation! I remember going to study in the psychiatric hospital in Fulbourn briefly when I was a student in Cambridge, but never knew about this rich railway history from the past in the area and it's fascinating.

Another brilliant video! I didn't know Cambridge once had so many stations. I did visit Cambridge North for myself the other day on my way back from visiting the new Soham Station.

Yet another brilliant episode of this fascinating programme! Always look forward to the next instalment of our old railway lines that have been destroyed by successive Governments! Hopefully the Varsity Line will come to fruition sooner rather than later. Please, please keep up the good work!

A tremendously done video. The narration is a tremendous boost, to the presentation of your Lost Railways videos. I look forward to your next video.

A superbly presented and well researched film with an excellent narrative. Thank you!

Truly fascinating: whilst some I remember still in use, there are several of which I had no idea! Thanks you.

Used to take the train to see my girlfriend who worked at Addenbrookes in the early 80's. The trains were diesel hauled out of Liverpool St in those days and I can still remember the sound the locomotives (class 37, 47 and sometimes 31) made as they wound their way out of London and into the countryside.

Found this by accident - fascinating .. especially as I grew up in, and am now back in Fulbourn (1957-now). I only vaguely remember the station as I went to King's, Ely at age 11 ('68), so spent the next 6 years away. I honestly didn't realise it was originally a double line; I thought it was just a single track.

Another great video! Really enjoyed your new audio narration. I feel like you're able to get much more information across in comparison to text on the video. :) Looking forward to the next one!

A video full of interest and I enjoyed the narration too. Thank you very much and I look forward to the next one.

Wonderful, simply wonderful. Thank you so much for your efforts. Thumbs up too for the narration. A career in audiobooks awaits !

It's funny how things go full circle in life. I turn 39 in the spring and was born and raised in Cambridge and lived there and it's surrounding area, more or less, 36 years. Cambridge North was little more than a rumour for yonks. I can remember, while living in Arbury/Chesterton, freight trains rumbling over the then fields of Kings Hedges Road out towards Histon, now part of the (in)famous Busway. Apparently there are also plans for Cambridge South (and possibly East and West too!) As for Kings Hedges Road, I can remember a geography project "It will never happen, because of the East of England Plan and Green Belt regulations, but what would you build there?" 25 years later and Arbury Park is a thing. Makes you wonder if The Powers That Be "borrowed" our homework(!)

Professionally done Could go on local t.v. channel. Looking forward to your next presentation

Another interesting video. Thanks for making the time to make this.

I've just come across your channel this evening. It's brilliant. Can't wait to get stuck into your other videos. Subscribed!

Fascinating and superbly presented.

Excellent video as always, thank you. The narration definitely adds to to the video and I agree that this is much better than a musical background. I was very interested in the Mildenhall line stations, the line covers some of my youthful stamping grounds.

I'm certainly a train lover,although in my homeland (Island of Crete,Greece) there is no railway. It is the first time that I watch one of this channel's videos. Wonderful narration,calm and serious.... only the basic and necessary explanations for each element.....beautiful immages (and difficult to find , I suppose). I have liked and registered. Reading other comments, i've understood that you 've uploaded other videos, without narration . I think that this kind of videos, needs narration, so that one can get more information for the element shown. Very good work,bro!!

I have only just found your channel, and what a joy. A thoroughly excellent film. I am looking forward to looking at your other videos that I have found on your index.

He speaks! Or at least a reasonable facsimile thereof. In truth, since I read ALL of your videos' posted comments and accompanying replies, I knew a narrated presentation was in the works (though expected such one or two showings ago.) Perusal of the commentary also informs that a friend was enlisted to provide the narration. Don't be disheartened if you feel your voice isn't up to the task, Rediscovering Lost Railways: just so happens I have a face perfect for radio, and a voice tailormade for writing. The video was nicely done throughout, with the period photographs of the various stations and the maps to provide a proper reference to territory covered. From what others wrote, I'm not the only one who thinks this format would be a hit when covering other metropolitan areas. I applaud you for your open-mindedness to polite and constructive criticism. Can only think of one or two obnoxious tarts (hope I've got the British lingo correct), whom you handled far more tactfully (yet firmly) in responce than in any way of which I am capable. After viewing several of your early efforts, Rediscovering Lost Railways, I was going to post the need for captions to remain on screen longer as I found myself having to rewind/pause to read them in full. Someone else, however, beat me to filing the complaint and, lo and behold, within the next or second following presentation the captions remained on screen longer. Thank you. You yourself noted these efforts (and despite how much joy you get out of putting them together I know they ARE efforts) are part of a learning process. Something I noticed when viewing the still pictures employed: the "dead air" when there is no narration. My suggestion at these points is to use either music or, perhaps better, some of the natural soundtrack captioned by the video footage. It would take a very trained (no pun intended) ear to detect "recycled" audio heard elsewhere in the filming. I think the overall product would have a smoother feel to it. Just a suggestion/opinion. Do miss the pastoral music of all previous works, but I also recall your response to a poster stating how difficult it is to find a piece that both fits the mood of the territory covered AND is of the proper length in time of composition. Perhaps simply choose something that you know runs beyond the time needed for a given video and just "fade to black" as the presentation ends. For those who then complain they didn't get to hear the entire selection, simply tell them to go [BLEEP] themselves. Oh...wait...that's me way of dealing with bitch artists. Nevermind! Okay, I've chewed your eyeballs long enough, time to bring this college thesis to an end. In closing, while striving to put out the best product possible don't worry if it isn't "perfect". If the choice is between waiting until perfection is achieved or taking what has been seen to date, I'm sure all your subscribers--me included--will opt for the latter. If you weren't doing this, Discovering Lost Railways, it wouldn't get done. Take care.

I agree Rob. Great piece of footage and for once a normal pleasant voice and not the now familiar regional rubbish we have to listen to every day in between tv and radio programmes. One day it'll be popular again to have all these branch lines back and the sound of spoken English compulsory. I'll be long gone and hopefully so will the idiots who deemed all these stations surplus to requirements in the first place. Thanks again to the people who made this video and Rob's comments too.

Good video, great to have the narration, enjoyed this very much.

What a great film, spoken clearly and with loads of information....... I've now subscribed and look forward to more jaunts into the railway history.... Also love the photos to show what the area was like.....

Hi, it was called Lords Bridge after a farm. The original site was the manor of Harlton formerly Huntingfield and the lands owned included some of Barton. The original family was called Giffard. Richard 1 gave the manor and lands to Richard de Clare Earl of Hertford who was a Giffard descendant. He in turn gave the title to his son Gilbert of Gloucester and the manor and lands were handed down from the Gloucester family. By 1867, after many changes of ownership, and land division, the land was further divided into 2 farms, Lords Bridge and Rectory Farms. From the 1800s to the early 20th century the landowners were the Brand and Banks family who would no doubt use the station. Hope this is useful.

Hi,my name is Andrew and l just had to write and say a big thank you for this documentary, l simply enjoyed it to see how much Cambridge has changed through the years and please keep up the good work and l have subscribed to your channel on youtube and l am eager to see whats next.

This is an excellent video presentation. Really enjoyed the new format. Thanks

You're so right that Cambridge needs many of these stations back. There's already a plan to reinstate the line between Cambridge and possibly Sandy and the route via Lord's Bridge (at least approximately) looks like a good one. Although to be frank it would probably be cheaper to move the telescopes! Unfortunately the University has had a hatred of the railways for a very long time so I think had a hand in the closure. As for the misguided bus, the sooner it's dug up and replaced with a railway line the better.

Fascinating! A proper historical factual film. Nice voice by the way. I wouldn't have had any idea what I was looking at without your commentary. Loved it!

amazing video ! i go to a model club that has recreated histon station in oo scale , its called Little Histon. It is a Great layout and we’re now expanding it !

I am surprised at so many stations... but the advent of the car sealed the end of rail transport and now we have polluting cars and traffic jams etc...nicely done....

So nice to see Histon so many memorys, thanks. Lived in Histon from 1959 till 1966

This Vid should be compulsory viewing for the combined Cambridge and Peterborough Mayor. Trams and Tram Trains under Cambridge going out to all of these former Stations would make a superb network and give a focus for future development to this clogged up congested City. I think this along with all of your other vids is superb. The voice is just right and the music sufficiently far enough in the background to be unobtrusive.

Just looked at the date and realized you uploaded this on my birthday!

absolutely superb

Superb video, excellent narration, look forward to many more. 🙂👍

Another excellent video... And a change in style with narration

Another excellent presentation, thank you! Mike

Lovely to see what is just around us. Can't see Cherry Hinton or Fulbourne being reopened. The two crossings, on Cherry Hinton High Street and by Tesco s already cause enough congestion with the barriers coming down , I can't imagine anyone wants to extend that, however nice it would be!

Thank you for this well narrated and compiled video. I was interested to see how much the main station at Cambridge has changed. I was a fireman at March (31B) for a while. Cambridge then had the long single platform (with the crossover in the middle) and the two bays. This was about half a century ago!

Superb video ,i really enjoy your videos they are superb !

Fen Ditton Halt closed on 18th June 1962, along with the passenger service between Cambridge and Mildenhall, not in the year stated on the film.

Brilliant. I took an interest in this area a few years ago and visited and photographed many of the same places. The sidings for the Royal Train were in one shot. I think there is still an old stranded carriage in the undergrowth near Barnwell Junction! Google earth is brilliant for this and with a little knowledge and intuition all of these lines can be traced. I have some screen shots of this, google may have now updated their pictures of this area.

Superb video and nicely paced too. Your effective and bright narration definitely improves on the descriptive notes on your previous videos. However, I enjoy them all. Thank you and keep up the good work. Cheers!

Excellent video. Look forward to watching more.

My late grandmother lived in Fulbourn. It's already on the line to Ipswich, so they should get on and stick a station down!

Very interesting indeed! Kudos for the thorough research to find out about all these stations. Fascinating to see the Lord's Bridge conversion. The Newmarket and Chesterford Railway was perhaps one of the earliest victims of railway politics.

Really interesting and very well delivered. Thanks.

This is very interesting and we are appalled that Beaching was able to take all the old rail way lines and stations down. I live rail ways and my memory is clear of pull man coaches and tiny stations that have character. Xx

So interesting, love it!

Fantastic having walked parts of it and visit Cambridge regular as have relatives in the City did not know about the Trumpinton one at all Many thanks great video

The presentation of this series puts most others to shame. Calm, clear narration means a relaxing yet informative experience for the listener. Many thanks for your inspired efforts.

I love rail films.....i just found your channel today...a new subscriber!

Superbly made and informative video....Thanks

Great content and very professionally done. Excellent work.

Not really into railways but I still found your video very interesting. Have subscribed to your channel and look forward to watching more of your videos.

Absolutely superb, truly absorbing. Congratulations on a well produced and narrated video. I wonder what it is about abandoned, disused and disappeared railway systems that we find so absorbing. Looking forward to more of the same.

The Lords Bridge station was very interesting, I’ve got photos of the track still in situ at the Ammunition Depot, having gone on the site regularly for the university

Great as always...

This video was so enjoyable thank you from New Zealand

this one may be of interest, me and a friend have been filming around our home towns, duxford being one of them, two rail lines that still exist caught my eye as not being mentioned, perhaps its because they arnt passanger stations, however they are worth a mention, the first being an old factory rail station for what is now the hexel and huntsman site, a small segment of the railway still exists but is overgrown and looks like something out of an apocylipse film.... the second is preserved fairlly well as it is a section of what was the duxford airfeild, now duxford impirial war museums, railway station, the station no loger exists however a section of the former rail line is preserved and open for veiwing. figured they were worth a mention as there may have been a connection to some of the other stations, which is most likely as the new line passing south from whittlesford parkway is directly next to the first rail line I mentioned.

Most enjoyable video. I passed Histon and took some photos before the bus way was put in.

An excellent video, and loved the narration. Top notch ... Vaughn Williams .. cough cough :)

Highly interesting. Thank you so much. You've got a new subscriber. Greetings from Denmark.

Good forensic work and an agreeable voice to put it all across. . I read of a plan to reopen Soham ? Fordham. You would have rich pickings in France where SNCF refused to sell the rights of way even if track had been lifted. A less desperate -- for cash from sales -- railway estates dept in the UK would have better served us on this crowded island so that the railway to Burwell, at least, could have been re-instated.

Excellent, many thanks.

Thanks for this, great presentation. I live in Cherry Hinton (have lived in Cambridge area since 1996) but wasn't aware it was only in 1983 that the line through Cherry Hinton was single-tracked. The trains on it are packed in rush hour. At least it wasn't shut completely.

loving the new voice over....i approve immensly

Fascinating insight.

Very well presented rp throughout

Very interesting and informative video and good narration, well done sir

Loved it.

Thank you for documenting the savage obliteration of our once magnificent Victorian railway system.

This is a must do! :)

Most enjoyable.

Thankyou once again :D I found your voice to be both pleasant and clear. However I did rather miss Mr Vaughan Williams' (and his fellows) accompaniment, it does set the atmosphere so well, I find. (Only a little niggle, not meant meanly)

Simply your video clip presentation really clear to understand getting interesting informations and for me really impressive as I m from a country where yet we don't have proper access of train sevice

Brilliant. Job

Truly fascinating film,particularly as it's all on my doorstep! If they had all survived,I personally feel it would still be nothing like the ambience of say the 1950's as now there would be sterile rolling stock with plastic seats and characterless architecture, with ticket machines rather than the help of a human. A far cry from a Britannia class with a rake of 'blood and custard' mk1's.😔 Nice to see that Histon station building being restored though.Just need to get rid of the guilded bus and re-lay the track!😉

I remember the 2 railway tracks that ran through Cherry Hinton and the lady who opened and closed the gates by hand when I was a boy living in the village. I now live in Haverhill which lost the railway lines to Cambridge in the 1960s. Only the Sturmer arches and a few small bridges remain on a path which was where the track once was. There are calls to bring back the line to Cambridge but nothing so far. Great vid as I know the area really well.

loved the video ,i must say when i visited Newmarket i was disappointed by the station ,for a famous racing town the station i expected more.

More fascinating work to the high standards we have come to expect. More please and in particular would you be able to focus on the mysterious and poorly-documented Bury St Edmunds to Thetford branch?

Well done, very profesional. I hope you venture further into East Anglia and make a film of the M&GN railway from Great Yarmouth Beach station to say North Walsham. Lots of buildings still exist such as Ormesby station, the track bed, station building Martham as well as dozens of photos of the lost stations.

Excellent video as is your channel. Have spent several hours today going through them with a map open on another page to follow through street view! One small criticism about this video though is the changing dynamics of the sound. Towards the end, the commentary goes quiet then an obvious cut, it gets very loud, then louder on the next cut then the music at the end louder still. Try using a compressor on the audio to control this and mix voice to -6dB and music to -12dB.

4:37, there used to be some remains there a loading platform, some track was mostly used for diesels or that track maintace thingy, now all gone thanks to the line they want to re-open to oxford,

A very successful new format, hopefully to be repeated! I was also impressed by the undaunted pronunciation ot the word "Quy".

Cambridge's basic problem is that the station is far too remote from the city centre to be useful for shoppers, offices or university facilities. Hence people would be unlikely to commute from Fulbourn(e) or Cherry Hinton, and the guided busway was installed rather than reopening the St Ives branch line. Similarly Oxford, Bristol, Derby etc, though to a lesser extent. Contrast Leeds and Manchester.

Thanks for that good to see Cherry Hinton and Fulbourn .Before LNER and other big four what pre grouping company? Cherry Hintons building looks very Great Northern?

Delightful. A shame all these branch lines were culled in the 60’s.

Thoroughly enjoyable! Your narration is excellent and the whole thing very engaging. I suggest ditching the music altogether, even for start and finish. Instead, For opening and closing credits, maybe just use the ambient sounds at some of the locations, perhaps the quieter ones where you can catch bird song etc. It'll be a unique sound track every time and much more intriguing and interesting...