Banknock

Location type

Station

Name and dates

Banknock (1888-1935)

Opened on the Kilsyth and Bonnybridge Railway.

Description

This was a two platform station with a passing loop. The station building, a small North British Railway type with canopy, was at the west end of the westbound platform. On the opposite platform was a waiting room. The west end of the station was crossed by a girder road bridge. The station was in the north of the village of Banknock, just west of Banknock House.

The goods yard, with shed and loading bank, was on the south side, approached from the east.

The signal box was at the east end of the westbound platform (interestingly the box, opened in 1888, does not appear in early photographs and the layout at the east end was altered).

Of particular note were sidings which ran north from the east end of the station to serve the Banknock Colliery and its Cannerton Brickworks, Banknock Colliery Livingstone Pit, Banknock Colliery Victoria Pit and Banknock Colliery Cannerton Pit. This colliery predated the railway and was originally served by the Banknock Colliery Tramway which ran south to beside Bankier Distillery on the Forth and Clyde Canal. To the west of the station, on the south side of the line, were sidings serving Coneypark Colliery Pit No 4, a tramway running west to serve further pits.

The station and box closed in 1935, as passenger services between Kilsyth [New] (included) and Bonnybridge Central (included) were withdrawn. At the same time the line east from Dennyloanhead (excluded), east of Banknock, to Bonnywater Junction (excluded) closed completely. A goods trip operated from Cadder Yard.

East to Dennyloanhead closed in 1956. The line to Banknock was retained to serve the bonded warehousing at Bankier Distillery and Cannerton Brickworks. It closed in 1964, along with the portion west from Kilsyth [Old] to Kelvin Valley West Junction.

The station site was cleared and landscaped after closure. It was survived by the brick works which was cleared in the 1980s. The Braeface Road girder bridge which formerly crossed the west end of the station remained standing until the 2000s.

Local

To the west is Glenskirlie House and Castle , an unusual hotel built in the 21st century in the style of a castle.

The Forth and Clyde Canal, at Wyndford Lock, is half a mile to the south.

Tags

Station

External links

Canmore site record
NLS Collection OS map of 1892-1914
NLS Collection OS map of 1944-67
NLS Map
NLS Map
NLS Map
NLS Map

Nearby stations
Castlecary
Dennyloanhead
Upper Greenhill
Greenhill
Bonnybridge Canal Goods
Bonnybridge Central
Dullator
Denny
Colzium
Bonnybridge
Cumbernauld
Kilsyth (New)
Croy
Kilsyth (Old)
Greenfaulds
Coneypark Colliery Pit No 4
Cannerton Brickworks
Banknock Colliery Livingstone Pit
Banknock Colliery Cannerton Pit
Lock 20 [Wyndford Lock] [FCC]
Netherwood Siding
Fireclay and Limeworks
Lock 19 [FCC]
Cowden Hill Quarry
Castlecary Viaduct
Cowden Hill Quarry Siding
Auchincloch
Tourist/other
Bankier Distillery
Bankier Quay
Castlecary Roman Fort
Location names in dark blue are on the same original line.


Chronology Dates

02/07/1888Kilsyth and Bonnybridge Railway
Railway opened to passengers and freight. Line operated by both the North British Railway and Caledonian Railway. Stations at Kilsyth (New), Colzium, Banknock, Dennyloanhead, Bonnybridge Central.
01/03/1956Kilsyth and Bonnybridge Railway
Dennyloanhead to Banknock (excluded) closed to freight.
04/05/1964Kilsyth and Bonnybridge Railway
Banknock to Kilsyth Junction (excluded) closed to freight.

News items

08/09/2022Ian Scott: Heading west on a historical walk from Dennyloanhead to Banknock [Falkirk Herald]