'˜Haunted' Victorian railway station in Sheffield sells for nearly £400,000

The romance of a Victorian railway station in Sheffield got bidders steamed up, helping it chug past its guide price at auction.
The old Chapeltown railway station, which closed in 1954 (pic: Mark Jenkinson and Son)The old Chapeltown railway station, which closed in 1954 (pic: Mark Jenkinson and Son)
The old Chapeltown railway station, which closed in 1954 (pic: Mark Jenkinson and Son)

The former Chapeltown Central station, which still boasts many original features, including the booking office window, was expected to fetch around £250,000.

But it sold for £395,000 when it went under the hammer yesterday,   after the listing generated national interest, with the Lonely Planet travel guide branding it the '˜ultimate holiday home'.

The former railway station goes under the hammer (pic: Mark Jenkinson and Son)The former railway station goes under the hammer (pic: Mark Jenkinson and Son)
The former railway station goes under the hammer (pic: Mark Jenkinson and Son)
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The auction house Mark Jenkinson and Son said the '˜unique restoration opportunity' had attracted more than 100 viewings, making it one of the most popular properties it had sold.

The station, which was also known Chapeltown and Thorncliffe, opened in 1854 but the current building dates from 1877.

The station master's house is reputed to be haunted by the ghost of a man killed during a Second World War air raid while loading tanks onto a goods train.

The former station, which was also known as Chapeltown and Thorncliffe, was situated on the South Yorkshire Railway Blackburn Valley line between Ecclesfield East and Westwood.

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The line closed to passenger traffic in 1953 and to goods trains in 1987.

The station shut in 1954 and was replaced by Chapeltown railway station, which was built about half a mile to the south on the Sheffield to Barnsley line.

Today, the former railway station is set in a secluded spot of woodland off Station Road, with its grounds encompassing one acre including the overgrown platform.

The property has been converted into a private three-bedroom home, retaining many of the features which add to its charm, but extensive renovation is required.

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The buyer's identity and their plans for the building have not been revealed at this stage.

Adrian Little, head of the auction department at Mark Jenkinson and Son, said the station had helped drive viewings at what was usually a quiet time in the property market.

He said Tuesday's auction had been its busiest of the year to date, with other popular lots including a traditional semi-detached home on Dunkeld Road in Ecclesall, which had a guide price of £125-150,000 but sold for £261,000.

'In terms of houses in a state of disrepair, this was within the top five I've sold over the last 37 years,' he said.

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'It needs substantial renovation including major structural issues to be addressed but the large plot with driveway and garage and its first-class residential location saw it go for more than £100,000 over the guide price.'

The top price of the day at the auction, held in The Platinum Suite at Sheffield United's Bramall Lane stadium, was £410,000 for a one-acre piece of land on the corner of Holtwood Road and Abbeyfield Road, in Pitsmoor, with planning for 20 town houses.