THE history of Castle Howard's train station is the subject of a new website which showcases archive material for the first time.

The train station dates back to 1845 when the York to Scarborough line opened to fare paying passengers and served the country house nearby from which the station derived its name.

Nor was the station just for those early tourists wanting to take the waters on the East Coast; Queen Victoria herself arrived at the station in August 1850 when, with Prince Albert, she stayed at Castle Howard as a guest of the Earl of Carlisle.

But scheduled passenger trains stopped calling at Castle Howard Station in 1930 when it became more financially rewarding to the railway company to run non-stop excursion express trains to the coast. But the station continued to be staffed until the 1950s, handling modest amounts of freight and parcels before falling into disuse and neglect.

Fortunately, a succession of private owners have repaired and restored the building to its former glory.

Over the years many people, some with a past connection to the station, have come forward with articles, documents and photographs relating to its history. These items, which have been kept safe by the current owner Edmund Collins, have now been scanned or transcribed into a digital format that can viewed at www.castlehowardstation.com

The website features a timeline, image bank and a page of personal memories which will be expanded as more information becomes available.

The website coordinator, Anne Bosanquet, said: “I would be delighted to hear from anyone who has more information to add to the site.

“We are particularly keen to hear about - and record - personal stories relating to the station that will help us build a picture of local social history.”

Whilst the station is a private residence and not open to the public, the former waiting rooms have recently been renovated into self-catering holiday accommodation.