Former Railway Station

About Former Railway Station

The first talk of a 'railway' through Melrose was in 1810 when the ground between Glasgow and Berwick was surveyed. It was 39 years before the railway - in the form of a line from Edinburgh to Hawick - came to Melrose and the station opened as a two platform 'through station'. This is an impressive and elegant building- From the town side, it appears like a Jacobean house and has a shapely gable and tall octagonal chimneys. A product of the age when travelling by train was commonplace, those travelling from Melrose must have felt they were entering a stately home as they approached the porch. Climb the stairs to the platform".
Arriving by the train was also a visual experience, as can be seen from the platform side. The high sweep of the awning, the cast iron columns and detailed woodwork enhance the building. This platform canopy was once mirrored on the other side of the track. The railway which once brought visitors and commerce to Melrose, was removed at the end of the 1960s, a victim of the savage cuts in railway services throughout the country. Fortunately the station building remains and now houses a restaurant and small businesses. Walk westwards along the path beside the roadway that follows the route of the railway. Each spring, daffodils bloom along this stretch of road and is called The Field of Hope. This colourful display is in aid of the Marie Curie Cancer Care charity.