A FORMER Scots rail station that was shut down over 60 years ago is up for sale for over £500,000.
Saughtree railway station was on the former Borders County Railway, a 42-mile single-track route that connected Hexham in Northumberland, with Riccarton Junction on the Waverley Route in Roxburghshire which closed completely in 1963.
Saughtree station, with its single platform, stone-built building and siding had been shut seven years earlier, having seen services previously suspended for four years in December, 1944 as a wartime economy measures.
The building which dates back to 1867 has been restored and converted into a home in the 1990s with six bedrooms, six bathrooms, complete with memorabilia of the old station.
Nearby is the old station platform and former railway line.
Saughtree Station. Source: Savills
It is available to purchase separately along with Meg of Saughtree – a Ruston diesel shunter, two wagons and a guard's van.
The old ticket office is situated up a small flight of steps from the main hallway and there are two further bedrooms and an en suite shower room.
The sitting room and dining room has a door with a Staff Only" plaque while the wall has a Saughtree station sign.
Saughtree is located just a short hop from the England/Scotland border and is equi-distant between the villages of Newcastleton and Bonchester Bridge, in the midst of leafy Roxburghshire countryside
The 2902 sq ft property, which sits on 1.1 acres of land nestled in the idyllic Liddlesdale Valley is available at offers over £500,000.
Andrew Thomson of Savills said: “While this is without a doubt the dream home for any railway enthusiast, with some fantastic memorabilia including signage for sale in addition, Saughtree Station is also a wonderful and very attractive period house, for holidays or as a permanent home. The opportunity to acquire your very own locomotive and track is surely the ultimate trainspotter prize!"
The first section of the route that the station was originally on between Hexham and Chollerford was opened in 1858. The remainder opened four years later.
One couple put together a video five years ago about their stay at Saughton station when it was a B&B.
Services to the station were said to be never frequent, due to its remote location - with the nearest settlement being a mile distant.
In 1863 the Border Counties had four weekday and two Sunday trains in each direction taking approximately two hours for the trip.
By 1870 the service was cut to three weekday trains. Even in 1863 certain trains omitted some station calls. In 1870 Saughtree and Thorneyburn had fewest trains. At Saughtree only a single train each way was timetabled to call on Mondays, Thursdays & Saturdays, to allow the handful of regular passengers to travel to Hawick to shop.
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