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North Wales Coast Line Prestatyn Gas works to Penrhwylfa Brickworks Chapel Street Bryn Rhosyn LC Woodland Park St. Melyd Golf Links Meliden Works Siding Meliden Talargoch Lead Mine Allt-y-Graig Castle Limestone Siding Castle Quarry Hobbs' Siding Dyserth Stone Loading Siding Dyserth Quarry Marian Mill

Woodland Park was an unstaffed halt on the Dyserth branch line in North Wales.

The branch opened in 1869 for mineral traffic. In 1905 the LNWR began an innovative passenger service along the branch using steam Railmotors. The halt opened with the new service. It was situated in an open country next to an overbridge carrying the road to Rhuddlan. Although the road is shown as "Meliden Road" on both maps of the era and modern maps the halt was named Rhuddlan Road. In the 1920s the substantial Woodland Park housing estate was built between the line and Prestatyn, utterly changing the character of the area. The halt was renamed Woodland Park in 1923 to reflect this new market.

Railmotors had retracting steps so conventional raised platforms were not needed. The halt was therefore built with a very short ground level platform. Initially, it had no waiting facilities whatever, but by 1910 a cabin little larger than two phone booths were provided.

The passenger service lasted only until 1930, when the LMS withdrew it. The line remained open to serve a quarry at Dyserth until its complete closure in 1973.

Since closure most of the former railway has been converted into a footpath. At the former station site visitors on this walk will notice the ground being higher up on the left when walking from Prestatyn towards Dyserth; this was probably where the platform would have been.

References

1. Holland 2015, p. 174.
2. Quick 2009, p. 418.
3. Butt 1995, p. 254.
4. "The halt and the line". Disused Stations.
5. Thompson 1985, Plates 13 & 14.
6. Baughan 1991, p. 69.
7. Johnson 1995, p. 77.
8. "Visit Prestatyn - Railway Line History". Visit Prestatyn.

Sources

• Baughan, Peter E (1991). Regional History of the Railways of Great Britain: North and Mid Wales. Vol. 11. Nairn: David St John Thomas. ISBN 978-0-946537-59-4.
• Butt, R. V. J. (October 1995). The Directory of Railway Stations: details every public and private passenger station, halt, platform and stopping place, past and present (1st ed.). Sparkford: Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN 978-1-85260-508-7. OCLC 60251199. OL 11956311M.
• Holland, Julian (2015). Exploring Britain's Lost Railways. Glasgow: Harper Collins. ISBN 978-0-00-794901-4.
• Johnson, Peter (1995). North Wales (Celebration of Steam). Shepperton: Ian Allan Publishing. ISBN 978-0-7110-2378-9.
• Quick, Michael (2009) . Railway passenger stations in Great Britain: a chronology (4th ed.). Oxford: Railway & Canal Historical Society. ISBN 978-0-901461-57-5. OCLC 612226077.
• Thompson, Trefor (1985). The Prestatyn and Dyserth Railway - A Pictorial History. Rhuddlan: Charter Publications. ISBN 978-0-907157-02-1.

Further reading

• Mitchell, Vic; Smith, Keith (2011). Chester to Rhyl. Midhurst: Middleton Press. figs. 111-112. ISBN 978-1-906008-93-2. OCLC 795178960.

• Disused railway stations in Denbighshire
• Prestatyn
• Former London and North Western Railway stations
• Railway stations in Great Britain opened in 1905
• Railway stations in Great Britain closed in 1930