Callerton?
Callerton was a station on the branch line from Newcastle to Ponteland. The
RED dot is just off the
RED road, lower right. The station is closest to Black Callerton which has a modest claim to fame ...
... as George Stephenson worked at a nearby coal mine for one whole year. That seems to be stretching the meaning of the word "fame" well beyond its logical limits!
Once the train got to Ponteland ...
... it could reverse ...
... and nip down a branch off the branch line, which led to Darras Hall - where there was an equally underwhelmimg terminus.
Darras Hall was something of a non event back then ...
... with not much of a train service!
But it did achieve fame during WW2.
The branches, however, closed in 1929!
Development of the Darras Hall estate began in the early 1900s ...
... but post WW2 the area began to atract the more well-blessed members of the Tyneside community.
Today, Stagecoach offers three routes to Darras Hall ...
... which sounds impressive ...
... until you discover that the service simply has a half hourly frequency X78 with peak hour variations numbered X77 and X79!
The variations are explained (?) on a route map - for want of a better word.
Buses to the far reaches of the estate only run at peak times (as X77).
But that does lead us to Newcastle Airport in the Tyne and Wear Metro.
And, lo and behold, there is a station called Callerton Parkway.
The "Parkway" bit is partly to provide short term pick-up and drop- off for airport passengers.
The Airport Waiting Zone is available at Callerton Parkway (postcode: NE13 8DN), next to Callerton Parkway Metro station.
The facility provides a safe area for vehicles to wait before picking passengers up, with up to 90 minutes free parking for taxis, minibuses and public vehicles.
A complimentary shuttle bus service operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, providing transfers between the Waiting Zone and the terminal.
The bus service departs the Waiting Zone and terminal at the following times:
Departs from Airport Waiting Zone: 15 minutes and 45 minutes past the hour
Departs from terminal: 0 minutes and 30 minutes past the hour
This provides passengers with a convenient and accessible door-to-door service, with the zone located just a few minutes' drive from the terminal.
The 90 minute parking and the bus are both free.
Other car parks are available!
Callerton Parkway station is close to the site of the old Callerton station.
A map of the former Ponteland branch shows its relationship with the Metro.
Neither is near anywhere called Callerton.
Tune in tomorrow for a tour of the Callertons!
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Castellated Enlightenment?
A little bit dob of BluTak stops the bright light of the LEDs escaping upwards and making the camera respond to the LEDs to the detriment of the rest of the building. The BluTak needs tidying and painting.
Now it's much better in encroaching gloom in the fbb living room.
So work commences on shading the lights on the "old" castle.
Sadly, there are too many LEDs that cannot be fitted with "lanterns". But the whole montage is better.
Next Callerton Confusion blog : Thurs 17 Sept
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