A traditional station bell has been installed at the historic Kents Bank Station on the Furness Line.
Kents Bank Station once had a bell which the station master used to warn passengers and crossing users of a train’s approach. It was removed towards the end of the 19th century, though the bell’s original position can still be seen.
After a gap of over 130 years, a replica bell has been re-instated by the volunteers who run the Station Library at Kents Bank.
The bell complements the station clock which has also been restored to its original position, using a replica timepiece.
A station bell features in the short story ‘The Bell That Only Rang Once’, loosely based on Kents Bank, published in The Loco Vanishes: Northern Rail Mysteries, and written by Paul Salveson (Kents Bank Station Library, 2025).
Dr Paul Salveson, manager of the Station Library and owner of the Station House, said: “We have a photograph taken in the 1890s which shows the bell and its timber/slate housing, with station staff and passengers. It disappeared shortly after the photograph was taken, so it’s great that a bell has been put back, in the same position as the original.”
Philip Coates, Station Library volunteer, said: “As soon as it was re-erected, we got several walkers and rail passengers commenting on how good it looks! It adds another dimension to the award-winning station, with its many historic features and lovely gardens.”
Rick Worsey, who installed the bell, said: “It’s great to have a station bell back at Kents Bank. Not many stations still have a station bell, and we’d love to hear from anyone who knows of other stations, in the UK or abroad, which still have them.”
The Station Library, staffed entirely by volunteers, is a community interest company managing a collection of over 10,000 railway and transport-related books. The library and adjoining Beach Hut Gallery are open to the public every Friday to Monday, 11am to 4pm.
Keep up to date with future news, projects and events from the Kents Bank Station Library via their website.
Header image shows Kents Bank Station in 1890.