Converted railway ticket office with Heartbeat memorabilia for sale in Goathland

The Whitby and Pickering Railway, designed by George Stephenson and his chief engineer Frederick Swanwick, opened in 1836 as a 24-mile, single-track stretch with its carriages and cargo pulled by horses.

The service relied on the beasts of burden dragging everything from coal and stone to timber and people, though the horses got a rest when it came to climbing up to Goathland Moor. This was judged too steep for them and so an ingenious water-powered solution was found to tackle the mile-long incline. The carriages were attached to ropes and heavy tanks full of water were sent downhill on rails, dragging the carriages up the hill as they went.

The horses were retired altogether, along with the ticket office and waiting room, in 1845 when the York and North Midland Railway converted the line into a double-track steam service and built a new station.

Lynne and Bernard Robinson, who now own the original station buildings, which are on the market for £350,000 with Astin's estate agents, were attracted by the railway heritage and the property’s position in Heartbeat country. “We bought it almost 14 years ago because of the location and the fact it is so unique and has such historic value,” says Lynne. “We have loved being here.”

Quite when the ticket office and waiting room were converted for residential use is lost in the mists of time but subsequent owners have been kind to its original features. The Grade II listed stone building had a kitchen extension at some point but the ticket office’s sliding window is still there, along with the original fireplace and doors.

What was a wash-house is now a one-bedroom annexe and the Robinsons also got permission to build a large garage, in keeping with the original architecture. Inside the property there is railway and Heartbeat memorabilia. “We loved Heartbeat and when it ended there was an auction in Whitby to sell items used on set.

“We managed to get the Aidensfield Arms sign and some of the old railway signs from the series,” says Lynne, who is sad to be selling. “We have loved it here. It is a quiet spot but it’s a short walk to the shop and the pub.”

*The Old Ticket Office, Goathland is for sale for £350,000 with Astin's, Whitby, www.astin.co.uk, tel: 01947 821122.

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