SideTracked - Parkstone Traditional Geocache
OffTheRails: Too far away now
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Difficulty:
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Size: 
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Parkstone is on the main Waterloo to Weymouth main line and is one of the few stations in the area that has a great photographic display in the waiting room showing how the station was in years gone by and the wonderful trains that came through. You can pop in and have a look but only during the week until 10am – well worth it. Easy walk up slight incline to cache. Please use stealth due to high traffic and bring a pen with you.
Parkstone station opened for business on the 15th June 1874 and closed to freight on 20 September 1965 – the goods yard has since become a residential housing area. In days gone by, the platform signs read “Parkstone for Sandbanks” due to its proximity to that now playground of the rich and famous. Until the 1960s, a goods line ran to George Jennings’ South Western Pottery and originally continued on to Salterns Pier on the North shore of Poole Harbour.
At one time, not only was the Station Masters’ house in use but there was also a W.H. Smith bookstall. The down side provided a rather handsome wooden shelter and a gents toilet whilst both platforms sported a beautiful canopy. Today, the wooden shelter has gone along with the ‘down’ canopy, replaced by a cold ugly metal ‘bus shelter’ type structure.
The footbridge has changed a bit over the years too. Originally erected in 1888, it featured full glazing and was covered over; come the 1950s, it became open air and away went the glazing too. Today it remains and when you climb the steps from the up platform, the hand rails are still painted green.
This is a great place to come in the summer and see the Steam Specials especially on the return journey as they really puff coming up the hill from Poole.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Raq Bs Oevqtr