SideTracked – Menston
This short multi belongs to the SideTracked series. See here for more information.
The cache, a small camo-taped sample tube, is hidden near the start of a public footpath less than 5 minutes walk from the station. All the required info can be observed on the carpark/east/Platform 1 side of the station – so you won’t need to climb up and across the huge temporary footbridge installed as part of extensive upgrading works being undertaken at the station.
The cache was hidden in recognition of a previous cache here - Eeee Bi Gum and Er Indoors’ GC1G2PP SideTracked - The Wharfedale Line - Menston which was hidden on 7/9/08 and archived on 26/5/23 after 239 finds over its nearly 15 years lifespan.
To Find the Cache:
After parking your car in the free (2h max) station car park or (if full) kerbside along Station Road, or arriving by any other means, make your way to the published coordinates . . .
Step 1: here @ N 53 53.526 W 1 44.127 you will be standing by a bus stop, suspended until works are completed. Looking at the plate on the pole above the stop you will note the 8-digit bus stop ID number at the bottom right starting with 450 – used for all West Yorkshire bus stops. The last digit = A
Step 2: now enter the station and head east along Platform 1 to N 53 53.530 W 1 44.096 the location of CCTV post on which you will see a small ID plate with the number MNN-CAM-00B (where B is the figure required)
Step 3: just next to this along the platform is the metal gantry support post for the overhead cables. On this is a plate which shows that the Nearest Rail is 3.C00 metres away
Step 4: continue along the platform to N 53 53.530 W 1 44.096 where you will find a new waiting shelter with seating for a total of D persons
Step 5: on the wooden fence at the end of the newly extended platform (to accommodate 6 car EMUs) on a green metal plate you will see a 6-digit 24-hour help line contact number. The total of the last 3 digits = E
Step 6: now retrace your steps until you are standing @ N 53 53.539 W 1 44.126 outside the ticket office. Looking at the larger windows of this, you will note that each is etched with 4 words, 3 of which are the name of a local nursery and also of a famous movie. The alphanumeric value (A=1 B=2 C=3 etc) of the 1st letter of the second of the two larger words = F
The cache is hidden at:
N 53 53.(A-1)(B-1)(C-5) W 1 44.(D-5)(E+3)(F+2)
Menston railway station is on the Wharfedale Line between Ilkley and Leeds/Bradford Forster Square stations and is served by Class 331 and 333 electric trains.
The line was opened in August 1865 by the Midland Railway on their line from Apperley Junction to Burley-in-Wharfedale, from where trains could travel to either Ilkley or Otley via the Otley and Ilkley Joint Railway, however, Menston station did not open until April 1873.
This was a period of rapid railway development, with industrial growth and suburban expansion creating a demand for better connectivity. The Midland Railway recognised the importance of Wharfedale both for passengers travelling into the industrial centres of West Yorkshire and for visitors seeking the fresh air and scenery of the Yorkshire Dales.
The original station was built in characteristic Victorian style, with substantial stone buildings and a layout designed to handle both passenger and goods traffic. Like many stations of its era, it had a goods yard for coal, livestock, and local produce, which made it a focal point for village life.
Between 1883 and 1951, High Royds Hospital, which stood to the west of the line, was served by a long private siding from just south of the station.
The route to Otley was closed in 1965, but the Ilkley line (though also listed for closure in the 1963 Beeching Report avoided a similar fate, being finally reprieved in 1972.
As the 20th century progressed, the station remained a busy passenger stop, though goods traffic gradually declined. Road transport became more efficient and better suited to local freight, leading to the eventual withdrawal of goods facilities.
The most transformative development for Menston came in 1994 with the electrification of the Wharfedale Line. By the early 1990s, British Rail had introduced electric multiple units (EMUs) on the route, significantly improving reliability, journey times, and passenger comfort. Menston was upgraded with new facilities, though its historic buildings were retained and remain in use today.
The station was redeveloped in 2000 as part of the general improvements to the Wharfedale Line. The disused station building was brought back into use and a new ticket office was opened - current opening times are 06:15–18:00 Mon–Sat and 09:15–17:00 Sunday. A bus stop was added in the station forecourt.
Currently the station is undergoing a substantial upgrade. Work started in March 2024 and was originally expected to be completed by February 2025 but since revised to December 2025. The busy two platform station has no lifts or way for a disabled passenger to get from one side to the other.
So, the plan (under the Access for All Scheme) is to reconfigure the existing bridge, realign the stairs and install two 11-metre high, stone-faced lift towers alongside the bridge, one on each platform. Other works include improved drainage, electrical systems and car-park. Once the works are completed it will mean disabled people, or those with prams and buggies will have the same access to travel as everyone else.
Passenger numbers have remained strong in recent decades, reflecting both population growth and the continued appeal of rail travel in environmentally conscious times. For Menston residents, the station is not only a practical necessity but also a historic landmark that connects the village to over 150 years of railway history.
