Forge Valley Station was named after the most significant tourist attraction on the Forge Valley Line, although the station is not actually in Forge Valley, and the line doesn’t run through Forge Valley. Forge Valley Station was actually in the village of West Ayton. When the line was opened in 1882, the North Eastern Railway already had a station named Great Ayton, and they wished to avoid potential confusion. In this case there may also have been a desire to promote the line’s major tourist attraction!

This roadside view of the station building shows it little altered from the days when it was in railway use.

Following the line’s closure, the entire station area was taken over by North Riding County Council for use by its Highways Department. The photo above shows the scene in the yard in 1977, but the station still serves the same function today, albeit for the North Yorkshire County Council.

Finally, here’s an “end on” view of the station building.