A Brief Encounter at Carnforth Station

Sunday, 07 June 2009 17:37

A short walk from the Lancaster Canal is Carnforth station. We wandered up there this afternoon to have a look!

Carnforth station has one claim to fame. It was the location for the film "Brief Encounter", directed by David Lean and starring Trevor Howard and Celia Johnson.

Film Poster

It was chosen because of the remote location - it was war time and deemed safe from attack by the Ministry of War Transport. I did not realise but it was filmed at night, between 10pm and 6am, so as not to interfere with train movements.

The station has a lovely view - it is a shame that it may not have been appreciated by the cast and crew!

Warton Crag from platform

The filming took four weeks, the stars present for two of these. As usual with films, much finished on the editing room floor and in the film the scenes last all of ten minutes!

Celia Johnson was not looking forward to filming on a cold Lancashire railway plaftorm! However the welcome she received caused her to write this letter home!

Miss Johnson's humour helped her cope

The Station Master's room was her refuge

It was mainly the platform scenes that were filmed here; the variety of trains passing through the station were helpful for the story line!

The Visitor Centre works hard to give all the information and create that atmosphere of the film.

Visitor Centre

Tea Room - may have been used by the actors

The platform clock features in the film

The clock was covered and muffled until it was required in the "goodbye" scene!

It was worth a visit - I learned a little more about a film I have never seen! They do screen it in the Visitors Centre - but we did not have enough time to watch.

We walked through Carnforth's shopping street to the canal and back to Epiphany on the towpath. It was lovely as the trees were dappled green in the sunlight and it was sheltered from the coolish breeze we have at the moment.

Carnforth Basin as it was

Here the boats were loaded and turned around - their cargo being mainly sand and gravel. Little remains of the old buildings but boats still come and go!

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