Ridgmont station is a few miles from Woburn Abbey
After a five-year refurbishment programme, Ridgmont station house is now open to the public.
The station on the Bedford-Bletchley line dates back to 1846 and is one of the oldest railway buildings in Bedfordshire.
It has largely been redundant since the late 1960s when passengers on the branch line were asked to buy their tickets on the train rather than from local stations.
The public can now go and see the ticket office as it used to be in Victorian times and the adjoining Heritage Centre. Entry is free.
The station also has a tea room, with freshly made sandwiches, soup and crusty bread, cakes and cream teas.
The gift shop has a range of railway books, cards and toys, plus DVDs of the blockbuster 2011 film “One Day”, starring Anne Hathaway, part of which was filmed at Ridgmont station.
The station is a tourist information point, has a meeting room available for hire at competitive rates and is the start for local walks, including the Greensand Ridge Walk.
The tea room is open Mondays to Saturdays from 09.00 to 16.00 and the gift shop and ticket office are open from 10.00 to 15.45 on Tuesdays to Saturdays.
The building is leased from Network Rail and managed by Bedfordshire Rural Communities Charity.
The project still needs volunteers to welcome visitors to the building, assist with sales in the gift shop and show visitors around the restored ticket office.
It is also seeking exhibits for the Heritage Centre, either on a loan or donation basis. Old photos of the station and surrounding area are especially welcome.
You can visit Ridgmont station by train from Bedford or Bletchley.
Network Rail has plans to develop the surviving branch line into the East West Rail Link. The first phase will be from Oxford-Bedford but a route is still being examined to take the line further east.
More information at: First day
Greensand ridge walk
BRCC
One Day film
Bedford Today film report
Railfuture
EWRL
Station history