English train station an hour from London that looks like it is Harry Potter – with riverside pub next door
A TINY English train station that is barely used is like something Harry Potter.
Chappel & Wakes Colne railway station in Colchester is around an hour from London, travelling to Liverpool Street station.
Just over 28,000 people use it a year, working out to around 77 passengers a day.
However, the train station is right next to the Chappel Viaduct, a huge brick structure measuring 1,066ft.
Built in the 1840s, trains run over the top of the viaduct, which is above a field of blue linseed oil bearing flowers during the summer.
Costing more than £2million to build in today’s money, it is one of the UK’s largest brick-built structures still standing.
Many may see the resemblance to the Glenfinnan Viaduct in Scotland, made famous for featuring in the Harry Potter films when used by the Hogwarts Express.
And the Essex viaduct has boomed in popularity by social media users who take pictures in one of the 32 arches, stretching 30ft tall.
Earlier this year, the viaduct celebrated its 175th anniversary of train routes, which launched in 1849.
Otherwise there is nearby The Swan Inn pub right on the river, whose beer garden is right underneath the viaduct.
One previous tourist wrote: “The location is beautiful and we had a short walk afterwards under the viaduct – a hidden gem of Victorian Essex.”
If you fancy visiting, the station has just one platform with a single track.
Thankfully, just one train runs an hour in each direction so there is rarely a battle for the track.
Platforms two and three are home to the East Anglian Railway Museum.
The attraction has themed events including Thomas the Tank Engine day outs as well as Steam train days.
Sun Travel's favourite train journeys in the world
Sun Travel's journalists have taken their fare share of train journeys on their travels and here they share their most memorable rail experiences.
Davos to Geneva, Switzerland
“After a ski holiday in Davos, I took the scenic train back to Geneva Airport. The snow-covered mountains and tiny alpine villages that we passed were so beautiful that it felt like a moving picture was playing beyond the glass.” – Caroline McGuire
Tokyo to Kyoto by Shinkansen
“Nothing quite beats the Shinkansen bullet train, one of the fastest in the world. It hardly feels like you’re whizzing along at speed until you look outside and see the trees a green blur. Make sure to book seat D or E too – as you’ll have the best view of Mount Fuji along the way.” Kara Godfrey
London to Paris by Eurostar
“Those who have never travelled on the Eurostar may wonder what’s so special about a seemingly ordinary train that takes you across the channel. You won’t have to waste a moment and can tick off all the top attractions from the Louvre to the Champs-Élysées which are both less than five kilometres from the Gare du Nord.” – Sophie Swietochowski
Glasgow to Fort William by Scotrail
“From mountain landscapes and serene lochs to the wistful moors, I spent my three-hour journey from Glasgow to Fort William gazing out the window. Sit on the left-hand side of the train for the best views overlooking Loch Lomond.” – Hope Brotherton
Beijing to Ulaanbatar
“The Trans-Mongolian Express is truly a train journey like no other. It starts amid the chaos of central Beijing before the city’s high-rises give way to crumbling ancient villages and eventually the vast vacant plains of Mongolia, via the Gobi desert. The deep orange sunset seen in the middle of the desert is among the best I’ve witnessed anywhere.” – Ryan Gray
Also in the UK is the Knaresborough Viaduct, built in 1851 that is often compared to a fairytale.
And here is the new scenic train that launched across the north of the UK this year.