Vets in Yorkshire specialists in Equine and Small Animal treatments

HISTORY OF STATION HOUSE VETS

Edmund Collins established his original practice in one roomed shed at Richmond Hill in Welburn when he returned from Hong Kong in 1984. He moved the practice to Station House in 1986, where it gradually expanded and threatened to take over his living accommodation. He has since developed it from a one man practice to a four vet practice, which out-grew the premises at Station House. Everyone loved the setting of the old station house, and wanted to keep the name for the practice even after the move to Teal House in March 2006.

The Station House was built in 1848 as the private station for the great house of Castle Howard. It was built on land donated by the estate primarily to bring goods in and to get the estate's produce away. The building was designed by George Townsend Andrew, a friend of George Hudson, who designed much of the railway buildings in the North Eastern area including Scarborough Station. He also designed St John's College in York and the churches at Flaxton and Scrayingham.

The station house was built in a suitably grand Italianate style, no doubt to accommodate the sensibilities of grand passengers for the great house. It comprised a comfortable level of accommodation for the resident station master. The VIP waiting room was in the first floor room with the balcony overlooking the track. The ticket office and other waiting area was where the practice rooms were.

The Station's garden was always an important feature when it was in use, and it extended Station House Garden and Ponds originally to both sides of the track and around the station buildings. When Edmund bought it, he developed and extended it to the land previously used as a goods yard to the south of the house. He has recently constructed a huge pond to encourage wildlife to his wild garden.