Lydd Town railway station
Encyclopedia
Lydd Town was a railway station which served the town of Lydd in Kent
, England
. Opened on 7 December 1881 by The Lydd Railway Company, it closed to passengers in 1967 leaving the line through the station to remain open for freight.
with intermediate stops at Lydd and Brookland
. Having opened the line to traffic on 7 December 1881, the railway company subsequently decided on 16 February 1882 that the line would be worked and maintained by the South Eastern Railway
, whose chairman, Edward Watkin
, was the father of Alfred Mellor Watkin, chairman of the LRC. On 24 July, the company was authorised to extend the line by building a branch from Lydd to New Romney
which opened on 19 June 1884. The LRC was taken into the South Eastern in January 1895, itself becoming part of the South Eastern and Chatham Railway
three years later.
Lydd, situated 7 miles from Appledore, was the principal station on the line with a considerable goods yard and a long siding to nearby army ranges (Lydd Ranges
) via the 6 mile Lydd Military Railway (1883 - c1926). The approach to Lydd from Brookland saw the line travel over nine level crossing
s before passing under the line's sole overbridge carrying the B2075 Station Road, before reaching a final level crossing just before the station. The station had two platforms as well as a passing loop
and a signal box
on the down side.
Following the opening of the Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway
in 1927, the extra holiday traffic generated persuaded the Southern Railway
(who had taken over the line upon the railway grouping
) to realign its branch to New Romney by moving it nearer to the sea and opening two new halts - Lydd-on-Sea
and Greatstone-on-Sea
- in 1937. The opening of Lydd-on-Sea Halt led to the renaming of Lydd station as "Lydd Town" to avoid any confusion. The station closed on 6 March 1967 in the face of dwindling passenger traffic and insignificant freight returns, yet the line remained open through Lydd Town as far as a siding near Dungeness for freight traffic to serve the BNFL
nuclear power plant at Dungeness).
The main station building and goods yard remain in an empty and derelict state, having been used as a vehicle repair workshop until the mid-1980s which saw some internal walls removed. The up platform has also survived, but the down platform and signal box was demolished in the early 1970s and the passing loop was lifted after 1983. The station has suffered from vandalism, with a recent fire destroying a modern shed on the site and lightly damaging the southern end of the main building. In May 2006, British Rail
put the site on the market for redevelopment. In March 2008, planning permission was granted to Kent County Council
to use the goods yard for the temporary storage of refuse collection vehicles.
The future reuse of the station as a "rail transport interchange" has been written into Shepway District
Local Plan which safeguards the route against development prejudicial to the reopening of the line from Appledore to the public. Although reopening of the line to passengers has been mooted from time to time - particularly with regard to improving public access to Lydd Airport - the plans have never materialised. One obstacle in the way of reopening is the number of level crossings and occupational farm crossings (13) between Appledore and Lydd which would have to be converted to automatic full-barrier crossings with obstacle detection; furthermore, neither the line through Lydd nor the Ashford to Hastings line
is electrified, requiring passengers to change at Ashford International
to diesel railcars
.
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. Opened on 7 December 1881 by The Lydd Railway Company, it closed to passengers in 1967 leaving the line through the station to remain open for freight.
History
The Lydd Railway Company (LRC) obtained authorisation to construct a standard gauge single track line from Appledore to DungenessDungeness railway station (SER)
Dungeness was a railway station which served the Dungeness headland in Kent, England. Opened in 1883 by The Lydd Railway Company, it closed to passengers in 1937...
with intermediate stops at Lydd and Brookland
Brookland Halt railway station
Brookland Halt was a railway station which served the village of Brookland in Kent, England. The station opened in 1881 and closed in 1967.- History :...
. Having opened the line to traffic on 7 December 1881, the railway company subsequently decided on 16 February 1882 that the line would be worked and maintained by the South Eastern Railway
South Eastern Railway (UK)
The South Eastern Railway was a railway company in south-eastern England from 1836 until 1922. The company was formed to construct a route from London to Dover. Branch lines were later opened to Tunbridge Wells, Hastings, Canterbury and other places in Kent...
, whose chairman, Edward Watkin
Edward Watkin
Sir Edward William Watkin, 1st Baronet was an English railway chairman and politician.- Biography :Watkin was born in Salford, Lancashire, the son of a wealthy cotton merchant, Absalom Watkin who was noted for his involvement in the Anti-corn Law League.After a private education, he returned to...
, was the father of Alfred Mellor Watkin, chairman of the LRC. On 24 July, the company was authorised to extend the line by building a branch from Lydd to New Romney
New Romney and Littlestone-on-Sea railway station
New Romney and Littlestone-on-Sea was a railway station which lay in between the villages of New Romney and Littlestone-on-Sea in Kent, England. The station opened in 1884 and closed in 1967.- Early years :...
which opened on 19 June 1884. The LRC was taken into the South Eastern in January 1895, itself becoming part of the South Eastern and Chatham Railway
South Eastern and Chatham Railway
The South Eastern and Chatham Railway Companies Joint Management Committee , known by its shorter name of the South Eastern and Chatham Railway was a working union of two neighbouring rival railways, the South Eastern Railway and London, Chatham and Dover Railway , that operated services between...
three years later.
Lydd, situated 7 miles from Appledore, was the principal station on the line with a considerable goods yard and a long siding to nearby army ranges (Lydd Ranges
Lydd Ranges
Lydd Ranges is a military firing range south of Lydd, in Kent, England. It extends as far as the coast.It has been used for military training for over 150 years and is part of the Dungeness, Romney Marsh and Rye Bay Site of Special Scientific Interest...
) via the 6 mile Lydd Military Railway (1883 - c1926). The approach to Lydd from Brookland saw the line travel over nine level crossing
Level crossing
A level crossing occurs where a railway line is intersected by a road or path onone level, without recourse to a bridge or tunnel. It is a type of at-grade intersection. The term also applies when a light rail line with separate right-of-way or reserved track crosses a road in the same fashion...
s before passing under the line's sole overbridge carrying the B2075 Station Road, before reaching a final level crossing just before the station. The station had two platforms as well as a passing loop
Passing loop
A passing loop is a place on a single line railway or tramway, often located at a station, where trains or trams in opposing directions can pass each other. Trains/trams in the same direction can also overtake, providing that the signalling arrangement allows it...
and a signal box
Signal box
On a rail transport system, signalling control is the process by which control is exercised over train movements by way of railway signals and block systems to ensure that trains operate safely, over the correct route and to the proper timetable...
on the down side.
Following the opening of the Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway
Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway
The Romney, Hythe & Dymchurch Railway is a gauge light railway in Kent, England. The line runs from the Cinque Port of Hythe via Dymchurch, St...
in 1927, the extra holiday traffic generated persuaded the Southern Railway
Southern Railway (Great Britain)
The Southern Railway was a British railway company established in the 1923 Grouping. It linked London with the Channel ports, South West England, South coast resorts and Kent...
(who had taken over the line upon the railway grouping
Railways Act 1921
The Railways Act 1921, also known as the Grouping Act, was an enactment by the British government of David Lloyd George intended to stem the losses being made by many of the country's 120 railway companies, move the railways away from internal competition, and to retain some of the benefits which...
) to realign its branch to New Romney by moving it nearer to the sea and opening two new halts - Lydd-on-Sea
Lydd-on-Sea Halt railway station
Lydd-on-Sea Halt was a railway station which served the modern village of Lydd-on-Sea in Kent, England. The station opened in 1937 and closed in 1967.- History :...
and Greatstone-on-Sea
Greatstone-on-Sea Halt railway station
Greatstone-on-Sea Halt was a railway station which served the modern village of Greatstone-on-Sea in Kent, England. The station opened in 1937 and closed in 1967.- History :...
- in 1937. The opening of Lydd-on-Sea Halt led to the renaming of Lydd station as "Lydd Town" to avoid any confusion. The station closed on 6 March 1967 in the face of dwindling passenger traffic and insignificant freight returns, yet the line remained open through Lydd Town as far as a siding near Dungeness for freight traffic to serve the BNFL
BNFL
British Nuclear Fuels Limited was a nuclear energy and fuels company owned by the UK Government. It was a former manufacturer and transporter of nuclear fuel , ran reactors, generated and sold electricity, reprocessed and managed spent fuel , and decommissioned nuclear plants and other similar...
nuclear power plant at Dungeness).
Present and future
BRB (Residuary) Ltd.
BRB Limited is the successor to the British Railways Board. It is a private company limited by shares, with 100% of the issued share capital owned by the Secretary of State for Transport.-Background:...
put the site on the market for redevelopment. In March 2008, planning permission was granted to Kent County Council
Kent County Council
Kent County Council is the county council that governs the majority of the county of Kent in England. It provides the upper tier of local government, below which are 12 district councils, and around 300 town and parish councils. The county council has 84 elected councillors...
to use the goods yard for the temporary storage of refuse collection vehicles.
The future reuse of the station as a "rail transport interchange" has been written into Shepway District
Shepway
Shepway is a local government district in Kent, England. It includes the towns of Folkestone and Hythe and the Romney Marsh. It is named after the Jutish lathe of Shepway; the Royal Court of Shepway, which met near Lympne at a place called Shepway Cross, was the principal court of the Cinque Ports...
Local Plan which safeguards the route against development prejudicial to the reopening of the line from Appledore to the public. Although reopening of the line to passengers has been mooted from time to time - particularly with regard to improving public access to Lydd Airport - the plans have never materialised. One obstacle in the way of reopening is the number of level crossings and occupational farm crossings (13) between Appledore and Lydd which would have to be converted to automatic full-barrier crossings with obstacle detection; furthermore, neither the line through Lydd nor the Ashford to Hastings line
Marshlink Line
The Marshlink Line is the name given to services on the railway line linking Ashford with Hastings in the South East of England. The line was part of an original proposal by a company named the Brighton Lewes and Hastings Railway to extend its coast route to Hastings...
is electrified, requiring passengers to change at Ashford International
Ashford railway station
Ashford railway station is a railway station in Ashford, Surrey in the borough of Spelthorne in South East England. Although the station signage displays only Ashford, the station is referred to in timetables, and as printed on railway tickets, either as Ashford , or Ashford , in order to...
to diesel railcars
Diesel multiple unit
A diesel multiple unit or DMU is a multiple unit train consisting of multiple carriages powered by one or more on-board diesel engines. They may also be referred to as a railcar or railmotor, depending on country.-Design:...
.
External links
- Lydd Town Station at Subterranea Britannica
- Lydd Town at Kent Rail.co.uk