Ramsgate Harbour railway station
Encyclopedia
Ramsgate Harbour railway station is a former railway station in Ramsgate
, in the Thanet
district of Kent
, England. Opened in 1863 as part of the Kent Coast Railway company's extension of its line from Herne Bay
, it was conveniently situated for the seaside resort's beach, but it closed in 1926 after a reorganisation of railway lines in the Thanet area.
to Whitstable Town
in 1860, extended it to Herne Bay & Hampton-on-Sea
in 1861 and opened the section from there to a station called Ramsgate on 5 October 1863. This was much closer to the seafront at Ramsgate than its predecessor, Ramsgate Town
, which was opened by the South Eastern Railway
in 1846.
In 1871, the Kent Coast Railway was bought by the London, Chatham and Dover Railway
. In June of that year, Ramsgate station took the name Ramsgate & St Lawrence-on-Sea, which it bore until 1 July 1899. For the rest of its existence it was known as Ramsgate Harbour. The station was very popular and well-used, but was on a cramped site which was reached through a tunnel down a long 1-in-75 gradient. A train went out of control down this slope in 1891. Plans were made to simplify the poorly connected railway network in the Thanet area; these were quickly adopted by the Southern Railway
company, which took over the London, Chatham and Dover Railway's operations on 1 January 1923 as a result of the Grouping Act
. It built a new line, 1.6 miles (2.6 km) long, to connect the former Kent Coast Railway route from Faversham and the former South Eastern Railway route from Ashford
, which bypassed both Ramsgate Harbour and Ramsgate Town stations. Two new stations, Dumpton Park
and Ramsgate
, were built on this line to serve the town. The line and the new stations opened on 2 July 1926, and the section of line between the new junction and Ramsgate Harbour station, and the station itself, closed on the same date. The station site was bought by a company which converted it into a funfair. The station building was damaged by fire in around 2005. The tunnel through which part of the former route ran became the Tunnel Railway
, an independent tourist railway line, until it closed in 1965 following an accident at the beach portal at which time the owners decided to close the railway. The railway was then dismantled.
Ramsgate
Ramsgate is a seaside town in the district of Thanet in east Kent, England. It was one of the great English seaside towns of the 19th century and is a member of the ancient confederation of Cinque Ports. It has a population of around 40,000. Ramsgate's main attraction is its coastline and its main...
, in the Thanet
Thanet
Thanet is a local government district of Kent, England which was formed under the Local Government Act 1972, and came into being on 1 April 1974...
district of Kent
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. Opened in 1863 as part of the Kent Coast Railway company's extension of its line from Herne Bay
Herne Bay railway station
Herne Bay is a railway station on the Chatham Main Line in North Kent serving the town of Herne Bay. Train services are provided by Southeastern.- History :...
, it was conveniently situated for the seaside resort's beach, but it closed in 1926 after a reorganisation of railway lines in the Thanet area.
History
The Herne Bay & Faversham Railway company was founded in 1857. In 1859 it became the Margate & London Railway, and two years later took the name Kent Coast Railway, by which it was known for the rest of its independent existence. It built a line from FavershamFaversham railway station
Faversham railway station is on the Chatham Main Line in north Kent, and serves the town of Faversham, 52 miles from London Victoria and 49 miles from London St. Pancras International. Train services are provided by Southeastern. Typical journey times for fastest services to Victoria is 70...
to Whitstable Town
Whitstable railway station
Whitstable railway station is on the Chatham Main Line in north Kent, and serves the town of Whitstable. Train services are provided by Southeastern....
in 1860, extended it to Herne Bay & Hampton-on-Sea
Herne Bay railway station
Herne Bay is a railway station on the Chatham Main Line in North Kent serving the town of Herne Bay. Train services are provided by Southeastern.- History :...
in 1861 and opened the section from there to a station called Ramsgate on 5 October 1863. This was much closer to the seafront at Ramsgate than its predecessor, Ramsgate Town
Ramsgate Town railway station
Ramsgate Town railway station is a former railway station in Ramsgate, in the Thanet district of Kent, England. It was the seaside resort's first station, but was closed in 1926 when a new, more direct railway line bypassed it and the town's other station, Ramsgate Harbour.-History:Ramsgate...
, which was opened 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...
in 1846.
In 1871, the Kent Coast Railway was bought by the London, Chatham and Dover Railway
London, Chatham and Dover Railway
The London, Chatham and Dover Railway was a railway company in south-eastern England from 1859 until the 1923 grouping which united it with other companies to form the Southern Railway. Its lines ran through London and northern and eastern Kent to form a significant part of the Greater London...
. In June of that year, Ramsgate station took the name Ramsgate & St Lawrence-on-Sea, which it bore until 1 July 1899. For the rest of its existence it was known as Ramsgate Harbour. The station was very popular and well-used, but was on a cramped site which was reached through a tunnel down a long 1-in-75 gradient. A train went out of control down this slope in 1891. Plans were made to simplify the poorly connected railway network in the Thanet area; these were quickly adopted by 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...
company, which took over the London, Chatham and Dover Railway's operations on 1 January 1923 as a result of the Grouping Act
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...
. It built a new line, 1.6 miles (2.6 km) long, to connect the former Kent Coast Railway route from Faversham and the former South Eastern Railway route from Ashford
Ashford, Kent
Ashford is a town in the borough of Ashford in Kent, England. In 2005 it was voted the fourth best place to live in the United Kingdom. It lies on the Great Stour river, the M20 motorway, and the South Eastern Main Line and High Speed 1 railways. Its agricultural market is one of the most...
, which bypassed both Ramsgate Harbour and Ramsgate Town stations. Two new stations, Dumpton Park
Dumpton Park railway station
Dumpton Park railway station serves the district of Dumpton between Broadstairs and Ramsgate, Kent, England and lies on the Chatham Main Line east of Ramsgate...
and Ramsgate
Ramsgate railway station
Ramsgate railway station serves the town of Ramsgate in Thanet in Kent, England, and is located about 10 minutes away on foot from the town centre. The station lies on the Chatham Main Line 127 km east of London Victoria, the Kent Coast Line, and the Ashford to Ramsgate line...
, were built on this line to serve the town. The line and the new stations opened on 2 July 1926, and the section of line between the new junction and Ramsgate Harbour station, and the station itself, closed on the same date. The station site was bought by a company which converted it into a funfair. The station building was damaged by fire in around 2005. The tunnel through which part of the former route ran became the Tunnel Railway
Tunnel Railway
The Tunnel Railway was an underground railway in Ramsgate, Kent, England...
, an independent tourist railway line, until it closed in 1965 following an accident at the beach portal at which time the owners decided to close the railway. The railway was then dismantled.