Whitstable Harbour railway station was the name of two disused railway stations serving Whitstable the terminus of the Canterbury and Whitstable Railway. The station opened in 1830. It was extended in the mid-1870s and resited in 1895. The Canterbury and Whitstable line closed to passengers in 1931 and freight in 1952, although it was reopened for a month following the North Sea flood of 1953.
Whitstable Harbour | |
|---|---|
.JPG) The second station, in the 1960s. First station in background. | |
| General information | |
| Location | Whitstable, Kent England |
| Coordinates | 51°21′47″N 1°1′50″E / 51.36306°N 1.03056°E |
| Grid reference | TR 107 660 |
| Other information | |
| Status | Disused |
| History | |
| Original company | Canterbury and Whitstable Railway |
| Pre-grouping | South Eastern Railway |
| Post-grouping | Southern Railway |
| Key dates | |
| 3 May 1830 | Opened |
| Mid-1870s | Extended |
| 3 June 1895 | Resited |
| 1 January 1931 | Closed to passengers |
| 1 December 1952 | Closed |
| 5 February 1953 | Line temporarily reopened |
| 28 February 1953 | Closed |
History
editThe original station was opened on 2 May 1830.[1] It was located north of Harbour Street. Whitstable Harbour was built by Thomas Telford. It was opened on 19 March 1832.[2] In 1847, coke ovens were erected at Whitstable Harbour.[3] In the mid-1870s, the station was extended. A brick-built booking office was provided and the platform was extended to take three carriages.[4] The coke ovens closed in 1880 when the South Eastern Railway switched to using Welsh steam coal to fuel its locomotives.[3] The layout of the original station meant that when passenger trains were using it, the shunting of wagons was impeded. In 1895, a new passenger station was built south of Harbour Street, opening on 3 June.[5]
The Canterbury and Whitstable Railway closed to passengers on 1 January 1931.[6] The signal box at the station closed on 11 February 1931, with the line being worked as a siding thereafter.[7] The line remained open to freight until 1 December 1952. Following the North Sea flood of 1953, the railway was reopened on 5 February, closing on 28 February.[6]
| Preceding station | Disused railways | Following station | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Terminus | South Eastern Railway Canterbury and Whitstable Railway |
Canterbury North Lane (1830-46 (p) / 1830-91 (f) ) / Canterbury West (1846-1908, 1931-52) | ||
| Terminus | South Eastern Railway Canterbury and Whitstable Railway |
Blean and Tyler Hill Halt (1908-11) | ||
| Terminus | South Eastern Railway Canterbury and Whitstable Railway |
South Street Halt (1911-14) | ||
| Terminus | British Railways Southern Region Canterbury and Whitstable Railway |
Tankerton Halt (1914-31) |
References
edit- Citations
- ^ Harding 1996, p. 6.
- ^ Mitchell & Smith 1995, Whitstable Harbour.
- ^ a b Mitchell & Smith 1995, Illustration 103.
- ^ Mitchell & Smith 1995, Illustration 98.
- ^ Mitchell & Smith 1995, Illustration 99.
- ^ a b Harding 1996, p. 8.
- ^ Mitchell & Smith 1995, Illustration 102.
- Sources
- Harding, Peter A. (1996). Branch Lines in Kent. Knaphill: Peter A. Harding. ISBN 0-9523458-1-1.
- Mitchell, Vic; Smith, Keith (1995). Branch Lines Around Canterbury. Midhurst: Middleton Press. ISBN 1-873793-58-8.
External links
edit
- Crab and Winkle Line Trust - charity seeking to bring the C&WR route back into public use for cycling and walking