Snailham Halt railway station

Snailham Halt
Location
Place	Upper Snailham
Area	Rother
Coordinates	50°55′36″N 0°38′36″E / 50.9266°N 0.6432°ECoordinates: 50°55′36″N 0°38′36″E / 50.9266°N 0.6432°E
Grid reference	TQ858174
Operations
Original company	South Eastern Railway
Pre-grouping	South Eastern and Chatham Railway
Post-grouping	Southern Railway
Platforms	2
History
1 July 1907	Opened as Snailham Crossing Halt
1909	Renamed Snailham Halt
2 February 1959	Closed
Disused railway stations in the United Kingdom
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Snailham Halt railway station was on the South Eastern Railway's route between Ashford and Hastings, nowadays known as the Marshlink Line. It opened in 1907 and closed in 1959.

History

The railway line between Ashford and Hastings was opened by the South Eastern Railway in 1851.^[1] The 1851 Census shows no activity, but the 1851 Census shows a "Railway Crossing" with the associated cottage shown occupied by a Platelayer in each subsequent Census. The 1911 Census shows that the crossing cottage was occupied by James Sargent and that his wife Charlotte is the Crossing Keeper.

There were no stations between Winchelsea and Hastings^[2][3] until Ore opened in 1888.^[4] However, at the turn of the 19th century, the South Eastern and Chatham Railway (SECR) introduced a scheme to develop traffic on lightly used branch lines by providing basic halts served by railmotor services.^[5] A sufficiently successful introduction of Kitson railmotors on the Hundred of Hoo Railway in 1906 to serve six new halts between Gravesend and Port Victoria persuaded the SECR to attempt the same scheme between Rye and Hastings,^[6][7][8] three halts at a cost of £295 each were opened between Winchelsea and Ore on 1 July 1907:^[9][10] Snailham Crossing Halt;^[11] Guestling Halt;^[12] and Three Oaks Bridge Halt.^[13]

Snailham Crossing Halt had two platforms;^[14] its name was shortened to Snailham Halt in 1909.^[11] It was situated in a remote location nearly ½-mile from the nearest dwelling and accessed via an unsurfaced country lane.^[15] The railmotor services were not a great success as passengers disliked the units which also lacked operational flexibility.^[16]

Snailham Halt was closed on 2 February 1959,^[11][10] and is the only station between Ashford and Hastings to have been closed.^[17]

References

1. White, H.P. (1992) [1961]. Thomas, David St John; Patmore, J. Allan, eds. Volume 2: Southern England. A Regional History of the Railways of Great Britain (5th ed.). Nairn: David St John Thomas. p. 34. ISBN 0-946537-77-1.
2. Knight, Andrew (1986). The Railways of South East England. Shepperton: Ian Allan. p. 57. ISBN 0-7110-1556-2.
3. McCarthy, Colin; McCarthy, David; Cobb, Michael (October 2007). Waller, Peter, ed. Railways of Britain: Kent and Sussex. Hersham: Ian Allan. map 34. ISBN 978-0-7110-3222-4. 0710/C1.
4. Butt, R.V.J. (1995). The Directory of Railway Stations. Yeovil: Patrick Stephens Ltd. p. 178. ISBN 1-85260-508-1. R508.
5. Gray, Adrian (1998). South Eastern and Chatham Railways. Midhurst: Middleton Press. p. 31. ISBN 1-9017-0608-7.
6. Gray 1998, p. 31
7. Bradley, D.L. (April 1980) [1961]. The Locomotive History of the South Eastern & Chatham Railway (2nd ed.). London: RCTS. p. 30. ISBN 0-901115-49-5.
8. Gould, David (1993). Bogie Carriages of the South Eastern & Chatham Railway. Headington: Oakwood Press. p. 191. ISBN 0-85361-455-5. X52.
9. Gray 1998, pp. 31, 114
10. Kidner, R.W. (1985). Southern Railway Halts. Headington: Oakwood Press. p. 55. ISBN 0-8536-1321-4.
11. Butt 1995, p. 214
12. Butt 1995, p. 110
13. Butt 1995, p. 229
14. Knight 1986, p. 58
15. Mitchell, Vic; Smith, Keith (1987). Hastings to Ashford and the New Romney branch. South Coast Railways. Midhurst: Middleton Press. fig. 31. ISBN 0-9065-2037-1.
16. Gray 1998, p. 114
17. Knight 1986, pp. 57–58

External links

• Snailham Halt on navigable 1940 O.S. map