Grove Ferry and Upstreet was a railway station in east Kent. It was opened by South Eastern Railway (SER), on the Ashford to Ramsgate (via Canterbury West) line between Sturry station and Minster station.
Grove Ferry and Upstreet | |
|---|---|
 Grove Ferry Railway Station 1907 | |
| General information | |
| Location | Upstreet, City of Canterbury England |
| Coordinates | 51°19′27″N 1°12′24″E / 51.32408°N 1.20675°E |
| Grid reference | TR 2352 6321 |
| Platforms | 2 |
| Other information | |
| Status | Disused |
| History | |
| Original company | South Eastern Railway |
| Pre-grouping | South Eastern and Chatham Railway |
| Post-grouping | Southern Railway |
| Key dates | |
| 13 April 1846 | Opened as Grove Ferry |
| 20 September 1954 | Renamed Grove Ferry and Upstreet |
| 30 April 1960 | Station closed to freight |
| 3 January 1966 | Station closed to passengers |
History
editGrove Ferry station opened on 13 April 1846,[1] the rural station was built to serve the village of Upstreet and the ferry crossing of the Great Stour until 1966, when a bridge was built.[2] The nearby "Grove Ferry Inn" owned the rights to the ferry and farmed 17 acres (6.9 ha) of lavender,[3] creating a popular day trip destination up until the Second World War; this is now part of the Grove Ferry Picnic Area. The public level crossing and goods sidings leading to the ferry were operated from a small signal box.[4]
The station was renamed Grove Ferry & Upstreet in September 1954.[5] Goods traffic ceased on 30 April 1960,[6] The railway between Ashford and Minster was electrified on 9 October 1961.[1] A concrete footbridge was built at the station in preparation for this change.[5] The signal box closed on 14 March 1964,[6] and the level crossing was converted to automatic half barriers on 3 January 1966. The station closed the same day,[7] shortly before the introduction of a bus service over the new Grove Ferry Bridge, which would have undermined the low patronage.
Remains today
editThe station buildings and up platform have been demolished and only a few traces remain of the down platform. The broad steps leading to the footpath connecting the station to the village, although overgrown, can still be seen. Grove Ferry and Upstreet Station lives on in model form due to the efforts of the Ashford Model Railway Club, with the model occasionally being taken on tour.[8]
| Preceding station | Disused railways | Following station | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chislet Colliery Halt | British Rail Southern Region Ashford to Ramsgate (via Canterbury West) line |
Minster |
References
edit- Citations
- ^ a b Mitchell & Smith 1995, Historical Background.
- ^ Mitchell & Smith 1995, Illustration 64.
- ^ Mitchell & Smith 1995, Illustration 62.
- ^ Mitchell & Smith 1995, Illustration 63.
- ^ a b Mitchell & Smith 1995, Illustration 66.
- ^ a b Mitchell & Smith 1995, Illustration 65.
- ^ Mitchell & Smith 1995, Illustrations 64 & 66.
- ^ "Layouts - Grove Ferry & Upstreet". Ashford Model Railway Club. 2009. Archived from the original on 30 July 2009. Retrieved 30 December 2009.
- Sources
- Mitchell, Vic; Smith, Keith (1995). Branch Lines Around Canterbury. Midhurst: Middleton Press. ISBN 1 873793 58 8.