Brightlingsea railway station

Last updated

Brightlingsea
Brightlingsea railway station (1960s).JPG
General information
Location Brightlingsea, Tendring
England
Platforms1
Other information
StatusDisused
History
Original company Tendring Hundred Railway [1]
Pre-grouping Great Eastern Railway
Post-grouping London and North Eastern Railway
Key dates
18 April 1866Opened
1 February 1953Closed
7 December 1953Reopened
15 June 1964Closed

Brightlingsea railway station was located in Brightlingsea, Essex. It was on the single track branch line of the Wivenhoe and Brightlingsea Railway which opened in 1866 and closed in 1964.

Contents

History

The station building was located on the southern side of Lower Park Road where the town's community centre now sits.

The station and line was built by The Wivenhoe & Brightlingsea Railway company. This was incorporated in 1861 to build a line from Wivenhoe to Brightlingsea which opened on 18 April 1866. [1] The company was a separate, but associated, company to the Tendring Hundred Railway which had built the line from Colchester to Wivenhoe. The GER soon negotiated to buy both the Tendring Hundred Railway and the Clacton-on-Sea Railway, and they became part of the GER on 1 July 1883. The Wivenhoe & Brightlingsea was absorbed by the GER on 9 June 1893. [2]

The station was host to a camping coach from 1936 to 1939. [3]

The line was temporarily closed on 1 February 1953 following severe flood damage but was not reopened until 7 December that year.

Closure

The service was identified for closure the Beeching Report of 1963 [4] and was eventually axed in 1964. This was supposedly prompted by the high costs of maintaining the railway swing bridge over Alresford Creek, which was necessary to allow boat traffic to the many sand and gravel pits in the area.

The station building stayed in place for four years after the railway's closure until it was damaged by fire in 1968. The building was finally demolished in November 1969. [5]

Remains of railway

The former railway embankment looking towards Brightlingsea Ghost of The Crab and Winkle Line - geograph.org.uk - 228489.jpg
The former railway embankment looking towards Brightlingsea

The visible relics of the railway's presence today are the Railway public house and micro-brewery, and the old embankment which is now a footpath. It is possible to walk along virtually the whole length of the former route from very near the site of the old station in Brightlingsea along the old embankment to the site of the former swing bridge. This makes for a pleasant, scenic walk alongside the River Colne with its ecologically interesting salt marsh environment.

The nearest railway station is now at Alresford.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wivenhoe</span> Human settlement in England

Wivenhoe is a town and civil parish in north-eastern Essex, England, approximately 3 miles (5 km) south-east of Colchester. Historically Wivenhoe village, on the banks of the River Colne, and Wivenhoe Cross, on the higher ground to the north, were two separate settlements; however, with considerable development in the 19th century, the two have since merged.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brightlingsea</span> Human settlement in England

Brightlingsea is a coastal town and an electoral ward in the Tendring district of Essex, England. It is situated between Colchester and Clacton-on-Sea, at the mouth of the River Colne, on Brightlingsea Creek. At the 2011 Census, it had a population of 8,076. The town is an active though small port.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tendring District</span> Non-metropolitan district in England

Tendring District is a local government district in north-east Essex, England. It extends from the River Stour in the north, to the coast and the River Colne in the south, with the coast to the east and the city of Colchester to the west. Its council is based in Clacton-on-Sea. Towns in the district include Frinton-on-Sea, Walton-on-the-Naze, Brightlingsea and Harwich. Large villages in the district include St Osyth and Great Bentley.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Woodgrange Park railway station</span> Railway Station in Greater London, United Kingdom

Woodgrange Park railway station is a railway station on Romford Road in Manor Park in the London Borough of Newham, east London. It is served by London Overground, and is on the Gospel Oak to Barking line, 12 miles 1 chain (19.3 km) down the line from Gospel Oak; it lies in Travelcard Zones 3 and 4. It has only limited station buildings and facilities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sunshine Coast Line</span>

The Sunshine Coast Line is the current marketing name of what originally was the Tendring Hundred Railway Line, a branch off the Great Eastern Main Line in the East of England. It links Colchester to the seaside resorts of Clacton-on-Sea and, via a branch, Walton-on-the-Naze. The line is part of the Network Rail Strategic Route 7, SRS 07.08, and is classified as a London & South East commuter line. Passenger services on the line are currently operated by Greater Anglia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alresford, Essex</span> Human settlement in England

Alresford is a village and electoral ward in Essex, England. It is centred 9 km (5.6 mi) southeast of Colchester and is 39 km (24 mi) northeast from the county town of Chelmsford. The village and its civil parish are the district of Tendring. The local primary school is Alresford Primary School and the village has a pre-school and church. Alresford won the Essex Village of the year competition in 2012 and tied for first place for another Essex Village of the Year award in 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harwich and North Essex (UK Parliament constituency)</span> Parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom, 2010 onwards

Harwich and North Essex is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament by Bernard Jenkin of the Conservative Party since its creation in 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thorrington</span> Human settlement in England

Thorrington is a village and civil parish in the Tendring district of Essex, England. It lies 3 miles (5 km) east of Wivenhoe and 1.9 miles (3 km) north of Brightlingsea. The striking medieval flint church is dedicated to Mary Magdalene, and the patrons of the church are St John's College, Cambridge.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alresford railway station (Essex)</span> Railway station in Essex, England

Alresford railway station is on the Sunshine Coast Line, a branch of the Great Eastern Main Line, in the East of England, serving the village of Alresford, Essex. It is 57 miles 63 chains (93.0 km) down the line from London Liverpool Street and is situated between Wivenhoe to the west and Great Bentley to the east. In official literature it is shown as Alresford (Essex) in order to distinguish it from the station of the same name in Hampshire. Its three-letter station code is ALR.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Weeley railway station</span> Railway station in Essex, England

Weeley railway station is on the Sunshine Coast Line, a branch of the Great Eastern Main Line, in the East of England, serving the village of Weeley, Essex. It is 62 miles 78 chains (101.3 km) down the line from London Liverpool Street and is situated between Great Bentley to the west and Thorpe-le-Soken to the east. Its three-letter station code is WEE.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Great Bentley railway station</span> Railway station in Essex, England

Great Bentley railway station is on the Sunshine Coast Line, a branch of the Great Eastern Main Line, in the East of England, serving the village of Great Bentley as well as the nearby settlements of Brightlingsea, Frating, Thorrington and St Osyth. It is 60 miles 66 chains (97.9 km) down the line from London Liverpool Street and is situated between Alresford to the west and Weeley to the east. Its three-letter station code is GRB.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wivenhoe railway station</span> Railway station in Essex, England

Wivenhoe railway station is on the Sunshine Coast Line, a branch of the Great Eastern Main Line, in the East of England, serving the small town of Wivenhoe, Essex. It is 56 miles (90 km) down the line from London Liverpool Street and is situated between Hythe to the west and Alresford to the east. Its three-letter station code is WIV.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bow railway station</span> Disused railway station in England

Bow was a railway station in Bow, east London, that was opened in 1850 by the East & West India Docks and Birmingham Junction Railway, which was later renamed the North London Railway (NLR). The station was situated between Old Ford and South Bromley, and was located on the north side of Bow Road, close to the second Bow Road station which was open from 1892 to 1949. A covered footway connected the two stations between 1892 and 1917.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Victoria Park railway station (England)</span> Former railway station in England

Victoria Park was a railway station near Victoria Park, east London, that was on the North London Railway (NLR) which opened in September 1850 to Bow and to the London Docks in January 1852.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ingatestone railway station</span> Railway station in Essex, England

Ingatestone railway station is on the Great Eastern Main Line in the East of England, serving the village of Ingatestone, Essex. It is 23 miles 50 chains (38.0 km) down the line from London Liverpool Street and is situated between Shenfield to the west and Chelmsford to the east. Its three-letter station code is INT.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hythe railway station (Essex)</span> Railway station in Essex, England

Hythe railway station in Essex is on the Sunshine Coast Line, a branch of the Great Eastern Main Line in the East of England, serving Hythe and other eastern areas of Colchester. It is 53 miles 49 chains (86.3 km) down the line from London Liverpool Street. Its three-letter station code is HYH.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kirby Cross railway station</span> Railway station in Essex, England

Kirby Cross railway station is on the Walton branch of the Sunshine Coast Line in the East of England, serving the village of Kirby Cross, Essex. It is 67 miles 55 chains (108.9 km) down the line from London Liverpool Street and is situated between Thorpe-le-Soken to the west and Frinton-on-Sea to the east. Its three-letter station code is KBX.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frinton-on-Sea railway station</span> Railway station in Essex, England

Frinton-on-Sea railway station is on the Walton branch of the Sunshine Coast Line in the East of England, serving the seaside town of Frinton-on-Sea, Essex. It is 68 miles 66 chains (110.8 km) down the line from London Liverpool Street and is situated between Kirby Cross to the west and Walton-on-the-Naze to the east. Its three-letter station code is FRI.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Walton-on-the-Naze railway station</span> Railway station in Essex, England

Walton-on-the-Naze railway station is one of the two eastern termini of the Sunshine Coast Line, a branch of the Great Eastern Main Line, in the East of England. It serves the seaside town of Walton-on-the-Naze, Essex. It is 70 miles 15 chains (113.0 km) down the line from London Liverpool Street. Its three-letter station code is WON. The preceding station on the line is Frinton-on-Sea.

Thorington railway station was a station in Thorrington, Essex on the line from Colchester to Walton on the Naze and Clacton, opened in 1866 and closed in 1957. The station was situated in between Alresford and Great Bentley. It was closed due to its close proximity to the much busier station at Great Bentley, just half a mile down the track.

References

  1. 1 2 Butt, R. V. J. (October 1995). The Directory of Railway Stations: details every public and private passenger station, halt, platform and stopping place, past and present (1st ed.). Sparkford: Patrick Stephens Ltd. p. 44. ISBN   978-1-85260-508-7. OCLC   60251199. OL   11956311M.
  2. "Railway Magazine", September 1959
  3. McRae, Andrew (1997). British Railway Camping Coach Holidays: The 1930s & British Railways (London Midland Region). Vol. Scenes from the Past: 30 (Part One). Foxline. p. 10. ISBN   1-870119-48-7.
  4. "The Railways". St Osyth Parish Council. September 2003. Archived from the original on 19 March 2012. Retrieved 8 September 2011.
  5. "Brightlingsea station, Nov 1969 during demolition". 11 July 2007. Retrieved 8 September 2011.
Preceding station Disused railways Following station
Wivenhoe
Line closed, station open
  Great Eastern Railway
Tendring Hundred Railway
 Terminus

Coordinates: 51°48′34″N1°01′14″E / 51.8094°N 1.0205°E / 51.8094; 1.0205