Lydd-on-Sea Halt railway station

Lydd-on-Sea Halt was a railway station which served the modern village of Lydd-on-Sea in Kent, England. The station opened in 1937 and closed in 1967.

Lydd-on-Sea Halt
The site in 2007, showing the former station forecourt road
LocationLydd-on-Sea, Folkestone & Hythe
England
Grid referenceTR084192
Platforms2 (1 from 1954)
Other information
StatusDisused
History
Post-groupingSouthern Railway
Southern Region of British Railways
Key dates
4 July 1937Opened (Lydd-on-Sea)
20 September 1954Renamed (Lydd-on-Sea Halt)
6 March 1967Closed[1]

History

Prompted by holiday camp development in the area, the Southern Railway decided in 1937 to realign its branch line to New Romney (which had been opened in 1884) closer to the sea and to open two intermediate stations - Lydd-on-Sea and Greatstone-on-Sea. The opening of Lydd-on-Sea on 4 July 1937 coincided with the closure of Dungeness station to passengers; it was intended that Lydd-on-Sea, ½-mile from Dungeness, would serve both locations and its running in board read "Lydd-on-Sea (for Dungeness)".[2]

To handle the expected flow of holiday traffic, the station was equipped with a long curved island platform with a passing loop on which was perched a small wooden shed.[3] The traffic never materialised and the station was downgraded to an unstaffed halt on 20 September 1954 when its passing loop was also lifted. As passenger traffic dwindled and freight became insignificant, the New Romney branch fell into decline and was listed for closure in the Beeching Report. In 1966 the Minister of Transport Barbara Castle announced her intention of closing the Appledore to New Romney Branch and passenger services ceased on 6 March 1967.[4]

Preceding station   Disused railways   Following station
Lydd Town
Line and station closed		   BR Southern Region
New Romney branch line		   Greatstone-on-Sea
Line and station closed

Present day

Although the trackbed from Romney Junction towards New Romney is easily traceable, nothing remains of Lydd-on-Sea Halt today except for a gated concrete approach road from Kerton Road . The island platform was demolished at some point after 1983.[3]

References
  1. Butt, R.V.J. (1995). The Directory of Railway Stations, Patrick Stephens Ltd, Sparkford, ISBN 1-85260-508-1, p. 151.
  2. Harding, Peter (1983). The New Romney Branch Line. Woking, Surrey: Peter A. Harding. p. 14. ISBN 0-9523458-8-9.
  3. Subterranea Britannica, "Lydd-on-Sea Halt".
  4. Oppitz, Leslie (2003). Lost Railways of Kent. Newbury, Berkshire: Countryside Books. p. 82. ISBN 978-1-85306-803-4.


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