Sheffield Park railway station

Infobox UK disused station
name = Sheffield Park


caption = The station from the bridge
gridref = TQ404237
manager = London, Brighton and South Coast Railway
owner = Southern Railway
Southern Region of British Railways
Bluebell Railway
locale = Fletching
borough = Lewes District, East Sussex
platforms = 2
years = August 1882
events = Opened
years1 = 17 March 1958
events1 = Closed
years2 = 7 August 1960
events2 = Reopened

Sheffield Park is the southern terminus of the Bluebell Railway and also the headquarters of the line. It is located on the southern bank of the River Ouse (which the line crosses just beyond the platforms) and is also situated on the Greenwich Meridian.

History

The station opened in 1882 at the request of the Earl of Sheffield, a local landowner and promoter of the The Lewes and East Grinstead Railway Act 1877 which authorised the construction of a line from East Grinstead to Lewes, now popularly known as the Bluebell Railway. [ [http://www4.rhbnc.ac.uk/bluebell/chist04.html The History of the Lewes & East Grinstead Railway] ] Originally named "Fletching and Sheffield Park", the name of the nearby village was dropped following objections by the Earl. [cite book | last = Mitchell | first = Vic | authorlink = | coauthors = Smith, Keith | title = Branch Lines to East Grinstead | publisher = Middleton Press | date = 1984 | location = Midhurst, West Sussex | isbn = 090652007X ]

Following the line's closure in 1958, a group of students formed a society with the intention of preserving part of the East Grinstead to Lewes line. On 7 August 1960 the group began working a short stretch of line between Sheffield Park and Horsted Keynes which was leased to it by British Rail. By 1968 the group had raised enough funds to purchase both the Sheffield Park and Horsted Keynes stations, and the former is now the Bluebell Railway's headquarters. [ [http://www.steamway.dircon.co.uk/Bluebell.html The Bluebell Railway] ]

Modern day use

The station now plays host to a shop, model railway, museum and the Bessemer Arms pub (named after Mrs Bessemer who fought British Rail over the closure of the line claiming it to be illegal, and whose victory spurred the movement to save the line).

The station also houses the line's locomotive workshops and sheds, which are a major focal point for visitors to the line. It is restored in a turn of the century LBSCR style. A unique signal box can be found on the platform, a feature of the LBSCR and still visible in locations on the national network, such as Falmer near Brighton.

Behind the station from the main entrance is the former Woodpax yard, which will eventually become home to a large carriage shed and exhibition centre, known as "Operation Undercover". This project is currently in the initial fundraising stages with appeals to the Heritage Lottery Fund and general fundraising (although it has played second fiddle to the East Grinstead extension in recent times). When complete it will provide storage for many of the lines vintage carriages such as the Metropolitan Railway carriages and the lines Pullman dining train.

Future

An extension to the south has been mooted a few times, returning the line to its original southern terminus of Lewes, however this is likely to be near impossible the next station on the line, Newick and Chailey has been lost under housing, and the following station Barcombe, is now in private hands. In addition, several road bridges would need to be replaced on the route, including one just south of Sheffield Park station.

References