Barcombe railway station

Infobox UK disused station
name = Barcombe


caption =
gridref = TQ417157
manager = London, Brighton and South Coast Railway
owner = Southern Railway
Southern Region of British Railways
locale = Barcombe
borough = Lewes District, East Sussex
platforms = 1
years = August 1882
events = Opened as "New Barcombe"
years1 = 2 January 1885
events1 = Renamed "Barcombe"
years2 = 13 June 1955
events2 = Closed

Barcombe was a railway station serving the village of Barcombe in East Sussex. It was part of the East Grinstead to Lewes line, more popularly known as the Bluebell Railway.

The station was originally opened as "New Barcombe" to distinguish it from the nearby station of Barcombe Mills (then called 'Barcombe'), and was changed to its more usual name on 1 January 1885. In 1897 goods sidings were installed at a cost of £1450. [cite book | last = Mitchell | first = Vice | authorlink = | coauthors = Smith, Keith | title = Branch Lines to East Grinstead | publisher = Middleton Press | date = 1984 | location = Midhurst, West Sussex | pages = | url = | doi = | id = | isbn = 090652007X ]

Following closure of the line in 1955 under British Rail's Branch-Line Report (prior to the Beeching Axe), the track was lifted to the south of Sheffield Park, and Barcombe station building passed into private hands. Despite the station actually closing on the 13th June the last train ran on the 28th May due to a strike. The platform edge is still visible but the trackbed has been infilled up to the platform level. [ [http://www.subbrit.org.uk/sb-sites/stations/b/barcombe/index.shtml Subterranea Britannica] ]

Despite the re-opening of part of the East Grinstead-Lewes line by the Bluebell Railway, an extension south from its headquarters at Sheffield Park seems improbable in the short term as the intermediate station, Newick and Chailey is now covered by housing, and there would be several overbridges to be rebuilt. [ [http://www.bluebell-railway.co.uk/bluebell/extend.html Extending the Bluebell Railway] ]

External links

* [http://www.subbrit.org.uk/sb-sites/stations/b/barcombe/index.shtml Barcombe station at Subterranea Britannica]

References