Hawkhurst railway station

The station was opened on 4 September 1893,{{sfn|Butt|1995|p=116}} when the line was extended from {{stnlnk|Goudhurst}}; Hawkhurst became the new terminus,{{sfn|Vallance|1955|p=122}}{{sfn|Awdry|1990|p=183}} and although there were plans to extend the line to {{stnlnk|Rye|East Sussex}}, these were never carried out. The station found itself in a slightly isolated and elevated position overlooking the Weald, approximately {{convert|1+1/4|mi|km}} from Hawkhurst itself.{{sfn|Vallance|1955|p=125}} It had a single {{convert|308|ft|m|adj=mid|-long platform}} situated on the down side, and a short {{convert|140|ft|m|adj=mid| bay platform}}. The station was built as a through station, as it was proposed to extend the line to Tenterden but the extension was never built. The stationmaster's house is located to the south of the station as approached from the road. There was a two-road locomotive shed which opened at the same time as the station; it officially closed in 1931.{{sfn|McCarthy|McCarthy|Cobb|2007|p=72}} The railway was used to send pot plants from Hawkhurst station; a million a year being reported.{{sfn|White|1992|p=66}}

The station was closed with the line on 12 June 1961.{{sfn|Butt|1995|p=116}} The site is now occupied by the Kent Woodware Company. The main station building was demolished in the mid-1960s. The engine shed, goods shed and signal box all survive in decent condition. The proprietor of the site has the signal box regularly repainted in Southern Railway colours and it retains its green and white "Hawkhurst" sign.

However, as of 14 January 2011, plans have been approved to build industrial units on the site.

{{reflist|colwidth=20em}}

• {{cite book |last=Awdry |first=Christopher |author-link=Christopher Awdry |title=Encyclopaedia of British Railway Companies |year=1990 |publisher=Guild Publishing |location=London |id=CN 8983 }}
• {{cite book |last=Butt |first=R.V.J. |title=The Directory of Railway Stations |year=1995 |publisher=Patrick Stephens Ltd |location=Yeovil |isbn=1-85260-508-1 |id=R508 }}
• {{cite book |last=Conolly |first=W. Philip |title=British Railways Pre-Grouping Atlas and Gazetteer |edition=5th |date=January 1976 |publisher=Ian Allan |location=Shepperton |isbn=0-7110-0320-3 |id=EX/0176 }}
• {{cite book |last1=McCarthy |first1=Colin |last2=McCarthy |first2=David |last3=Cobb |first3=Michael |editor-last=Waller |editor-first=Peter |title=Kent and Sussex |series=Railways of Britain |date=October 2007 |publisher=Ian Allan |location=Hersham |isbn=978-0-7110-3222-4 |id=0710/C1 }}
• {{cite magazine |last=Vallance |first=H.A. |date=February 1955 |title=Through the Wealden Hills to Hawkhurst |magazine=The Railway Magazine |volume=101 |issue=646 |publisher=Tothill Press |location=Westminster |issn=0033-8923 |url=https://sremg.org.uk/RlyMag/ThroughTheWealdenHillsToHawkhurst.pdf |format=PDF |access-date=13 January 2010 }}
• {{cite book |last=White |first=H.P. |editor1-last=Thomas |editor1-first=David St John |editor1-link=David St John Thomas |editor2-last=Patmore |editor2-first=J. Allan |title=Volume 2: Southern England |edition=5th |series=A Regional History of the Railways of Great Britain |year=1992 |orig-year=1961 |publisher=David St John Thomas |location=Nairn |isbn=0-946537-77-1 }}

• [http://www.subbrit.org.uk/sb-sites/stations/h/hawkhurst/index.shtml Hawkhurst railway station at Disused-Stations.org.uk]
• [http://www.npemap.org.uk/tiles/map.html#575,132,1 Hawkhurst station on navigable 1940 O. S. map]
• [http://www.s-r-s.org.uk/html/srb/R1735.htm Signal diagram, 1893]

{{Disused Rail Start}}

{{Rail line|previous=Cranbrook |route=British Railways
Southern Region
Hawkhurst Branch |col={{BR(S) colour}} }}

{{s-end}}

{{Hawkhurst}}

{{Closed stations Kent}}

{{coord|51.0631|0.5058|type:railwaystation_region:GB|display=title}}

Category:Disused railway stations in Kent

Category:Hawkhurst

Category:Former South Eastern Railway (UK) stations

Category:Railway stations in Great Britain opened in 1893

Category:Railway stations in Great Britain closed in 1961