Snailham Halt railway station
{{Short description|Disused railway station in East Sussex, England}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2017}}
{{Use British English|date=January 2017}}
{{Infobox station
| name = Snailham Halt
| status = Disused
| image = Snailham crossing.jpg
| caption = Site of the old station
| borough = Upper Snailham, Rother
| country = England
| coordinates = {{coord|50.9266|0.6432|type:railwaystation_region:GB|display=inline,title}}
| grid_name = Grid reference
| grid_position = {{gbmapscaled|TQ858174|25|TQ858174}}
| platforms = 2
| original = South Eastern Railway
| pregroup = South Eastern and Chatham Railway
| postgroup = Southern Railway
| years = {{Start date|1907|07|01|df=yes}}
| events = Opened as Snailham Crossing Halt
| years1 = 1909
| events1 = Renamed Snailham Halt
| years2 = {{end date|1959|02|02|df=y}}
| events2 = Closed
}}
Snailham Halt railway station was on the South Eastern Railway's route between Ashford and {{stnlnk|Hastings}}, nowadays known as the Marshlink Line. It opened in 1907 and closed in 1959.
History
The railway line between Ashford and {{stnlnk|Hastings}} was opened by the South Eastern Railway in 1851.{{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-date=1961 |publisher=David St John Thomas |location=Nairn |isbn=0-946537-77-1 |page=34 }} The 1851 Census shows no activity, but the 1851 Census shows a "Railway Crossing" with the associated cottage shown occupied by a Platelayer in each subsequent Census.{{citation needed|date=July 2013}} The 1911 Census shows that the crossing cottage was occupied by James Sargent and that his wife Charlotte is the Crossing Keeper.{{citation needed|date=July 2013}}
There were no stations between {{stnlnk|Winchelsea}} and Hastings{{cite book |last=Knight |first=Andrew |title=The Railways of South East England |year=1986 |publisher=Ian Allan |location=Shepperton |isbn=0-7110-1556-2 |page=57 }}{{cite book |last1=McCarthy |first1=Colin |last2=McCarthy |first2=David |last3=Cobb |first3=Michael |author-link3=Michael Cobb (railway historian) |editor-last=Waller |editor-first=Peter |title=Railways of Britain: Kent and Sussex |date=October 2007 |publisher=Ian Allan |location=Hersham |isbn=978-0-7110-3222-4 |id=0710/C1 |at=map 34 }} until {{stnlnk|Ore}} opened in 1888.{{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 |page=178 }} However, at the turn of the 19th century, the South Eastern and Chatham Railway (SECR) introduced a scheme to develop traffic on lightly used branch lines by providing basic halts served by railmotor services.{{cite book |last=Gray |first=Adrian |title=South Eastern and Chatham Railways |year=1998 |publisher=Middleton Press |location=Midhurst |isbn=1-9017-0608-7 |page=31 }} A sufficiently successful introduction of Kitson railmotors on the Hundred of Hoo Railway in 1906 to serve six new halts between {{rws|Gravesend}} and {{rws|Port Victoria}} persuaded the SECR to attempt the same scheme between {{stnlnk|Rye|East Sussex}} and Hastings,{{harvnb|Gray|1998|p=31}}{{cite book |last=Bradley |first=D.L. |title=The Locomotive History of the South Eastern & Chatham Railway |edition=2nd |date=April 1980 |orig-date=1961 |publisher=RCTS |location=London |isbn=0-901115-49-5 |page=30 }}{{cite book |last=Gould |first=David |title=Bogie Carriages of the South Eastern & Chatham Railway |year=1993 |publisher=Oakwood Press |location=Headington |isbn=0-85361-455-5 |id=X52 |page=191 }} three halts at a cost of £295 each were opened between Winchelsea and Ore on 1 July 1907:{{harvnb|Gray|1998|pp=31, 114}}{{cite book |last=Kidner |first=R.W. |title=Southern Railway Halts |year=1985 |publisher=Oakwood Press |location=Headington |isbn=0-8536-1321-4 |page=55 }} Snailham Crossing Halt;{{harvnb|Butt|1995|p=214}} Guestling Halt;{{harvnb|Butt|1995|p=110}} and Three Oaks Bridge Halt.{{harvnb|Butt|1995|p=229}}
Snailham Crossing Halt had two platforms;{{harvnb|Knight|1986|p=58}} its name was shortened to Snailham Halt in 1909. It was situated in a remote location nearly {{frac|1|2}}-mile from the nearest dwelling and accessed via an unsurfaced country lane.{{cite book |last1=Mitchell |first1=Vic| last2=Smith |first2=Keith |title=Hastings to Ashford and the New Romney branch |series=South Coast Railways |year=1987 |publisher=Middleton Press |location=Midhurst |isbn=0-9065-2037-1 |at=fig. 31 }} The railmotor services were not a great success as passengers disliked the units which also lacked operational flexibility.{{harvnb|Gray|1998|p=114}}
Snailham Halt was closed on 2 February 1959, and is the only station between Ashford and Hastings to have been closed.{{harvnb|Knight|1986|pp=57–58}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.npemap.org.uk/tiles/map.html#585,117,1 Snailham Halt on navigable 1940 O.S. map]
{{Historical Rail Start}}
{{rail line |previous={{stnlnk|Doleham}}
Line and station open |next={{stnlnk|Winchelsea}}
Line and station open |route=South Eastern and Chatham Railway
Ashford to Hastings Line |col={{SECR colour}} }}
{{rail end}}
{{Closed stations East Sussex |state=collapsed}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Snailham Halt Railway Station}}
Category:Disused railway stations in East Sussex
Category:Former South Eastern Railway (UK) stations
Category:Railway stations in Great Britain opened in 1907