Bexhill LBSC station

[Bob C]

I've not posted here before, so as a new joiner, I'd like to say hello to everyone. I've been trying to find a bit more information on the various LBSC stations at Bexhill. I'm broadly aware of the three stations, but can't find much solid information or dates. Since I live in Battle, I've used Bexhill quite a few times, but recently acquired a photo that posed more questions than it answered. It's from the Railwaystationphotos website and can be seen there. The Curator of the museum and myself question whether it is Bexhill. Which leads on to how I can obtain photos of the old station,  especially the downside. Anyone local with a good knowledge?

[Haddocksrock]

I have seen that photo before, the one with a train entering with a station that has timber planked platforms.

This is definitely NOT Bexhill or one of the stations in the surrounding area. 

It was the subject of a query before and it was identified as a SECR station with a LCDR 4-4-0 entering.

The problem is I cannot remember where it was identified as! Lol

Bexhill itself had 3 stations. One on the LBSCR route that was subsequently rebuilt into the form it is now on a slightly different site. Plus the SECR West Station, the terminus of the branch from Crowhurst.

Also can we correct the wrong and often repeated statement that the West Station building was roofed in slate! It wasn't it used the then fashionable red/orange machine made clay plain tiles. I add this as I see the contemporary tinted postcard is shown on that site with the incorrect grey coloured roof which has misled so many authors 

 

 

Edited August 6, 2021 by Haddocksrock
Additional info

[Joseph_Pestell]

59 minutes ago, Bob C said:

I've not posted here before, so as a new joiner, I'd like to say hello to everyone. I've been trying to find a bit more information on the various LBSC stations at Bexhill. I'm broadly aware of the three stations, but can't find much solid information or dates. Since I live in Battle, I've used Bexhill quite a few times, but recently acquired a photo that posed more questions than it answered. It's from the Railwaystationphotos website and can be seen there. The Curator of the museum and myself question whether it is Bexhill. Which leads on to how I can obtain photos of the old station,  especially the downside. Anyone local with a good knowledge?

 

Middleton Press books are usually a good source. But I don't have one that covers that area.

[burgundy]

Middleton Press - South Coast Railways, Eastbourne to Hastings. It includes a photo of the original station, somewhat to the west of the current one and an OS map showing it surrounded by open country. It includes a number of photos of the replacement buildings of 1902, including the Twyfords Adamant urinals "with the now uncommon metal spreader plates" - a  seldom modelled detail.  

Best wishes 

Eric 

[cornelius]

(Bexhill resident here)

 

The Bexhill Open Street Map site is a good resource, you can overlay old maps here and the 1899 Ordnance Survey map shows the previous station:

 

https://bexhill-osm.org.uk/?T=tour&G=bexhillStation&U=railways#14/50.8519/0.4675

 

Quote

There have been three separate stations here since 1846; one was located where Sainsbury's carpark is now, the second was on Devonshire Square, and in 1902 they amalgamated to form the station we now have on Sea Road.

 

The long platforms were a benefit to the huge amount of visitors and private schools that operated in the 1900's. There would be so many travelling at the weekends, it would often be preferable to catch the early morning milk train down from London.

 

In 2008 the station went under heavy restoration and is now a Grade II listed building.

 

[Bob C]

3 hours ago, Bob C said:

I've not posted here before, so as a new joiner, I'd like to say hello to everyone. I've been trying to find a bit more information on the various LBSC stations at Bexhill. I'm broadly aware of the three stations, but can't find much solid information or dates. Since I live in Battle, I've used Bexhill quite a few times, but recently acquired a photo that posed more questions than it answered. It's from the Railwaystationphotos website and can be seen there. The Curator of the museum and myself question whether it is Bexhill. Which leads on to how I can obtain photos of the old station,  especially the downside. Anyone local with a good knowledge?

 

[Bob C]

Gents, thanks for your replies. Yes, the photo in question is the one with wooden platforms. The Middleton Press book is useful, but the problem is the transition from the 1846 station to the 1891/2 station and subsequent 1901 station.  There are very few photos of the North or down side. I saw a photo years ago of a Gladstone arriving from the Eastbourne direction, but I can't find it. I've just acquired a photo of the signal box which I'm trying to date. It has the stairs on the west side.

The Open Bexhill map is useful, but the one closest in date has not copied well.

[Right Away]

Some info on the west station here:

http://disused-stations.org.uk/b/bexhill_west/index.shtml

[Bob C]

Thank you for your reply. West Station was the SECR establishment. What became Bexhill Central, now just Bexhill, was the former LBSC station, which is what I'm researching. 

[cornelius]

Incidentally my mother-in-law ran the cafe in the West Station for a while when it was an antiques centre, and we held a couple of social meetings / personal exhibitions of the Greenwich & District Narrow Gauge Railway Society there.

[Bob C]

Gents, I'd like to keep this on track. It is the LBSC station and it's 3 iterations. 1846, 1891 & 1901.....later Bexhill Central that I'm looking at, not the SECR West Station.

[makeitminiature]

HI Bob,

I'd recommend looking at the planning records for Rother District Council.  There are lots of architects plans available which show a lot of the detail you'd be after.  Given that they are to scale they'd be helpful with scaling other aspects of the station.  I attach a file as an example of what can be found.

 

I hope you find this useful.  By the way I'm building a model of Bexhill West. 

 

Best wishes,

 

James

Bexhill Central.pdf

[Bob C]

Well, I've made some progress. Some of this is open to some confirmation! As always.

I believe the original 1840s station was extended at some time before 1892. Eventually it extended eastwards along the platform as a wooden building very similar to that on the up side. This was completed before the wooden building across the top of what is now Devonshire Square. There aren't many photos, but one shows the downside buildings from Devonshire Square. It shows that the final building is not there.... just the platform canopy. Also the station wasn't where Sainsburys car park is it's about where the transformer substation was.

At some point the signal box had it's staircase removed to it's present position,  on the east side.

[Bob C]

I've done a bit more searching. I noticed the top of the building on the down platform, which I assume is an extension eastwards on the original 1840s station, has a crenallated top. I knew I'd seen it somewhere before.... it's just like London Road and Kemp Town. Which dates it to c 1870. So that would fit in with the north or down side being more or less complete, some time before the upside in Station Square (now Devonshire). So it may be that the wooden building on Station Square  was the only part that dated to 1892.

[Bob C]

I think I can tentatively come to some conclusive statements about this station. It's a little difficult because none of the 25" ordnance surveys prior to 1907 are available. This only leaves the 6" maps, which are not really detailed enough. I now believe the sequence of events to be:

Original 1846 station built on North side of line to the west of the signal box, hence access to this originally on the west side.

Signal box built 1876, with access on west side.

Old station building demolished and replaced by new station house prior to 1892 along with wooden offices, etc. On the North side, approximately on the site of the substation. So further east. A wooden canopy built on the south side without the wooden building. 

1892 the wooden building fronting the canopy built facing Station Square (later Devonshire Square).

Most of this was removed when the new 1902 station was being built.

A few intriguing things.... the two windows in the wall, just East of the toilets are carried over from the old station. What purpose did they serve? When was the replacement station built? Guessing 1890 -2, very similar in style to Falmer 1890.