The Nth Degree Posted August 21, 2013 Share Posted August 21, 2013 I'm hoping someone can help. I've seen a few pictures of Lavenham station and think it looks really nice – compact and full of interest, but in a beautiful rural setting. I've noticed in pictures that there seems to be three rail-connected commercial buildings in the station area (they are listed on maps from 1912 to the late '50s) but I can't find out what type of commerce or which companies they are. Does anyone know? Thanks in advance. Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
giz Posted August 21, 2013 Share Posted August 21, 2013 Sorry, can't help with the buildings but I have been thinking Lavenham would make a good model as well. I worked out that the area between the two bridges would scale out at about 9ft in 4mm scale. There has been a thread on LNER Encyclopedia, don't know if you've seen it? http://www.lner.info/forums/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=8019&hilit=lavenham May be worth asking there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Nth Degree Posted August 21, 2013 Author Share Posted August 21, 2013 Thanks for your help Giz, I'll pop over and ask. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bernard Lamb Posted August 21, 2013 Share Posted August 21, 2013 At one time, there was a sugar beet processing plant, but this appears to be some distance from the railway going by plans that I have seen. It closed in the 1880s but how long the buildings survived I know not. There was also a factory that made coconut matting. Again I have no knowledge of any rail connection or if any material in/goods out went by train. In this case I don't even know the location of the building. it would be an interesting feature on a model and I doubt if there are many folk about who know the true situation. It would seem quite plausible to me for it to be rail served. Bernard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Nth Degree Posted August 21, 2013 Author Share Posted August 21, 2013 Thanks Bernhard, there is a large building to the north of the station, which is not rail-served but all the maps I've looked at are not labelled so I can't identify anything except rail company buildings. I've taken and coloured a snapshot from old-maps.co.uk which show the buildings I'm interested in (marked in red) together with the large goods shed (marked in blue) by way of comparison. © Ordnance Survey Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Turnbull Posted August 21, 2013 Share Posted August 21, 2013 There is an aerial photograph of Lavenham station dated 3rd April 1929 on page 152 of Railway Stations from the Air published by Ian Allan, ISBN 0 7110 2980 6. They are all single storey timber buildings with what looks like corrugated iron roofs. The southernmost one has coal staithes attached and the northernmost one has a coal wagon adjacent to it. This latter building has a company nameboard attached although it is impossible to read it. It may be that they are all private coal merchants although I have never come across covered coal staithes before. The building to the north of the station is a rather grand house. Chris Turnbull Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shadow Posted August 21, 2013 Share Posted August 21, 2013 There's a very quick glimpse of the buildings in this archive film. (about the first 9 seconds!!) If you pause you can just make out out a few details. http://www.eafa.org.uk/catalogue/1021 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
giz Posted August 21, 2013 Share Posted August 21, 2013 (edited) The building to the north of the station is a rather grand house. Chris Turnbull It was recently for sale at around £1million. Edited August 21, 2013 by giz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shadow Posted August 21, 2013 Share Posted August 21, 2013 also just found that someone has done a Train Simulator (or one of the similar programs) version See post 502 here http://forums.auran.com/trainz/showthread.php?20811-UK-Screenshots-for-Pre-BR-Blue-High-resolution-warning/page34 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Turnbull Posted August 22, 2013 Share Posted August 22, 2013 (edited) also just found that someone has done a Train Simulator (or one of the similar programs) version See post 502 here http://forums.auran.com/trainz/showthread.php?20811-UK-Screenshots-for-Pre-BR-Blue-High-resolution-warning/page34 The buildings in this simulation are not correct. The nearest one is in the wrong position and they have all been assumed to be the same shape which they are not. Best thing to do is to ignore the simulation. Chris Turnbull Edited August 22, 2013 by Chris Turnbull Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trisonic Posted August 22, 2013 Share Posted August 22, 2013 The February 2013 (I think) edition of Back Track had an article on the Lavenham line with photographs of Lavenham station and environs. Best, Pete.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Nth Degree Posted August 22, 2013 Author Share Posted August 22, 2013 I've found a couple Lavenham historians and emailed them about the buildings and general commerce in the area. I had no idea there was a gas works in the village, for example, so some of the mineral wagons may have been delivering coke? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam Posted August 22, 2013 Share Posted August 22, 2013 (edited) I've found a couple Lavenham historians and emailed them about the buildings and general commerce in the area. I had no idea there was a gas works in the village, for example, so some of the mineral wagons may have been delivering coke? Given that the coal gas production process created coke as a by-product, it's more likely any coke wagons would be taking it away (assuming that it wasn't sold locally for fuel which, in a farming area, is probable). I'm afraid that the only Lavenham building I know the first thing about is the church - an especially fine fifteenth century building - so can't be more helpful with the details of the station. Adam Edited August 22, 2013 by Adam Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justin1985 Posted August 22, 2013 Share Posted August 22, 2013 Lavenham is a station I've long flirted with modelling as a long term project in 2FS (I think Clare will be more likely in the end). Chris Turnbull's answer is pretty much what I came up with when researching it too. The sugar beet factory wasn't that far away, but was never rail connected, while the gas works were quite a distance away on Water Lane (which makes no sense at all really!) the rather ornate gas holder is still there, and I believe is a listed building. The grand house, Highfield, appears to have had quite a range of outbuildings, but was largely screened from the station by high trees. Further up the hill to the north was a windmill, which would make a nice feature on a backscene. I think the map on old-maps is the 1900 edition, but looking at the 1880s edition on EDINA Digimap, the furthest south-west building in the range was actually connected by a diagonal siding to the wagon turntable at the end of the goods shed spur, which joined the other sidings which lead from the east towards the west. The middle building is shown with a slightly different plan, with an open section to the east end - probably the staithes mentioned. The furthest east building is shown only in outline, rather than shaded, implying it was only open staithes, maybe? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
giz Posted August 22, 2013 Share Posted August 22, 2013 The sugar beet factory wasn't that far away, but was never rail connected, while the gas works were quite a distance away on Water Lane (which makes no sense at all really!) the rather ornate gas holder is still there, and I believe is a listed building. The gas works in Hadleigh (a few miles away) was also a long way from the railway, on the opposite side of town in fact, so presumably it wasn't seen as important for a gas works to be directly rail connected. It was also close to the river so was a good supply of water seen as more important? They must have carted the incoming coal across town and as Adam said the resulting coke was probably sold locally. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fat Controller Posted August 22, 2013 Share Posted August 22, 2013 (edited) The gas works in Hadleigh (a few miles away) was also a long way from the railway, on the opposite side of town in fact, so presumably it wasn't seen as important for a gas works to be directly rail connected. It was also close to the river so was a good supply of water seen as more important? They must have carted the incoming coal across town and as Adam said the resulting coke was probably sold locally. Apart from the really big ones, like those at Beckton, most gasworks wouldn't have used a huge amount of coal; certainly small rural ones (of which there were quite a lot) wouldn't have had problems meeting their requirements by bringing coal from the goods yard, a ton or so at the time. Water was needed in quantity, however, for purposes such as quenching the coke, and reliable supplies of quantities of water would have been sparse. Coke would have probably gone to the local smithy, amongst other commercial users; it wouldn't normally have gone for domestic fuel, as it doesn't burn well without a forced draught. Edited August 22, 2013 by Fat Controller Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold beast66606 Posted August 22, 2013 RMweb Gold Share Posted August 22, 2013 http://www.disused-stations.org.uk/l/lavenham/ Might help Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Nth Degree Posted August 23, 2013 Author Share Posted August 23, 2013 Thanks for all the help, information and suggestions both in-forum and by messages. Some really good info has been gathered and will be expanded upon upon arrival of a couple books and the magazine Pete mentioned above. I'v contacted the local Tourist Information Centre and a local historian, plus a contributor to a website devoted to Lavenham history. I'm also joining the GER Society Yahoo Group. If I find out the information I'm looking for I'll post it here as it seems to be quite a popular layout subject. Cheers, Steve 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LNERGE Posted August 23, 2013 Share Posted August 23, 2013 (edited) Tokens here.. http://freespace.virgin.net/david.holden4/longmelford_bury_line/longmelford_bury_line.htm Edited August 23, 2013 by LNERGE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Claire RJ Posted January 25, 2016 Share Posted January 25, 2016 Having just come across this in Stations from the air (previously referred to above), the thing that struck me about the station's track layout was how awkward it must have been to shunt, which in itself would make it interesting! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justin1985 Posted January 25, 2016 Share Posted January 25, 2016 If anyone is still interested in the mystery sheds, it struck me that they're very similar indeed to two sheds on the coal siding at Clare, on the other branch of the Stour Valley. I can't conclude anything other than the fact they must have been covered coal merchants' stores? On the disused stations site there is a pretty clear 1940s image of Clare from the east which shows the two "storage sheds" on what they call the coal siding, with what are very clearly private owner coal wagons in front of them. In a later aerial image on the site the sheds have been demolished, revealing a big dirty smudge on the ground - presumably coal dust? Lavenham really is crying out to be modelled - just look at that fiendish pointwork! Justin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Nth Degree Posted January 25, 2016 Author Share Posted January 25, 2016 Thanks Justin for the links. Modelling this site or another East Anglian branch is one of my aims at some point. I need a bigger house though, as I'll be doing it in 7mm scale. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Turnbull Posted March 4, 2016 Share Posted March 4, 2016 I've just bought a second-hand copy of "Branches & Byways East Anglia" by John Brodribb and this is part of the description of Lavenham:- There were loading docks behind the main up platform, together with a substantial brick-built goods shed and stores for local feed merchants. So, local feed merchants perhaps. This would explain why the "coal staithes" were covered! Chris Turnbull Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andy1626 Posted November 12, 2017 Share Posted November 12, 2017 The Colchester group are modelling Lavenham in P4. Any extra info would be appreciated as would anyone interested in getting involved Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now