Ham Street & Orlestone
The station came into
use with the SER’s double-track Ashford to Hastings line on 13th February 1851,
being known as plain ‘’Ham Street’’ from the outset. It was one of a number of
sites along the route to open with an impressive main building which, in light
of the sparse populations served on the Romney Marsh, gave the station a
deceptively important air about it. In true SER tradition, two staggered
platforms of red brick construction, separated by a track foot crossing, were in
evidence from the outset. As per other SER stations demonstrating a staggered
arrangement, platforms were positioned in a manner which ensured that those
passengers using the track foot crossing only ever walked behind a stabled
train; thus, individuals would not be struck by a departing service. The main
building was positioned on the ‘’up’’ side, and was of familiar architecture:
two-storeys high and 40-feet in length, the structure was constituted of red
brick, lined at its edges with yellow brick, and comprised a pair of
perpendicular slated pitched-roof sections. It was a variation of a standardised
design, examples of which also came into use along the route at Winchelsea and
Appledore, and indeed, at Wadhurst, along the SER’s main Hastings line via
Tunbridge Wells. An interesting feature of the buildings at both Ham Street and
Winchelsea were the three-piece pagoda-style canopies. These lacked any form of
valance, and indeed, such a feature was not even fitted under SE&CR auspices –
this was despite the fact that this company installed attractive canopies at
both Rye and Appledore in the early 20th Century. From the outset, passengers on
the ‘’down’’ platform were completely exposed to the elements, this surface
lacking both a shelter and canopy. Both platform surfaces were backed at their
rears by timber fencing.
Initially, no goods facilities were present at the site, but before the turn of
the century, and prior to the formation of the SE&CR, single sidings came into
use on both ‘’up’’ and ‘’down’’ sides, residing directly opposite the platform
surfaces. As was the case at Rye, these sidings were linked by a pair of wagon
turntables, which served a single-track lying perpendicular across the running
lines, doubling up with the track foot crossing. The ‘’up’’ siding served a row
of cattle pens, and the wagon turntable on this side of the running lines also
sprouted a further two goods sidings, roughly at a right-angle to the platforms.
It is worth noting that whilst the ‘’down’’ siding had a direct rail connection
with the running lines, that on the ‘’up’’ side could only be accessed by means
of traversing both wagon turntables. Trailing crossovers had been installed to
the north and south of the station layout.
In 1893, contractor Saxby & Farmer re-signalled the Ashford to Ore (exclusive)
stretch of line, and one of this company’s attractive signal cabins emerged at
the northern end of the ‘’down’’ platform. Complete with a brick base, a timber
upper half, and a gabled roof, identical examples still exist today at Sturry
and Wye, on the Ashford to Thanet route, via Canterbury West. Four years later,
on 1st February 1897, the station became ‘’Ham Street & Orlestone’’; the suffix
was that of a small parish, located ⅔-mile to the north-west of the line.
Changes under the SE&CR appear to have included the addition of a corrugated hut
on the ‘’up’’ platform, immediately south of the main building. Passengers on
the ‘’down’’ platform were treated to a 20-foot-long timber waiting shelter;
this was built to a standardised design, and identical examples emerged at Rye
and Winchelsea. The ‘’up’’ siding received a direct connection with the adjacent
running line, which avoided the need to run via the ‘’down’’ siding and two
wagon turntables to gain access (although the latter were still retained). Later
alterations made at the site by the Southern Railway included the removal of the
wagon turntables, circa 1935, and the blocking up for the rear-most windows on
the signal box’s northern side. Interestingly, the company did not install its
trademark swan neck gas lamps at Ham Street – the existing diamond-shaped
examples of SER design remained right up until BR’s ‘’Modern Image’’ prevailed
at the site. ‘’Target’’ name signs did, however, come into use, and these in
turn were later replaced by BR-designed ‘’Totems’’.
The February
1956-approved Kent Coast Electrification Scheme outlined extending third rail
from Ore, across the Romney Marsh to Ashford. In the meantime, a diesel service,
operated by four two-vehicle Hampshire/Berkshire DEMUs, commenced along the
route on 9th June 1958. In conjunction with this, the Ashford-bound platform at
Ham Street & Orlestone was rebuilt at its northern end, using concrete cast
components; the Hastings-bound surface was similarly treated at its southern
end. Further modifications to the Ashford-bound platform in 1960, as part of the
electrification scheme, included re-facing the surface at its southern end with
prefabricated concrete. The track foot crossing remained in use between the
platforms, but despite the aforementioned modifications to the site, the route
was dropped from the Kent Coast Electrification Scheme. Thereafter, the DEMU
service, which had proven successful, was perpetuated. Goods traffic was
subsequently withdrawn from Ham Street & Orlestone on 4th December 1961, and
just under five years later, the crossovers between the lines were removed,
leading to the complete abolition of the signal box.
Ham Street has been fortunate to avoid the severe rationalisation suffered by
its ‘’twin’’ at Winchelsea. The singling of the route in 1979 encompassed only
that section of line between Appledore and Ore, thus the station retains both
platforms and the splendidly restored main building. However, it does appear
that about five years earlier, the Hastings-bound platform was re-lined at its
rear with mesh fencing, supported upon wooden posts. Ham Street remains as a
delightful, well-kept rural station, and in addition to the surviving main
building and timber waiting shelter, is still host to a somewhat rare feature on
the ex-Southern Region network: an operational track foot crossing between the
platforms.
The foot crossing between the platforms shared its site with the connecting track between the two wagon turntables.
The ''down'' platform had yet to receive a waiting shelter. Drawn by David Glasspool
17th August 2008
An Ashford-bound view from the ''down'' platform shows architect William Tress' fine station building in the
background, whilst closer to the camera, on the right, is the SE&CR's quaint timber waiting shelter. On the
extreme right can be witnessed the mesh platform fencing of about 1974 origin and, on the left, the bushes
and shrubs which now occupy the former site of the ''up'' siding. David Glasspool
17th August 2008
Another Hastings-bound view better shows the variation of ''up'' platform construction: prefabricated concrete;
red brick; prefabricated concrete cast components. A rarity, the track foot crossing, is also in view, occupying
a site it once shared with a single track linking a pair of wagon turntables. The Saxby & Farmer signal box
formerly resided behind the platform in the foreground, upon a site in-between the pair of lamp posts on the
right. The village of Orlestone, which was once borne on the name boards, is located ⅔-mile to the north-west.
David Glasspool
17th August 2008
A view of the façade shows the slate-roofed pagoda-style canopy, which extends around three sides of the
building. Unusually, the upper floor of the southern elevation is whitewashed, but this paint scheme has for
long been a feature of this particular section of wall (and, indeed, associated chimneystack). The elevated
stage to the right of the main building, immediately behind the parking spaces, was once host to a corrugated
iron shed. David Glasspool
Return to the Kent Rail Homepage or alternatively, check for Updates.
Website & Copyright information - Links - Contact the Webmaster
All content is copyright © David Glasspool