Lyme Regis railway station
Encyclopedia
Lyme Regis railway station was the terminus of the Lyme Regis branch line in the west of the English
county of Dorset
. Serving the village of Lyme Regis
, it was sited high above the town centre as a result of the hilly nature of the local area. The line straddled the county boundary so that although the terminus was in Dorset most of the line lay in the neighbouring county of Devon
.
, it was operated from the start by the London and South Western Railway
. The line then passed on to the Southern Railway
in 1923 and the Southern Region of British Railways
on nationalisation in 1948. It was then transferred to the Western Region in 1962, but the station and branch line were closed by the British Railways Board
in November 1965.
and engine shed, and a small goods shed.
The station closed with the branch in 1965.
on the Watercress Line
, a heritage line in nearby Hampshire
.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
county of Dorset
Dorset
Dorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...
. Serving the village of Lyme Regis
Lyme Regis
Lyme Regis is a coastal town in West Dorset, England, situated 25 miles west of Dorchester and east of Exeter. The town lies in Lyme Bay, on the English Channel coast at the Dorset-Devon border...
, it was sited high above the town centre as a result of the hilly nature of the local area. The line straddled the county boundary so that although the terminus was in Dorset most of the line lay in the neighbouring county of Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
.
History
Opened under the Light Railways Act 1896Light Railways Act 1896
The Light Railways Act 1896 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland . Before the Act each new railway line built in the country required a specific Act of Parliament to be obtained by the company that wished to construct it, which greatly added to the cost...
, it was operated from the start by the London and South Western Railway
London and South Western Railway
The London and South Western Railway was a railway company in England from 1838 to 1922. Its network extended from London to Plymouth via Salisbury and Exeter, with branches to Ilfracombe and Padstow and via Southampton to Bournemouth and Weymouth. It also had many routes connecting towns in...
. The line then passed on to the Southern Railway
Southern Railway (Great Britain)
The Southern Railway was a British railway company established in the 1923 Grouping. It linked London with the Channel ports, South West England, South coast resorts and Kent...
in 1923 and the Southern Region of British Railways
Southern Region of British Railways
The Southern Region was a region of British Railways from 1948. The region ceased to be an operating unit in its own right in the 1980s and was wound up at the end of 1992. The region covered south London, southern England and the south coast, including the busy commuter belt areas of Kent, Sussex...
on nationalisation in 1948. It was then transferred to the Western Region in 1962, but the station and branch line were closed by the British Railways Board
British Railways Board
The British Railways Board was a nationalised industry in the United Kingdom that existed from 1962 to 2001. From its foundation until 1997, it was responsible for most railway services in Great Britain, trading under the brand names British Railways and, from 1965, British Rail...
in November 1965.
Buildings
A small wooden building served the single platform. The station also had a signal boxSignal box
On a rail transport system, signalling control is the process by which control is exercised over train movements by way of railway signals and block systems to ensure that trains operate safely, over the correct route and to the proper timetable...
and engine shed, and a small goods shed.
The station closed with the branch in 1965.
The site today
The former site is now a small industrial estate. The station building was moved to AlresfordAlresford (Hampshire) railway station
Alresford station is a railway station in New Alresford, Hampshire, UK.-History:Constructed in 1865 for the new Alton, Alresford and Winchester Railway Company which later became the first incarnation of the Mid-Hants Railway, the station later joined the London and South Western Railway. It was...
on the Watercress Line
Watercress Line
The Watercress Line is the marketing name of the Mid-Hants Railway, a heritage railway in Hampshire, England, running from New Alresford to Alton where it connects to the National Rail network. The line gained its popular name in the days that it was used to transport locally grown watercress to...
, a heritage line in nearby Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
.