Ramsgate Town railway station
Encyclopedia
Ramsgate Town railway station is a former railway station in Ramsgate
, in the Thanet
district of Kent
, England. It was the seaside resort's first station, but was closed in 1926 when a new, more direct railway line bypassed it and the town's other station, Ramsgate Harbour
.
's main seaside resorts in the 19th century. It became a natural target during the "Railway Mania" period of the 1840s, and the South Eastern Railway company was the first to reach it when it built a route which branched off from the South Eastern Main Line at Ashford
. This reached Canterbury
on 6 February 1846 and Ramsgate on 13 April of that year. Ramsgate station, as it was then called, was built as a terminus station: when a further extension was built to Margate (Sands) station on 1 December 1846, trains had to reverse at Ramsgate to continue their journey.
Ramsgate Harbour station opened on 5 October 1863; it was much closer to the seafront and the town centre than the Town station. Both stations bore the name Ramsgate until 1871; the Harbour station was then renamed Ramsgate & St Lawrence-on-Sea. On 1 July 1899, it became Ramsgate Harbour, and Ramsgate was renamed Ramsgate Town.
The Southern Railway
company, which took over the South Eastern Railway's operations on 1 January 1923 as a result of the Grouping Act
. On 2 July 1926, it opened a new line, 1.6 miles (2.6 km) long, to connect the previously separate routes to the Town and Harbour stations. The route bypassed both stations, and two new stations—Dumpton Park
and Ramsgate
—were built on it to serve the town. From that date, the section of line between the new junction and Ramsgate Town station, and the station itself, were closed. The station was demolished immediately after closure and the site of the station is now covered by housing development, erasing all trace of the railway. A stub end of the line remains as two carriage sidings adjacent to the south of the present station terminating at Wilfred Road. The route of the line to Ramsgate Town station lies along where Station Approach Road has now been built. The station stood on the west side of Margate Road, at what is now the junction with Station Approach Road.
Ramsgate
Ramsgate is a seaside town in the district of Thanet in east Kent, England. It was one of the great English seaside towns of the 19th century and is a member of the ancient confederation of Cinque Ports. It has a population of around 40,000. Ramsgate's main attraction is its coastline and its main...
, in the Thanet
Thanet
Thanet is a local government district of Kent, England which was formed under the Local Government Act 1972, and came into being on 1 April 1974...
district of Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
, England. It was the seaside resort's first station, but was closed in 1926 when a new, more direct railway line bypassed it and the town's other station, Ramsgate Harbour
Ramsgate Harbour railway station
Ramsgate Harbour railway station is a former railway station in Ramsgate, in the Thanet district of Kent, England. Opened in 1863 as part of the Kent Coast Railway company's extension of its line from Herne Bay, it was conveniently situated for the seaside resort's beach, but it closed in 1926...
.
History
Ramsgate developed as one of South East EnglandSouth East England
South East England is one of the nine official regions of England, designated in 1994 and adopted for statistical purposes in 1999. It consists of Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, East Sussex, Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Kent, Oxfordshire, Surrey and West Sussex...
's main seaside resorts in the 19th century. It became a natural target during the "Railway Mania" period of the 1840s, and the South Eastern Railway company was the first to reach it when it built a route which branched off from the South Eastern Main Line at Ashford
Ashford International railway station
Ashford International railway station serves Ashford in Kent, England. Services are provided by Southeastern, Southern and Eurostar.International services use platforms 3 & 4, whilst domestic trains use the original platforms 1 & 2, and a new island built when the Channel Tunnel opened...
. This reached Canterbury
Canterbury West railway station
Canterbury West railway station is one of two stations in Canterbury in Kent. It is north-northwest of the city centre. It is served by Southeastern....
on 6 February 1846 and Ramsgate on 13 April of that year. Ramsgate station, as it was then called, was built as a terminus station: when a further extension was built to Margate (Sands) station on 1 December 1846, trains had to reverse at Ramsgate to continue their journey.
Ramsgate Harbour station opened on 5 October 1863; it was much closer to the seafront and the town centre than the Town station. Both stations bore the name Ramsgate until 1871; the Harbour station was then renamed Ramsgate & St Lawrence-on-Sea. On 1 July 1899, it became Ramsgate Harbour, and Ramsgate was renamed Ramsgate Town.
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...
company, which took over the South Eastern Railway's operations on 1 January 1923 as a result of the Grouping Act
Railways Act 1921
The Railways Act 1921, also known as the Grouping Act, was an enactment by the British government of David Lloyd George intended to stem the losses being made by many of the country's 120 railway companies, move the railways away from internal competition, and to retain some of the benefits which...
. On 2 July 1926, it opened a new line, 1.6 miles (2.6 km) long, to connect the previously separate routes to the Town and Harbour stations. The route bypassed both stations, and two new stations—Dumpton Park
Dumpton Park railway station
Dumpton Park railway station serves the district of Dumpton between Broadstairs and Ramsgate, Kent, England and lies on the Chatham Main Line east of Ramsgate...
and Ramsgate
Ramsgate railway station
Ramsgate railway station serves the town of Ramsgate in Thanet in Kent, England, and is located about 10 minutes away on foot from the town centre. The station lies on the Chatham Main Line 127 km east of London Victoria, the Kent Coast Line, and the Ashford to Ramsgate line...
—were built on it to serve the town. From that date, the section of line between the new junction and Ramsgate Town station, and the station itself, were closed. The station was demolished immediately after closure and the site of the station is now covered by housing development, erasing all trace of the railway. A stub end of the line remains as two carriage sidings adjacent to the south of the present station terminating at Wilfred Road. The route of the line to Ramsgate Town station lies along where Station Approach Road has now been built. The station stood on the west side of Margate Road, at what is now the junction with Station Approach Road.