Tenterden St. Michael's railway station
Encyclopedia
Tenterden St. Michael's was a railway station on the Kent and East Sussex Railway
which served the Tenterden
suburb
of St Michaels
in Kent
, England
. The station was situated on the southern side of a level crossing
to the south of St. Michael's tunnel, one of the line's main civil engineering
features. Closed in 1954, nothing remains of St. Michael's today: a footpath and cycleway runs through the site.
on the outskirts of Tenterden
.
It was situated in a short cutting to the south of St. Michael's tunnel at the point where the Kent and East Sussex Railway
crossed the ungated level crossing
over Grange Road.
St. Michael's was little more than a halt station consisting of no more than a single platform made of sleepers
and, for some time, a small corrugated iron hut which served as a ticket office. So modest were the facilities that the wooden picket gate
leading from the road for the use of passengers has been described as "more obvious than the halt itself". By August 1938, the ticket office had closed and passengers were obliged to purchase their tickets on the train; the station had also become run-down and the track weed-strewn. It had fallen into a dangerous and decrepit state by 1953, the condition of the platform sleepers having seriously deteriorated. Regular passenger services on the line were withdrawn subsequently on Saturday 2 January 1954.
Kent and East Sussex Railway
The Kent & East Sussex Railway refers to both an historical private railway company in Kent and Sussex in England, as well as a heritage railway currently running on part of the route of the historical company.-Historical Company:-Background:...
which served the Tenterden
Tenterden
Tenterden is a Cinque Port town in the Ashford District of Kent, England. It stands on the edge of the Weald, overlooking the valley of the River Rother....
suburb
Suburb
The word suburb mostly refers to a residential area, either existing as part of a city or as a separate residential community within commuting distance of a city . Some suburbs have a degree of administrative autonomy, and most have lower population density than inner city neighborhoods...
of St Michaels
St Michaels, Kent
St Michaels is a suburb of Tenterden in Kent, England.-External links:* Official website for Tenterden including St Michaels, Tenterden Town Council, and Tenterden and District Chamber of Commerce* The St Michaels Village Committee website...
in 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
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...
. The station was situated on the southern side of a level crossing
Level crossing
A level crossing occurs where a railway line is intersected by a road or path onone level, without recourse to a bridge or tunnel. It is a type of at-grade intersection. The term also applies when a light rail line with separate right-of-way or reserved track crosses a road in the same fashion...
to the south of St. Michael's tunnel, one of the line's main civil engineering
Civil engineering
Civil engineering is a professional engineering discipline that deals with the design, construction, and maintenance of the physical and naturally built environment, including works like roads, bridges, canals, dams, and buildings...
features. Closed in 1954, nothing remains of St. Michael's today: a footpath and cycleway runs through the site.
History
Tenterden St. Michael's was opened in 1912 to serve the local community of St MichaelsSt Michaels, Kent
St Michaels is a suburb of Tenterden in Kent, England.-External links:* Official website for Tenterden including St Michaels, Tenterden Town Council, and Tenterden and District Chamber of Commerce* The St Michaels Village Committee website...
on the outskirts of Tenterden
Tenterden
Tenterden is a Cinque Port town in the Ashford District of Kent, England. It stands on the edge of the Weald, overlooking the valley of the River Rother....
.
It was situated in a short cutting to the south of St. Michael's tunnel at the point where the Kent and East Sussex Railway
Kent and East Sussex Railway
The Kent & East Sussex Railway refers to both an historical private railway company in Kent and Sussex in England, as well as a heritage railway currently running on part of the route of the historical company.-Historical Company:-Background:...
crossed the ungated level crossing
Level crossing
A level crossing occurs where a railway line is intersected by a road or path onone level, without recourse to a bridge or tunnel. It is a type of at-grade intersection. The term also applies when a light rail line with separate right-of-way or reserved track crosses a road in the same fashion...
over Grange Road.
St. Michael's was little more than a halt station consisting of no more than a single platform made of sleepers
Railroad tie
A railroad tie/railway tie , or railway sleeper is a rectangular item used to support the rails in railroad tracks...
and, for some time, a small corrugated iron hut which served as a ticket office. So modest were the facilities that the wooden picket gate
Picket fence
A picket fence is a variety of fence that has been used mostly for domestic boundaries. Until the introduction of advertising on fences in the 1980s, a Cricket field was also usually surrounded by a picket fence, giving rise to the expression rattling the pickets for a ball hit firmly into the...
leading from the road for the use of passengers has been described as "more obvious than the halt itself". By August 1938, the ticket office had closed and passengers were obliged to purchase their tickets on the train; the station had also become run-down and the track weed-strewn. It had fallen into a dangerous and decrepit state by 1953, the condition of the platform sleepers having seriously deteriorated. Regular passenger services on the line were withdrawn subsequently on Saturday 2 January 1954.