Higham railway station (Suffolk)

Not to be confused with Higham Railway Station in Kent.
Higham
Location
Place Higham, Forest Heath
Area Suffolk
Operations
Original company Great Eastern Railway
Platforms 2
History
1 Apr 1854 Opened[1]
2 Jan 1967 Closed to passengers
28 Dec 1964

Closed to goods

[2]
Disused railway stations in the United Kingdom
Closed railway stations in Britain
A B C D–F G H–J K–L M–O P–R S T–V W–Z
UK Railways portal

Higham railway station was a station serving Higham in the English county of Suffolk. It was opened by the Great Eastern Railway in 1854 when the railway was extended from Newmarket to Bury St Edmunds. From 1929 onwards the four station staff were replaced by a 'Porter-in-charge' until the station's closure by British Railways in 1967.[3]

Higham station was unique on the line for having an exceptionally large goods shed which dealt with a heavy agricultural traffic in the early twentieth century until good traffic was withdrawn in 1964.[4] The station also dealt with traffic from the nearby Rothamsted Research Broom's Barn.

Following the station's closure, the station building and goods shed were sold off and the track layout rationalised, resulting in the removal of the south platform and the closure of the signal box in 1970.[5]

Today, the station and the goods shed is in private ownership and well preserved as a crafts and lighting gallery, with the goods shed extended in 2002 and converted to a show room.[6] The station building is the sole remaining example dating from the extension of the Newmarket line - identical buildings at Saxham and Risby railway station and Kennett railway station have since been demolished.[7]

According to the Official Handbook of Stations the following classes of traffic were being handled at this station in 1956: G, P, F, L, H, C and there was a 1-ton 10 cwt crane. [8]

Preceding station Historical railways Following station
Saxham & Risby
Line open, station closed
  Great Eastern Railway
Ipswich-Cambridge/Peterborough
  Kennett
Line and station open

References

  1. Butt, R. V. J. (1995). The Directory of Railway Stations: details every public and private passenger station, halt, platform and stopping place, past and present (1st ed.). Sparkford: Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN 1-8526-0508-1. OCLC 60251199.
  2. Clinker, C.R., (1978) Clinker’s Register of Closed Station, Avon Anglia ISBN 0-905466-19-5
  3. http://www.little-saxham.suffolk.gov.uk/history/station.shtml
  4. http://www.flickr.com/photos/blue-pelican-railways/8647970735/in/photostream/
  5. http://www.flickr.com/photos/blue-pelican-railways/8618089921/in/photostream/
  6. http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/865381
  7. http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Former_railway_station_at_Higham,_Suffolk_-_geograph.org.uk_-_35109.jpg
  8. Official Handbook of Stations, British Transport Commission, 1956

External links

Coordinates: 52°15′55″N 0°33′30″E / 52.2652°N 0.5583°E / 52.2652; 0.5583

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Monday, April 13, 2015. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.