Station Name: BARCOMBEBarcombe Gallery 2 c1910 - 1965
c1905)old10.jpg) A view looking north-east across the station on an unknown date prior to 1931. In contrast to the neat LB&SCR signal box the station is by now looking decidedly shabby. Even the white fencing, which appears at first glance to be well maintained, is beginning to fall apart. Examples of the once ubiquitous milk churn can be seen on the platform while the only evidence of human life is the gentleman standing at the platform edge. The goods yard, installed in 1897, has a number of open wagons present while behind the north end of the station was a dock and cattle pens - a quite usual arrangement for a rural station. Note the station garden, left, and the LB&SCR lower-quadrant signals. Like the station, the signal box had opened on 1 August 1882 as "New Barcombe", with renaming to simply "Barcombe" occurring on 1 January 1885. The station served the village of Barcombe Cross, the original "New Barcombe" name was devised to distinguish the station from that at Barcombe Mills which was originally named "Barcombe". The signal box contained a Saxby & Farmer frame to that company's 1874 design. It was abolished as an economy measure by the Southern Railway on 8 June 1931 and replaced by a ground frame.Copyright photo from John Alsop collection old11.jpg)
The station again photographed from the road bridge. This is another postcard, postmarked August 1936 but the scene is likely from a few years earlier as Southern Railway signage is yet to appear. The signal box has gone, being abolished in 1931 but precisely when it was removed was not known at the time of writing. Signals have of course also been removed along with the wire run visible in other photographs. The bushes lining the slope of the approach road as if on guard duty seem to have been a relatively short lived feature, disappearing sometime in the late 1930s. Barcombe station was conveniently sited for the community it served yet patronage appears to have always been poor. Placing this is comparison with the cost of no-doubt-plentiful staff and the cost of maintaining bushes, fencing and the necessary general maintenance it is no wonder the Southern Railway instigated economies. The saving grace of Barcombe and other stations, for a time anyway, would have been goods traffic. This view is, however, notable for the apparent lack of milk churns on the platform and wagons in the goods yard.
Copyright photo from John Alsop collection old12.jpg) Looking north toward the station building from the sloping approach road on an unknown date. The general atmosphere of the photograph would suggest before WW2. The goods facilities including the cattle pens can be seen on the right. At the top of the approach road, behind the camera, once stood a rather charming gas lamp which bore lamp tablets announcing "Railway Station". The photographer was standing upon what is now a private road and although the station environs have changed completely the building itself has changed little. In Barcombe station house on 15 March 1908 was born one Bernard Holden, his father being stationmaster at the time. Bernard went on to become a professional railwayman and a founder member, later President, of what is now the Bluebell Railway. Bernard John Holden MBE passed away on 4 October 2012 aged 104 years. His funeral took place at Ditchling, home of the late Dame Vera Lynn who was a friend of Bernard, and his funeral procession included a journey by train from Sheffield Park to Kingscote.
Photo from John Mann collection old13.jpg)
A south-east facing view across the station in September 1953. The scene is rather timeless and typical of many rural stations through the decades. As was so often the case with this infrequently-served station, human life is evidenced only by the staff member on the platform. Two bicycles can be seen leaning against a barrow while two sets of once-ever-present fire buckets are visible. On the left, the running-in board carries a Southern style nameplate which suits the backboard rather better than that further along the platform. The purpose of the two doorways nearest the camera is unclear but at the Bluebell Railway's Sheffield Park station they are plated as "Signal Lineman", left, and "Private Staff", right. At Barcombe any connection with signalling was irrelevant after 1931 so this doorway probably latterly led to a store or lamp room while the other doorway possibly led to a porters room. A point to note is the design of the parapets on the bridge, right background. A similar, but not identical, design can be seen exposed on the single storey building, above right of the oil lamp, and was also present below the windows of Barcombe's former signal box. Whether this was by design or mere coincidence is not known. In the early twenty-first century the bridge was found to be badly cracked and unsafe. In 2007 tie bars were inserted, the bridge infilled and the arches bricked up.
Photo
from John Mann collection
old14.jpg)
In March 1954 a Down train arrives at Barcombe and on this occasion it would appear passengers outnumber staff. The running-in board has now lost its prominent LB&SCR lettering and received instead a Southern Railway or BR(S) enamel plate. This change was presumably made at the same time as the other running-in board at the south end of the platform. The ARP white-painted blackout contingencies are still evident while the usual clutter, barrows etc., adorns the platform. In the centre of the photograph can be seen a new lamp standard with 'swan neck' bracket and it presents something of a mystery. It is visible in other photographs from this period but not as clearly as in this instance. Photographs suggest that south of East Grinstead only Horsted Keynes received electric lighting in the pre-preservation period but one might assume plans were afoot to convert other stations. In the event Barcombe was to remain oil lit until the end, no doubt because of the 1955 closure which for this station and Kingscote was to prove permanent.
Photo by HC Casserley old15.jpg)
The station as seen from the road bridge on 26 March 1955. As was so often the case there is no sign of human activity and the station is looking rather forlorn. The wooden fencing lining the rear of the platform has long gone while the sturdy wooden fencing which had lined the approach road has been replaced with a more modern type. The platform remains oil lit and a Southern nameplate has replaced the original lettering on the running-in board, looking slightly ridiculous. The white platform edge and canopy stanchion bases are a legacy of the wartime blackout. Some wagons linger in the goods yard and opposite the nearest set of points can be seen the ground frame which replaced the signal box in 1931. Outside the station there is a hint of possible human activity is implied by the Austin 7 motor car. This is one of the later models dating from the 1930s. The East Grinstead - Lewes line was to close, Horsted Keynes excepted, illegally on 28 May 1955. Enter the famous Rose ("Madge") Bessemer. During the period the line was temporarily reopened Barcombe was not one of the stations included and therefore was to close permanently two months after this photograph was taken.
Photo from John Mann collection old16.jpg) A view looking north-east from the road bridge in March 1958. A southbound train approaches but it will not be stopping as the station had closed in 1955 as described elsewhere. The train is probably an Oxted - Brighton working and it carries the usual headcode disc arrangement for the period (there is a second disc at the centre bufferbeam position). The train will shortly reach Culver Junction and join the Uckfield line. The locomotive is a BR Standard 4 2-6-4T. A batch of these locomotives was built at Brighton Works and a number of them worked on the Southern Region. The train is not the more familiar numbered set, rather it appears to have a Maunsell 3-set at the rear with the front three vehicles being so-called 'loose' vehicles, also of Maunsell origin. The station retains evidence of the WWII blackout, or ARP, precautions. Across the network it was by no means unusual for these to remain for many years after the war. While we do not know for certain, the motor car parked at the bottom of the approach road may well have belonged to the photographer. The vehicle appears to a Ford Consul EOTA, sometimes known retrospectively as the Mk 1.
Photo from John Mann collection old17.jpg)
A view looking south towards Culver Junction in March 1958. As suggested by the clutter-free platform, Barcombe station was by this time closed. It had closed in 1955 but was one of two stations on the line, the other being Kingscote, not to reopen in 1956 as they had not been part of the original Act. In any event the line was to close for good, Horsted Keynes excepted, on 17 March 1958 shortly after, it is believed, this photograph was taken. Behind the platform ramp, left, a low wall supports a fence. This section of wall had once formed part of the base of the signal box. At the extreme left background was a goods dock and cattle pens.
Photo
from John Mann collection
2.jpg)
The closed and semi boarded-up station seen here from the forecourt in 1965. The section of line between Sheffield Park and Culver Junction, which included Barcombe, had been the first to lose its track two years after the second and final closure in 1958. The motor car is a Vauxhall Velox EIP/EIVP, this version having been introduced in 1951. A slightly ungainly vehicle it was nevertheless of very modern styling for its time. One might not unreasonably assume the vehicle belonged to the photographer but look carefully; the front bumper is missing along with the registration numberplate and no tax disc is evident. The vehicle has, therefore, probably been abandoned and this practice was common until motor vehicle records were computerised and readily accessible to the police. For many years disused railways and stations were popular choices for those wishing to abandon vehicles.
Photo by John Atfield 3.jpg) Barcombe station looking north-west from the track bed in 1965.Photo by John Atfield Click here for Barcombe Gallery 3 April 1969 - c1971
 Home Page
|
1.jpg)
Looking north-west from the road bridge in June 1960. The track and ballast have been recently lifted. The running-in board has been removed and the telegraph poles alongside the track has been removed. 