Disused Stations: Dover Marine/Dover Western Docks Station

[Source: Nick Catford]

Dover Marine Station Gallery 2: 10 November 1920 - c1950s

On 10 November 1920, the coffin holding the body of the Unknown Warrior was taken to Boulogne where HMS ‘Verdun’ lay waiting to bring him home to Britain. As HMS ‘Verdun’ approached Dover, the Prince of Wales Pier was overflowing with people who had come to pay their respects. The town’s shops had closed, and flags were flown at half mast. Six bearers, Lieutenant-Colonels or the equivalent rank from all of the armed forces, boarded the ship, and the coffin was received by General Sir J Longley, Commander of the Eastern Area, and Colonel Knight, Commander of the Dover Garrison. The party processed to the western platform of the Marine station, from where the train to London was due to leave at 5.50pm. A plaque now commemorates the Unknown Warrior’s home-coming. The coffin was placed in passenger luggage van No.132 of the South Eastern & Chatham Railway Company - the same van which had carried the bodies of Nurse Edith Cavell and Captain Charles Fryatt. From Dover Marine station the Unknown Warrior was conveyed to London for burial the following day
at Westminster Abbey.

Dover Marine station looking north from platform 5 in 1921, two years after the station opened to the public. There were two 60ft-wide island platforms numbered 3 and 4, 5 and 6. Roads 1 and 2 did not serve platform faces and were outside the trainshed, used by trains loading goods directly onto ships.
Photo from Jim Lake collection

The only locomotive facilities at Dover Marine were a turntable and water tank behind the signal box; they are seen in this view from the 1920s. Locomotives were allocated to the former LC &DR shed at Dover Priory. This was replaced with a new 5-road shed on the site of Dover Town station in 1928. The turntable and tank seen here were removed at this time.
Photo from John Mann collection

Dover Marine station seen from the ‘Lord Warden’ hotel before August 1923. The covered footbridge from the pedestrian entrance is seen on the right passing over the lines to the Admiralty Pier. The width of the two island platforms is clearly seen in this view.
Copyright photo from John Alsop collection

Looking south towards Dover Marine station in May 1925. The pedestrian entrance opposite the ‘Lord Warden’ hotel is seen on the right. From there a 455ft-long enclosed glazed footbridge took passengers into the station. Dover Marine's 120-lever signal box is seen on the left.
Copyright photo John Alsop collection

The rail entrance to platform 3 at Dover Marine station in 1928. The ship berth, served by two railway tracks, is seen on the left. 'Lord Nelson' class 853 is seen. This loco entered SR service in September 1928 and was named ‘Sir Richard Grenville’ after the famous Royal Navy Admiral. Built at Eastleigh works to a design by Richard Maunsell and fitted with smoke deflectors in the late 1920s, it also benefitted from modifications by Bulleid when he took over from Maunsell as Chief Mechanical Engineer in 1938. Renumbered to 30853 by BR in 1948, it was withdrawn from 71B, Bournemouth shed, on 3 March 1962 and scrapped very soon afterwards.
Copyright photo John Alsop collection

The 11.00am boat train from London Victoria is seen passing Dover Town station on the approach to Dover Marine on 16 June 1924. This train is the predecessor of the 'Golden Arrow'. No.497 was built at Ashford works to a Harry Wainwright ‘E’ Class design and entered service in September 1907. This loco was rebuilt in the early 1920s by Maunsell with a larger boiler, firebox and cylinders and renumbered by the Southern Railway to 1497. It was finally withdrawn by BR from 73B, Bricklayers Arms shed, numbered 31497 on 22 October 1960 and broken up later that year. It was involved in a crash on 5 March 1909 when it overran signals at Tonbridge Junction, Kent while hauling an express passenger working; loco No. 165, hauling a mail train, ran into it killing two pople and injuring eleven.
Photo from John Mann collection

Dover Marine station looking north from platform 4 c1930s.

Copyright photo John Alsop collection

The approach to Dover Marine station is seen c1933 during the construction of the train ferry dock. Initially a sheet metal cofferdam with an earth embankment was constructed, but this was washed away during the winter of 1933-34 after which 10-ton concrete blocks were laid on foundations on the seabed.
Photo from Jim Lake collection

Looking north towards Dover Marine station from the Admiralty Pier c1930s. The Dover Turret is seen on the left. This fort, at the end of the Admiralty Pier, was completed in 1880 and mounted with two 16in, 81-ton rifled muzzle loading (RML) guns with a range of 4.3 miles. The Grand Shaft barracks on top of the Western Heights is seen in the background.

Returning soldiers at Dover Marine station following evacuation from Dunkirk in 1940.

During WW2 the Marine station was prone to consistent shelling and was closed after the Dunkirk evacuation. On 7 June 1944 the Southern Railway's engine shed near Marine Station received a direct hit seriously injuring Henry Whitewood, who died a week later. The worst damage to the Marine station occurred overnight on 12 September 1944; luckily most of the damage was confined to the roof. Note the lack of any kind of signage. By this time all trains and stations were subject to the blackout. Station names were removed so passengers had to rely on a porter shouting out the name. At night, as most station lights were sprayed with blue paint, platforms were dimly lit and even these were extinguished when the air raid warning was sounded.

The north end of the Dover Marine trainshed in August 1947. The photographer is standing beneath the long footbridge that links the passenger entrance opposite the ‘Lord Warden’ hotel with the train ferry dock. In the distance the Prince of Wales pierhead is seen and, beyond that, the Southern Breakwater.
Photo from John Mann collection

Dover Marine station and the Admiralty Pier seen from the Western Heights in circa 1950s. The original pierhead is seen top centre with the early twentieth century extension to the left. The Dover Marine trainshed is seen in the centre with the 4-road carriage shed to the right. The building at the south end of the trainshed is the customs hall. The train ferry dock is seen bottom centre; pedestrian access is by footbridge on the north side of the Lord Warden hotel. By the end of the decade this footbridge would be joined to the footbridge to the Marine station with a new section of bridge running along the east side of the hotel. The building to the right of the hotel is part of Dover Town station. In the 1930s the building was used as offices for the Southern Railway Marine Department. It is not known when they left, but the building survived until 1963.

Click here for Dover Marine Station Gallery 3:
Mid 1950s - September 1969

Station Name: DOVER MARINE/DOVER WESTERN DOCKS