Disused Stations: Fordham Station

Fordham Station Gallery 3: July 1969 - c1971

July 1969 and looking towards Ely from the up platform, where the remaining gas lamp is visible. The down platform is becoming overgrown but the waiting room remains, albeit now with a sagging canopy. The signal arm for the Mildenhall branch was removed in 1964.
Photo by John Mann

A closer view of the up platform building in July 1969.
Photo by John Mann

The station approach and forecourt in July 1969. In 2015 the approach road still exists but is heavily overgrown, particularly at its Station Road end. The signalman's car can be seen parked beside the box. Note that the canopy is still present over the entrance to the booking hall. Although by then closed for almost four years, at this time Fordham station remained in better condition than other stations which were still open.
Photo by John Mann

Fordham up platform station building viewed from the down platform, looking towards Newmarket c1971. The building on the left, which was possibly a ticket collector's office, retains a ‘Staff Only’ sign while towards the far end of the canopy one gas lamp has been retained. The canopy remains in an apparently good state of repair.
Photo from John Mann collection

The Newmarket end of Fordham up platform viewed from the down platform, looking towards Newmarket c1971. The signal box is still in use and would remain so until 1973. The small building in the centre of the image was added sometime after the station opened; its purpose has not been determined.
Photo from John Mann collection

Fordham signal box c1971. This signal box does not appear to have had a toilet, so presumably signalmen used the station facilities which remained after closure.

Photo from John Mann collection

Looking along Fordham up platform towards Ely c1971. The down waiting room has been demolished but little else has changed, and the gas lamp remains beneath the up platform canopy. One less obvious change, however, is the removal of the crossover; this had been removed after total closure of the Mildenhall branch. The cottages left of the level crossing were the original pair.
Photo from John Mann collection

Fordham station from the level crossing and looking towards Newmarket c1971. At both ends of the station the armless signal dollies for the Mildenhall branch remain and would do so until semaphore signals were abolished in 1973.
Photo from John Mann collection

Yet another view of Fordham station looking towards Ely c1971. At this time the signal box, semaphore signals and manual level crossing have another two years to go, following which dereliction would really begin to set in. Near the bottom of the signal post, right, the tensioning weight can be seen. The main purpose of these weights was not to ensure that the signal arm returned to the ‘on’ (danger/stop) position as is often thought, but to ensure that the signal wires remained taut. The concrete blocks on the left supported point rodding, the rodding sitting on rollers in the horseshoe-shaped guides seen on top of the blocks. They are probably surplus from when the track was rationalised following closure of the goods yard and removal of its pointwork. The 'Beware of Trains' sign on the left seems to have appeared after closure of the station. The circumstances of the photographer are not known but, unless a railway employee, a track pass would have been required to stand in the position above. That was the official version; in practice, especially at rural locations, a friendly word with a signalman or some other responsible person would usually be all that was required. Today the situation is very different indeed.
Photo from John Mann collection

Fordham station forecourt c1971. The Austin Cambridge also appears in another photograph taken a couple of years earlier. The evidence that the station is closed is the lack of noticeboards and any form of signage.
Photo from John Mann collection

Fordham station forecourt c1971. The station house appears still to be occupied, perhaps explaining the continued presence of the Austin Cambridge. There is evidence of some building work going on, maybe internal alterations. The building on the left was added after the station opened and of unknown purpose. The frosted glass in the lower half of the window suggests an office or perhaps a parcels store. Half a century or more ago a lockable door and frosted glass would be all that was considered necessary for security purposes. The small building on the corner directly ahead of the camera was a later addition.
Photo from John Mann collection

Click here for Fordham Station Gallery 3:
June 1973 - May 2015

[Source: Darren Kitson]

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