Disused Stations: Hove Station (First)

Notes: The lines now operated under the banner 'West Coastway' have a complex history and were built in stages by five different companies between 1840 and 1889. The line from Brighton to Shoreham was a branch of the London and Brighton Railway which opened 12 May 1840, before the completion of the main line. The extensions of this line to Worthing (opened 24 November 1845), to Arundel & Littlehampton (opened 16 March 1846) and to Chichester (opened 8 June 1846) were built by the Brighton and Chichester Railway. In July 1846 these two companies merged with others to form the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway (LBSCR), which continued the line to Havant (opened 15 March 1847) and Portsmouth (opened 14 June 1847). Part of this section became jointly owned with the London and South Western Railway (LSWR), following the opening of the LSWR line from Fareham to Portcreek Junction on 1 October 1848 (connecting to the Eastleigh–Fareham line).

The first Hove station on the Brighton to Shoreham line opened on with the line 11 May 1840. The map shown below only shows a single platform and building on the down side of the line with a signal box at its east end. There was a goods yard to the south of the station with a number of sidings accessed by wagon turntables. The station closed on 1 March 1880 following the opening of the Cliftonville Curve which opened in July 1879 and linked the Shoreham line to the Brighton Main Line between Hove and Preston Park. After closure Hove station was rebuilt as the Holland Road Goods depot. The existing Hove station opened on 1 October 1865 as Cliftonville; it was later named West Brighton, before being renamed Hove and West Brighton in 1894 and finally Hove in 1895. Holland Road goods depot closed on 14 June 1971; the site is now the Peacock Industrial Estate.

Sources:

Wikipedia - various pages
Railway Passenger Stations in England, Scotland and Wales - A Chronology. ME Quick

See also Holland Road Halt

Holland Road goods yard in October 1961. The yard occupies the site of the first Hove station and good yard. The station was top right, beyond the shed with the curved roof. Ex-LB&SCR E4 0-6-2T 32468 is seen shunting workmen's coaches (The Lancing Belle) at Holland Road Goods Depot, Hove in October 1961. The cramped situation of Brighton railway works and the lack of space to expand was a constant problem for the chief engineers of London, Brighton and South Coast Railway. In 1910 the company purchased 66 acres of land at Lancing near Shoreham for a carriage and wagon works to relieve the pressure on Brighton. The works were constructed in 1911 and opened the following January with many employees transferred from Brighton. Because of the rural situation of the new factory the railway operated a special daily train from Brighton for the workforce. This became known as the Lancing Belle. A ghostly Ex-SR N 2-6-0 31871 is passing by. Hove power station stood beyond the yard to the left and was served by the siding seen at extreme left. St. Cuthbert's church is seen in the background. It stood on the corner of Holland Road and Cromwell Road and was demolished in 1984 and a block of flats named Bellmead now stands on the site.
Click here for a larger version.
Photo by Ian Noble from his Flickr photostream

1852 map.

1975 1:2,500 OS map. Only one platform and a building is shown on the down side of the line with a signal box at the east end of the platform. It is unclear of the platform continues on the west side of the road bridge. A small goods yard fans out behind the platform with a number of sidings accessed by wagon turntables.

Looking east at the site of Hove station on 27 December 1971. Holland Road goods yard closed on 14 June 1971. The shed in the foreground is on the site of the station building.
Photo by Ian Noble from his Flickr photostream

The site of Hove station on 27 December 1971.
Photo by Ian Noble from his Flickr photostream

The site of Hove station forecourt seen from Holland Road bridge on 27 December 1971.
Photo by Ian Noble from his Flickr photostream

The site of Hove station looking east in September 2006. The Wickes store now occupies
the station site.
Photo by Simon Carey, reproduced from Geograph under creative commons licence

[Source: Nick Catford]

Home Page

Station Name: HOVE (First Station)