Chessington South station

Image: © Marathon Taken: 4 Sep 2013

Construction of the Chessington line from Motspur Park began in 1936 and opened as far as Chessington South in 1939. Chessington South and North were opened to the public on 28th May 1939. As the official party emerged at Chessington South station they were greeted by a baby elephant which returned with them to Chessington Zoo where a lunch was given by the proprietor. Intermediate stations were opened and although there was a little house building near Chessington North before the Second World War, the majority of building stimulated by the line came after 1945. This was largely to the north and west of the line and today the area to the south and east along the valley of the Hogsmill River and Bonesgate Stream remains relatively undeveloped. Powers had been obtained to continue the line to Leatherhead but work halted following financial problems and the onset of war. When abandoned the line had reached a goods yard just south of Chessington but in 1941-2 Royal Engineers on a training exercise carried the embankment on from Chalky Lane where work had stopped as far as Chessington Wood, only 400 metres north of the next intended station at Malden Rushett. This work can still be seen today. Following the war most of the undulating wood and common land south of Chessington became part of the Green Belt and the proposed extension was abandoned. This is the view from the terminating platform at Chessington South with a train about to depart for Waterloo. At the station an up platform had been built for the opening, complete with canopy, but no lighting, fencing or accommodation, so that all trains have always left from the down platform seen here using a crossover north of the station. All the stations are in the rather stark 1930s style seen here. Concrete was much used for all four stations on the line and they were of the same basic design derived from Wimbledon Chase station – see www.geograph.org.uk/photo/3094055 . An attempt was made to integrate the street buildings of the station with the platform structures and so emulate what London Transport was doing in the 1930s. The Southern Railway’s attempts were far less successful and the smooth lines of the stations were striking when the materials remained unweathered. However, the once very modern-looking stations now look the worse for wear. A clearer indication of the style can be seen at Chessington North without the train in the way www.geograph.org.uk/photo/3641709

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