East Farleigh railway station (1)

Image: © Nigel Cox Taken: 25 Jun 2015

The station was opened by the South Eastern Railway in 1844. The station building, beyond the level crossing keeper's box to the right, is Grade II Listed. The English Heritage website describes it generally and the reasons for listing, and then the exterior thus:- "It is characteristic of stations of the South Eastern Railway, of which it is a particularly good example. This was the company style, but few of these stations now survive. Although it has lost its chimneys and original slate roof, the rest of the building is intact both internally and externally and it survives as a characterful and early station building, for which it has special architectural interest in a national context." "Timber framed, faced in 'Kentish clapboard'(horizontal timber weather-boarding) resting on a brick plinth, with a corrugated asbestos roof, previously slate. A single-storey, rectangular building parallel to the railway line. The north, platform side elevation has four two-over-two paned sash windows and two doors with wooden plain valanced canopies over, supported on decoratively pierced cast iron brackets. One provides access to the waiting room through half glazed double doors, the other to the ticket office. The building has a hipped roof, originally with two tall chimneys, now removed." The staggered platforms of the down and up lines are separated by the level crossing. The line was the first in the South Eastern system to be equipped with electric telegraph. Comparing this image with the one that Chris took in 2013 Image it is evident that the yellow line box junction markings on the level crossing are a very recent introduction. With motor traffic prone to back up to the level crossing from the very nearby, one-way at a time, East Farleigh bridge at peak times, the need to maintain the level crossing free of stationary vehicles is obvious.

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