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Sutton Road, SOUTHEND-ON-SEA, SS2 5GH

This is the Southend base for the Territorial Army (Army reserves in modern parlance). It is the local H.Q for the Army Cadets and should you come across a U.X.B in your back garden the Royal Engineers 217 Field Squadron Explosive Ordnance Disposal are here too.

The Great Eastern Railway opened their branch line from London Liverpool Street to Southend via Shenfield in 1889 and Prittlewell station was opened three years later in 1892. At that time Prittlewell was a distinct village, whereas today it has been swallowed up in the urban sprawl of Southend. The gentleman sat on the bench on the opposite platform is in for a long wait. This is Sunday, no trains stop and the next departure towards Rochford is at the nonetheless remarkably early time of 0404 hours on Monday morning...

Prittlewell rail station from West Street bridge. Just 900 m from Southend Victoria this must be one of the shortest inter-station stretches on the UK over-ground network. The west-bound platform accommodates only 8 cars and the normal trains are 12 car.

The Railway is on East Street, opposite the, er, station. A fine picture of a steam engine makes an imposing entrance to the pub, but alas, here, next to a former Great Eastern Railway outpost, is a former Great Western Railway locomotive, Castle Class No 5078 Beaufort...

This is the Station Approach view of the station, the platforms of which can be seen in Image (From a Geograph point of view the intersection of the 588000 Easting and 187000 Northing gridlines is in the road at the left side of the photograph opposite the end of the station building, meaning that the photo also shows parts of Image, Image, and Image!)

Showing both up and down platforms (left, right).

Opened in 1892 by the Great Eastern Railway on its line from Shenfield to Southend Victoria (which is close enough to be visible from Prittlewell's platforms). View south towards Southend.