IMAGES TAKEN NEAR TO
Lancaster Close, ASHFORD, TN26 2JG

Ham Street station was opened on 13th February 1851, although the adjacent village is now shown on Ordnance Survey maps and road signs as Hamstreet. Like many former South Eastern Railway stations, the platforms are staggered and are linked by a central foot crossing - see http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/3212695 This arrangement was constructed where a footbridge was not provided and allowed passengers to cross behind trains if two were at the station simultaneously. This footpath leads away from the foot crossing and links with the Greensand Way and Saxon Shore Way as they pass through Ham Street Woods National Nature Reserve. The latter can be seen ahead.

Ham Street (formerly Ham Street & Orlestone) is on the Ashford - Hastings line. Both line and station were opened by the South Eastern Railway on 13th February 1851. Although the village they serve is now spelt 'Hamstreet', successive railway managements have continued to use the older spelling of 'Ham Street'.

In 1969, I used to travel from Ashford to Hamstreet by train on certain Sunday mornings to meet my father in his car. I possess two single tickets for this journey, one is priced at 1/8 (8 p) and the other at 2/0 (10 p) - so the fare obviously went up at some stage. In 1969, the line was under threat of closure and the station was run down and in need of a lick of paint. As can be seen, it still had the SER diamond shaped lights.