Grove Ferry and Upstreet railway station

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Grove Ferry and Upstreet
Location
Location	Canterbury
Area	City of Canterbury
Operations
Pre-grouping	SER
Platforms	2
History
1 December 1846	Opened
30 April 1960	Station closed to freight
3 January 1966	Station closed to passengers
Disused railway stations in the United Kingdom
Closed railway stations in Britain A B C D-F G H-J K-L M-O P-R S T-Z
UK Railways Portal

Grove Ferry and Upstreet was a railway station in east Kent. It was opened by South Eastern Railway (SER), on the Ashford to Ramsgate (via Canterbury West) line between Minster station and Sturry station.

It is now lies derelict and the platforms can still be viewed on both sides from passing trains, and are simple wooden and concrete structures, similar to that at Newington station on the Chatham Main Line.

[edit] History

Opened on 1 December 1846 this rural station was built to serve the small hamlets of Upstreet and Grove Ferry. A ferry crossed the River Stour until the 1960s when a bridge was built. The nearby "Grove Ferry Inn" owned the rights to the ferry and farmed lavender, creating a popular day trip destination up until the Second World War.

The public Level Crossing and goods sidings leading to the ferry was operated from a small signalbox. The broad steps leading to the footpath connecting the station to the village, although overgrown, can still be seen.

Goods traffic ceased on 30 April 1960 and the station was closed to passenger traffic on 3 January 1966 shortly before the introduction of a bus service over the new Grove Ferry Bridge, which would have undermined the low patronage.

Grove Ferry and Upstreet Station lives on in model form and is sometimes taken on tour by the Ashford Model Railway Club ^[1]

Preceding station	Disused railways			Following station
Sturry		British Rail Southern Region Ashford to Ramsgate (via Canterbury West) line		Minster

[edit] References

Mr blue parker of scotweld was acting as crossing attendant during the works of 2008 at Sturry. was shocked and stunned by what can be discribed as strange shadows appearing from the tree line and crossing the barrier then when shined upon with torch beam disappearing in to dark