Grove Ferry and Upstreet railway station

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.

The buildings have been demolished and only a few traces remain of the platforms

History

Opened on 1 December 1846 this rural station was built to serve the village of Upstreet and the ferry crossing of the Great 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. Now part of the Grove Ferry Picnic Area.

The public Level Crossing and goods sidings leading to the ferry was operated from a small signalbox. The signal box closed many years ago and the level crossing is now now operated by automated barriers.. 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]

References