Withyham Railway Station

Withyham was a railway station on the Three Bridges to Tunbridge Wells Central Line which closed in 1967, a casualty of the Beeching Axe. The station opened on 1 October 1866 and the buildings were designed by Charles Henry Driver. The station building survived the closure and is now a private residence named the "Old Withyham Station"; much of the trackbed as far as Groombridge and Three Bridges are part of the Worth Way and Forest Way cyclepath /footpaths. History (Staff)The staff employed at Withyham Station were all appointed on 29 August 1866. They were Mr William Fox, Station Master (previously Station Master, Epsom Downs); William Bell, Assistant Telegraph and Booking Clerk (previously Trainee Signal Clerk at Brighton); Joseph Moore, Porter (previously a Gatekeeper at Lewes) and Charles Farr was the Gatekeeper and Signalman. This later individual had a chequered career having been previously been employed as Signalman at Haywards Heath but having been found asleep on duty was reduced in grade and transferred to Hailsham. William Bell was to remain at Withyham until his death on 24 September 1872 when Henry Payne took over at Station Master. He was to remain until his retirement on 20 May 1889. William Kent then became Station Master on transfer from Barcombe on 21 May 1889. He remained until he went to Barcombe Mills on 26 Jan 1894. His replacement was George Brook; his staff record shows he was moved from Barcombe Mills to Withyham due to "General Neglect". He clearly failed to heed the message of his superiors because he was removed to Brighton as a Clerk on 10 April 1897 due to "Incompetency". His place was taken by Francis W Baker, appointed as Station Master on 5 April 1897 moving to Falmer on 17 May 1899. Next Edward Vickery, Booking Clerk at Haywards Heath gained promotion as Station Master arriving on 17 May 1899 and leaving to take up the same post at Rotherfield on 24 May 1901. George Crittenden, Booking Clerk at Worthing was the next SM arriving on 24 May 1901.

Withyham was a railway station on the Three Bridges to Tunbridge Wells Central Line which closed in 1967, a casualty of the Beeching Axe. The station opened on 1 October 1866 and the buildings were designed by Charles Henry Driver. The station building survived the closure and is now a private residence named the "Old Withyham Station"; much of the trackbed as far as Groombridge and Three Bridges are part of the Worth Way and Forest Way cyclepath /footpaths. History (Staff)The staff employed at Withyham Station were all appointed on 29 August 1866. They were Mr William Fox, Station Master (previously Station Master, Epsom Downs); William Bell, Assistant Telegraph and Booking Clerk (previously Trainee Signal Clerk at Brighton); Joseph Moore, Porter (previously a Gatekeeper at Lewes) and Charles Farr was the Gatekeeper and Signalman. This later individual had a chequered career having been previously been employed as Signalman at Haywards Heath but having been found asleep on duty was reduced in grade and transferred to Hailsham. William Bell was to remain at Withyham until his death on 24 September 1872 when Henry Payne took over at Station Master. He was to remain until his retirement on 20 May 1889. William Kent then became Station Master on transfer from Barcombe on 21 May 1889. He remained until he went to Barcombe Mills on 26 Jan 1894. His replacement was George Brook; his staff record shows he was moved from Barcombe Mills to Withyham due to "General Neglect". He clearly failed to heed the message of his superiors because he was removed to Brighton as a Clerk on 10 April 1897 due to "Incompetency". His place was taken by Francis W Baker, appointed as Station Master on 5 April 1897 moving to Falmer on 17 May 1899. Next Edward Vickery, Booking Clerk at Haywards Heath gained promotion as Station Master arriving on 17 May 1899 and leaving to take up the same post at Rotherfield on 24 May 1901. George Crittenden, Booking Clerk at Worthing was the next SM arriving on 24 May 1901.