Birchington-on-Sea

Birchington became ‘’Birchington-on-Sea’’ on the station name boards in 1878. Later improvements under the SE&CR included the installation of a 50-foot-span lattice footbridge between the platforms, residing immediately west of the ‘’down’’ side shelter. Goods facilities were also expanded by the installation of two more sidings west of the station, flanking the running lines either side. The station changed little thereafter, the Southern Railway merely installing swan neck gas lamps to replace the earlier Victorian diamond-shaped variant, in addition to employing ‘’Target’’ name signs.

It was Phase 1 of the Kent Coast Electrification which heralded the greatest modifications at the site. During 1958, installation of third rail took place upon the whole of the ‘’Chatham’’ main line, extending along both Dover and Thanet routes. In the same year, platforms at Birchington-on-Sea were extended at their western ends by about 255-feet, using concrete cast components, to cater for the longer electric formations proposed. Electric lighting, supported upon concrete bracket lamp posts, was installed throughout, and modifications were made to the main ‘’up’’ side building. These including removing a protruding triangular roof window on the platform-facing elevation of the structure, and simply tiling over the gap with slate, conforming to the existing roof line. This permitted the installation of an upward-sloping platform canopy, of just under 85-feet in length, which encompassed the main building and both westward single-storey appendices. The canopy design was the same as that which was employed at the new-build St Mary Cray station, and consequently, this resulted in the removal of the attractive 30-foot long canopy attached to the western-most single-storey appendix. Electric working to the full accelerated timetable commenced on 15th June 1959.

Cutbacks at Birchington-on-Sea began with the closure of the goods yard on 4th June 1962, after which the shed here was demolished. The signal box remained, however, to control still extant sidings until 11th August 1968, and even after this date, the truncated remains of an ‘’up’’ siding, behind the platform, remained in existence. Further changes did not occur until the era of the 1982-formed London & South East Business Sector. Changes involved the demolition of the vintage ‘’down’’ side waiting shelter, and the replacement of the concrete bracket lamp posts with metal equivalents. Latterly, the 1986-formed Network SouthEast Business Sector installed a glazed bus shelter upon the former site of the LC&DR waiting shelter, and provided digital clock displays. An attempt was also made to remove the whitewash finish from the station brickwork. This removal exercise was of limited success, for the white paint is still very much in evidence on the building’s walls – particularly the northern elevation – giving the structure a seemingly ‘’half-finished’’ look. Today, the goods yard site remains undeveloped, having not succumbed to the car park conversion like so many others have; part of the former site of the goods shed structure has, however, been absorbed into the station’s forecourt. Despite the destruction of the ‘’down’’ side shelter and goods shed, Birchington-on-Sea still remains as a station vintage in character, retaining its historically-important ‘’up’’ side main building and SE&CR lattice footbridge.

20th June 2007

A westward view includes the 1958 prefabricated concrete platform extensions and a three-aspect colour light. Emerging on the left, from behind the ''up'' platform, is a single truncated section of a goods yard siding. © David Glasspool

20th June 2007

An eastward view from the ''down'' platform again shows the SE&CR lattice footbridge, but also clearly reveals the canopy of the ''up'' side, added to the main building in 1958 as part of the electrification works. © David Glasspool

20th June 2007

A general overview of the station from the road bridge shows the main pitched-roof section of the ''up'' building still displaying much of its LC&DR whitewash finish. The bus shelter, which replaced the ''down'' side waiting shelter, is hidden by the branches on the right. © David Glasspool

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