Wadhurst Station And Footbridge

Wadhurst Station and Footbridge

Railway station and footbridge built in 1851 for the South Eastern Railway. The station was designed by William Tress, with an addition made later in the 19th century. The engineer for the line was Peter W. Barlow.

The main station buildings are constructed in red brick with ashlar dressings and a Welsh slate roof, designed in Palladian and Italianate style. The main buildings stand on the down platform.

The road elevation of the station house is two storeys high. The original design follows a balanced 1:2:1 bay arrangement in Palladian form, as used by Sir Robert Taylor for country houses. The central section, set forward with a pedimented roofline, is flanked by single storey wings with supporting half pediments. The centre rises through one broken pediment to carry another whole pediment above. The central section features a stone plinth and quoins, with two arched windows to each floor, fitted with 2 over 2 pane sashes with rendered dressings. A blue brick band runs around the building at first floor level. The pediment has timber mouldings. On either side of the central section is a porch with lean-to roof forming a half pediment, with stone imposts to the archways. The right hand porch serves as the entrance to the booking office, while the left hand porch accesses the station-master's house. A small arched window sits above and behind. An extension of one bay to the left was added; its ground floor projects forward and repeats the original features to match. The building has a hipped roof with four tall stacks, though the pots have been removed. The gable walls are blank, with a small single storey hipped roof extension on the north gable.

The platform elevation is similar but with simplified treatment, arranged as 1:1:2 bays. The ground floor has three arched windows, the central one with arched sidelights and two arched doors. Four windows light the upper floor, one of which is taller. A small bargeboarded gable sits at the centre.

The up platform building dates from the late 19th century and is constructed in red brick. It is a rectangular waiting room with a central door and two windows either side, fitted with plain 2 over 2 pane sashes. A continuous fretted backward sloping canopy runs along the platform side.

The footbridge is a standard South Eastern Railway design dating from the end of the 19th century. It consists of four cast iron columns arranged in a square, supporting either end of a wrought iron lattice girder bridge with staircases.

The South Eastern Railway line was opened in 1851 as a double track line. Later in the 19th century, concerns about passenger safety led to footbridges being provided at stations to prevent passengers from crossing the tracks. It was customary for passengers to wait in the main station building until the train's imminent arrival.