On the 7th December 1881 the Lydd Railway Company opened it's new railway station in the small town / village of Lydd on the Romney Marsh. Built on the hope of a port being built at Dungeness, it consisted of two platforms, a signal box, goods shed and several sidings. It permanently closed just shy of 90 years later on the 4th October 1971 having already closed to passengers on 6th March 1967. The community of Lydd and the larger Romney Marsh has remained cut off from direct rail services ever since.
Today we - Lydd Station Heritage Group - are seeking your support. Our aim is to save this community asset before it's too late.
Despite being closed, the line running through the station has remained open and actively maintained by British Rail, Railtrack and presently Network Rail. The remaining platform from time to time has still seen passengers in the form of rail employees and (before Health & Safety become a menace) the odd few passengers from railtours. This serving as further salt in the wound for the local residents who still could not travel from their local station.
With the railways privatised in the 1990s, British Rail was renamed to British Railways Board Residuary, tasked with selling off defunct railway assets and dealing with personal injury claims. During this time the station was sold to private owners who had the intent to keep the site safe from demolition. In November 2022 tragically, a fire tore through the station building in the middle of the night destroying much of the building including the roof. The walls and chimneys remain standing but the building now looks as an eyesore. With this in mind there may only be a limited time window to save it for future generations.
With the help of locals, railway enthusiasts, volunteers and donations, this site has a potential future. You can help today by donating on Nikki's GoFundMe page - Click to donate! This will ensure that the group has funds available to grow the campaign and save the site.
If you would like to read more about the history of Lydd station, why not check out the following resources?:
Wikipedia
Forgotten Relics of an Enterprising Age
Disused Stations
