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West Hoathly is a closed railway station on what is now the Bluebell Railway. The station was finally closed in 1958 but was used by the contractors in the 1960s demolishing the line as a good place to bring equipment in and out. ==History== Despite its name the site of West Hoathly station is actually situated in the village of Sharpthorne, half a mile from the village West Hoathly itself. The station was opened in 1882, just north of the long Sharpthorne Tunnel. Along with other stations along the line, all constructed under the influence of the London Brighton and South Coast Railway (LB&SCR), a then substantial provision of £17,000 was made to construct each two-platform through station〔 (the architecture was similar to that now seen at the restored ).〔 These stations were designed to visually appeal to Victorian London-commuters, who had travelled into the Sussex countryside looking for either a commuter property, or country cottage for the weekend.〔 Designed in the then fashionable "Domestic Revival" style (similar to the later Tudor Revival architecture style), located on the westwards facing No.1 upside platform, the lavish main station building was designed as a two-storey villa with a T-shaped footprint, with a single storey wing each side: booking office and toilets to the north; waiting room and storage to the south.〔 All of this structure was fronted both sides by a timber-supported hipped canopy, which like all of the other buildings carried a hipped slate roof.〔 The station had substantial sidings and a livestock loading dock located just to the north of No.1 platform.〔 The downside No.2 platform was connected to the main buildings by a glazed footbridge, and had a similar timber-supported canopy which fronted a wooden waiting room.〔 The signal box was located on the north end of No.2 platform, and also controlled a single siding to the north of platform No.2.〔http://www.disused-stations.org.uk/w/west_hoathly/index.shtml〕 The station layout remained substantially unaltered throughout its operational life.〔 However, it was found after a few years usage that the original external finish to the main station building of timber beams and plaster infill was prone to water ingress, and so in the early 1900s was reformed in the local architectural style by covering the external walls with vertically-hung clay tiles.〔 In the 1930s, the Southern Railway removed many of the superfluous LB&SCR decorations, and shortened the downside facilities to what was basically an open-plan shelter located next to the footbridge.〔 Commercially on the station site, there was a small brickworks built to the east on land leased from the railway, giving it direct rail access;〔 Today the still open brickworks is operated by Ibstock Brick Ltd, producing traditional Stock Bricks.〔http://www.ibstock.com/traditional-stock-bricks-west-hoathly.asp〕 A railway-built and owned "Railway Hotel" opened on the west side of the station forecourt, opposite the main station building. After closure of the railway, it was sold off by the British Railways Property Board and renamed the "Bluebell Inn", reopened as a public house. Closed in 1999, it is now a private residence called "Bluebell House".〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「West Hoathly railway station」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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