Station Name:HURN

 

[Source: Nick Catford]



Date opened: Line opened on 13.11.1862 but the station first appeared in a public timetable on 15.1.1863
Location: On the north side of Avon Causeway
Company on opening: Ringwood, Christchurch & Bournemouth Railway
Date closed to passengers: 30.9.1935
Date closed completely: 30.9.1935
Company on closing: Southern Railway
Present state: The station building and platform are extant and used as the Avon Causeway Hotel. The hotel promotes its railway heritage with various items of railway memorabilia on display,
County: Hampshire
OS Grid Ref: SZ137977
Date of visit: March 1983

Notes: The station was opened as Hearne Bridge, this was changed to Hearne in 1888 and changed again to Hurn on 9.6.1897

BRIEF HISTORY OF THE RINGWOOD, CHRISTCHURCH & BOURNEMOUTH RAILWAY

In its early days, Bournemouth was reached by bus from Poole, at the end of a short branch from the Southampton & Dorchester Railway and Christchurch was served by bus from Christchurch Road (later renamed Holmsley), eight miles away. By the late 1850's, the attention of railway promoters had been attracted to development in the district.

In 1859 the Ringwood, Christchurch & Bournemouth Railway Company was incorporated and given powers to build a 7¾ mile single track line along the Avon from Ringwood to Christchurch; this was opened on 13th November 1862 with two intermediate station at Hearne Bridge (later renamed Hearne then Hurn) and at Avon Lodge, a non timetabled private station built for the Earl of Egremont. At once Christchurch became the railhead for Bournemouth,

In 1863 an act was obtained for a 3½ mile extension to Bournemouth. This was opened on 14th March 1870 to a terminus which later became Bournemouth East. Two intermediate stations were later added at Boscambe (later renamed Pokesdown) in 1886 and Boscambe in 1897.

The line from Ringwood was worked by the London & South Western and amalgamated with it on 1st January 1874. Despite severe grades and curves which were subject to a speed limit of 25 mph, this was now the main line to Bournemouth and served by through coaches detached from the Southampton & Dorchester's Weymouth trains at Ringwood where a covered bay platform was evidence of its former importance. As the resort continued to grow so did the rail connections.


Hurn Station is now the Avon Causeway Hotel
A new double track was built from Lymington Junction, a mile west of Brockenhurst on the Southampton & Dorchester line to a point just west of Christchurch Station where a new station was built. The line between Christchurch and Bournemouth was doubled and a new line (The Bournemouth Junction Railway) was built linking the East and West stations. A new through station was provided on this link was opened on 20th June 1885 replacing Bournemouth East which was only ¼ mile to the east.

The opening of the new route in to Bournemouth reduced the distance from Waterloo from 116 miles to 107½ miles and also allowed higher speeds and increased traffic capacity.

The Weymouth and Bournemouth portion of through trains were now divided and joined at Brockenhurst relegating the Ringwood - Christchurch line to a local branch operated by railmotors. With the resulting loss in passenger and freight revenue the line closed completely on 30th September 1935.

Sources: A regional history of the Railways of Great Britain - Volume 2 Southern England
David & Charles 1961

To see the other stations on the Ringwood, Christchurch & Bournemouth Railway click on the station name: Ringwood & Avon Lodge


Hurn Station
P
hoto received from Richard Foxwell



Hurn Station in March 1983
P
hoto by Nick Catford

Hurn Station in March 1983
P
hoto by Nick Catford





Home Page
Last updated: Sunday, 21-May-2017 11:20:01 CEST
© 1998-2007 Disused Stations