Ventnor West railway station explained

Ventnor West
Status:Disused
Borough:Ventnor, Isle of Wight
Country:England
Platforms:2
Pregroup:Newport, Godshill & St Lawrence Railway (1900-1913)
Isle of Wight Central Railway (1913 to 1923)
Postgroup:Southern Railway (1923 to 1948)
Southern Region of British Railways (1948 to 1952)
Years:1 June 1900
Events:Opened (Ventnor Town)
Years1:1923
Events1:Renamed (Ventnor West)
Years2:15 September 1952
Events2:Closed

Ventnor West railway station was in operation from 1900 to 1952 in Ventnor, Isle of Wight.

History

The station was opened on 1 June 1900 as the final addition to the railway network on the Isle of Wight. It opened as Ventnor Town but was renamed in 1923 by the Southern Railway.

Built on the former stables of the Steephill Castle estate, the station was inconveniently situated for the town, being some distance west of the town centre and 168 feet above sea level. Consequently, it never lived up to the expectations of the operators and was an early casualty of the pruning of the railway network. Plans were made to extend the line beyond the station to a new terminus, closer to the town centre. Continuing to run along Park Avenue, the Ventnor Central Terminus would have been sited where Park Avenue meets Zig Zag Road – opposite the Royal Hotel. However, the combination of newly built housing on the proposed formation along Park Avenue and the company's ailing finances meant this scheme was never realised. If it had, it would have provided a very convenient alternative to the Isle of Wight Railway's Ventnor station, located high above the town, and this may have turned around the fortunes of this otherwise very sleepy branch. Today the main station building is still standing, surrounded by modern housing in Castle Close.

The station closed along with the others on the line on 15 September 1952.

Stationmasters

Other stations on the branch

See main article: Ventnor West branch.

The other stations on the Ventnor West branch were:

External links

50.5923°N -1.2191°W

Notes and References

  1. News: . Ventnor . Portsmouth Evening News . England . 8 July 1932 . 25 July 2021 . British Newspaper Archive . subscription .
  2. News: . Prize-Winners in the Isle of Wight . Hampshire Advertiser . England . 2 November 1935 . 25 July 2021 . British Newspaper Archive . subscription .