Five Mile House was a

railway station Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a pre ...

on the

Lincolnshire Loop Line The Lincolnshire loop line was a double-track railway built by the Great Northern Railway, that linked Peterborough to Lincoln via Spalding and Boston. History The Lincolnshire loop line was authorised on 26 June 1846 as part of the London an ...

which served the village of Fiskerton in

Lincolnshire Lincolnshire (abbreviated Lincs.) is a county in the East Midlands of England, with a long coastline on the North Sea to the east. It borders Norfolk to the south-east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south-west, Leicestershire ...

between 1848 and 1964. Situated on the south bank of the

River Witham The River Witham is a river almost entirely in the county of Lincolnshire in the east of England. It rises south of Grantham close to South Witham at , passes through the centre of Grantham (where it may be closely followed using the Riversid ...

, passengers on the north bank had to use a ferry to reach it. It closed two years after opening due to low traffic, but reopened fifteen years later. Passenger services were withdrawn in 1958, leaving the station open for anglers' excursions until 1964. The Water Rail Way footpath now runs through the site.

History

The station was opened on 17 October 1848 on the south bank of the

near the village of Fiskerton. It was constructed by

Peto Peto may refer to: People * Peto (surname), includes a list of people with the surname Peto * Kawu Peto Dukku (1958–2010), Nigerian politician, Senator for the Gombe North constituency of Gombe State, Nigeria Other uses * PETO, a German party * ...

and Betts

civil engineer A civil engineer is a person who practices civil engineering – the application of planning, designing, constructing, maintaining, and operating infrastructure while protecting the public and environmental health, as well as improving existing ...

ing contractors who, in November 1846, had agreed to construct the line including stations by 28 February 1848. It took its name from a

public house A pub (short for public house) is a kind of drinking establishment which is licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption on the premises. The term ''public house'' first appeared in the United Kingdom in late 17th century, and was ...

near the river which served as a

barge Barge nowadays generally refers to a flat-bottomed inland waterway vessel which does not have its own means of mechanical propulsion. The first modern barges were pulled by tugs, but nowadays most are pushed by pusher boats, or other vessels ...

inn Inns are generally establishments or buildings where travelers can seek lodging, and usually, food and drink. Inns are typically located in the country or along a highway; before the advent of motorized transportation they also provided accommo ...

popular with horse-drawn packets. Two timber-built staggered platforms were provided either side of a crossing which led to a ferry across the river. Users on the north bank of the river were obliged to cross it using the ferry to reach the station, a journey which deterred many potential customers. Lack of traffic resulted in the station closing in 1850, only to reopen fifteen years later when a farmer was granted

siding Siding may refer to: * Siding (construction), the outer covering or cladding of a house * Siding (rail) A siding, in rail terminology, is a low-speed track section distinct from a running line or through route such as a main line, branch l ...

facilities. A footbridge replaced the ferry in 1957 when the latter closed. Goods traffic was never heavy, and the station was mainly used for transporting potatoes, grain, hay and sugar beet. The station buildings were destroyed by fire in 1919 and were replaced by two small buildings; one was used as an office and the other as a waiting room. The July 1927 timetable saw seven up and five down services, and one Sunday service each way; destinations included , , , , and . Regular passenger services were withdrawn on 15 September 1958, but the station remained open until 6 September 1964 for anglers' specials on summer weekends from and to , and . By September 1964, only one train each way called at the station.

Present day

The timber platforms remained intact until at least the early 1970s. The Water Rail Way footpath now runs through the site.

References

Sources

* * * * * {{Closed stations Lincolnshire Disused railway stations in Lincolnshire Railway stations in Great Britain opened in 1848 Railway stations in Great Britain closed in 1850 Railway stations in Great Britain opened in 1865 Railway stations in Great Britain closed in 1964 Former Great Northern Railway stations Beeching closures in England