St Lawrence railway station is a former railway station in the village of

St Lawrence Saint Lawrence or Laurence ( la, Laurentius, lit. " laurelled"; 31 December AD 225 – 10 August 258) was one of the seven deacons of the city of Rome under Pope Sixtus II who were martyred in the persecution of the Christians that the Roman ...

on the

Isle of Wight The Isle of Wight ( ) is a county in the English Channel, off the coast of Hampshire, from which it is separated by the Solent. It is the largest and second-most populous island of England. Referred to as 'The Island' by residents, the Isle of ...

History

It opened in 1897 and was the original terminus of the branch line from

Merstone Merstone is a hamlet on the Isle of Wight. It is home to Merston Manor, built in 1605 in the Jacobean style by Edward Cheeke, and rebuilt in the Victorian era. Merston Manor was first mentioned in the Domesday Book, and the present structure is a ...

until the 1½ mile extension to

Ventnor Ventnor () is a seaside resort and civil parish established in the Victorian era on the southeast coast of the Isle of Wight, England, from Newport. It is situated south of St Boniface Down, and built on steep slopes leading down to the sea. ...

was completed in June 1900. From 1927 the station was downgraded to the status of an unstaffed halt.

Stationmasters

*William Bayley ca. 1899 (afterwards station master at Ventnor Town) *E. Wadmore 1905 - 1912 *Charles Dennett ca. 1920 (afterwards station master at Yarmouth)

Location

The station was located between a steep cliff face and a public road. During the early years of the line's operation, rock falls were common. This problem was alleviated when the undergrowth took hold on the cliff face. The short distance between the south portal of the St. Lawrence tunnel and the station was widely regarded as one of the finest views to be had on the island's railways. Today the station building is a private residence. The trackbed has been filled in up to the level of the platform. The steep road bridge crossing at the eastern end of the station is still evident. The trackbed towards Ventnor is now covered by modern housing.

Other stations on the branch

The other stations on the Ventnor West branch were: *

(where the branch joined the Newport-Sandown line) *

Godshill Godshill is a village and civil parish on the Isle of Wight, England, with a population of 1,459 at the 2011 Census. It lies between Newport and Ventnor in the southeast of the island. History Godshill is one of the ancient parishes that exis ...

* Whitwell * Ventnor West

References

External links

Subterranea Britannica: SB-Sites: St. Lawrence Station
Disused railway stations on the Isle of Wight Former Isle of Wight Central Railway stations Railway stations in Great Britain opened in 1897 Railway stations in Great Britain closed in 1952 {{SouthEastEngland-railstation-stub