Borough Green & Wrotham
The ‘’Sevenoaks
Railway’’ opened a nine-mile single-track branch between what became Swanley
Junction and Sevenoaks Bat & Ball on 2nd June 1862. By July of that year, two
intermediate stations were on this line: Eynsford and Shoreham. The line was
doubled throughout in 1863, two-track running coming into use on 1st August of
that year. It was also in 1862 that the same company received Parliamentary
approval for the construction of an extension of this branch to Maidstone, this
of which would spur off at Otford - no station was in evidence at the latter at
this time. In anticipation of this, the company renamed itself the ‘’Sevenoaks,
Maidstone & Tunbridge Railway’’. The spur to Maidstone came into use on 1st June
1874, Wrotham & Borough Green station opening on this date. Double-track working
on the Maidstone extension came into effect fully on 1st July 1882, but the main
structure at Wrotham dates from the original opening of the line, and it seems
likely that a second platform was also in use earlier than the doubling.
Stations along the original Bat & Ball branch and the Maidstone line were unlike
their counterparts on the original ‘’Chatham’’ main line to Dover, their design
naturally being influenced by the original building company. Generally, the main
buildings were more elaborate and imposing; for example, it is worth comparing
the style of Wrotham with Sole Street – the respective levels of detail which
have been incorporated into each example of architecture becomes obvious.
Wrotham’s main building was situated on the ‘’down’’ side and was some
two-storeys high, featured gabled roof sections, and was red brick in
construction. Canopies were provided on both the northern and southern
elevations of the structure, to the benefit of people waiting alongside the
street entrance façade and passengers on the platform respectively. Four chimney
stacks complemented a building which would have impressed the very small
community it initially served on opening. Modesty was in evidence on the ‘’up’’
side, a glazed timber waiting shelter being available to passengers. This
totally lacked a canopy and valance, but these features were not needed, the
structure instead being fully enclosed and protecting its patrons effectively
from the weather. It even had a coal fire at its western end for those cold
winter mornings! From the outset, the platforms were linked by track foot
crossings at both ends.
A single-track goods shed located on the ‘’down’’ side, to the west of the
station building, was in evidence from the outset, but the number of sidings
available began to peak after the 1882 doubling (the Wrotham to (West) Malling
section saw two-track working commence a year earlier than the rest of the
line). All facilities were provided on the ‘’down’’ side, which included three
westward-facing sidings (including the track of the shed), and a single-track
connection with an adjacent quarry pit. The whole complex could not be accessed
directly, a lengthy headshunt line instead being in place for reversing trains
(this itself could qualify as a fourth siding). At the pit, sand and ‘’Kentish
Ragstone’’ were excavated, the latter material having been previously used by
the SER in 1856 to build Aylesford station. Horse-drawn carts were used within
the quarry to transport stone across the expanse to the railway wagons. The
domestic goods yard dealt mainly with fruit and hops, of which the nearby fields
were plentiful. An additional eastward-facing ‘’dock’’ line was also in use on
the ‘’down’’ side and since the doubling, the whole layout had been controlled
by a Saxby & Farmer-designed signal box positioned at the western end of the
‘’up’’ platform.
By 1880 the ‘’Railway Hotel’’ had opened on the other side of the main road to
the station, providing accommodation for those travellers staying in the
village, but the railway complex would not see further significant change until
the Southern Railway era. In January 1935, electric working on the original Bat
& Ball branch commenced, but this was not further extended beyond Otford
Junction for another four and a half years, and then only as far as Maidstone.
This was part of the SR’s scheme of electrifying ex-SE&CR suburban lines and
third rail from Otford to the county town became formally active on 2nd July
1939. In connection with this, the track foot crossings at Wrotham were taken
out of public use and a rather unlovely prefabricated concrete footbridge was
installed immediately to the west of the main building – at least the view of
this fine structure from the road bridge was not marred. The platforms became
prefabricated concrete in construction about a decade later, but as per usual,
ensuing years were to bring decline.
The 1960s was a decade of considerable change for Wrotham and, indeed, several
other stations. The Kent Coast Electrification Scheme saw the extension of third
rail from Maidstone East to Ashford, electric services commencing on 9th October
1961, but the full electric timetable did not come into use until 18th June of
the following year. The line effectively became triple-track at this time for a
very short stretch immediately to the west of Wrotham, a loop having been
installed to avoid any movement conflicts caused by increased train diagrams.
Also on 18th
June 1962, the station name boards assumed a more logical word
order: ‘’ Wrotham & Borough Green’’ became ‘’Borough Green & Wrotham’’, the
station having been located within the area of the new prefix from the outset.
Wrotham was just under 1½ miles north of the railway, but its larger size over
Borough Green back in 1874 would seemingly have deemed for its name to precede
that of the latter. September 1968 marked the greatest blow for the station:
goods facilities were withdrawn, the quarry having long been exhausted and hops
and fruit now seeking alternative road transport. The tracks were lifted and
this area was subsequently flattened to provide car parking space. The ‘’up’’
waiting shelter was also dispensed with at this time, its replacement being a
soulless bus shelter. The Saxby & Farmer signal box remained in use right up
until 9th December 1983, semaphore signals still being in use throughout this
time. Its functions were assumed on this day by the 1962-commissioned ‘’power
box’’ at Maidstone East, colour aspect lights having also replaced the
semaphores. The main station building has fared the years well and excepting a
slight realignment of the platform canopy valance, to allow for the passage of
Channel Tunnel box containers of a greater loading gauge, it more or less remains in
its original condition, complete with immaculate red brickwork. The concrete
footbridge of 1939 still remains!
Steaming through Borough Green & Wrotham on 11th March 2006 was Battle of Britain Class
No. 34067 ''Tangmere'', with an excursion trip from Victoria to Hastings, wearing ''Golden Arrow''
regalia. The station building is obvious on the right, displaying its immaculate red brickwork,
its chimney stacks (a feature which many stations lost during the 1960s), the gabled roof sections
and, finally, the retained platform canopy. Note that the front of the canopy valance has been
re-aligned, thus now it does not line up with the side valance portions. The car park on the
right indicates the former site of the goods yard. At least the smoke from the locomotive partially
covers the concrete footbridge! David Glasspool
An earlier view from October 2004 shows the station's façade, complete with canopy over the
entrance, this of which retains the original valance pattern. This building has changed little over
the years. Mike Glasspool
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