St. Lawrence railway station

Infobox UK disused station
name = St. Lawrence


caption =
gridref =
manager = Newport, Godshill & St Lawrence Railway (1897-1913)
Isle of Wight Central Railway (1913 to 1923)
owner = Southern Railway (1923 to 1948)
Southern Region of British Railways (1948 to 1952)
locale = St Lawrence
borough = Isle of Wight
platforms = One
years = 20 July 1897
events = Opened
years1 = 15 September 1952
events1 = Closed

St. Lawrence station was the original terminus of the branch from Merstone until the 1½ mile extension to Ventnor was completed in June 1900. From 1927 the station was downgraded to the status of an unstaffed halt.

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 still stands but is in a poor state of repair. 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:

* Merstone (where the branch joined the Newport-Sandown line)
* Godshill
* Whitwell
* Ventnor West

External links

* [http://www.subbrit.org.uk/sb-sites/stations/s/st.lawrence/index.shtml Subterranea Britannica: SB-Sites: St. Lawrence Station]