Whitwell Station, on the Ventnor West branch of the Isle of Wight Central Railway, was opened on 26 July 1897 along with the other stations on the branch (with the exception of Ventnor West which opened in 1900). It was equipped with a passing loop

Passing loop

A passing loop is a place on a single line railway or tramway, often located at a station, where trains or trams in opposing directions can pass each other. Trains/trams in the same direction can also overtake, providing that the signalling arrangement allows it...

, two platforms, a signal box and a substantial station building.

History

The station was opened on 26 July 1897, and was originally named Whitwell. At the time of opening the route was popular featuring a passing loop and two platforms, the only station on the line to have this. The main station buildings are still in their original locations on the up platform with a small waiting shelter on the down platform. There was also a small goods yard and loading dock on the down platform. In 1913, the NG & SLR was taken over by the IWCR but attempts to attract more passengers to the route had little success as the route to Ventnor by the Isle of Wight Railway was always direct and carried more passengers. After the Southern Railway takeover in 1923, cost-cutting measures were put in place. With the small amount of traffic the passing loop could no longer be justified and was taken out of use in 1926. The signal box was also closed.

On 16 March 1928, the station was downgraded to 'partially unstaffed', only manned during the summer season. It received a further downgrade on 1 July 1941, becoming a fully unstaffed halt and goods depot; it was renamed Whitwell Halt at this time.

Present

Now, the station has been revamped by the present owners and family into a family home and self-catering holiday cottages. A lot of work has been done to the house, but its original railway station features still remain like the waiting shelter on the old up platform, which has been restored.

Location

Unlike neighbouring Godshill

Godshill railway station

Godshill station opened on 20 July 1897 at Godshill on the Isle of Wight on the Newport, Godshill & St Lawrence Railway, later the Isle of Wight Central Railway. It opened as a single platform station with a small goods siding and this layout remained until closure...

, the station was closer to the community it was meant to serve. It also served the nearby villages of Niton and Chale.

Other stations on the branch

The other stations on the Ventnor West branch were:

• Merstone
  Merstone (Isle of Wight) railway station
  Merstone railway station, was an intermediate station situated on the edge of Merstone village on the line from Newport to Sandown incorporated by the Isle of Wight and Newport Junction Railway in 1868 , opened in 1875 and closed 81 years later...
  
   (where the branch joined the Newport-Sandown line)
• Godshill
  Godshill railway station
  Godshill station opened on 20 July 1897 at Godshill on the Isle of Wight on the Newport, Godshill & St Lawrence Railway, later the Isle of Wight Central Railway. It opened as a single platform station with a small goods siding and this layout remained until closure...
  
  
• St. Lawrence
  St. Lawrence railway station
  St. Lawrence railway 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 original terminus of the line from 1897 to 1900)
• Ventnor West
  Ventnor West railway station
  Ventnor West railway station was opened on 1 June 1900 as the final addition to the railway network on the Isle of Wight. It was originally opened as Ventnor Town but the station was renamed in 1923 by the Southern Railway.- Location :...
  
  

External links

• Subterranea Britannica: SB-Sites: Whitwell Station