South Woodham Ferrers Local History Society

The former branch railway line between South  Woodham Ferrers and Maldon will receive particular attention at the next meeting of the South Woodham Ferrers Local History Society when visiting speaker Nathaniel Dodd will present his illustrated talk ‘The Lost Railways of Essex’. Starting from the once impressive junction at Woodham and passing through Cold Norton to Maldon West this branch line (the route of which can still be traced over much of its length today) will be covered in detail before the talk moves on to a general overview of lost railways in the rest of the county with maps and station illustrations from each route.

The station at South Woodham once boasted, a goods-yard with sidings, a turntable, a footbridge, a signal box and two platforms (as shown). The talk should serve as a valuable reminder not only of the railway’s changing fortunes and what we have lost at South Woodham since the railway’s opening in 1889 but also of those places that lost even more than we did and now no longer enjoy the benefits of any rail service. Whilst the speaker will include facts and figures where necessary, Nathaniel also intends to focus on the railways’ important place in the wider social history of our county and the impact that the railway had on Essex communities.

As an added attraction, the Local History Society’s exhibition ‘Changing Tracks at South Woodham’ will also be on display at this talk. This exhibition, which includes over 60 photographs and other illustrations, was produced for display at our railway station in 2014 to commemorate the 125^th anniversary of the opening of the railway line serving South Woodham Ferrers.