The Cranbrook & Paddock Wood Railway (C&PWR) was a branch
line, constructed in sections, starting from the main line
intersection at Paddock Wood and going through Horsmonden,
Goudhurst and Cranbrook. An additional section was then later added
to a southern terminus at Hawkhurst.
A further proposed extension on to Rye was never built.
It was locally known as the ‘Primrose Line’ as the
speed on the uphill stretch between Cranbrook & Goudhurst was
such, that you could hop off the front coach, pop into the woods to
pick a bunch of primroses and still catch the second coach!
Holman Stephens, later known as Colonel Stephens, was the
resident engineer during construction. The line was single
throughout, with passing loops provided at all three intermediate
stations, though only Goudhurst had two platforms. A short bay
platform was provided at Hawkhurst. Goods traffic was mainly fruit
and hops outwards and coal inwards. One mainstay was the transport
of a million potted plants a year on behalf of F. W. Woolworth to
branches all over the country.
From the outset traffic on the line was light, due in part to
the inconvenient locations of stations, although extra traffic was
generated during the summer hop picking season.
Also from the off, all train services were operated by the South
Eastern Railway, though the Cranbrook and Paddock Wood Railway was
not officially absorbed until 1900.
Hawkhurst Station
Hawkhurst Station in the mid 1950's (Photo by J. L.
Smith)
Hawkhurst Station was over a mile from Hawkhurst itself, actually
at Gill’s Green and sited on the west side of the main road
(A229). It had a single platform on the down side of the line with
a short bay and a run-round loop; with a water tower, signal box
and a short spur to an engine shed on the south side. The single
storey station building was clad in corrugated iron, similar to the
other buildings on the branch. There was a two-road goods yard,
loading dock and a brick goods shed on the north side of the
station.
These days the site is under light industrial use. The engine shed,
goods shed and signal box all survive in good condition. The signal
box is still in Southern Railway colours, retaining its green and
white signage and can be viewed from Limes Grove that runs
alongside the industrial site.
The Old Station House (now a private residence) is adjacent to the
site on the main road.
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So to the cache itself!
Car parking is available in Heartenoak Road.
The given co-ordinates will take you to a commemorative plaque
giving the dates that the line opened and closed.
Using the date format 18AB – 19CD substitute the
numbers into the following formulae to obtain the final cache
co-ordinates:-
N 51 03. (C-D) D (B+D)
E 000 30. (A-B-D) C A
Other caches in this series:-
Long Lost Railway Stations #2
Cranbrook
Long Lost Railway Stations #3
Goudhurst
Long Lost Railway Stations #4
Horsmonden