12 August 2024, 13:00 - 13:30
About SideTracked Caches
This cache belongs to the SideTracked series. It is not designed to take you to a magical place with a breath taking view. It's a distraction for the weary traveller, but anyone else can go and find it too. More Information can be found on the SideTracked Series website at www.sidetrackedseries.info https://www.sidetrackedseries.info
About SideTracked Events
Saturday 10th August 2024 marks the 17th anniversary of the SideTracked Series, so a special week long celebration is taking place, from Wednesday 7th August through to Tuesday 13th August 2024.
Come and join us at Sidetracked - Merstham, everyone is welcome whether new to caching or experienced.
This is an outside event near to Merstham railway station for half an hour on Monday 12th August 2024 from
1pm to 1:30pm
Unfortunately due to the event's location it is unsuitable for large trackables but anything that is small enough to be put into a coat pocket is more than welcome.
A Brief History
Merstham railway station was on the railway line between Croydon and Redhill, which Parliament insisted should be shared by the London and Brighton Railway (L&BR) route to Brighton and the South Eastern Railway (SER) route to Dover. As a result there have been two railway stations at Merstham.
The original London and Brighton Railway station was located 3/4 mile south of the current station. It was opened by the L&BR on 1 December 1841. From 1842 it was also used by SER and was the point at which travellers between the two railways changed trains. The section of line between Coulsdon and Redhill was then transferred to SER ownership and the station closed on 1 October 1843.
On the 4 October 1844 the South Eastern Railway station was opened and it was completely rebuilt in 1905, much of the building remains unchanged to this day. Despite being on the Brighton line, the station, along with Coulsdon South and Redhill, was owned by the SER (later South Eastern & Chatham Railway) and was not used by L&BR (later London Brighton and South Coast Railway) trains. It was not until the creation of the Southern Railway in 1923 that trains from the Brighton line called at the station.
In the late 1980’s a fire badly damaged the upside booking office and completely destroyed the newspaper kiosk, situated on the upside platform next to the booking office. The booking office and canopy had to undergo some rebuilding, however, the newspaper kiosk was never rebuilt, but refreshments can now be obtained from the coffee shop inside the booking offices main ticket hall.