Railway cottage owner queries

[LorryF]

I live in a Railway cottage, my semi railway Cottage is by a signal box. We have other terraced and a few semi groups of cottages nearby. Station opened around 1846. why did the cottages get put in places nearby but not at mainline station? And what workers were in them? I have a wall missing from my railway conveyancing agreement and from ordnance survey looked at so far, the awful wall on a highway was built much later. the awful wall needs structural assessment. The Railway board also provided information on original house plan that a path/pavement applied where this wall is. the Wall did not exist in 1901, looking at os maps I think house built much earlier. How can I find out date my house was actually built. The railway board have been honest to say they cannot provide information about this wall. The council do not hold records about the wall. Any history information of any helpful info re my query would be so helpful. The highways agency hold no information either. I have spent hours searching newspaper, going to local history centre, searching for railway info without successful.

 

[D Williams]

I suspect the practice varied from company to company but with regard to rural stations, which were often quite a distance from the communities they served, housing would be provided for key members of staff eg, station master, signalman , p way ganger, s & t linesman. Presumably the thinking was that at least a service could be maintained if others were unavailable. Staff paid rents ( on the GWR) for housing and it was a small income stream to the company. Housing was often also provided at such places as large stations / goods yards / engine sheds / works etc. In the case of Swindon, because it was a rapidly developing town and there was no other accommodation. Crossing keepers usually had housing adjacent to their place of work and many of these dwellings remain to this day. You omit to mention where your house is located so this makes the provision of any specific historical advice impossible.

With regard to the second part of your question which I assume relates to a dispute regarding the maintenance of a wall it is safe to assume that the house was built along with the railway as a part of the capital programme so dates from 1846 . Are any station buildings remaining, is the architectural style the same? A building surveyor would be able to give a good guess as to the date of construction. For the rest you will need to seek more professional advice but if the wall doesn't exist on any official documents and it's within the boundary of your property I doubt either the local council or the railway will take responsibility. This is often the case hence the occasional stories in the press about home owners being hit with large bills when a wall collapses.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

@LorryF. Welcome to the forum. Are you happy to advise where your railway cottage is located? Dorchester area, presumably? Is it adjacent to a still open railway line? Many of the RailUK forum's members have a wealth of knowledge on railway matters and may just be able to provide some further information as regards the history of your particular property, if not what you need to do with the later-built and now seemingly problematic wall.

 

[StephenHunter]

Have you look at old Ordnance Survey maps of the area?

 

[30907]

Have you look at old Ordnance Survey maps of the area?

I think the OP has done. For whatever reason do not wish to identify the location, but it is recognisable from the description. On the basis of the NLOS maps I would assume that they do not live in the original terrace but in a later building dating 1886-1901 and adjacent to (public?) footpaths rather than to roads.

In answer to their original question: the station opened in 1846 was some way from the then built-up area (and still was in 1901) which accounts for the original cottages.

 

[Gloster]

A variety of comments. If I am correct about where your cottage is then the signal box is fairly modern and the first signal box there was not opened until 1878. The line itself was opened in 1847 to the old station, with the curve round to the other line in 1857.

The railway built housing where necessary, but sometime it was not directly adjacent to the station, signal box or loco depot: a lot would depend on where they could get the cheapest land and they didn’t worry about the extra walking distance for staff (and it is not that far). As to who lived in the cottage, if it is a small one then it would probably be someone of the level of signalman, driver, more senior clerk or trackman: the most senior staff, such as the stationmaster, tended to have separate housing and the most junior, such as porters, firemen, track men, etc. just lodged where they could.

Frankly, if it part of the house and not a party wall, then it is probably your responsibility: I am not an expert on this and this is only my opinion. Only a solicitor could really give advice on this.

 

[Bevan Price]

If the council knows nothing about the wall, and it is entirely on your property, I would be tempted to get contractors to demolish the wall before it can collapse. If required, you can put a fence on the site of the wall.

 

[LorryF]

@LorryF. Welcome to the forum. Are you happy to advise where your railway cottage is located? Dorchester area, presumably? Is it adjacent to a still open railway line? Many of the RailUK forum's members have a wealth of knowledge on railway matters and may just be able to provide some further information as regards the history of your particular property, if not what you need to do with the later-built and now seemingly problematic wall.

Yes it is Dorchester

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 31 Dec 2024 ==

Have you look at old Ordnance Survey maps of the area?

I have which has been beyond helpful. I have now found since posting that the railway cottages were erected around time of station. Ordnance survey gives me the wall happened at least 55 years after houses were built. I have a gap of 27 years without suitable maps. The wall is not a standard used blue or red railway brick. Railway Board honest to admit they have no information about the wall and who built it. house wall is in conveyancing agreement. The wall edges railway cottages land. Originally a sloped steep verge applied followed by pedestrian path where this wall is. Land registry do not have measurements of the land. the steps to this wall that I know are on my land are red railway bricks that appear to be added before the wall, as the bricks for steps do not interlock to wall I am looking into. its A really odd one, i am currently looking at old newspaper articles as there was great interest to widen roads like this one. Excessive ones read so far but cover every road but mine. The railway board gave up their land to highway to widen roads like mine at no cost that surprised me. Thank you to everyone for comments so far they are greatly appreciated. I have learnt so much interesting facts for my area looking into this wall.

 

[Snow1964]

If it is on Castleman's corkscrew (nickname of the line from Southampton to Dorchester South, via Brockenhurst, Ringwood, Wimborne, Broadstone, Wareham) then it is worth comparing your buildings with other fairly remote locations (Holmsley station, Woodfidley crossing in New Forest etc), as probably all built at same time, and possibly to same basic design.

There have in the past been some fairly detailed books on the line, worth searching one out.

Regarding railway giving up land to widen the highway, this was not uncommon. Basically the railway had to maintain all the slopes it created (even if it was just a verge). But on transfer of the strip of land, the maintenance moved to local council (and is known formally as adopted), so often happy to give away the liability for maintenance.

 

[LorryF]

Thank you that is really helpful information, thank you.

 

[30907]

Thank you that is really helpful information, thank you.

Thanks for your update. I (and Gloster) have obviously misinterpreted the location of your property as being by Dorchester South (former) signal box, so some previous comments may be misleading (certainly mine re the date of your property).

 

[LorryF]

Thanks for your update. I (and Gloster) have obviously misinterpreted the location of your property as being by Dorchester South (former) signal box, so some previous comments may be misleading (certainly mine re the date of your property).

Thank you it is Dorchester South I live alongside, Dorchester West was later

 

[30907]

Thank you it is Dorchester South I live alongside, Dorchester West was later

In which case ignore post #11

 

[edwin_m]

Originally a sloped steep verge applied followed by pedestrian path where this wall is.

Could it be that they widened the road, cutting into the steep verge and adding a retaining wall?

 

[LorryF]

Could it be that they widened the road, cutting into the steep verge and adding a retaining wall?

Ordnance survey maps support that’s what’s happened. Ordnance survey supports road widened well after house built between 1901 to 1929. I don’t see railway board doing this, so many years after erecting house (55 years at least). The house is a distance away from the main railway station. The road is now a b road. my house originally had a sloped path to exit property to a safer piece of land in 1900. whoever built wall took away safe exit at house to make my household step into a very busy b road without a pavement to leave house.

 

[edwin_m]

Ordnance survey supports road widened well after house built between 1901 to 1929. I don’t see railway board doing this, so many years after erecting house (55 years at least).

So the wall is likely to be down to whatever authority was responsible for the road, probably whatever council existed at the time. This has probably changed several times since the 1920s, which might account for your current council having no information on it. I guess they may have a responsibility to assess it, considering that if it collapses it will affect their road.

 

[LorryF]

So the wall is likely to be down to whatever authority was responsible for the road, probably whatever council existed at the time. This has probably changed several times since the 1920s, which might account for your current council having no information on it. I guess they may have a responsibility to assess it, considering that if it collapses it will affect their road.

This is what happened. I did a further query with railway board and through ordnance survey map comment they tracked down a legal agreement to support the local authority built and own the wall. I can now enjoy reading about railway history it’s so interesting.