‘Bric-a-brac hoard’ found at Bishopstone station

Contractors have unearthed a ‘strange hoard’ of abandoned objects at Bishopstone Station ahead of a major refurbishment.
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Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) workers were tidying up the inside of the station in preparation for a refurbishment when they opened the wooden shutters of the old parcel office for the first time in 30 years.

The Grade II-listed building was ‘jammed full of vintage junk’ according to GTR. They found 1970s car parts, fishing rods, rowing oars, British Rail advertising posters, a sack of fertilizer and two spectacular vintage wooden water skis possibly from the 1950s.

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GTR plan to restore Bishopstone as part of its network-wide, multimillion-pound station improvement programme. The train company is currently developing detailed plans to refurbish site with guidance from the Friends of Bishopstone Station (FOBS). The local group is dedicated to protecting and preserving the Art Deco building.

Barbara Mine, Chair of the Friends of Bishopstone Station, sifts through the peculiar parcel office hoard SUS-210225-103744001Barbara Mine, Chair of the Friends of Bishopstone Station, sifts through the peculiar parcel office hoard SUS-210225-103744001
Barbara Mine, Chair of the Friends of Bishopstone Station, sifts through the peculiar parcel office hoard SUS-210225-103744001

GTR says all proceeds from the hoard found will go to FOBS.

Barbara Mine, chair and founder member of FOBS, said, “It was surprising that anything was hidden away and forgotten for so long, let alone such a strange collection of objects. But there are some sellable items, especially the car parts, and we’re very grateful to GTR for donating any proceeds to us. We’re looking forward to working alongside GTR as the station improvements progress.”

Harry Sievewright, from South East Communities Rail Partnership (SCRP), said, “The project to regenerate Bishopstone Station has been ongoing since 2018. The old parcel office is an area we wanted to develop as a ‘social hub’ for the local community and we are grateful to both GTR and the Railway Heritage Trust (RHT) for helping fund the project.

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“It is amazing to find such interesting and rare artefacts, but not surprising in a way, as the area has been disused for such a long time. The station probably has more secrets yet to uncover.”

Station manager Andy Gardner, said, “The station was built to serve a new housing development that never happened because of the Second World War. It has been underused ever since, so it’s great to be working with SCRP, FOBS and the RHT to help this architectural gem achieve its potential as a community asset.”