Knockholt railway station


Knockholt railway station is on the South Eastern Main Line, located in the London Borough of Bromley, south-east London. It is down the line from London Charing Cross and is situated between and stations. It is in Travelcard Zone 6 and is located next to the Greater London boundary with the Kent district of Sevenoaks. The boundary is the farm bridge at the southern end of the platforms.

Location

The station is north-northeast of the village of Knockholt but closer to several other settlements. The station serves several small communities in the Sevenoaks district in addition to Knockholt; Badgers Mount to the southeast, Well Hill northeast, and Halstead south. Within the Bromley borough Pratts Bottom is only west-southwest; and also Chelsfield at about to the north and west. To avoid confusion with Halstead in Essex it was named after the next closest village.

Services

The typical off-peak service from the station is two trains per hour southbound to Sevenoaks and two trains per hour northbound to London Charing Cross, calling at all stations to Hither Green and then running fast to London Bridge.

History

When the South Eastern Railway opened their "cut off" line through Orpington, Sevenoaks to Tonbridge in 1868, there was no station between Chelsfield and Dunton Green. A Knockholt Vestry meeting in March 1871 resolved to request the SER to build a station for Knockholt but this request was initially refused. Eventually, the SER agreed to provide a station if a £3,000 contribution was provided by "local parties,". This was raised and "Halstead for Knockholt" was opened in 1876.
Between 1887 and 1915 a twice daily bus service operated from Knockholt village to the station.
In 1899 the SER joined with its arch rival to form the South Eastern and Chatham Railway. Alfred Smithers, who had moved to Knockholt in 1881, became deputy chairman of the SECR. At the strong suggestion of Smithers, the station name was changed to "Knockholt" in 1900 to avoid the confusion which had arisen with Halstead Station in Essex.

Buses

The station is served by the 431 bus operated by Go Coach between Orpington and Sevenoaks Town Centres