St. MARGARETS FOR

THE FIRST VILLAGE STATION 1843-1863

STUART MOYE

St. Margarets station was opened as part of the branch line on October 31st 1843 by the Northern and Eastern Railway Company [N & E R]. The company had by that time also built a line from Stratford in East to Bishops Stortford. In order to save money the N & E R had made a junction with the Eastern Counties Railway [ECR] at Stratford in order to share that companies London terminus at Shoreditch. The ECR, having built its London terminus, was in the process of building a line eastwards through to Shenfield and beyond. This meant that the N & E R to Bishops Stortford and to Hertford was laid with a track gauge of 5 feet to be compatible with the ECR rather than the standard gauge of 4 feet and 81/2 inches. The construction of the Hertford Branch was an attempt by the N & E R to prevent the construction of a parallel route from London to by a rival company. In this respect Stanstead Abbotts acquired a railway much earlier than might otherwise have been the case.

This picture taken about 1910 shows the relationship of the original station building and goods shed to the later station closer to the camera.

The line from Broxbourne Junction to Hertford was built quite quickly between August and October 1843 as a single line railway with stations to serve Stanstead Abbotts, Ware and Hertford. The station for Stanstead Abbotts was called St. Margarets no doubt to avoid any future confusion with the proposed station at Stansted Mountfitchet on the N &E R proposed extension to the north of Bishops Stortford. St. Margarets station was built to the south of the level crossing, entirely within the parish of St. Margarets. It opened with an attractive station building, a short low narrow platform and small goods yard which included a goods loading platform.

The station was the only one on the branch to have a two storey building incorporating Stationmaster’s accommodation on the first floor. This was provided due to the perceived lack of suitable housing in the village, which could be rented by the railway’s most important local employee.

The 1843 station building is seen to the right. The door once allowed passengers access to the platform from the booking hall. This 1917 view features the Stationmaster’s magnificent roses.

The railway was allowed by Act of Parliament to cross the non turnpiked main road at St. Margarets on the level, a road regarded at the time as a secondary route which led to the Hadhams and via Roydon and Old Harlow into . However trains were restricted at first to a 4 mph speed limit when they passed over the level crossing. In addition for the first year of operation, until the law was changed, the gates could have been kept shut across the road until road traffic required them to be opened. The level crossing was only about 12 feet wide with large single hand operated gates each side. The rather rough wooden roadway between the gates would have been at the time a relatively good surface compared to the often rutted and muddy main road through the village.

An early passenger approaching the station over the river bridge would have seen the new level crossing gates and as he walked past the George and Dragon Public House, now known as the Jolly Fisherman, the two storey station building would have become visible. On turning left into the station approach road he would have observed the beginnings of the Stationmaster’s flower garden to the right and the Stationmaster’s front door in the wall of the station building that faced the main road. Our passenger would have entered a small booking hall at the London end of the building to buy his ticket before waiting on the narrow platform which stood only about two feet above rail level, as was the norm at the time. A canopy was provided along the full length of the building over the narrow platform to protect passengers from the rain.

. Being a single line at this time there was only one platform, but as there were only seven trains each way daily, facilities were more than adequate. The first train for London left Hertford at 7.30 am and the last at 6.30pm with the journey from St. Margarets to London via Stratford taking about one hour. However fares to London were beyond the reach of most people with the fares in 1845 set at 1st class 4s 6d [22.5p], 2nd class 3s 0d [15p] and 3rd class 1s 10d [9p]. On Sundays travel opportunities were somewhat restricted with only two trains to London picking up at St Margarets around 9.50 am and 6.50 pm, there were also just two trains to Hertford on Sundays.

Once the railway was open the railway company caught up with outstanding work, including the building of a goods shed and other facilities for the growing freight traffic. However the financial situation of the N & E R Company led to the ECR taking over the running of the line from the 1st June 1844 on a 999 year lease. Following this the ECR’s consultant engineer Robert Stephenson advised that the railway’s 5 foot track gauge could cause considerable problems in the future, when it tried to connect with other railways. As a result of this, a process of converting the track and all the locomotives and rolling stock to the standard track gauge was commenced. The alteration of the Hertford branch saw it closed from Wednesday 25th September reopening on Monday 30th September 1844. It was the only part of the ECR to be closed down during the change of gauge, a single line being somewhat difficult to re gauge without closure. In order to maintain the service a horse drawn coach connected with trains at Broxbourne it stopped at St Margarets and Ware stations before terminating at the Salisbury Arms in the centre of Hertford. Return journeys were designed to connect with trains destined for London at Broxbourne

In the first four months of the following year season tickets were introduced but were suspended due to lack of interest. However following complaints they were re introduced in November 1845 with an annual season to London from St. Margarets costing1st class £35 and second class £25.

During 1846 the Hertford branch was doubled which required a second platform to be provided at St. Margarets station. This was built on the Ware side of the level crossing and not opposite the existing platform as one might expect. This staggered platform arrangement was a very common at the time. Although many theories have been forwarded as to why this was a favoured way of arranging platforms either side of a level crossing, there appears to be no surviving documentation which explains the thinking at the time. The new short platform was first constructed without buildings with just a fence along the back. The ECR did not sanction the £79 required for the construction of a shelter until 1st June 1848. This was built with a back wall in brick with a canopy attached to it with open ends. Although this was to have small toilets at each end and a screen across much of the front added in the late 1920’s it has now in 2014 returned to look more like it did in 1848. Also in 1846 the ECR introduced the electric telegraph between all its stations. This was mainly used to ensure greater safety in the operation of the trains and for railway business. It was available for the public to use but at a minimum charge of 2s 6d [12.5p] which was very expensive and tended to be regarded as such even by the wealthy

This view dating from the late 1870’s shows the old station beyond the level crossing gates and to the right the platform and open shelter built when the line was doubled

The takeover by the ECR brought further problems for those who used the railway as during the 1850’s the company went through difficult times. It became the butt of jokes in the national press where it was accused of providing slow, dirty and expensive trains. There was some evidence to support these criticisms with passengers complaining that Hertford trains were taking up to 50% more time for the journey than previously and they were being charged 30 – 50 % more than equivalent journeys on other railway lines.

By September 1980 nature had reclaimed the original station goods yard and the old station building stood empty and unused, awaiting its demolition on the 28th & 29th June 1981

It was at this time that The Ware Hadham and Railway was first promoted. Although it had initially been intended for the line to go to Ware a refusal by Mr Giles-Puller to sell land to the railway near Thundridge led to a diversion down the Ash valley to St Margarets. Well before the railway was complete the Buntingford Company had to seek financial assistance from the ECR as well as an agreement to work the line. By the time the first public passenger train arrived at St. Margarets from Buntingford at about 8.20 am on the 3rd July 1863 the ECR had been amalgamated with three other railways to form the Company [GER]. The new Company set the fares on the Buntingford line with return fares from St Margarets to Buntingford set at 1st class 2s 6d [12.5p] , 2nd class 2s 0d [10p] and 3rd class 1s 6d [7.5p]. For the first year Buntingford trains used the level crossing at St. Margarets to gain access to the London bound platform. Although these arrangements were manageable it was obvious that much improved facilities were needed to adequately provide for the extra traffic. It is a little surprisingly perhaps that it was not until the 7th January 1864 that the GER awarded the contract for a new platform, an additional bay platform for the branch as well as a new station building at St Margarets. This was awarded to Perry & Judson for £1,385 19s 8d and was to be built opposite the existing Hertford bound platform with its open shelter. Once these new facilities came into use later in the year, the 1843 station south of the level crossing went out of use as a passenger station. It was to remain in use, in modified form, as a goods station and Stationmaster’s house for approximately a further 90 years. S. Moye Jan. 2014