GALLERY: Britain’s newest railway station in Skegness officially opens

The ribbon was cut at Seathorne Bank station by the Mayor of Skegness, Coun Jimmy Brookes, who described the new addition to Lincolnshire Light Railway as “brilliant”.

Seathorne Bank is in the grounds of Skegness Water Leisure Park, on what was the world’s first heritage line to be built by enthusiasts 65 years ago.

It incorporates the old Great Northern Railway’s 1887-vintage coal office from Skegness Station, which Ellis Bros who own the Park bought from the London & North Eastern Railway in 1947 as the base for their business.

The new station creates a destination, only accessible by rail, at the end of the LCLR’s line from Walls Lane station, with picnic tables and other facilities adjacent to Skegness Airfield.

The whole new station project has been made possible by a grant from the UK Prosperity Fund, made jointly by East Lindsey District Council, South Holland District Council and Boston Borough Council, who administer it (and Rural Prosperity Funding) in this area on

behalf of the UK Government.

The grant of £24,250 to the Lincolnshire Coast Light Railway has been made to boost the economy of Skegness and encourage more people to explore the coast’s heritage.

“Match funding” by the railway’s hosts and owners of the Skegness Water Leisure Park, Ellis Bros (Contractors) Ltd., of £8,000, provided £32,250 for the project, with labour provided by LCLR volunteers, contractors, Ellis Bros’ employees and the running-in board (station name board) painted by traditional signwriter, Tim Fry, from Martin Dales, Woodhall Spa. Wainfleet joiner Mark Eldin, who has previously helped convert the line’s award-winning World War One trench railway wagon into a disabled access carriage, completed the woodwork on the rescued building, part of which had been cut away to enable it to be attached to a brick building.

Some of the volunteers have been making round trips of nearly a hundred miles to work on the project for more than a year.

Earlier this year, the construction of the station, incorporating the historic building, with a platform, access ramps, traditional lamps, benches and views across the fields to the Lincolnshire Wolds, was announced as the winner of the Federation of Master Builders’ Small Renovation Project award in their Yorkshire & Trent Region. It will be entered for the Association’s national awards.

The opening of the new station was accompanied by music from Swineshead Silver Band and dancing from Alford Morris Team.

Local county councillor Adrian Findley was one of the official guests and shared special memories of the building which is now the new station. He said: “I was very proud to be invited along to this historical occasion.

“Forty years ago I walked into this very building that happened to be the offices of Ellis Bros on Lansdowne Road, Skegness.

“I was welcomed by a lady called Barbara who was smoking her cigarette behind her counter in what was was the old Skegness railway coal office. It had started its life behind the Lumley pub and had been purchased by Ellis Bros many years before.

“I was then sent through to meet the man that set me off on my journey in construction, Fred Ellis.

“Chief Executive Officer for Ellis Bros (Contractors) Ltd John Chapel explained to me that this attraction had always been Fred’s vision.

“I started my construction career at Ellis Bros and never gave this building a second thought.

“But now it’s part of an amazing attraction with so much history.”

Mr Chappell commented: ““This new station is a remarkable tribute to the foresight, ingenuity, hard work and skill of so many people, organisations and volunteers who have come together to make it possible.

"The railways made possible Skegness as one of Britain’s most popular seaside resorts and Ellis Bros (Contractors) Ltd., built much of the post-war town.

"This new development will help to attract more visitors and so boost the economy of the whole area”.

He added:”We have come a long way since Kenneth Sr., Brian, Ron and Doug set the company up in 1947, eventually growing to build much of modern Skegness and expand into holiday parks and to create a business which now employs 80 people.

"This building at our new station demonstrates that it was the railways which built Skegness – no railways, no Skegness”.