Horncastle’s railway exhibition to open at Joseph Banks Centre

Lockdown restrictions to curb the spread of the covid pandemic prevented HHHS opening its planned exhibition on the exact closure anniversary (Easter).

Instead, a ‘virtual exhibition’ was presented on the society’s website incorporating much new information, together with material from the society’s extensive railway archive.

It was a huge success and now the chairman of the society, Dr Ian Marshman, says that the Joseph Banks Centre in Bridge Street, Horncastle will host the exhibition from Thursday, July 29, to Saturday, September 4.

Admission will be free and it will be open on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays.

Dr Marshman said: “Today many people don’t realise Horncastle ever had a railway, as almost every trace of the station is gone.

“We hope this exhibition will show how the line changed life in Horncastle.

“There are many fascinating stories to be told, such as how local people fought to build the line in the 1850s and how it broadened horizons for ordinary people living here.

“It is also tantalising to discover how history could have taken a different path, with several schemes having been proposed – and in some cases, agreed by Parliament – to link Horncastle to lines to the Midlands and the North through Lincoln, as well as proposed docks at Sutton- on-Sea and Wainfleet and on to Skegness.”

The railway reached Horncastle in 1855 from a branch leaving the Great Northern Railway’s “Lincolnshire Loop” at Kirkstead Junction (later renamed Woodhall Junction) via Woodhall Spa, where there was also a station and a siding for goods traffic.

Unlike many such lines, it remained an independent company (though operated by the Great Northern) and paid a good dividend to shareholders until merger into the London & North Eastern Railway in 1923.

The line closed to passengers in 1954, despite a long campaign by local people, the Horncastle Urban District Council, the local MP and the local paper (Horncastle News)to keep the trains running.

Today, much of the route has formed part of the Spa Trail for walkers and cyclists between Horncastle and Woodhall Spa since 2010.

Thanks to funding from Lincolnshire County Council’s Countryside Service, the Society has produced a new leaflet and map to promote the trail.

It’s hoped that with staycations becoming increasingly popular this year, local people and visitors will be encouraged to explore the trail, which features a collection of sculptures and information boards about the railway’s history.

Local railway enthusiast, Chris Bates, who helped compile the exhibition, said: “It is interesting to think that the line probably carries more ‘passengers’ today than it did when it closed.

“Even without its rails, it continues to be a great asset to the town”.

The free leaflet can be collected from the Joseph Banks Centre, or as a free download from Horncastle Walkers Are Welcome.

Dr Marshman added: “It’s a great asset for Horncastle that the town now has a dedicated exhibition space in the relaunched Joseph Banks Centre, where local heritage, nature and culture can be celebrated. Its refreshed tourist information centre for the area is also proving popular, with people popping in to pick up walk and cycle leaflets.”

HHHS is also planning other events alongside the exhibition, including an expert talk and a special open weekend with a chance to see local railway artefacts from private collections, as well as a newly-completed model of Horncastle station.

In addition, at the ‘other end’ of the Horncastle branch, the award-winning Woodhall Spa Cottage Museum (adjacent to the old line, in Iddesleigh Road, Woodhall Spa) has included much information about the railway and some exhibits in its displays. It is open Thursdays to Sundays.

The museum has helped HHHS in the preparation of material for its exhibition.

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