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| Laindon Railway Station |
| Station Approach |
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Location: Laindon Railway Station Photographer: Bix Year of photo: 24/10/2002 Copyright: Basildon History Online Comments: Exterior view of the booking hall. |
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Location: Laindon Railway Station Photographer: Bix Year of photo: 24/10/2002 Copyright: Basildon History Online Comments: An overbridge view of platform 1. |
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Location: Laindon Railway Station Photographer: Bix Year of photo: 23/10/2002 Copyright: Basildon History Online Comments: Station Approach, which now curves to join Northumberland Avenue. |
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Location: Laindon Railway Station Photographer: Bix Year of photo: 24/10/2002 Copyright: Basildon History Online Comments: View from the overbridge of a 357 Electrostar about to enter Laindon Station. |
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Location: Laindon Railway Station Photographer: Bix Year of photo: 24/10/2002 Copyright: Basildon History Online Comments: The station masters house; then currently empty and to let. |
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Location: Laindon Railway Station Photographer: Bix Year of photo: 24/10/2002 Copyright: Basildon History Online Comments: Another view looking down on platform 1. |
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Location: Laindon Railway Station Photographer: Bix Year of photo: 27/04/2006 Copyright: Basildon History Online Comments: Joan Sims Appreciation Society plaque, unveiled 9th May 2005. |
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Location: Laindon Railway Station Photographer: Unknown Year of photo: Circa 1910 Copyright: N/A Comments: Another early view of the station, this time seen from Laindon on land now covered by the Five Links estate. |
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Location: Station Approach Photographer: Fred Spalding Year of photo: c.1906 Copyright: Fred Spalding Source: Stuart Wilson Comments: An early postcard view of Laindon. |
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Location: Laindon Railway Station Photographer: Stuart Wilson Year of photo: 27/08/2006 Copyright: Stuart Wilson Source: Stuart Wilson Comments: A 2006 view taken from platform 2. |
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Location: Railway bridge, High Road Photographer: Unknown Year of photo: c.1930s Copyright: Scan ©Peter Owen Source: Peter Owen Comments: This view, taken from the station overbridge, shows the 8 railway cottages that survived until the early 1970s. |
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Location: Laindon Railway Station Photographer: Unknown Year of photo: c.1920s Copyright: Scan ©Peter Owen Source: Peter Owen Comments: An early view of Laindon with a gathering of station staff in the background. |
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Location: Laindon Railway Station Photographer: Peter Brazier Year of photo: 22/09/1956 Copyright: Basildon History Online Comments: This view, taken on platform 2, shows the totem style namesign. |
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Location: Laindon Railway Station Photographer: Peter Brazier Year of photo: 22/09/1956 Copyright: Basildon History Online Comments: Another view, this time taken on platform 1. |
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Location: Laindon Railway Station Photographer: J. C. Photography Year of photo: 15/04/1982 Copyright: Basildon History Online Comments: A view of Station Approach from the stairway. |
| Laindon Railway Station | |
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In the late 1800s Laindon was quite sparsely populated but
with the coming of the railway change was evident within a short time. A new direct section of
line was constructed linking Barking with Pitsea, and Laindon, which just fell within the
proposed course of the line, was to get its own station. An Act of Parliament authorisation this was
passed on 24th July 1882, and by 1885 the line was open as far as Upminster. East Horndon, the first of
two intermediate stations before Pitsea, opened next in 1886, followed two years later by
Laindon, which opened on 1st June 1888 along with the now completed line.The station layout at Laindon closely resembled East Horndon (renamed West Horndon in 1949), even down to the down side placement of the station masters house and booking hall. The two platforms were both provided with a weather canopy, and passenger access to London bound trains was reached via an ornate overbridge. Sidings were also laid and a goods shed built. For many years Laindon remained little altered, the first major change coming in 1933 when the up platform was converted to an island. This third line allowed a passing loop, and the new third platform (platform 1) became the new up when the original one became reversible in 1957. This change, including the renaming of the down (Shoeburyness bound) platform 1 to platform 3, enabled starter trains to operate from platform 2, which, despite a withdrawal attempt by rail operator c2c in 2006, continue today. A new signal box was added to the island platforms, which also had its pedestrian overbridge extended to connect with the High Road. When Basildon was designated a new town in 1949, British Railways were in no immediate hurry to provide a
Goods were withdrawn on 5th June 1967, though a goods shed remained empty and derelict for years after. More recently the island platforms saw change with the removal of the signal box as well as a detached sales kiosk. Station Approach no longer has direct vehicular access to the High Road; Northumberland Avenue now being the entrance/exit route, and the cafe, much frequented by bus crews, was demolished in the 1980s along with another small building used by various taxi companys like Farmers and Basildon Radio Taxis.  One
building on the station side still remains and is now in use by a local taxi company, having formerly
been (from 1968) the Watson, Temple & Waymouth, and more recently Watson, Temple, Talbot & White estate
agents office.The far end of the goods yard was for many years used by a number of locally based coal merchants that included Hall's, Morris & Farmer, and Hayes Fuels, who all kept a coal depot there. Another small building in the yard was used by the Evening Standard/News newspaper group. Opposite the booking office is the Station Gate shopping centre, built partly on the site of the old goods yard and Berry Boys boxing hall in the 1990s. Around this time, the remainder of the goods yards was cleared and a large commuter car park created, which for a time in the 1990s was used for car boot sales. The original up side (London) car park - created in the 1960s on a bed of cinder and accessible via a side road at the foot of the Langdon Hills bridge incline - was relocated (albeit in reduced size) onto vacant land closer to Valence Way, when Mandeville Way was constructed in the late 1980s. A new concrete stairway up to the High Road was built to replace the original steps which had led down to the car park. The right of way pedestrian crossing a few hundred yards or so beyond the station still exists. This was possibly established at the time the line opened, and beyond that, on the up side buried amongst the undergrowth is the rusted remains of a former siding, that for some reason was overlooked once the spur to the mainline was lifted sometime around the early 1960s. 
The station house is famous locally as the birthplace and first home of the former stage,
screen, radio and television actress Joan Sims. She was born the only child of John and Gladys
Sims on May 9th 1930, her father then being the station master, and lived there from 1930
through to 1952. Educated at St. John's, Billericay, and Brentwood County High, in her early
years she was a member of the Langdon Players and would often take part in local stage
productions. She was perhaps best known for her appearances in the 'Carry
On' films - 24 between 'Nurse', the 2nd in 1959 and 'Emmannuelle', the 29th in 1978 - and a blue circular plaque
commemorating her life, unveiled on May 9th 2005, now adorns the outer wall of the building. Her
autobiography entitled "High Spirits", published 5th June, 2000 (ISBN: 1-85225-280-4), recalls
how she would often entertain the waiting passengers with impromptu routines on the station
platform. She died on June 28th, 2001 aged 71.The station no longer has a station master and the house was used by a local estate agents as an office. When they vacated, the house was unoccupied for many years and to let before being acquired by local estate agents Quirk Deakin as their Laindon office. Through the years the station has retained its importance to the area, firstly with 'eastenders' looking to holiday in the country, and now as a starting point for the local population who choose to commute each day to their jobs in the city. Text written 2004 with revisions 2005-2007. Copyright © 2004-2007, Basildon History Online. All rights reserved. | |
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