A history of Waltham Station and the East Lincolnshire Railway


Waltham Level Crossing

Not only is the Station Mews site the perfect location for this exclusive residential development, it also has an interesting history as a key station on the famous East Lincolnshire Railway line.

The East Lincolnshire Railway (formerly the L.N.E.R.) linked Grimsby with London by joining the Great Northern Line at Peterborough. At its peak in the 1950's and early 1960's, 2 express passenger services a day ran each way between Grimsby and London, along with several regional services as far as Peterborough.

The East Lincolnshire Railway was also a vital cargo route and was widely credited with putting Grimsby firmly on the map by linking the fledgling sea port to the rest of the country. This essential artery saw the town prosper during the steam age, and by the mid 20th century Grimsby was one of the UK's busiest ports. Waltham station itself served as a passenger station and a goods depot, with coal and potatoes being the main goods handled there. As the station grew, a large cattle holding pen was constructed at the south end of the site, making Waltham station a truly versatile rail facility.

The area immediately around Waltham station - situated over a mile away from the centre of the main village - grew in size in the 1950's, and was soon home to a substantial and ever growing population of its own. George Robinson, a local builder and Chairman of the Rural District Council, was instrumental in developing the area surrounding Waltham station, and by 1961 he succeeded in creating a new parish, thus making the area a village in its own right - New Waltham.

As the sun set on the steam age, the then British Railways supremo Dr Beeching (nicknamed 'Dr Death' after his reputation for closing lines) decided that the days of the East Lincolnshire Railway were numbered, and by 1964, freight services into Waltham and Grimsby were brought to a close. By October 1970, scheduled passenger services also ceased, leaving just an irregular goods run between Grimsby and the Paul's maltings in Louth, which ran throughout the 1970's.

During this time the redundant line to the south of Louth was pulled up, leaving only the 18 mile section between Louth and Grimsby intact and operational. In 1981 the malt run was finally terminated and the remaining track between the two towns was also removed. The abandoned line became a picturesque bridleway, popular with walkers, cyclists and horse riders.

Along the length of the former line, the old railway infrastructure fell into decay and gradually disappeared altogether, bar a few signal posts and the occasional Station Master's house - one of which was the Station House at New Waltham. However, following an in-depth structural survey, it was determined that the iconic house was beyond restoration and so the owner moved into temporary accommodation on the site, while an agreeable plan for the future of the land was drawn up. The ensuing proposal was for a high quality residential development on the site.

After a lengthy consultation period with the immediate neighbours and the local authority, it was determined that the properties on the proposed development should meet specific local market requirements. Expert opinon was taken on the types of property in demand in the area, and Louth based architects John Derbyshire Design Partnership were appointed by the land owners to design a high quality and low intensive residential development, in keeping with the land's heritage.

The final scheme received full planning approval and work soon got underway on Station Mews. The development is on schedule for completion in the second half of 2009, and these premium quality houses are now on the market.