The impressive station facade seen from the forecourt. The station master's houses were integral to all the stations on the Maidstone-Ashford line. Nearby SECR stations of the era such as Pluckley (only four and a half miles away to the south west) had seperate accomodation for the station master and were much less impressve affairs.

photograph by Stephen Roffey

Charing Station was built by the London, Chatham and Dover railway and opened, along with the other stations on the Maidstone East-Ashford line, on 1st July 1884. The station building, in common with all the intermediate stations on the line, was based on the design of Sevenoaks Bat & Ball and following the closure of Hothfield Halt in 1959 is the closest station to Ashford on the route.

Charing is one of two stations on the Maidstone-Ashford line constructed in red brick, the other being Lenham and in common with Lenham is more substantial than the others which were constucted in an attractive creme brick. It is undoubtedly the best looked-after station on the line and, since none of the ground floor windows have been boarded up, probably the most attractive. The single storey annexe on the far left of the picture is a feature that has disappeared from the other stations on the line.

photograph by Stephen Roffey

The view of the station from the 'up' platform, on 22nd September 2008, showing that the original station canopy appears to be intact. Note too the attractive lamps which although modern additions are perfectly in keeping with the style the building.

photograph by Stephen Roffey

The small annexe in the foreround is a feature common to all the stations on the route, and was a common LCDR addition - many stations on the Chatham main line having similar ones. The forest of shrubs and trees beyond the station is the site of the former goods yard.

photograph by Stephen Roffey

The original LCDR shelter on the up platform as seen from the footbridge. Uniquely for the line this has been modifed with a new front wall and entrance, presumably to offer greater protection to the good burghers of Charing on their way to the City. The original valance was cut back in 1991 to facilitate the passage of oversized intermodal freight trains following the opening of the Channel Tunnel. In common with the other stations on the route, the shelter's side windows have been bricked up - this is believed to have taken place in the mid 1980s. The waste ground behind the fence is the former site of a lengthy refuge siding.

photograph by Stephen Roffey

A telescopic shot which emphasises the curvature of the line, looking towards Ashford. The road bridge was modified in 1991 by expanding the archway and inserting a concrete support, necessary to allow the passage of continental freight services from the channel tunnel which were out of gauge for the line. The man responsible for renovating the shelter canopy seems to have run out of paint!

photograph by Stephen Roffey

The concrete footbridge, seen here from the up platform looking towards Maidstone, is a 1961 addition made prior to the energisation of the third rail, this being a typical Southern Region prefabricated product of Exmouth Junction. Previously the up platform was accessed by a wooden walkway. In common with the other stations on this stretch of line, a dock platform for the loading of cattle was provided - this was just beyond the base of the footbridge on the down platform to the right. The once extensive goods facilities were beyond the cattle dock, now woodland which backs on to houses which were built on part of the site. Just visible is the 2003 platform extension, installed prior to the phasing out of slam-door stock.

photograph by Stephen Roffey

A better view of the 1991 modifications to the road bridge. The bricked up arch to the right shows the original profile - this arch formerly spanned the aforementioned refuge siding.

photograph by Stephen Roffey