about FOBS
Congratulations to Barbara Mine, Chairman of the Friends of Bishopstone Station
An outstanding volunteer from Bishopstone, has been recognised by Their Majesties The King and The Queen Consort
The People
Who we are and what we do. Read more click picture above
Barbara Mine, Chairman of FOBS with Maria Caulfield MP on the steps of No.10 Downing Street to receive the Coronation Champions Award
Barbara & Gerald Mine in Buckingham Palace having been invited as a Coronation Champion
About Bishopstone Station
The history of this unique Art Deco railway station located on the south coast of East Sussex. Read more click picture above
The History of FOBS
Bishopstone Station is an Art Deco Gem on the Seaford to Brighton Line.
Built in 1938 by Architect James Robb Scott, to serve a new housing development which had to be shelved due to the start of the 2nd world war. This was when gun emplacements were added to the second level. The only one of its kind in the UK.
The railway line was single tracked in 1975 and the station platform building on the north side was demolished as it was no longer needed.
The Old Postal sorting room until 2016 was used as a general store and newsagent. It was then left empty.
Early 2017 a group of passionate local people got together and with the support from Southeast Community Rail Partnership, formed a group : Friends of Bishopstone Station .
Barbara Mine as Chair and Jim Stanford as vice chair along with a core group formed a committee to actively campaign to save the station building and return it back to its Art Deco glory.
Working closely with GTR and Network Rail they finally 5 years later had a lease in place and funding for the old Parcel Room to be tuned into a community hub to serve the local and wider community.
It is now an open plan large room with full kitchen and a new WC has been installed in the octagonal glass tile roofed booking hall.
Together with Community Rail Network, Railway Heritage Trust, SCRP and the local community, In November 2022 The Community Hub was born. It is now a beautiful warm space and is already being used for Art classes, sewing classes, yoga and French lessons.
There is also a Meet Up Mondays warm spaces for the community, particularly the socially isolated, to come and have a hot drink and snacks and just get together.
This has proved very popular and so lovely to see people feel comfortable in this new environment.
Phase 2 of the project is to restore the East side of the building which houses very old dilapidated toilets and ladies waiting room, Plus be able to create something new on the unused platform.
Phase 3 will be to restore and replace the windows on the over exposed connecting bridge to the platform.
It’s an ongoing but very do able project which will keep this beautiful and unique building in good order for future generations to enjoy.
Barbara Mine Chair of Friends of Bishopstone Station CIC.