The railway station at Bourne became redundant after the last passenger train to Spalding ran on 28th February 1959 and freight facilities for the movement of sugar beet disappeared in 1965. The platforms were demolished in March 1964 (above) and the remaining red brick station buildings became part of the central depot and offices of Wherry and Sons Ltd., the agricultural merchants, who have been associated with the town since the early 19th century (below). 

In March 2005, the company decided that it was no longer financially viable to retain the buildings and ordered their demolition (below). The site had by then been identified by South Kesteven District Council as brownfield land with a potential for 60 new houses and the firm announced its intention to relocate both factory and offices as soon as a buyer could be found. Managing director James Wherry said: "Preservation has been considered by converting it to residential use but it would have been too costly a project. In addition, the warehouse has become unusable for day-to-day use and rental is not possible because of the poor state of the building, worsened by vandalism and the removal of virtually all of the ground floor and some of the first floor." Demolition was completed within a few days and there were few public objections.

THE END OF AN ERA

The entire railway complex in Bourne
was dismantled in 1964-65, including the track within the main line complex
through the town together with the
South Street signal box and level crossing gates (top). A heavy duty crane was
moved in to help remove the bridge over Abbey Road.

AN EXAMPLE OF VICTORIAN SPLENDOUR

One of the last remaining relics of the steam age in Bourne is this structure built with locally made bricks around 1860 and known as overbridge 234, part of the Midland and Great Northern line to Saxby. It was the first, and only one remaining, of three overbridges which took farm traffic over the line between the Bourne West signal box and Toft tunnel. Today it stands isolated and in poor condition amid green fields although the Elsea Park housing development is getting closer by the month but despite its dilapidated state, the structure still retains that Victorian splendour which reminds us of the period’s outstanding engineering achievements.