Horncastle Railway

In the first decades of the 19th century Horncastle had become an important centre for the buying and selling of horses, and it was a centre for agriculture in the district, with a significant population.

At the same time Woodhall Spa had developed as a location where people went to enjoy the curative properties of the spring water which contained iodine and bromine. A local businessman named Thomas Hotchkiss had promoted the waters' curative properties, especially for gout.

Local people believed a railway connection was a means to developing Horncastle; between 1845 and 1847 there were six unsuccessful attempts to promote a railway connection to the town. The Great Northern Railway operated the nearby main line at Kirkstead, opened in 1848. In 1851 the GNR built a canal wharf at Dogdyke, enabling to serve Horncastle using the canal as a branch.

On 27 September 1853 a meeting was held at the Bull Inn, Horncastle, "for the purpose of taking into consideration the propriety of establishing a line of railway between Horncastle and Kirkstead station on the Great Northern loop line." The meeting resolved that "the formation of a branch railway from the Kirkstead station to Horncastle would greatly promote the commercial and agricultural interests of the town and neighbourhood." A sub-committee was appointed "to confer with the Great Northern Company as to working of the proposed branch railway that company." This resulted in the GNR agreeing to work the line for 50% of receipts.

The Stamford Mercury reported that "the meeting passed off vary amicably, with the slight exception of some very irrelevant observations made by Mr. Brailsford, of Toft Grange, respecting compensation to the Navigation Company. The Horncastle Canal evidently saw the promotion of a railway as inimical to its interests, and the canal company pressed its opposition in the parliamentary hearings for the line. In addition, opinion formers in Horncastle were concerned that local people would purchase goods in Boston or Lincoln by travelling there by train, rather than supporting local businesses.

Eventually, the Horncastle Railway was authorised by the Horncastle Railway Act 1854 (17 & 18 Vict. c. cxliii) on 10 July 1854; share capital was £48,000, with borrowing powers of £13,000. The local company built the line, using the contractor Thomas Brassey; Brassey had taken £15,000 in shares on the understanding that he would be appointed as the contractor. The 1854 – 1855 winter was exceptionally severe, and work did not start until March 1855.

An intermediate station was to have been made at Roughton but this was not proceeded with and the only intermediate station was Woodhall Spa.

The line was inspected for Board of Trade approval for opening by Lt-Colonel Wynne on 6 August 1855. However he reported that "I found the permanent way, generally, in a very incomplete state, and the rails especially so much out of adjustment, that I am of the opinion that the Horncastle Railway cannot be opened without danger to the public using the same".

The line was originally operated under the "one engine in steam" system, but from 3 June 1889 a block post was instituted at Woodhall Spa together with a crossing loop, and block working was operated. For some years Woodhall Spa had no goods facility; a siding for the purpose was provided from 4 April 1887.

In 1887 the passenger train service consisted of eight trains each way daily; the journey time was 28 minutes; there were additional trains on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday and from 1898 one train conveyed a through coach from London. There was a Sunday service at first, but this was discontinued in June 1868. In 1910 the basic train service was six journeys each way with additional market-day services, but by 1938 it had risen again to eight with an additional service on Saturdays.

The Autumn Horncastle horse fairs were renowned for the quality of the animals being sold, and the railway provided the means for local horses to be brought in, and despatched to their new owners at destinations countrywide. The late 19th century were the peak years and up to 150 horses arrived at the station every day for several days before the start of the fair. However, horse trading declined after 1918 as the use of road transport increased.

Despite the railway, Horncastle never developed industrially. In 1890 the Board of Trade pressed the proprietors of the railway to improve it in certain respects. The directors considered that this might be the opportune time to sell the line to the Great Northern Railway. They offered to do so on the basis of £10 Horncastle Railway Company shares being exchanged for £18 face value of GNR shares. The GNR considered this too high a price, but assisted the Horncastle Railway Company in obtaining a loan for the necessary work.