S & D - Bailey Gate

Station closed to goods - 5th April 1965.
Station closed to passengers - 7th March 1966.

Originally named Sturminster Marshall after the village it served just to the north of the station, the name was changed to Bailey Gate in November 1863 when the line was extended to Sturminster Newton, this was to avoid the obvious confusion between the two similar names, although the signs read "Bailey Gate for Sturminster Marshall".
The station had two platforms and numerous sidings, some of which served the local dairy situated just to the north of the station. The main station buildings were located on the down platform, with only a small wooden waiting shelter on the up. The two platforms were linked by a wooden foot crossing at the western end of the station.

The station and goods sidings were controlled from a 24 lever wooden signal box at the western end of the station.

0-6-0PT No.4691 on a freight at Bailey Gate Station - Feb 1962.
Part of the milk depot can be seen in the background.

(52k)

Until the signal box was built at Corfe Mullen Junction in 1905, Bailey Gate was the junction for Wimborne and Broadstone trains, with the Wimborne trains taking the Down line and Broadstone trains the Up line at the crossover at the eastern end of the platforms, running parallel until the tracks divided at Corfe Mullen Junction.

Grid Ref: 195 SY 969986

Bailey Gate Crossing signal box was situated approx 1.5 miles East of the station and controlled a busy crossing on the main A31 Dorchester to Wimborne road.

This crossing was originally controlled by a gate-keeper who lived in the adjacent house. in 1905 when the line to Blandford was doubled, the 14 lever brick and timber signal box was built.
The box was closed as a block post on the 5th of April 1923.
Up until August 1999 the remains of the rear wall of the box could be seen adjacent to the privately owned old keepers cottage, unfortunately this has now all been demolished, along with the one remaining set of crossing gates, a new bungalow has since been built on the land.
The only remaining gates in the area are on the eastern side of the old Knoll Lane crossing just up behind St Hubert's Church. The owner of the adjacent house keeps them in good order.

In 1915 two ‘Admiralty Sidings’ were built on the down side of the line. just to the East of the crossing, the old box being used to store the keys.

Being very close to the River Stour the area to the west of the crossing was liable to flooding, and sometimes this would wash the track ballast away.

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