Unlike some of the stations on the line, Lenham retains it's forecourt canopy. A flat roofed single storey annexe stood at the eastern end of the building but had been recently demolished, with renovation work underway on the day the picture was taken, 22nd September 2008. The stone springers for the window arches (picked out in white on the ground floor) were a somewhat contraversial feature in 1884.

photograph by Stephen Roffey

Lenham Station, about halfway between Ashford and Maidstone 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.

The main station building from the platform side.

photograph by Stephen Roffey

Looking west from the footbridge it can be seen that Lenham retains an interesting layout. This view shows the rather overgrown dock line connected to what was formerly the down siding. This was converted into an electrified loop by extending it to the point where the line curves to the right just beyond the road bridge in readiness for Phase II of the Kent Coast electrification in 1961. The dock siding was a feature of all the intermediate stations between Maidstone East and Ashford.

photograph by Stephen Roffey

A wider westward view shows the dock line and to the left the 1990 platform extension. This addition came after the demolition of the 1961 era signal box which had been out of use since 1984 following the extension of the Maidstone power box's coverage to the Ashford boundary at Headcorn. Behind this runs the 'up' electrified overtaking loop which passes through the site of the old goods yard. This was another Kent Coast Phase II addition, in spite of which the goods yard remained in use until January 1969. The goods shed has now been demolished, however the small brick office still stands and is used by a local builder's merchant.

photograph by Stephen Roffey

The concrete footbridge is of the standard SR prefabricated type manufactured at Exmouth Junction and was erected in 1961, the crossing having previously been by means of a wooden walkway at the eastern end of the platforms. The bridge has recently (Summer 2009) been condemned and is to replaced with a steel structure.

photograph by Stephen Roffey

The eastern end of the station viewed from the up platform. The platform canopy was cut back in 1991 to allow Channel Tunnel freight services to traverse the line, the containers being out of gauge for the route.

photograph by Stephen Roffey

The sun has rather diminished the quality of this photograph which depicts the original 27ft LCDR shelter on the up platform, directly opposite the station building. Again, the canopy was unceremoniously butchered in 1991 to allow the passage of Channel Tunnel freight services. One can also just make out the outline of the side windows which have been bricked up - all the shelters on the line having been so modified. Photographs of the station in the early 1960s show the windows in situ.

photograph by Stephen Roffey

A view looking west showing the parallel alignment of the station and shelter canopies. The road bridge in the distance is one of a number on the line which were modified to allow the passage of continental freight traffic. The arches were enlarged and reinforced with concrete inserts in 1991. The road bridge visible from the eastern view did not require this modification.

photograph by Stephen Roffey

Typical off-peak services from Lenham are one train per hour to Canterbury West and one train per hour to London Victoria via Maidstone East. A six car Networker formation withNº466 011 bringing up the rear departs with a down service on the morning of September 22nd 2008. The unit is passing over a trailing crossover which has been a feature of Lenham's track layout since it's earliest years.

photograph by Stephen Roffey