£1.5m property used by Churchill to plan D-Day
Former station on the market
A RAILWAY station that played an important part in D-Day is up for sale as a historic home.
The former Droxford Station, in Station Road, is on the market for £1.5m.
The station was used by Prime Minister Winston Churchill in 1944 to plan the Normandy landings. He met Allied leaders in a carriage that was shunted into a siding.
The News’ nostalgia columnist Bob Hind writes: ‘The station was on the Meon Valley line between Fareham and Alton and opened on June 1, 1906.
‘Although built to mainline standard, it never took off. One reason being that the villages the stations served were too far from the line.
‘The route closed to passenger traffic in 1955 but freight continued between Fareham and Droxford until April 1962.
‘The station was then turned into a home.
‘It still has the original ladies’ waiting room, now a family room, along with the ticket office with serving hatch and ticket booth. The platforms and rebuilt signal box are all still there.’
The property, which has four to five bedrooms, is on the market with agents Knight Frank.
Its listing says: ‘A historic home with links to Churchill and the preparations for the Normandy landings, Old Droxford Station was originally built in the early 1900s as part of the Meon Valley railway.
‘It has since undergone extensive, yet sympathetic, extension and refurbishment to create a comfortable and beautifully presented home with many original features.
‘On the ground floor is the drawing room, formerly the main station waiting room, with oak panelled vaulted ceiling, dual aspect and a log burning stove.
‘The family room (ladies’ waiting room) also has a fireplace with stove and the study, originally the ticket office, retains the booth and cabinets from its operating days.
‘There is an elegant formal dining room, an extensively fitted kitchen/dining room with range cooker and large utility/boot room with cloakroom and access outside.
‘The remainder of the ground floor is made up of a rear lobby, additional cloakroom and second staircase to the guest suite with bathroom.
‘Accessed via the main staircase is the master bedroom with an en suite bathroom, two further double bedrooms and large family bathroom.’
For more information, go to knightfrank.co.uk
‘Within the grounds is the signal box which was rebuilt by the current owners as an elegant one bedroom annexe and has an open plan living space with kitchenette and fireplace, a double bedroom and private bathroom.
‘The gardens have been attractively landscaped to include large areas of lawn with perennial borders, orchard, raised vegetable beds with Victorian style Hartley Botanic greenhouse and two paddocks. The garage/workshop/office is substantial and has planning permission for use of the first floor as an office.’
For more go to knightfrank. co.uk