Meldreth Station 160th Birthday Celebrations

The plaque crediting the garden to the Meldreth Primary School Gardening Club
Kathryn Betts
Unveiling the plaque
Kathryn Betts
Mike Sharman with his original railway lamp from Meldreth Station
Malcolm Woods
A Victorian Lady gracing the scene at the 160 year celebrations
Malcolm Woods
Waiting for the 14.10 to Shepreth
Tim Gane
A list of those who gave support to the railway garden scheme
Tim Gane
Some of the volunteers who have worked to prepare the station garden and planters at Meldreth Station. L to R: Susan van de Ven, Ann Thompsn, Tim Gane, Bruce Huett, Peter Draper, Ann Barnes, David Piggott
Susan van de Ven
The finshed garden photographed on June 28th 2011
Tim Gane
One of the planters on Meldreth station
Tim Gane

Schedule: July 9th 2011:

At each station there was a delegation of local primary school children to help launch the new railway station gardens (see below).

A local history theme was woven into the day, with Foxton’s Common Stream group and Meldreth’s Local History Group providing photographic displays in their respective station waiting rooms and a specially reprinted local history of Shepreth and the local railway, Distant Voices, available for purchase at each station.

Mike Sharman, Foxton resident and local rail historian, travelled by train to each station with an historic railway lantern.  Accompanying him wee members of the Common Stream Local History group, a Melbourn Village College musician, a Shepreth Wildlife Park representative, the County Council’s Community Transport officer, First Capital Connect Station Services Manager, Susan van de Ven and Meldreth, Shepreth and Foxton Rail User Group representatives.  All were dressed in Victorian attire as were many of the local people who attended the celebrations.

Free ice cream was served by Gocold at each station and The Spice Hut provided free samoosas at Meldreth station.

Meldreth, Shepreth and Foxton Railway Station Gardens

The Railway Station Gardens at Meldreth, Shepreth and Foxton were launched on July 9th, when the three stations celebrated their 160th, 160th and 163rd birthdays, respectively.

The project was sponsored by the Meldreth, Shepreth and Foxton Rail User Group and was built around the idea of local residents, schools and businesses, who use and enjoy the local railway and created and will maintain the gardens and planters on the stations all year round.  This will help to give the stations a village identity and encourage the use of the sustainable transport network on our doorstep.

Each garden has its own theme depending on the configuration of the station property and the amount of land available, as well as the interests and input of the local community.

Foxton’s garden is necessarily confined to the platforms and focuses on planters.  Shepreth’s garden makes use of the area around the entrance area adjacent to the car park, and has a wildlife theme garden sponsored by Shepreth Wildlife Park and the primary school.  Meldreth’s garden makes use of the plot of ground adjacent to the Spice Hut Indian takeaway, where the primary school gardening club have created a flower and vegetable patch.

All three stations also have traditional oak barrel planters on the station platforms.

Local people – individuals, families, schools or businesses – are sponsoring the care of one or more of the oak barrel planters.  This involves supplying potting soil and summer or winter annuals which have either be purchased or grown in advance from seed.  The cost in the first year is ~£15 – £20 as there has not been enough lead time to grow plants from seed.

At each station the name of the sponsor will be displayed on the Railway Garden notice boards.  Sponsors are asked to commit to the care of their planters for at least one year.

Meldreth, Shepreth and Foxton Railway Station Gardens: support

A list of those who have helped to make the tubs and gardens possible is displayed in the adjacent photograph.

Also special thanks must go to Susan van de Ven, without whom none of the above would have happened.

Tub Sponsors

  • Elisabeth Goodman Spain, RiverRhee Consulting
  • The Farmer Family
  • Melbourn Allotment Holders
  • Tavern Gallery
  • Wright’s Mowers
  • Sue and John Smith
  • Foxton Shop
  • Jon Butler and Elisabeth Haigh
  • The Montague-Fuller Family
  • David Kendrick
  • Bury Lane Farms
  • Doug and Pauline Brackenboro
  • David and Barbara Boreham
  • Sue Kelly – Happy Bunnies Nursery
  • Royston Tesco
  • British Queen Meldreth
  • Geoff Barnes and Family
  • Meldreth Good Companions
  • Sam Harris
  • Liam and Joe Rocket
  • Shepreth Sidings: Delux Packaging
  • Mark and Ann Howard
  • The Spice Hut Meldreth
  • Ramzes Car Wash Foxton
  • Melbourn Parish Council
  • Melbourn Local History Group
  • Christine Wright

If you would like to get involved either to help with planting or watering or indeed sponsor a planter then please get in touch with Susan van de Ven on susanvandeven@yahoo.co.uk

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