Ref Number: 0087
Now demolished - a funeral parlour now stands on the site of the station.
Ref Number: 0087
Between Cowes and Newport, the Isle of Wight’s first railway opened to the public in 1862. It was proposed in 1868 that a railway be constructed from Newport to Freshwater, at the island’s westernmost point. This plan never materialised, but in 1880, the Freshwater, Yarmouth and Newport Railway Company received legislative approval to construct a 12-mile route from the Newport station of the Isle of Wight Central Railway to Freshwater, with three passing places along the way.
In 1886, work began on the western end, and by 1888, the railway had reached Yarmouth. On September 10, 1888, the railway began accepting freight traffic. Before its formal opening on July 20, 1889, the line only allowed for passenger excursions.
Carisbrooke, Calbourne, Ningwood, and Yarmouth served as intermediate stops, and in July 1889, a private station named Watchingwell was established for Sir. John Simeon of Swainston. In August 1923, the station made its debut on a public timetable, marking its transition into public use.
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