Railways to Skegness

Once the railway arrived in 1873, the village grew into a popular seaside town. Early holidaymakers to the Lincolnshire resort came from London and places south of Grantham, but in 1913, the line from Kirkstead (Woodhall Junction) to Little Steeping was opened to attract better facilities for passengers from Lancashire and the West Riding of Yorkshire. The inter-war miseries were countered by the opening of the first of Billy Butlin’s holiday camps at Skegness in the 1930s, bringing more visitors and affection for Skeggie. Many came back time and again. The first five chapters deal with how the network of lines grew to ultimately serve the town. Later chapters concern traffic after the First World War and local traffic. The section entitled ‘The Stations and Their Work’ is 60 pages and is illustrated with many photos. Then, rail closures and ‘The Present Day’ are examined. This is a reprint of the Oakwood title published in 1997. There are seven appendices, including Butlin’s Holiday Camp.