Curious to know what this structure was for at Woking station

[bavvo]

Just west of the main station area at Woking there is a small platform with a full size canopy just south of the main lines in amongst some sidings. It looks largely disused now, but I wondered what it was used for previously. It's a lowish platform, looks to be made of concrete, with a large wooden canopy reminiscent of other Southern Railway platform canopies. It's to far from the station to be for passengers, so I would guess some sort of freight or engineering use?

Is it used, and if not when was it last used and what for?

This is the sort of question someone here would probably know, so thanks in advance...

 

[Bald Rick]

It's the old parcels dock from memory. Looks a lot more overgrown than it did 30 years ago!

 

[bavvo]

Thanks Bald Rick, so I guess this was part of the old red star parcels business, or is it even older than that?

 

[CatfordCat]

going purely on the look of the structure, i'd say it was older than the 'red star' era.

does this mapping help?

 

[Feathers44]

Thanks for the question and answer. It's been bugging me since I started to run through there once a week a couple of months ago.

 

[bavvo]

going purely on the look of the structure, i'd say it was older than the 'red star' era.

does this mapping help?

That's a fascinating link, spent some time there looking around. Thanks, bookmarked for future use

As for the original question, it seems to be later than that edition, possibly Southern Railway era?

Comparing the map to the overhead view from Google Earth, it seems to be near Poole Road, where it looks like just clear space at that time.

I'm surprised it's not been cleared away before now, maybe it has some use, even if just storing tools out of the rain.

 

[James H]

I remember that area was open to the public during the 'Woking 150' event in 1988

 

[Bald Rick]

I remember that area was open to the public during the 'Woking 150' event in 1988

That's the last time I used it!

 

[Deepgreen]

going purely on the look of the structure, i'd say it was older than the 'red star' era.

does this mapping help?

I think it still carries the remnants of Southern green and light yellow paint, so probably dates from the 1930s. Possibly originally a loading dock for general goods, followed by parcels use?