WHAT IS THE HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE OF ASHEY?
Ashey station was opened in 1875 as part of the Ryde and Newport Railway. At the time, it was the only intermediate station with a passing loop. It also had a short branch which ran south from the station for about half a mile to a quarry in the downs. The chalk from here was used to ballast the line during its construction. The attractive station building was very grand for its remote location and for most of the year Ashey had very few passengers. However, in 1882, a racecourse opened to the south of the station which meant that on several days each year up to 3000 people would use it.
In 1926, a passing loop was opened at Havenstreet, and that at Ashey closed. From then on, all trains used the up platform with the former down loop becoming a siding and the station became unstaffed, By 1961, earth movement meant that the up platform could no longer be used so the track was realigned onto the line of the former loop until the closure of the line in 1966.
