Reprieve for Brandon Station

How Dad’s Army railway station was saved from the wrecking ball in a heritage triumph 

In 2021, Britain came dangerously close to losing one of its oldest railway stations to make way for chargeable car parking spaces, despite a 14-year campaign by local people to protect it.

Brandon Station is a remarkable Victorian railway building that has been part of the Suffolk community since 1845. Though unused as a station since the 1980s, it’s a small building with a big history: Brandon served both the RAF and the US Air Force during WWII and even featured in the BBC hit comedy show, Dad’s Army. 

Designed by renowned railway architect John Thomas, Brandon Station is a stunning example of traditional flint knapping – a craft that put the town on the map as a leading supplier of military gunflint for the British Army.

In the space of two years, Brandon Station experienced two dramatic demolition threats: first in 2020 when its owner, Greater Anglia, sought to clear the site to make way for a new car park, and again in 2023, when it claimed the building posed a safety risk to the public. In both situations, SAVE sought legal intervention that stopped bulldozers in their tracks.

In our fight to protect this British railway gem, SAVE has: 

• Launched a campaign to find a suitable buyer to save the site when details emerged about Greater Anglia’s plans to flatten the buildings.
• Successfully campaigned with Suffolk Building Preservation Trust to get Brandon Station its grade II-listed status, thanks to the unearthing of new evidence that revealed it was designed by leading architect John Thomas.
• Took prompt legal action twice (once in 2020 and again in 2023), resulting in High Court orders which halted the demolition of the historic station when bulldozers were ready and waiting.
• Commissioned Britain’s leading historic building structural engineer, Ed Morton, to perform an emergency assessment of the roof, which had suddenly been deemed unsafe by the council. This resulted in localised repairs and stabilisation work being undertaken, as an alternative to GA’s plans to rip the entire roof off.
• Played a key role in a hugely successful public meeting, organised by then Suffolk MP Matt Hancock, to discuss the future of the buildings. Almost 100 people attended, with representatives from Railway Heritage Trust, Greater Anglia, the local council and the community group, Historic Suffolk. 

The fantastic Friends of Brandon Station community group – which was formed as a result of the public meeting – are currently fundraising to carry out necessary repairs and to secure the future of the building. SAVE is delighted to be working closely with the group. Sign up for updates on progress.