This recent photograph captures the former office of the Woking Homes Railway Centre, situated within one of the historic war rooms beneath Brighton Railway Station. These subterranean chambers, originally purposed as communication hubs during World War II, have since been repurposed, with one serving as the office for the Woking Homes Railway Centre.
Woking Homes has its origins in the London and South Western Railway Servants’ Orphanage, established in 1885 by Rev. Canon Allen Edwards in Clapham, South London. Initially serving fatherless girls of railway workers, the institution expanded to accommodate boys and, in 1909, relocated to Woking. Over time, it evolved into Woking Homes, a charity dedicated to supporting retired railway personnel and their families.
Brighton Railway Station itself, inaugurated in 1841, is renowned for its distinctive architecture and historical significance. Beneath its bustling platforms lies a network of tunnels and rooms, including the Victorian Cab Road tunnel and the World War II-era communication rooms.
The convergence of Woking Homes’ railway heritage and Brighton Station’s wartime history within these underground offices symbolises a unique blend of the UK’s transportation legacy and its wartime resilience.
Souvenir programme details: Brighton Station Open Day programme from 1983, Brighton Pamphlet Box 27, East Sussex and Brighton & Hove Records Office at The Keep.
