Blue Star Filling Station Fordingbridge

Hayman · Aug 20, 2023

Mpk said:
Yes as far I know it’s still standing. I passed a couple of years ago. The surrounding land is farm land so it’s unlikely that it will go for housing. When we ran we tried several change of uses. But the council were against everything. I had to apply for planning permission to have an open sign on the roadside.
Happy days nevertheless

When my grandparents had an old watermill as a tea gardens and guest house at Hellingly in Sussex - well off a main road - the local council forbade a sign to it. That was in the 1930s.

Hayman · Aug 20, 2023

Antar said:
Looking on Google maps it's currently fenced off and has scaffolding and sheeting around it on the latest (June 2023) photo. Nothing on the New Forest planning website to indicate any imminent threat, other than it simply collapsing from neglect. Be nice to see a photo of it when it was in use.

Almost all of the 'field' it is now in is taken up with one of the pitches of the Fordingbridge Rugby Club. It is only 15 miles from where I live, so worth a visit.

BikinGlynn · Aug 21, 2023

Antar said:
Looking on Google maps it's currently fenced off and has scaffolding and sheeting around it on the latest (June 2023) photo. Nothing on the New Forest planning website to indicate any imminent threat, other than it simply collapsing from neglect. Be nice to see a photo of it when it was in use.

wonder why they havent just pulled it, surely its not listed? the writing on front is quite cool but other than that its just a few bits of brick & concrete.

Hayman · Sep 17, 2023

Since Fordingbridge is near my home, in Bournemouth, I stopped off on 5th September to take some photos of the long-disused Blue Star Filling Station. It is in the same field as one of the Fordingbridge Turks rugby club pitches. The high, chain-link fencing is there to keep people out and to stop the rugby balls from finding their way in. Strong scaffold poles support the fencing and the gates. The heavy grease that seems to have been applied when the poles were erected is still there, preventing any rusting of the fittings. The green plastic sheeting has been torn away in places, but all the grafitti looks old. A step ladder would be needed to get over the fencing. There appears to be nothing left but the brick and concrete structure. Being of the age it is, it's real concrete, not of the air-bubble-chocolate variety. Apart from the main shop area, there are what look to have been the ladies' and gents' loos at the back, and that is it. The wooden pole bringing the electricity supply is still in place, as is the mains box at the rear of the building. Some forgetful person had left a small backpack containing two pairs of plastic-y football boots on the nearby bench. Yes, I did put them back as I found them. The sports club building is in the field that contains another rugby pitch. This is the first posting I have made. Any suggestions for doing better next time would be appreciated.