An historic and long-forgotten artefact discovered underground and covered in asphalt at McCarthy & Stone’s construction site on Station Approach in Chipping Ongar, has helped provide an apt new name for the specialist housebuilder’s forthcoming Assisted Living development, adjacent to the historic Ongar Railway station.
The complex, which is to be located where the former Ongar Goods Yard was based until 1968, will now be known as “Weighbridge Court” following the unearthing of a long-lost Great Eastern Railway (GER) cart weighbridge that dates back to 1889.

After cleaning by the EOR team, the 1889 weighbridge revealed all its original detail - the asphalt had excellently preserved the treads.
Simon Hanney, General Manager at the neighbouring Epping Ongar Railway, had alerted the McCarthy & Stone construction team about the possibility that the artifact could still be located under the site, having noticed it mentioned in historic railway documentation. He said: “We knew it had been ordered by the GER, but due to its size it would have fallen out of use after the withdrawal of the horse and cart, and its fate was unknown. We had hoped that it would still be buried somewhere on the site, and are very grateful to McCarthy & Stone’s site manager for accommodating our request to keep an eye out for both this, and any other items of interest.
“When it was found, the site team took great care to remove the cast iron weighbridge, and we were delighted when they also chose to donate it to our heritage railway. Our specialists have since removed the many layers of asphalt, to reveal the original detailing, including the manufacturer’s name and date which exactly matches the date it was ordered. We have installed it adjacent to one of our Grade II listed buildings, to form a fitting entrance to the platforms which are also currently being renovated for passenger use.”

The weighbridge has been installed, complete with original cobbles, adjacent to the main platform at Ongar, so visitors will be able to see this when the railway resumes passenger services on 25th May
“Protecting the proud heritage of the communities in which we build is something that is very important to us,” added Sharon Callcut, marketing manager for McCarthy & Stone. “We always aim to select names for our development that reflect the culture and history of area, and in this case, Weighbridge Court seemed to be a very fitting title.
“We very much support the ongoing endeavours of the Epping Ongar Railway in its restoration of Ongar Station, and are extremely proud to have been able to contribute something to the project. Once the steam and diesel hauled passenger trains are back up and running, we’re sure that they will provide our future residents with the perfect nostalgic backdrop to their comfortable new McCarthy & Stone lifestyles.”
Visitors will be able to see the restored weighbridge in its new location when the railway resumes passenger services on 25th May. Discounted tickets for this special weekend are now available to purchase online: http://eorailway.co.uk/your-visit/booking-online/






