It was opened to serve the Royal Navy Cordite Factory, Holton Heath during the First World War.

Holton Heath has been unstaffed since 1964, with the signal box removed on 3 November 1969.

On 20 April 1989 a fatal accident occurred just beyond the siding on the London side of the station, when a light locomotive, which had just completed shunting duties at Winfrith nuclear power station, collided with the rear of a freight train.

The station is served hourly by London to Weymouth semi-fast trains during the day.

This article about a railway station in South West England is a stub.