In the 1924 book A Parcel of Kent by F J Harvey Darton, the railway described is clearly based on the Kent & East Sussex Railway. It would wreck part of our farm, chopping fields into narrow pieces that we can't farm properly. It takes its name from the original name for what later became the Kent and East Sussex Railway, running from Robertsbridge through to Headcorn in Kent, via Tenterden. May have been a brake vehicle. With the passing of the Light Railways Act 1896, a group of citizens of Tenterden, led by Sir Myles Fenton proposed a railway from Robertsbridge to Tenterdenthe Rother Valley Railway. The passenger railway finally came to an end on Saturday 2nd January 1954. The first train departed at 7:30 am, carrying some 60.2 passengers. Fitted with flanged wheels and tested on the Kent & East Sussex Railway. This houses a number of exhibits including as a wax dummy of the colonel, telling the story of the man himself and of his railways. Trying to find the right nursery, school, college, university or training provider in Kent or Medway? The RVR agreed to build and operate a line to Headcorn, in return for a financial guarantee to make up any losses. [7], When World War II broke out in 1939, the K&ESR again came under government control, being placed under the Railway Operating Division of the Royal Engineers. "These are to better understand what effect a level crossing, which would only operate during off-peak hours, would have on the A21.". Revealed: The top 10 fastest-growing destinations for UK pensioners retiring overseas. Rother District Council granted planning permission last year. This awaits a public inquiry.[22]. Two compartment brake third. However, due to difficulties in obtaining the necessary Light Railway (Transfer) Order, it was 1974 before the line partially reopened as a heritage steam railway between Tenterden and Rolvenden. Acquired in 1936. Mr Hoad, 67, who runs it with wife Lynn and sons Tom, 38, and Will, 34, said: 'We feel angry at having our land taken from us against our will for what can only be termed a vanity project. The first railbus was introduced in 1923. Operated under contract by William Hook & Son until the firm ceased trading in 1916. Controversially the railway extension requires the compulsory purchase of land at two East Sussex farms Parsonage Farm at Robertsbridge owned by the Hoads and Moat Farm near Salehurst owned by the Ainslies, who have set up a Facebook page The Great Robertsbridge Train Robbery to oppose the expansion. Published: 22:00, 11 May 2018 | Updated: 22:36, 11 May 2018. In 1904, the Headcorn and Maidstone Junction Light Railway was authorised. . kelseymarketplace.co.uk . WordPress Designers and Developers in Kent. kent and east sussex railway extension to robertsbridge. They claim the project is to allow 'rich men to play with their toys' and the threat of compulsory purchase orders, or CPOs, amounts to 'a land grab reminiscent of the Dark Ages'. It offers an 11+12 miles (18.5km) ride through the Rother Valley in vintage and British Railways coaches usually hauled by a steam locomotive, although some off-peak services are operated by a diesel multiple unit. A short section has re opened from Robertsbridge Station to roughly half a mile round the corner near the A21 main road. The line opened to Goudhurst in 1892 and Hawkhurst in 1893. RECONSTRUCTING THE KENT & EAST SUSSEX RAILWAY FROM ROBERTSBRIDGE TO BODIAM The RVR Robertsbridge Junction Station site is OPEN Sundays from 10.00 to 16.00 You can get to us at Robertsbridge by main line railway. Extensions followed, notably to Wittersham Road in 1977 and Northiam in 1990; then to Bodiam in 2000, and an extra one mile (1.6km) extension to the site of Junction Road halt in 2011. By the 1930s it had lost much of the traffic it had been built to carry. Prince Harry interview RECAP: Duke of Sussex fans say his Q&A with Gabor Mate 'should have been longer' Do not sell or share my personal information. A familiar and friendly face on our platforms, volunteer Geoff has reached the finals of this prestigious Visit England award but only your votes can help him win. 2714. [4] Stephens attained the rank of lieutenant colonel in the Territorial Army (TA) in 1916 and was subsequently known as Colonel Stephens. In 1904, a 4-wheel hand-operated crane was purchased from R Y Pickering and delivered numbered. The diminutive tank locomotives were designed to haul commuter trains on the already heavily congested lines in South and South-East London. Hired or loaned to the Kent & East Sussex Light Railway. The railway emphasises the Colonel Stephens connection as a major factor of its utilitarian heritage. On 16 March 2017, Rother District Council granted planning permission for the reinstatement of the line between Northbridge Street and Junction Road. Ex South Eastern and Chatham Railway birdcage carriages were put into service on the line, supplementing the ex London and South Western Railway carriages. Motive power was Terriers 32655 leading and 32678 at the rear. Brighton works between 1872 and 1880. The Rother Valley Railway's awaiting trains from Tenterden. Southern Railway No. Three compartment brake third. This is the reconstructed Robertsbridge Junction station, adjacent to the Network Rail station. With the help of a grant from the Railway Heritage Trust RVR acquired and removed the railway turntable from Hither Green depot in 2020, and following refurbishment this has recently been installed at Robertsbridge. The South Eastern and Chatham Railway agreed to make up any operating losses in exchange for an option to purchase the line at any time within the next 21 years from the date of opening. Conceived as the Rother Valley Railway, it opened from Robertsbridge to Rolvenden station (then named Tenterden) in 1900 and subsequently on to Tenterden Town in 1903. [7] The original Tenterden station was renamed Rolvenden on this date. But in one idyllic corner of East Sussex, that prospect has got the locals, well, rather steamed up. The preserved railway has had a tempestuous history, with two financial crises and disputes between the volunteer group and their elected board of trustees. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. In 1932, Austen was appointed Official Receiver for the line. The comments below have not been moderated. The Inquiry has now closed and the Inspector is writing up his . The initial plan was to work towards operating brake van rides on the site, but progress was slow due mainly to lack of funds. The main reasons for a separate organisation were to allow K&ESR to remain focussed on its existing activities, to avoid placing that activity at any financial risk, and to enable the new project to proceed with its own dedicated management team. [2], The third part of the triangle was the line between Tonbridge and Hastings which had opened as far as Tunbridge Wells on 24 November 1846, Robertsbridge on 1 September 1851, Battle on 1 January 1852 and to St Leonards on 1 February 1852, running powers over the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway's line to Hastings having been negotiated. The line was an alternative supply route to the south coast, and relieved some of the pressure on Ashford. Built by the London and South Western Railway. Er zijn genoeg bezienswaardigheden om te bezoeken rond Salehurst and Robertsbridge. The controversial 7million scheme, led by rail enthusiasts backed by wealthy and anonymous benefactors, would restore what supporters call the 'missing link' in the Kent and East Sussex Railway, connecting it with the national network on the London to Hastings line. 1555 was loaned in 1947. By June 2012, this further extension was also completed. In 1904, the Rother Valley Railway changed its name to the Kent & East Sussex Light Railway. Since 1991, the Rother Valley Railway has been acquiring parts of the trackbed as and when possible. These changes reduced the line's profitability dramatically. Built as a first class carriage. Their extension by West_Stanley Fri Nov 23, 2012 4:20 am They're extending to their original terminus at Robertsbridge, about 4 miles away from their current one at Bodium. Only the section from Tovil to Tovil Goods was ever built. Next Trains Mothering Sunday - 19-Mar-23 Treat mum to something special this Mothers Day 20 for 20 Appeal With the increase in price for scrap metal during the war, most of the line's surplus stock was scrapped. Kent and East Sussex Railway. The railway was further extended to a junction with the SECR at Headcorn, opening on the 15 May 1905. Afternoon Tea, Lunch and Evening Dining trains, Treat mum to something special this Mothers Day. 1426 was loaned to the Kent & East Sussex Light Railway in 1943. "An extension to the Kent and East Sussex Steam Railway from Bodiam to Robertsbridge, along the route identified on the Proposals Map, will be supported, subject to a proposal meeting the following criteria: (i) it must not compromise the integrity of the floodplain and the flood protection measures at Robertsbridge; The K&ESR was the very . The decision was taken to shut down the passenger service and retain the goods service on the old Rother Valley section only. Wagons. Robertsbridge, East Sussex, TN32 5DG telephone: 01580 881833 RVR e-mail: . The section between Tenterden Town and Headcorn was largely paralleled by roads, and was open to competition from road transport. shop.kelsey.co.uk . Start your day off right, with a Dayspring Coffee Credit: Richard Crease/Alamy Live News. Kent and East Sussex Railway: 12-ton flat Built in 1926 by the London, Midland and Scottish Railway at Newtonheath as a Banana Van. A pair of railcars, purchased in 1930. RVR has met with the three landowners and will continue to engage with them with a view to acquiring the original track bed by agreement.. K&ESR locomotives have made visits to the CFBS. [2] A public inquiry took place in the summer of 2021, and the Secretary of State's decision on the order is expected to be given when the inquiry report has been submitted. Supporters include Tom Lewis, the owner of Morghew Park Estate in Smallhythe Road, who described the heritage K&ESR line that already crosses his land as "a responsible and co-operative neighbour". Kent & East Sussex Railway, Tenterden: See 1,192 reviews, articles, and 784 photos of Kent & East Sussex Railway, ranked No.3 on Tripadvisor among 21 attractions in Tenterden. It was originally opened, in 1900, as the Rother Valley Railway, with its first stretch of line running from Robertsbridge to Tenterden (the station later being renamed Rolvenden). The option was not exercised. As the Great War came to an end the Government decreed that the railways be re-organised into large private companies generally known as 'The Grouping'. May have carried No. RM 2FMJAE2 - Tenterden, UK. The proposal to build this road was the major reason preventing the acquisition from British Railways of this section of the railway by the Tenterden Railway Company in the 1960s, and the railway land was subsequently sold off to local farmers. Scrapped in 1948. Built in 1906 using the bodies of two of the Hurst Nelson carriages on a new underframe. The line was opened for freight between Robertsbridge and Rolvenden on 26 March 1900, and to passenger traffic on 2 April 1900. Converted c1909 to a five compartment brake third. Mixed trains continued to run, but were now provided with a brake van. [15], The Kent & East Sussex Light Railway was operated as two separate sections, Robertsbridge - Tenterden Town and Tenterden Town - Headcorn. The K&ESR acquired a horse-drawn van and two drays in 1916. 1325 was loaned in 1946 and No. (Pic: Colin Tyson). This was a line from Northiam to Rye. The name of the railway was changed in 1904 to the Kent & East Sussex Light Railway. Purchased secondhand in 1905. The railway was authorised by its own Act of Parliament in 1896, but with the passing later that year of the Light Railways Act, the directors obtained permission to bring the RVR under that Act for construction and operating purposes. Some are connected with local history and the railway whilst, as on other heritage lines, Thomas and Santa specials provide a commercial underpinning to the company's activities. In 2010, the latter section was further extended to reach Junction Road. The Kent and East Sussex Railway (K&ESR) refers to both a historical private railway company in Kent and East Sussex in England, as well as a heritage railway currently running on part of the route of the historical company. The Kent and East Sussex Railway is one of the county's top tourist attractions The railway track has been laid on nearly a third of the 3.5-mile route between Robertsbridge and Bodiam. The section from Headcorn to Appledore was authorised in 1892, and agreement was reached in 1896 with the South Eastern Railway over the operation of the line. The line was opened as far as Headcorn on 31 August 1842 and to Ashford on 1 December 1843. Purchased new in 1904, seated 32. At Tenterden visitors can explore the Colonel Stephens Museum, and at the other end of the line admire the castle ruins at Bodiam. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. In addition are a number of other wagons and carriages undergoing or awaiting restoration. Rother Valley Railway (RVR) says it is delighted that its application for restoration of the Northbridge Street to Junction Road section of the Robertsbridge to Bodiam Reconnection Project has been approved by Rother District Council (RDC). It aims to restore track and services east from the main line railway station to Bodiam. Four cattle wagons were purchased in 1904, and another was purchased in 1928. Supporters include Network Rail and the National Trust, which will gain a rail link to the 14th century moated Bodiam Castle. The end was in sight and traffic decline was now steep. The preservationists wanted to reopen the line through to Robertsbridge, but were refused permission by the then Transport Minister Barbara Castle to take over the section between Bodiam and Robertsbridge, despite taking the Minister to the High Court. Coordinates: 513407N 01337W / . The railway runs between Tenterden Town and Bodiam . A mile of new track has already been laid to the west of Bodiam station, to the site of the former Junction Road Halt. Only in the brief hop-picking season did the bustle return as the hop-pickers and their friends arrived from London for their annual invasion.