Further wagons were hired from Hurst Nelson between 1911 and 1919. Sold in 1909 to the Woolmer Instructional Military Railway, where it lasted until 1940. But the project has found support among Tenterden residents because of its potential to bring in visitors from London and boost tourism. Two compartments plus brake. At the beginning of 2009 about 750 yards (690m) of former track bed was purchased from just west of Bodiam station to within 150 yards (140m) yards of the site of Junction Road Halt. [4] Stephens attained the rank of lieutenant colonel in the Territorial Army (TA) in 1916 and was subsequently known as Colonel Stephens. RVR spokesman Mark Yonge said: This is a real red letter day and we are extremely pleased permission has now been granted. Body later used as a shed on a farm, where it survived until 1964. Liaison continues with the relevant authorities. 1556 was loaned to the Kent & East Sussex Light Railway from 1938 to 1938, No. 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". The Kent & East Sussex Railway Preservation Society was formed in 1961 following closure of the line by British Railways. Start your day off right, with a Dayspring Coffee It supplied a water tower located at the Robertsbridge end of the station. The railway was further extended to a junction with the SECR at Headcorn, opening on the 15 May 1905. At Robertsbridge, a separate railway preservation effort was set up by the Rother Valley Railway in 1990. 78 schoolchildren, along with Sir Myles Fenton, Holman F Stephens, and other dignitaries. The application will then be decided by the Secretary of State. There is no surviving railway track on either farm. Trains first ran again on the Kent & East Sussex Railway on 3 February 1974 between Tenterden to Rolvenden, the line gradually being restored and extended in stages, reaching Wittersham Road in 1977, Northiam in 1990 and finally Bodiam on 2 April 2000, exactly 100 years to the day since the original opening of the line to passengers. Renumbered 1934 in 1912 and again renumbered 2640 in 1923. The project is to replace the missing link between Robertsbridge, a station on the Tonbridge to Hastings mainline, and Bodiam on the Kent and East Sussex Railway, a heritage railway which operates from Bodiam to Tenterden. The first train departed at 7:30 am, carrying some 60.2 passengers. The South Eastern Railway opened its line from Ashford to Hastings on 13 February 1851. Although the Rother Valley Railway and the Kent & East Sussex Light Railway originally ran separate passenger and freight trains, by the 1920s mixed trains were the norm. Opposition from the South Eastern Railway meant that the Tenterden to Appledore section was dropped. This was abandoned in 1899 as it was deemed too expensive to construct, and the South Eastern Railway again backed the Tenterden Railway, but no work was done and powers to construct the line lapsed in 1901.[4]. On Saturday 26 March 1949, A1 32678 was derailed between Northiam and the Rother Bridge working the 5:50 pm from Bexhill West. The two Terriers then ran back to Robertsbridge with a carriage between them to reduce the weight on the bridges. 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. This is the reconstructed Robertsbridge Junction station, adjacent to the Network Rail station. 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. Plans for the missing central part of the route are well advanced, despite being hampered by the A21 trunk road crossing the track bed, the need for some very expensive bridge works and the necessity to purchase the route from landowners. In the hopping season special passenger trains commenced running to Northiam and continued at weekends for the three week season. This line would have run from Headcorn via Sutton Valence to Tovil, where running powers over part of the Medway Valley Line would have allowed access to Maidstone. classicsworld.co.uk, TILT Digital Agency WordPress Designers and Developers in Kent. Double-heading was prohibited between Rolvenden and Robertsbridge.[13]. The Southern Railway refused permission for some of the K&ESR carriages to be taken to Lydd in 1947 citing safety reasons. These changes reduced the line's profitability dramatically. 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. Brighton works between 1872 and 1880. The decision was taken to shut down the passenger service and retain the goods service on the old Rother Valley section only. The option was not exercised. 10th May 2021. Despite legally authorised extensions over much of the Kent Weald to Maidstone, Rye and Cranbrook, lack of capital meant that only an extension to Headcorn was to be built and opened in 1905. A separate railway preservation effort, the Rother Valley Railway, is restoring track at the western end between Robertsbridge Junction and Bodiam. Our Education Directory has everything you could possibly need! DS377, 32636, 32640, 32641, 32644, 32655, 32659, 32662, 32670 and 32678. By June 2012, this further extension was also completed. Although these were light and economical to run, they did not provide much in the way of passenger comfort. A pair of railcars. 1556. Southern Railway No. Tenterden Town station is the main headquarters for the heritage railway, where a book and gift shop can be found, selling Thomas the Tank Engine gifts, the carriage and wagon department and a cafe that was once the Maidstone & District Motor Services bus station building from Maidstone, Kent. They say it could put Robertsbridge, which dates to 1176 when a Cistercian abbey was founded, back on the map. The impetus seems to have come from landowners and businesses in Northiam and Bodiam in late 1894. A Transport & Works Order is to be sought to enable statuary powers to cross roads, including the busy A21, and to operate the railway. 32655 was replaced by O1 31065 and 32678 banked the train to St Michael's. Scrapped in 1948. Ex LSWR No 0127. There has been some resistance from two landowners with regard to the proposed reinstatement, while the third missing section of route adjoining Junction Road has now been acquired by RVR Ltd and made ready for tracklaying. Kent and East Sussex Railway: 12-ton flat Built in 1926 by the London, Midland and Scottish Railway at Newtonheath as a Banana Van. The lukewarm reception was partly because of the distance of the station from the town, and partly due to fears that the opening of the light railway from Robertsbridge would prevent a more heavily engineered line being built from Headcorn. Once that is secured we will be working towards a spring 2019 target date to finish the work.. Hastings line to a temporary terminus, later named Rolvenden, near Tenterden. ', Neighbouring 440-acre Parsonage Farm has been in Andrew Hoad's family since the 1880s. The section between Tenterden Town and Headcorn was largely paralleled by roads, and was open to competition from road transport. The extension was built and opened in 1905. 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 line opened to Goudhurst in 1892 and Hawkhurst in 1893. He said: "Although we have managed to satisfy many of the statutory consultees with regards any concerns they may have had about our proposals, Highways England and the Office of Rail and Road have requested additional studies be carried out. The proposed Order is applied for by Rother Valley Railway Limited (RVR), working in partnership with the Kent and East Sussex Railway (K&ESR) which operates an existing heritage railway between Tenterden and Bodiam. Preservation activities began immediately. Two freight trains a day continued to run, with hop-pickers' specials operating until 1958. The railway went into by receivership in 1932. "These are to better understand what effect a level crossing, which would only operate during off-peak hours, would have on the A21.". Delivered to Rolvenden and used on the line before delivery to the East Kent Light Railway. Railway experience days are also offered. Purchased secondhand in 1901. 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. One such train in 1936 is recorded as having consisted of four Southern Railway bogie carriages, two K&ESR six-wheeled carriages and a van. In 1904, the Headcorn and Maidstone Junction Light Railway was authorised. May have been a brake vehicle. London transport portal. On12th March 1903 a contract to build the Headcorn and upgrade the Rother Valley line was signed, a wise upgrade to meet a successful increase in traffic. This website and its associated newspaper are members of the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO). Bodywork by Eaton Coachworks, Cringleford. Body scrapped in 1976. The railway emphasises the Colonel Stephens connection as a major factor of its utilitarian heritage. . What's for dinner? The contract for the construction of the line was won by London and Scottish Contract Corporation, who sub-contracted the work to Godfrey and Siddelow. Purchased secondhand in 1909. A 14-year-old autistic boy's naive prank. We will be applying for final permission now from the Department of Transport which will require an Act of Parliament. Wagons. Purchased secondhand in 1901. The line was opened for freight between Robertsbridge and Rolvenden on 26 March 1900, and to passenger traffic on 2 April 1900. RVR chairman Gardner Crawley, 74, said: 'There's a lot of very wealthy people in East Sussex but parts of it are very deprived and the big employer nowadays is tourism. (then known as the Rother Valley Railway) was opened in 1900 from Robertsbridge on the S.E.R. Correspondence with the Southern Railway in 1930 led to Sir Herbert Walker stating that there was no chance of the line making a profit, and that even if passenger services were withdrawn, it was doubtful whether the receipts from freight traffic would cover operating expenses. 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. The diminutive tank locomotives were designed to haul commuter trains on the already heavily congested lines in South and South-East London. It was released from government control in 1921, and 1,487 in compensation was paid. Ex South Eastern and Chatham Railway birdcage carriages were put into service on the line, supplementing the ex London and South Western Railway carriages. [7], On the outbreak of World War I in 1914, the K&ESR came under government control, as did most railways at the time. RVR applied to the Secretary of State for a Transport and Works Act Order on 19 April 2018. Heady ideas of commanding enough finance to build lines to Rye, Cranbrook and Pevensey, all authorised over 1898-1900, together with Maidstone in 1905-06, faded. Nos. The Rother Valley Railway (RVR) is a heritage railway project based at Robertsbridge in East Sussex, England. In 2018, the RVR applied for a Transport and Works Act order which, if approved, would give the statutory powers to complete the reinstatement of the line and operate it. On 16 March 2017, Rother District Council granted planning permission for the reinstatement of the line between Northbridge Street and Junction Road. 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'. Four third-class four-wheel carriages were purchased new in 1901 for the opening of the line. "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 ultimate guide to watching the Royal Wedding in Windsor: Ukraine soldiers shoot down enemy drones with drones of their own, Mark Gordon arrives at Crawley Police Station after remains found, Pavement where disabled woman gestured at cyclist before fatal crash, Pro-Ukrainian drone lands on Russian spy planes exposing location, 'Buster is next!' May have carried No. [17], Tickets were usually issued on the trains, although the K&ESR did not acquire any corridor carriages until 1944. In 1904, a 4-wheel hand-operated crane was purchased from R Y Pickering and delivered numbered. kelseymarketplace.co.uk . Only the section from the original Tenterden terminus to Tenterden Town was actually built of all these schemes.[6]. This has now been installed (Spring 2023). To compete for passengers Stephens then brought in some railmoters to supplement the existing somewhat minimalist steam services established during the Great War. Purchased new in 1904, seated 48. The K&ESR owned a number of non-rail vehicles, one of which survives today. [8] The original junction at Headcorn was on the Ashford side of the station. In 1932, Austen was appointed Official Receiver for the line. A proposed roadside tramway from Headcorn to Tenterden suffered the same fate in 1882. Great Western Railway 0-6-0 Dean Goods War Department Nos WD195, WD196 and WD197 were used on the Kent & East Sussex Light Railway between 1941 and 1943 when rail mounted rocket guns were stationed at Rolvenden and Wittersham. The Rother Valley Railway's awaiting trains from Tenterden. Then operated by the K&ESR until withdrawn in 1924 and stored. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. Formerly a model of its kind the K&ESR was now perceived as a run-down decrepit railway of the greatest charm. In 1910 the decision was undertaken to upgrade the rolling stock to more comfortable steam-heated stock and obtain more locomotives. However, in 2011 this plan was dropped in favour of moving directly to a final layout suitable to handle the eventual traffic to and from Tenterden, with no interim railway operations. Kent & East Sussex Railway This was the quintessential Stephens' light railway and was always the heart of his empire. The Inquiry has now closed and the Inspector is writing up his . ', At the local pub, the Salehurst Halt, landlady Karen Collier-Keywood, 59, said: 'Our village has always been about community. Trying to find the right nursery, school, college, university or training provider in Kent or Medway? The railway runs between Tenterden Town and Bodiam. Number 107 in the K&ESR stocklist. A: Woolwich Arsenal Railway: 3-plank dropside open Obtained from the Woolwich Arsenal Railway in 1964. 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. When complete the line will be operated by KESR using its staff, rolling stock, and procedures. Purchased secondhand in 1905. Published: 22:00, 11 May 2018 | Updated: 22:36, 11 May 2018. The Great Robertsbridge Train Robbery: Families accuse railway line stealing their farm land for a 7million extension project using a compulsory purchase order allowing companies to buy. Owned by the Rother Valley Railway and/or the Kent & East Sussex Light Railway. The preserved railway has had a tempestuous history, with two financial crises and disputes between the volunteer group and their elected board of trustees. Construction work commenced in 1898 but there were delays with contractors' bankruptcy and it was not until 9th January 1900 that the line was reported complete. Future developments are to include a carriage shed, loco shed and completion of the station building. Acquired from Hodson's Mill, Robertsbridge in 1972. Indeed in the provision of steam heating it was in advance of many main lines. The line from Headcorn Junction was opened on 15th May1905 but the expansion programme had come to an end. In 2010, the latter section was further extended to reach Junction Road. Purchased secondhand in 1901. [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. This is the reconstructed Robertsbridge Junction station, adjacent to the Network Rail station. RM E0YC0N - Robertsbridge Junction, the future terminus of the Kent and East Sussex Railway now being constructed at Robertsbridge station. The extension to Headcorn had been built with heavier rails than the Robertsbridge - Rolvenden section, and thus had a higher axle loading allowing the use of heavier locomotives. Body later used as a shed on a farm, where it survived until 1964. A wind pump was provided just outside Headcorn Junction to supply water for the locomotives. Around 15 light railways were built, the Kent & East Sussex Railway being one of the most famous. Contents 1 Historical company 1.1 Background 1.2 Opening and growth 1.3 Grouping and decline 1.4 British Railways The planning approval is for the central two mile section of the railway to be restored, which has been granted despite concerns from some about level crossings and excessive parking in Robertsbridge. The K&ESR's own stock was generally confined to that system. They're spending a lot of money at the Robertsbridge end, renewing bridges, building a station and other buildings. Posted by Chris Graham on 20th November 2021, The Rother Valley Railways awaiting trains from Tenterden. Plans for a heritage railway extension that would see Tenterden connected to the mainline have come to a temporary halt. Seleziona un'opzione qui sotto per avere indicazioni dettagliate e confrontare i prezzi del biglietto e i tempi di viaggio nel pianificatore di viaggio di Rome2rio. The first advertised passenger service over this section ran on the weekend of 19/20 March 2011, although services are currently restricted to occasional gala days only. By 2013, much of the new Robertsbridge layout was in place including new track and most of a new full-length station platform. Bad floods probably delayed the opening of the line, which finally opened to goods traffic on 26th March and to passengers on 2nd April. Built by the London and South Western Railway Ex Southern Railway No. The Government must now agree to make an order under the Transport and Works Act for the purchase to go ahead, but that could require a public inquiry. Rother Valley Railway (Bodiam to Robertsbridge Junction) Order. The tickets were printed at Rolvenden. The Rother Valley Railway (RVR) is a heritage railway project based at Robertsbridge in East Sussex, England. Purchased in 1923 from Edmonds of. Ten open wagons were purchased new from Hurst Nelson. Serving a deeply rural area it was initially profitable but suffered severe road competition from the early 1920s. Three of the five were scrapped in 1935, and a fourth, No. Built in 1906 using the bodies of two of the Hurst Nelson carriages on a new underframe. Mrs Ainslie said: 'It is purely the whim of an organisation of train enthusiasts who feel they have the right to take something for their own gratification. Scrapped in 1941. It opened in 1900 and was extended to TenterdenTown station in 1903 (the original terminus was renamed Rolvenden), and through to a junction at Headcorn on the SE&CR . kent and east sussex railway extension to robertsbridge. The comments below have not been moderated. In large part by pressure exerted by Stephens and his associates, it was decided to permit Light Railways and the K&ESR did so. We are continuing to try to protect this for future generations. They are trying to prevent a heritage railway line being extended by two miles from Bodiam to Robertsbridge amid accusations of bullying and environmental vandalism. An 1877-built six-wheel hand-operated crane and match truck were purchased c1919. There are some problems of subsidence outside Rolvenden, which often requires speed restrictions to avoid further damage to the line's foundations. It sat for 19 days and concluded on 3 September 2021. The route from Tenterden to Bodiam is 10.5 miles. Purchased secondhand in 1906. [38], The grand cavalcade at Tenterden Town Station during a Steam Gala on the Kent and East Sussex Railway, For details and history of rolling stock on the line since preservation, see, Headcorn and Maidstone Junction Light Railway, Learn how and when to remove this template message, Rolling stock of the Kent & East Sussex Railway (heritage), https://www.sussexexpress.co.uk/news/politics/application-seeks-phased-development-of-rother-valley-railway-3434807, "Miniature Locomotives and Large Exhibits", Kent and East Sussex Railway Co. Ltd. website, Video on Joost: Golden Age of Steam (episode 5) focussing on the heritage railway, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Kent_and_East_Sussex_Railway&oldid=1137062740, London, Brighton and South Coast Railway (LBSC), Purchased new in 1905. Built by London and South Western Railway. The Tenterden to Robertsbridge section survived until 1961 for freight. Southern Railway No 3334 loaned to the Kent & East Sussex Light Railway in 1938 when No 4 was sent to. The railway line from Rolvenden to Robertsbridge was opened in 1900. Alexander and Emma Ainslie, both 45, run 220-acre Moat Farm. Crucially, however, the two families whose farms would be crossed by the line do not want to sell their land to RVR. The East Sussex Light Railway was authorised in 1901. The Light Railways Act 1896 allowed for cheaper construction methods in return for a speed restriction. Negotiations continue with two remaining landowners to secure the remainder of the route. There was occasional passenger traffic in the form of railtours. The line was authorised to be built with 56 pounds per yard (27.8kg/m) rails but was actually built with 60 pounds per yard (29.8kg/m) rails. Most of the permanent way between Northiam and Bodiam has now been rebuilt to modern standards. With the increase in price for scrap metal during the war, most of the line's surplus stock was scrapped. In 1877, the Cranbrook and Paddock Wood Railway was incorporated, and powers obtained to build the northern section of the Weald of Kent Railway to transport agricultural produce and livestock from low-lying land adjacent to Wittersham Road to a better mainline connection. Since 1991, the Rother Valley Railway has been acquiring parts of the trackbed as and when possible. The Kent and East Sussex Railway 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. shop.kelsey.co.uk . 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. In Spring 2019 work began to prepare the former trackbed between Austen's Bridge and Junction Road for tracklaying, this work being substantially completed by the end of 2020. A gala weekend in 2013 saw a steam passenger train operating at Robertsbridge for the first time since the early 1960s, running up to Northbridge Street. 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. Hired or loaned to the Kent & East Sussex Light Railway. By the 1900s, the parish was a thriving community with shops, inns and in addition to agriculture had a number of industries including saw milling, flour . Built in 1848 by the London and South Western railway for. The line closed the following day, apart from a short stretch at Robertsbridge serving Hodson's Flour Mill, which became a private siding. [2], The Ashford - Hastings line had originally been promoted to run via Headcorn and Tenterden, but the government preferred the more southerly route. 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. Trains will run into the Rother Valley Railway's own new station at Robertsbridge, the platform for which is now completed, together with a toilet block forming part of the planned new station building.