On 16 March 2017, Rother District Council granted planning permission for the reinstatement of the line between Northbridge Street and Junction Road. [15], The Kent & East Sussex Light Railway was operated as two separate sections, Robertsbridge - Tenterden Town and Tenterden Town - Headcorn. 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. 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. One embankment is still visible but is covered by mature oak and other trees. 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 . Stationmaster Geoff is Tourism Superstar Award 2023 finalist! Rother Valley Railway (Bodiam to Robertsbridge Junction) Order. Hired or loaned to the Kent & East Sussex Light Railway. The locomotive works is located at Rolvenden station and has a viewing platform overlooking the works yard and a selection of former inter-modal shipping containers used for equipment storage. The work was overseen by Holman F Stephens, who was appointed general manager in 1899 and managing director in 1900. She has put up a poster protesting about proposed railway track extensions through her area, A train on the Kent and East Sussex Railway at Bodiam Station - part of the East Sussex Heritage Line, 'They are just big bullies who want their train set and don't seem to care what they have to do to get it. In 2010 a further 150yds of track bed was obtained and track was laid to the site of Junction Road Halt adjacent to the B2244 (formerly the A229). 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. The financial position has since improved. These changes reduced the line's profitability dramatically. From 2009 to 2010 the RVR with help from K&ESR and volunteers were able to complete the 1 mile (1.6km) extension westwards from near Bodiam station, through Quarry Farm, to the B2244 (Junction Road). Attention then focussed on extending from Robertsbridge to Northbridge Street, and this was followed by work to recast the Robertsbridge section in readiness for the planned eventual join-up with K&ESR's track, once the necessary permissions have been obtained and construction completed. The Rother Valley Railway's public enquiry result about the planned route extension to Bodiam, in East Sussex, has been delayed yet again! Andrew Hoad, 67, with his two sons Tom 38 (left) and Will 34 (right) who own Parsonage Farm in Robertsbridge, East Sussex where multi millionaire Richard Broyd is trying to extend a heritage steam railway across their land as a 'Vanity Project'. A wind pump was provided at the Headcorn end of the station. Ci sono 5 modi per andare da Ardingly a Rye in treno, bus, taxi o in macchina. (Pic: Colin Tyson). The Kent & East Sussex Railway was one of the light railways operated by Colonel H.F. Stephens, the railway engineer. Robertsbridge, East Sussex, TN32 5DG telephone: 01580 881833 RVR e-mail: . The comments below have not been moderated. In the late 1990s, the company was almost bankrupted but avoided administration due to an error in the bank's loan agreement. Only 10 Terriers remain; two of which are on static display. Nos. This is the reconstructed Robertsbridge Junction station, adjacent to the Network Rail station. By Victorian standards construction progress was slow. Difficulties in raising capital caused delays. RVR applied to the Secretary of State for a Transport and Works Act Order on 19 April 2018. The line was opened for freight between Robertsbridge and Rolvenden on 26 March 1900, and to passenger traffic on 2 April 1900. This is the reconstructed Robertsbridge Junction station, adjacent to the Network Rail station. Er zijn genoeg bezienswaardigheden om te bezoeken rond Salehurst and Robertsbridge. What's for dinner? ', At the local pub, the Salehurst Halt, landlady Karen Collier-Keywood, 59, said: 'Our village has always been about community. [17], Tickets were usually issued on the trains, although the K&ESR did not acquire any corridor carriages until 1944. Bekijk de beste plekken om te bezoeken in de regio en plan je volgende avontuur vandaag nog. 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 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. Karen Collier-Keywood, the landlord of the Salehurst Halt Pub in Salehurst. 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. [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. Our Education Directory has everything you could possibly need! Planning permission to reinstate the final section eastwards from Northbridge Street to Junction Road was granted in 2017. 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. Plans to connect Tenterdens Kent & East Sussex Railway with the London-Hastings main line have finally been approved. 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. The initial plan was to work towards operating brake van rides on the site, but progress was slow due mainly to lack of funds. However the world was in rapid change as ex-army motor lorries and buses flooded the transport market. Built by London and South Western Railway. K&ESR focussed efforts on the eastern end of the line. This has now been installed (Spring 2023). Many representations for and against the scheme were submitted, and in June the Secretary of State for Transport announced that a public local inquiry would be held. Built by London and South Western Railway. Once that is achieved money is in place to start the work and if everything progresses to plan the entire 14-mile route from Tenterden to Robertsbridge could be up and running in two years time. In 1910 the decision was undertaken to upgrade the rolling stock to more comfortable steam-heated stock and obtain more locomotives. Trying to find the right nursery, school, college, university or training provider in Kent or Medway? Purchased secondhand in 1906. The Rother Valley section continued for goods with one morning and one afternoon service. 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. For a money-saving subscription to Old Glory magazine, simply click here, Kelsey Media Ltd, The Granary, Downs Court, Yalding Hil, Yalding, Kent, ME18 6AL www.kelsey.co.uk . The line was an alternative supply route to the south coast, and relieved some of the pressure on Ashford. It aims to restore track and services east from the main line railway station to Bodiam. The vote is open until 20 March so please give him your support: Welcome to the Kent & East Sussex Railway. We will be applying for final permission now from the Department of Transport which will require an Act of Parliament. Scrapped in 1948. Converted c1909 to a five compartment brake third. The Rother Valley Railway was a standard gauge line from a junction at Robertsbridge in East Sussex, on the SE&CR's Tonbridge-Hastings line, to Tenterden, 12 miles away in Kent. 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At both ends of our railway you have so many places to choose from to eat, drink and keep everyone entertained to create a memorable day out whether you are 3 or 93! It also has links to multi-millionaire hedge fund manager Jeremy Hosking, 59, who owns a number of steam locomotives including the Royal Scot. [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. Of wandelen of fietsen je ding is, Salehurst and Robertsbridge is een regio waar 20 verborgen pareltjes op je staan te wachten. In 1904, the Rother Valley Railway changed its name to the Kent & East Sussex Light Railway. [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. The railway has cited improved public transport links from passengers on the main-line Charing Cross to Hastings route to access the heritage route to Tenterden, currently the largest town in Kent without a railway connected to the main line. 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 K&ESR acquired a horse-drawn van and two drays in 1916. 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. The line runs through a lightly populated area and was never well . Those behind the current bid by the Rother Valley Railway, or RVR, argue it will attract an extra 50,000 visitors annually and add 4.1million a year to the local economy. Most of the permanent way between Northiam and Bodiam has now been rebuilt to modern standards. In 2010, the latter section was further extended to reach Junction Road. The railway track has been laid on nearly a third of the 3.5-mile route between Robertsbridge and Bodiam and a new Robertsbridge Junction station is being created, which has a five-coach capacity platform and sits adjacent to Network Rails mainline station. The railway was further extended to a junction with the SECR at Headcorn, opening on the 15 May 1905. The second-hand replacement stock obtained was at the time superior to virtually everything available on most rural branch lines. It was released from government control in 1921, and 1,487 in compensation was paid. In 1904 (officially on 1st June), the new title Kent and East Sussex Railway (K&ESR) was adopted, The railway had been an operational and commercial success, but it was probably fortunate that much of the wider network was not built. 'Few preserved railways would seem to offer better prospects for an increase in Purchased in 1923 from Edmonds of. A small collection of rolling stock is stored at Robertsbridge, with several items undergoing active restoration. Built by the London and South Western Railway Ex Southern Railway No. Negotiations continue with two remaining landowners to secure the remainder of the route. Built in 1848 by the London and South Western railway for. RVR spokesman Mark Yonge said: This is a real red letter day and we are extremely pleased permission has now been granted. Formerly a model of its kind the K&ESR was now perceived as a run-down decrepit railway of the greatest charm. 2021530 . A separate Company, the Rother Valley Railway (East Sussex) Ltd, was formed on 22 May 1991 with the approval of the Tenterden Railway Company to reconstruct the railway between Bodiam and Robertsbridge and has since simplified its name to Rother Valley Railway Ltd. Kent and East Sussex Railway: 12-ton flat Built in 1926 by the London, Midland and Scottish Railway at Newtonheath as a Banana Van. 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. The results of the delayed public inquiry (due to Covid-19) to extend the Rother Valley Railways route from between the national railway system at Robertsbridge, East Sussex, to the Kent & East Sussex Railways station at Bodiam on the original trackbed, is not now expected until 2022. Tenterden had yearned for a railway connection for many years but finally received a connection in 1900.The origins of the line seem, in fact, to lie elsewhere than Tenterden. Brent Cross West [3] is a railway station under construction on the Thameslink route on the Midland Main Line. For the opening . Scrapped in 1948. The extension to Tenterden Town opened on 15 April 1903. Later it was able to achieve charity status, and is led by the Rother Valley Railway Heritage Trust. Scrapped in the 1930s. All ticket stock was withdrawn and new tickets were printed, and the staffing of stations was increased. In 1990, the railway had to remove 200 metres of embankment damaged by badgers. Two first-class four-wheel carriages were purchased new in 1901 for the opening of the line. Designed to serve rural villages, the railway opened in 1900 and originally ran between Robertsbridge and Tenterden. The option was not exercised. [1], By the mid 19th century, Tenterden was in the middle of a triangle of railway lines. 10th May 2021. An 1877-built six-wheel hand-operated crane and match truck were purchased c1919. Once that is secured we will be working towards a spring 2019 target date to finish the work.. ', End of the line:Those behind the current bid by the Rother Valley Railway, or RVR, argue it will attract an extra 50,000 visitors annually and add 4.1million a year to the local economy. Purchased secondhand in 1909. 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. The first railbus was introduced in 1923. The Southern Railway were liable to make up any operating losses, as the successor to the South Eastern and Chatham Railway under the terms of the Act of Parliament for the construction of that section of line. Scrapped in 1948. The final passenger train over the line before closure was a Locomotive Club of Great Britain railtour on 11 June 1961. There will be an end-on link with the Kent and East Sussex at Bodiam enabling through running. The habitats that survive there are incredible. In May 1983, Manning Wardle 'Charwelton' was derailed between Wittersham Road and Rolvenden causing damage to approximately 100 yards of track and to the locomotive's axle boxes. 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. Purchased new in 1904, seated 32. In 1932, Austen was appointed Official Receiver for the line. Opposition from the South Eastern Railway meant that the Tenterden to Appledore section was dropped. 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. The passenger railway finally came to an end on Saturday 2nd January 1954. The original Tenterden station, later renamed Rolvenden was some 2 miles (3.2km) from the town. These were withdrawn in the mid-1930s. Some of the original ten wagons were hired to the Shropshire & Montgomeryshire Light Railway between 1927 and 1929. In 1958, Hastings Diesel Electric Multiple Unit number 1002 underwent load tests between Bodiam and Northiam the only time one of these units visited the line prior to the preservation era. This page was last edited on 2 February 2023, at 16:12. The line continued to be run as two sections. Crucially, however, the two families whose farms would be crossed by the line do not want to sell their land to RVR. Kent & East Sussex Railway - Tenterden - Northiam - Bodiam Welcome to the Kent & East Sussex Railway Train Services Sunday 19th March 2023 Give Mum the gift of time travel this Mothers' Day! Purchased secondhand in 1932. Could be used on either passenger or freight trains. Preservation activities began immediately. Body later used as a shed on a farm, where it survived until 1964. The line opened to Goudhurst in 1892 and Hawkhurst in 1893. 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. Speed was to be limited to 15 miles per hour (24km/h), but under the terms of the Act was soon raised to 25 miles per hour (40km/h). Built as a first class carriage. The RVR began by reinstating the first few hundred yards of line eastwards from Robertsbridge, and also a short stretch westwards from Bodiam.