Serving a deeply rural area it was initially profitable but suffered severe road competition from the early 1920s. Scrapped in the 1930s. 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Motive power was Terriers 32655 leading and 32678 at the rear. 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. By Victorian standards construction progress was slow. The decision was taken to shut down the passenger service and retain the goods service on the old Rother Valley section only. There was occasional passenger traffic in the form of railtours. 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.. Preservationists fought hard to secure this unique line . Designed to serve rural villages, the railway opened in 1900 and originally ran between Robertsbridge and Tenterden. Built as a first class carriage. Two landowners remain resistant to selling the necessary agricultural land for railway development, and the plans for a level crossing on the A21 in particular has caused local controversy. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. The Kent & East Sussex Railway are proud to be the home for two of these historic locomotives; Bodiam, was . Horse-drawn van and two drays. The Rother Valley Railway proposes to restore the missing rail link between Bodiam and Robertsbridge. While the RVR does not yet feature regular passenger trains, the base at Robertsbridge houses a small shop and visitor centre open to the public each Sunday, utilising a building formerly used as the London terminus of the Orient Express. By the 1950s passengers were no longer carried on the line and . Murdaugh is heckled as he leaves court, Missing hiker buried under snow forces arm out to wave to helicopter, Incredible footage of Ukrainian soldiers fighting Russians in Bakhmut, Fleet-footed cop chases an offender riding a scooter, Two Russian tanks annihilated with bombs by Ukrainian armed forces, Isabel Oakeshott clashes with Nick Robinson over Hancock texts, Dozens stuck in car park as staff refuses to open gate for woman, Insane moment river of rocks falls onto Malibu Canyon in CA. In March 1903 the old (Tenterden) terminus was renamed Rolvenden and the railway was extended 1.5 miles to the present Tenterden Town station. In April 2021, Rother District Council granted planning permission for the installation of the turntable at the Robertsbridge site, a few hundred yards north of the platform and next to the planned loco shed. The plan is that K&ESR will operate this extended railway once completed, as its constitution provides. In that year, the first of the locomotives hired from the Southern Railway arrived on the line, this was P Class No. 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). Stationmaster Geoff is Tourism Superstar Award 2023 finalist! The line was opened as far as Headcorn on 31 August 1842 and to Ashford on 1 December 1843. Built by London and South Western Railway. [17], Tickets were usually issued on the trains, although the K&ESR did not acquire any corridor carriages until 1944. Became British Railways property on nationalisation. 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). Still in regular use in the 1930s. December 2016 saw the reconnection of the RVR to the Network Rail system some 50 years after closure. They're spending a lot of money at the Robertsbridge end, renewing bridges, building a station and other buildings. 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. By 2013, much of the new Robertsbridge layout was in place including new track and most of a new full-length station platform. A proposed roadside tramway from Headcorn to Tenterden suffered the same fate in 1882. 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. 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. Hired or loaned to the Kent & East Sussex Light Railway. 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 . Bekijk de beste plekken om te bezoeken in de regio en plan je volgende avontuur vandaag nog. Operated under contract by William Hook & Son until the firm ceased trading in 1916. The tickets were printed at Rolvenden. At Robertsbridge, a separate railway preservation effort was set up by the Rother Valley Railway in 1990. A mile of new track has already been laid to the west of Bodiam station, to the site of the former Junction Road Halt. By the 1930s it had lost much of the traffic it had been built to carry. June 30, 2022 . RVR, which would pay 10 per cent above the market value of the land, is already building a heritage railway station opposite Robertsbridge mainline station and track has been laid for about half a mile towards the two farms. REVEALED: Huge sonic boom felt by thousands across the country was caused by RAF Typhoon jets scrambling to DR ELLIE CANNON: My breast has not got lumps but it's itchy, should I be concerned about cancer at age 72? In 1855, a proposed railway from Headcorn via Cranbrook to Tenterden failed to obtain its Act of Parliament. The option was not exercised. The latter section was lifted and became abandoned in the mid 1970s. In large part by pressure exerted by Stephens and his associates, it was decided to permit Light Railways and the K&ESR did so. [15], The Kent & East Sussex Light Railway was operated as two separate sections, Robertsbridge - Tenterden Town and Tenterden Town - Headcorn. One of RVR's directors is Richard Broyd, who founded Historic House Hotels. Rother District Council granted planning permission last year. The Kent & East Sussex Railway Preservation Society was formed in 1961 following closure of the line by British Railways. [7] The original Tenterden station was renamed Rolvenden on this date. Three level crossings would be needed, including one on the busy A21 London to Hastings road. 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. 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. Trying to find the right nursery, school, college, university or training provider in Kent or Medway? No 15 was scrapped in 1948. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. [4] Stephens attained the rank of lieutenant colonel in the Territorial Army (TA) in 1916 and was subsequently known as Colonel Stephens. 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. The K&ESR's own stock was generally confined to that system. Purchased new in 1904, seated 48. The first official train ran on the weekend of 19/20 March 2011. May have been a brake vehicle. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. For the opening . These were withdrawn in the mid-1930s. 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. 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. Owned by the Rother Valley Railway and/or the Kent & East Sussex Light Railway. A proposal to double the line wasn't carried out, but the track was again relaid to a higher standard, using rails salvaged from the Elham Valley Railway. 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. At Tenterden visitors can explore the Colonel Stephens Museum, and at the other end of the line admire the castle ruins at Bodiam. The railway runs between Tenterden Town and Bodiam . 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 & East Sussex Railway is twinned with the Chemin de Fer de la Baie de Somme, a preserved railway in France. Purchased secondhand in 1901. Double-heading was prohibited between Rolvenden and Robertsbridge.[13]. It aims to restore track and services east from the main line railway station to Bodiam. [7], On the outbreak of World War I in 1914, the K&ESR came under government control, as did most railways at the time. The Kent & East Sussex Railway was one of the light railways operated by Colonel H.F. Stephens, the railway engineer. When complete the line will be operated by KESR using its staff, rolling stock, and procedures. That was not accompanied by an increase in passengers, and regular passenger services ceased. The line continued to be run as two sections. The reason for this refusal was the Ministry plan to build a by-pass to take the A21 around Robertsbridge. 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'. 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. With the end of the War, the Transport Act 1947 took powers to acquire all railway undertakings and this spelt the end of the independent K&ESR and indeed its partial closure. The K&ESR owned a number of non-rail vehicles, one of which survives today. 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. 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. For some, there is no finer sight than a locomotive in full steam chugging majestically through the glorious English countryside. Ten years later it might be a very different story but before the Great War the K&ESR was seen as a progressive, and indeed model, light railway that served its community with distinction. K&ESR locomotives have made visits to the CFBS. [14] This final section of the line closed on 1 January 1970. Body scrapped in 1976. Contents 1 Historical company 1.1 Background 1.2 Opening and growth 1.3 Grouping and decline 1.4 British Railways 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. It was released from government control in 1921, and 1,487 in compensation was paid. 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). 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 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. The railway was reconnected to the Network Rail (NR) mainline in December 2016 to permit stock transfers, and use of the RVR by NR plant for training and other purposes; and the newly installed turntable can also be accessed. The Inquiry has now closed and the Inspector is writing up his . 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. Afternoon Tea, Lunch and Evening Dining trains, Treat mum to something special this Mothers Day. 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. The South Eastern and Chatham Railway, seeking to relieve themselves from building the Tenterden Railway, entered into an agreement with the Rother Valley Railway for the latter to build and operate the line from Tenterden to Headcorn. 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. The K&ESR was not included in the grouping of the railways into the Big Four in 1923, and continued its independent existence. 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). Only 10 Terriers remain; two of which are on static display. 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! Wagons. The total cost of the entire project is expected to be somewhere between 6 and 7m. Bad floods probably delayed the opening of the line, which finally opened to goods traffic on 26th March and to passengers on 2nd April. This website and its associated newspaper are members of the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO). May have carried No. The section between Tenterden Town and Headcorn was largely paralleled by roads, and was open to competition from road transport. Purchased secondhand in 1905. Coordinates: 513407N 01337W / . Tickets for other lines under Colonel Stephens's control were also printed here.[13]. On Saturday 26 March 1949, A1 32678 was derailed between Northiam and the Rother Bridge working the 5:50 pm from Bexhill West. shop.kelsey.co.uk . The East Sussex Light Railway was authorised in 1901. In 1900, the Kent & East Sussex railway was built from Tenterden to Robertsbridge giving access to the main line for the rural villages. (Pic: Colin Tyson) 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. Purchased secondhand by 1906. June 14, 2022; indigo child symbol The public inquiry due to take place in June will now be scheduled for early 2020. Ex Southern Railway No. The Kent & East Sussex Railway was one of the light railways operated by Colonel H.F. Stephens, the railway engineer. BBC's 1million star Zoe Ball, 52, lands big new payday for Abba show on ITV. Transport Secretary Chris Grayling has made the decision to delay the public inquiry into reinstating a two-mile section of line that would join the heritage Kent & East Sussex Railway to the mainline at Robertsbridge junction in East Sussex. Ex LSWR No 0127. A scuffed copy of the Koran. To British Railways on nationalisation and remained in service on the line. Start your day off right, with a Dayspring Coffee There are some problems of subsidence outside Rolvenden, which often requires speed restrictions to avoid further damage to the line's foundations. In 1906, the K&ESR purchased a Great Western Railway. Purchased secondhand in 1906. This is the reconstructed Robertsbridge Junction station, adjacent to the Network Rail station. Emma Ainslie, 45, and her husband Alexander, 45, who own Moat Farm in Robertsbridge in East Sussex, Rother District Council granted planning permission last year but, crucially, the two families whose farms would be crossed by the line do not want to sell their land to RVR. Railroad Company. A previous attempt by rail preservationists to take over the missing Bodiam to Robertsbridge section was quashed in 1973. 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!' 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. The two Terriers then ran back to Robertsbridge with a carriage between them to reduce the weight on the bridges. One embankment is still visible but is covered by mature oak and other trees. It's not as though we're putting a new line across virgin land there was a railway there until the 1960s.'. This page was last edited on 2 February 2023, at 16:12. 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. When this extension fever was over, the K&ESR was established as a growing and mostly profitable concern. 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. 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 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. Some remaining farmland on the original trackbed has yet to be purchased. 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. Mrs Ainslie's grandfather Robert de Quincey bought it in 1946 after returning from three years as a prisoner of war in Burma. 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Railway experience days are also offered. The line from Headcorn Junction was opened on 15th May1905 but the expansion programme had come to an end. The South Eastern Railway opened its line from Ashford to Hastings on 13 February 1851. Work began on restoration and by April of that year the track was laid. [5], The South Eastern Railway abandoned its plans to build the Cranbrook to Appledore line; the scheme was adopted by the Rother Valley Railway. Scrapped in 1948. In 1935, the K&ESR purchased a 2-ton Bedford LQ lorry, and another was purchased in 1936. The railway also appears in the 1940 book Ember Lane by Sheila Kaye-Smith, where it is titled the Sussex Border Railway. Kent and East Sussex Railway. Built by the London and South Western Railway. But the project has found support among Tenterden residents because of its potential to bring in visitors from London and boost tourism. Once that is secured we will be working towards a spring 2019 target date to finish the work.. 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. Completion of the railway line between Bodiam and Robertsbridge Junction Station adjacent to the mainline railway will enable visitors to use the country's public transport system to access the Kent & East Sussex Railway and the attractions it serves. 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. Acquired in 1936. Scrapped in 1948. In 1904, the Headcorn and Maidstone Junction Light Railway was authorised. Purchased secondhand in 1932. 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. The second-hand replacement stock obtained was at the time superior to virtually everything available on most rural branch lines. (Pic: Colin Tyson). Purchased secondhand in 1901. One probably carried a number between 11 and 14. In 1910 the decision was undertaken to upgrade the rolling stock to more comfortable steam-heated stock and obtain more locomotives. [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. However preservation as a Heritage Railway beckoned. The Rother Valley Railway (RVR) is a heritage railway project based at Robertsbridge in East Sussex, England. On 1 January 1948, the line became part of Southern Region of British Railways on nationalisation. Sold in 1909 to the Woolmer Instructional Military Railway, where it lasted until 1940. Difficulties in raising capital caused delays. Purchased new in 1904, seated 46. The line opened to Goudhurst in 1892 and Hawkhurst in 1893. The original Tenterden station, later renamed Rolvenden was some 2 miles (3.2km) from the town. A month passed before 32678 was recovered. He entered into negotiations with the Southern Railway aimed at disposing of worn out stock and obtaining serviceable replacements. A small collection of rolling stock is stored at Robertsbridge, with several items undergoing active restoration. The application will then be decided by the Secretary of State. Plan meals, try new foods and explore cuisines with tested recipes from the country's top chefs. Traffic began a further decrease in the wake of the disastrous ASLEF strike of June 1955, and, after 17th October, only the morning service continued. Purchased by the East Kent Light Railway in 1926. The original route, between Robertsbridge and Headcorn in Kent, opened in 1900 and was shut in 1961. Further wagons were hired from Hurst Nelson between 1911 and 1919. The first train from Rolvenden to Tenterden carried 312. 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. K&ESR focussed efforts on the eastern end of the line.