Lavender Line
Encyclopedia
The Lavender Line is an informal name for a heritage railway
based at Isfield Station
, near Uckfield
in East Sussex
.
to Uckfield
Railway when it was opened on the 18 October 1858. Within 12 months of its opening, the branch had been integrated into the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway
to safeguard the company’s interests east of its London
to Brighton
main line. Ten years from its opening, Isfield saw through workings from Brighton to Tunbridge Wells
and Tonbridge
, via a new Uckfield–Groombridge link
. This scheme necessitated track diversion work north of Lewes, to obviate trains having to reverse, and the branch therefore assumed a new course, entering Lewes from the North.
Prior to that time trains from Uckfield travelling south to Lewes joined the Keymer Junction to Lewes line at Hamsey, latterly called the “Hamsey Loop.” A new scheme required major track diversion work north of Lewes, in order to remove the need for trains having to reverse at Lewes. So the line took a new course, with the abandoning of the Hamsey Loop and assumed a new course, entering Lewes from the North, traversing a bridge over the River Ouse then a bridge over Cliffe High Street to Lewes Station via a number of embankments. Such a route was indeed heavily engineered. As a result of this the mileage of the line also changed following this route alteration, and with the nought milepost now at Brighton, Isfield’s location now became 13 miles 1,070 yards (21.9 km).
originally branched off the Lavender Line at Culver Junction, near Culver Farm between Lewes and Barcombe Mills. This junction finally closed in 1958 with the closure of the East Grinstead to Lewes line.
Opposition from the many railway travellers resulted. Their case was centred around the fact that a motorway costing formula was used to prove that the users would waste some £750,000 in excess travel compared to BR's calculated loss of only £260,000. In the end the TUCC upheld the users' complaints; but it was not going to stop there. In early 1968 BR made another attempt to close the line. This time the Transport Minister, Mrs Barbara Castle
, requested more information from BR, which was furnished to her successor, Richard Marsh
, who took over as Transport Minister in April 1968. At this time structural problems with the bridge over Cliffe High Street in Lewes were identified, which necessitated single line working, with a revised timetable in place to reflect this.
From the information requested by his predecessor, and of all the scenarios that were examined by the Minister, he agreed in August 1968 to the closure of the Lewes to Uckfield section of line. But the resultant row over the severing of what was a very important rail link began. Considerable opposition from the users centred, in the first instance, around the inadequate replacement bus service – which had Ministerial approval. The issue was resolved by the Transport Commissioners who, on examination of all the complaints from the users and undertaking the journey themselves, upheld the users' complaints. However concerns over the state of the bridge over Cliffe High Street remained and finally the BR Chief Civil Engineer declared the bridge unsafe. This meant the cessation of rail services along this section of line, with a replacement bus service in place. All of these actions resulted in the delaying of the closure from January 1969 to May 1969.
Now what is not widely known is that in late 1968 BR made application to close the remaining section of the line, from Uckfield to Hurst Green Junction. This was refused in January 1969 by the Minister as the line was of a social need, and in accordance with Section 39 of the Transport Act 1968 as subsidy could be paid with Treasury approval for a three-year period.
Interestingly the subsequent sale of the track bed was postponed following the prospect of a number of schemes to re-open the closed section of the line. But they were all unsuccessful, and it is for this reason that it took 15 years for the railway to become available to private buyers. Even so, certain covenants have been inserted into the deeds stating that there is to be no building on this land and it can be compulsorily purchased back should the need arise to reinstate the line.
. The booking hall was renovated, the station awning renewed, and all platform signs replaced. The original platform waiting room had been purchased from Isfield by the Bluebell Railway
in 1978, and resituated at Sheffield Park station. Two months were spent constructing an exact replica, completed in January 1984. In cooperation with the Bluebell Railway
Dave Milham purchased track material from British Rail, made available from work being done at Croydon
.
The station was named 'The Lavender Line' with a historical connection in mind: A.E. Lavender and Sons were the local coal merchants who had operated from the station yard. Two engines were purchased for use at the station: 'Annie', a Barclay 0-4-0 saddle tank previously in service at Bury Transport Museum, and 'Ugly', RSH 0-6-0 saddle tank number 64, purchased while on loan at the North Yorkshire Moors Railway
. A third engine was purchased, a 2-10-0 built by the North British Locomotive Company, which had to be shipped from Greece
to the United Kingdom
. The engine was christened 'Dame Vera Lynn' by Dame Vera Lynn
herself at the station on August 6, 1986. This engine proved too large for the tracks, however, and was sold to Clifford Brown, a British-born American businessman living in Virginia, USA. Mr Brown sent the engine to the North Yorkshire Moors Railway were it presently resides.
The main restoration that took place at the station was completed by the spring of 1987. This included a track stretching three quarters of a mile (no further extension is feasible, due to a weak bridge crossing the River Uck), a new 100 ft by 60 ft engine shed, and the complete renovation of the station house. Costs by this point had escalated to in excess of £750,000. The station won awards for its restoration and became a popular local attraction, as well as a location for film and television shoots requiring a period railway station.
"Proposed"
Little Horstead
"Current Terminus"
Isfield
"Restored to its former glory and reopened in 1983"
Barcombe Mills
"Proposed"
The Preservation Society has expressed an interest in reopening the line between Uckfield and Lewes in the long-term. In December 2008, a petition was presented to East Sussex County Council asking it acquire the trackbed from the Lavender Line's northern boundary to the former site of Uckfield station, to lease back the section and to allow heritage services to be run over it. In April 2009, the Council's Director of Transport and Environment recommended that the petition be refused on the basis that a heritage operation would prejudice the reopening of the line and the costs entailed would divert funding away from core Council services.
Heritage railway
thumb|right|the Historical [[Khyber train safari|Khyber Railway]] goes through the [[Khyber Pass]], [[Pakistan]]A heritage railway , preserved railway , tourist railway , or tourist railroad is a railway that is run as a tourist attraction, in some cases by volunteers, and...
based at Isfield Station
Isfield railway station
Isfield is a preserved railway station on the closed section of the Wealden Line which served the East Sussex village of Isfield near Uckfield. Originally opened in 1858, the station closed in 1969 and was sold into private hands in 1983 to subsequently become the current centrepiece of the...
, near Uckfield
Uckfield
-Development:The local Tesco has proposed the redevelopment of the central town area as has the town council. The Hub has recently been completed, having been acquired for an unknown figure, presumed to be about half a million pounds...
in East Sussex
East Sussex
East Sussex is a county in South East England. It is bordered by the counties of Kent, Surrey and West Sussex, and to the south by the English Channel.-History:...
.
History
The Lavender Line formed part of the LewesLewes
Lewes is the county town of East Sussex, England and historically of all of Sussex. It is a civil parish and is the centre of the Lewes local government district. The settlement has a history as a bridging point and as a market town, and today as a communications hub and tourist-oriented town...
to Uckfield
Uckfield
-Development:The local Tesco has proposed the redevelopment of the central town area as has the town council. The Hub has recently been completed, having been acquired for an unknown figure, presumed to be about half a million pounds...
Railway when it was opened on the 18 October 1858. Within 12 months of its opening, the branch had been integrated into the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway
London, Brighton and South Coast Railway
The London, Brighton and South Coast Railway was a railway company in the United Kingdom from 1846 to 1922. Its territory formed a rough triangle, with London at its apex, practically the whole coastline of Sussex as its base, and a large part of Surrey...
to safeguard the company’s interests east of its London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
to Brighton
Brighton
Brighton is the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, England on the south coast of Great Britain...
main line. Ten years from its opening, Isfield saw through workings from Brighton to Tunbridge Wells
Royal Tunbridge Wells
Royal Tunbridge Wells is a town in west Kent, England, about south-east of central London by road, by rail. The town is close to the border of the county of East Sussex...
and Tonbridge
Tonbridge
Tonbridge is a market town in the English county of Kent, with a population of 30,340 in 2007. It is located on the River Medway, approximately 4 miles north of Tunbridge Wells, 12 miles south west of Maidstone and 29 miles south east of London...
, via a new Uckfield–Groombridge link
Wealden Line
Taking its name from its route through the chalk hills of the North and South Downs of the Weald, England, the Wealden Line is a partly abandoned double track railway line in East Sussex and Kent that connected Lewes with Tunbridge Wells, a distance of ....
. This scheme necessitated track diversion work north of Lewes, to obviate trains having to reverse, and the branch therefore assumed a new course, entering Lewes from the North.
Prior to that time trains from Uckfield travelling south to Lewes joined the Keymer Junction to Lewes line at Hamsey, latterly called the “Hamsey Loop.” A new scheme required major track diversion work north of Lewes, in order to remove the need for trains having to reverse at Lewes. So the line took a new course, with the abandoning of the Hamsey Loop and assumed a new course, entering Lewes from the North, traversing a bridge over the River Ouse then a bridge over Cliffe High Street to Lewes Station via a number of embankments. Such a route was indeed heavily engineered. As a result of this the mileage of the line also changed following this route alteration, and with the nought milepost now at Brighton, Isfield’s location now became 13 miles 1,070 yards (21.9 km).
Bluebell Line
The Bluebell RailwayBluebell Railway
The Bluebell Railway is a heritage line running for nine miles along the border between East and West Sussex, England. Steam trains are operated between and , with an intermediate station at .The railway is managed and run largely by volunteers...
originally branched off the Lavender Line at Culver Junction, near Culver Farm between Lewes and Barcombe Mills. This junction finally closed in 1958 with the closure of the East Grinstead to Lewes line.
Closure
As early as 1964 BR was aware of planned road works in and around the Lewes area, in which a bypass (Phases 1, 2 & 3) around Lewes was planned; as part of this the building of the Phoenix Causeway (Phase 1) would mean that a section of the Lewes to Uckfield railway line was in the way – requiring either a level crossing or a road bridge. BR therefore applied for an Act of Parliament to reinstate the Hamsey loop. Curiously in 1966 the local TUCC received notification from BR that the line from Lewes to Hurst Green Junction was to close in its entirety. The reason for this was that the line was one of those slated for closure in the first Beeching report published in 1963, listing it as an unremunerative line.Opposition from the many railway travellers resulted. Their case was centred around the fact that a motorway costing formula was used to prove that the users would waste some £750,000 in excess travel compared to BR's calculated loss of only £260,000. In the end the TUCC upheld the users' complaints; but it was not going to stop there. In early 1968 BR made another attempt to close the line. This time the Transport Minister, Mrs Barbara Castle
Barbara Castle
Barbara Anne Castle, Baroness Castle of Blackburn , PC, GCOT was a British Labour Party politician....
, requested more information from BR, which was furnished to her successor, Richard Marsh
Richard Marsh, Baron Marsh
Richard William Marsh, Baron Marsh PC was an English politician and business executive.Marsh was educated at Woolwich Polytechnic and was elected as Labour Party Member of Parliament for Greenwich at the 1959 general election...
, who took over as Transport Minister in April 1968. At this time structural problems with the bridge over Cliffe High Street in Lewes were identified, which necessitated single line working, with a revised timetable in place to reflect this.
From the information requested by his predecessor, and of all the scenarios that were examined by the Minister, he agreed in August 1968 to the closure of the Lewes to Uckfield section of line. But the resultant row over the severing of what was a very important rail link began. Considerable opposition from the users centred, in the first instance, around the inadequate replacement bus service – which had Ministerial approval. The issue was resolved by the Transport Commissioners who, on examination of all the complaints from the users and undertaking the journey themselves, upheld the users' complaints. However concerns over the state of the bridge over Cliffe High Street remained and finally the BR Chief Civil Engineer declared the bridge unsafe. This meant the cessation of rail services along this section of line, with a replacement bus service in place. All of these actions resulted in the delaying of the closure from January 1969 to May 1969.
Now what is not widely known is that in late 1968 BR made application to close the remaining section of the line, from Uckfield to Hurst Green Junction. This was refused in January 1969 by the Minister as the line was of a social need, and in accordance with Section 39 of the Transport Act 1968 as subsidy could be paid with Treasury approval for a three-year period.
Interestingly the subsequent sale of the track bed was postponed following the prospect of a number of schemes to re-open the closed section of the line. But they were all unsuccessful, and it is for this reason that it took 15 years for the railway to become available to private buyers. Even so, certain covenants have been inserted into the deeds stating that there is to be no building on this land and it can be compulsorily purchased back should the need arise to reinstate the line.
Restoration
On 16 June 1983 the Isfield railway station was purchased at auction by Dave and Gwen Milham with restoration of the station in mind. The rebuilding began immediately, including the laying of new track, the renovation of the signal box, and renewal of the all yellow perimeter fencePerimeter fence
A perimeter fence is a structure that circles the perimeter of an area to prevent access. These fences are frequently made out of single vertical metal bars connected at the top and bottom with a horizontal bar. They often have spikes on the top to prevent climbing. Residential perimeter fences are...
. The booking hall was renovated, the station awning renewed, and all platform signs replaced. The original platform waiting room had been purchased from Isfield by the Bluebell Railway
Bluebell Railway
The Bluebell Railway is a heritage line running for nine miles along the border between East and West Sussex, England. Steam trains are operated between and , with an intermediate station at .The railway is managed and run largely by volunteers...
in 1978, and resituated at Sheffield Park station. Two months were spent constructing an exact replica, completed in January 1984. In cooperation with the Bluebell Railway
Bluebell Railway
The Bluebell Railway is a heritage line running for nine miles along the border between East and West Sussex, England. Steam trains are operated between and , with an intermediate station at .The railway is managed and run largely by volunteers...
Dave Milham purchased track material from British Rail, made available from work being done at Croydon
Croydon
Croydon is a town in South London, England, located within the London Borough of Croydon to which it gives its name. It is situated south of Charing Cross...
.
The station was named 'The Lavender Line' with a historical connection in mind: A.E. Lavender and Sons were the local coal merchants who had operated from the station yard. Two engines were purchased for use at the station: 'Annie', a Barclay 0-4-0 saddle tank previously in service at Bury Transport Museum, and 'Ugly', RSH 0-6-0 saddle tank number 64, purchased while on loan at the North Yorkshire Moors Railway
North Yorkshire Moors Railway
The North Yorkshire Moors Railway is a heritage railway in North Yorkshire, England. First opened in 1836 as the Whitby and Pickering Railway, the railway was planned in 1831 by George Stephenson as a means of opening up trade routes inland from the then important seaport of Whitby. The line...
. A third engine was purchased, a 2-10-0 built by the North British Locomotive Company, which had to be shipped from Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
to the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. The engine was christened 'Dame Vera Lynn' by Dame Vera Lynn
Vera Lynn
Dame Vera Lynn, DBE is an English singer-songwriter and actress whose musical recordings and performances were enormously popular during World War II. During the war she toured Egypt, India and Burma, giving outdoor concerts for the troops...
herself at the station on August 6, 1986. This engine proved too large for the tracks, however, and was sold to Clifford Brown, a British-born American businessman living in Virginia, USA. Mr Brown sent the engine to the North Yorkshire Moors Railway were it presently resides.
The main restoration that took place at the station was completed by the spring of 1987. This included a track stretching three quarters of a mile (no further extension is feasible, due to a weak bridge crossing the River Uck), a new 100 ft by 60 ft engine shed, and the complete renovation of the station house. Costs by this point had escalated to in excess of £750,000. The station won awards for its restoration and became a popular local attraction, as well as a location for film and television shoots requiring a period railway station.
The present
Ownership of the station passed from the Milham family in 1991 and it is presently run by The Lavender Line Preservation Society. Since its restoration in the 1980s the station has remained a popular attraction for the local area, and remains a well-celebrated example of a restored period railway station.The route
UckfieldUckfield railway station
Uckfield railway station serves Uckfield in East Sussex, England. Train services from the station are provided by Southern, and the station is the terminus for the Uckfield branch of the Oxted Line.- History :...
"Proposed"
Little Horstead
Wealden Line
Taking its name from its route through the chalk hills of the North and South Downs of the Weald, England, the Wealden Line is a partly abandoned double track railway line in East Sussex and Kent that connected Lewes with Tunbridge Wells, a distance of ....
"Current Terminus"
Isfield
Isfield railway station
Isfield is a preserved railway station on the closed section of the Wealden Line which served the East Sussex village of Isfield near Uckfield. Originally opened in 1858, the station closed in 1969 and was sold into private hands in 1983 to subsequently become the current centrepiece of the...
"Restored to its former glory and reopened in 1983"
Barcombe Mills
Barcombe Mills railway station
Barcombe Mills is a disused railway station in the hamlet of Barcombe Mills, on the closed section of the Wealden Line. The station was opened in 1858 and closed in 1969.- History :...
"Proposed"
The future
Despite attempts by the Wealden Line Campaign to have the line from through Isfield to reopened to passenger traffic, a July 2008 study concluded that although technically feasible, the line would be "economically unviable". Any reopening might affect the operations of the Lavender Line and might entail a move to a new location, however there is nothing definite to state this.The Preservation Society has expressed an interest in reopening the line between Uckfield and Lewes in the long-term. In December 2008, a petition was presented to East Sussex County Council asking it acquire the trackbed from the Lavender Line's northern boundary to the former site of Uckfield station, to lease back the section and to allow heritage services to be run over it. In April 2009, the Council's Director of Transport and Environment recommended that the petition be refused on the basis that a heritage operation would prejudice the reopening of the line and the costs entailed would divert funding away from core Council services.
Operational Steam Locomotives
- PeckettPeckett and SonsPeckett and Sons was a locomotive manufacturer at the Atlas Works in St. George, Bristol, England.-Fox, Walker and Company:The company began trading in 1864 at the Atlas Engine Works, St. George, Bristol, as Fox, Walker and Company, building four and six-coupled saddle tank engines for industrial use...
0-4-0ST No. 2012 "Teddy". (Boiler ticket expires in 2018)
Stored Steam Locomotives
Hawthorn Leslie 0-6-0ST No. 3837 owned by the Hawthorn Leslie 3837 Preservation Society (On display unrestored).Operational diesel shunting locomotives
- PlanetF. C. Hibberd & Co LtdF. C. Hibberd & Co Ltd was a British locomotive-building company founded in 1927 to build industrial petrol and diesel locomotives. In 1932 the company acquired the goodwill of James and Frederick Howard Ltd...
4w diesel shunter No. 15.
Diesel shunting locomotives undergoing overhaul, restoration or light work
- Andrew Barclay 0-4-0 No. 15. (Nearing the end of restoration in the engine shed)
Diesel Multiple Units undergoing light work
- British Rail Class 205British Rail Class 205The British Rail Class 205 diesel-electric multiple units were built by BR at Eastleigh from 1957–1962. They were replaced by Turbostar units.-Description:This class of unit were built in four different batches for use on different lines....
Driving Car No. 60151. (Undergoing a repaint inside the engine shed) - British Rail Class 205 Centre Car No. 60678. (Undergoing a repaint outside the engine shed)
- British Rail Class 205 Trailing Car No. 60832. (Undergoing a repaint outside the engine shed)
Stored Diesel Multiple Units
- DEMUDemuDemu may refer to:*Dému, a village in France*Diesel-electric Multiple Unit *DEMU, Diesel and Electric Modellers United, a UK railway modelling group*The alien antagonists of The Demu Trilogy by F.M. Busby...
"Hampshire" Motor Unit No. 1123. - DEMUDemuDemu may refer to:*Dému, a village in France*Diesel-electric Multiple Unit *DEMU, Diesel and Electric Modellers United, a UK railway modelling group*The alien antagonists of The Demu Trilogy by F.M. Busby...
Class 205 "Hampshire" Trailing Car No. 1211.
External links
- Lavender Line website
- Wealden Line campaign website
- Review of railway on QypeQypeQype is a Hamburg-based web 2.0 company centered around social networking and local reviews. They currently operate websites in Germany, the United Kingdom, France, Switzerland, Austria, Ireland, Poland, Spain, Italy and Brazil, and have approximately 22 million monthly unique European visitors.-...