Lavender Line

The Lavender Line is a heritage railway currently based at Isfield Station, near Uckfield in East Sussex.

History

The Lavender Line formed part of the Lewes 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).

Bluebell Line

The Bluebell Railway 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. Of which the building of the Phoenix Causeway (Phase 1) would mean that a section of the Lewes to Uckfield railway line was in the way. Needing either a level crossing or a road bridge. So BR 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 listed as one 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 BRs calculated loss of only £260,000. In the end the TUCC upheld the complaints from the users. But it was not going to stop there. In early 1968, BR made another attempt to close the line again, this time the Transport Minister Mrs Barbara Castle requested more information from BR which was then 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 1969, to the closure of the Lewes to Uckfield secion of the line. But the resultant row over the severing of what was to be a very important rail link began. Considerable opposition from the users centred around the inadequate replacement bus service which had Ministerial Approval, in the first instance. 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. Also coincident with these events, concerns over the state of the bridge over Cliffe High Street in Lewes 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 also not widely known was that in late 1968 BR then made application to close the remaining section of the line from Uckfield to Hurst Green Junction. Which 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 land deeds stating that there is to be no building on this land and it can be compulsorily purchased back should the need arise to reinsate the line.

Restoration

On 16 June 1983 the Isfield railway station was purchased at auction by a Mr Dave and Mrs 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 fence. 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 forces with the Bluebell Railway, Mr 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 where first 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 re-christened the Dame Vera Lynn by Dame Vera Lynn herself at the station on August 6 1986. The engine proved too large for the tracks, 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 (and no further due to a weak bridge crossing the Uck River), 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 three quarters of a million pounds. The station won various awards for the restoration, and became a popular local attraction, as well as a location for film and television shots requiring a period railway station.

The present

Ownership of the station passed from the Milham family in 1991 and 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 future and relocation

The Wealden Line Campaign are currently campaigning to re-open the Lewes-Uckfield line as part of the National Rail Network. This 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.

Motive Power

Operational Steam Locomotives

*Peckett 0-4-0ST No. 2012 "Teddy". (Boiler ticket expires in 2018)
*Standard War Department Austerity 0-6-0ST No. 24 "Rolvenden". (On loan from the Kent and East Sussex Railway)
*LB&SCR Terrier 0-6-0T No. 662 "Martello". (On loan from the Bressingham Steam Museum)

team Locomotives undergoing light work

*Sentinel 4wd No. 51.

team Locomotives undergoing overhaul

*Hunslet Engine Co. 0-6-0ST "Blackie".

Operational diesel shunting locomotives

*Planet 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)

tored diesel shunting locomotives

*Vulcan 0-4-0 No. 16.
*British Rail class 03 0-6-0 No. 03020.
*British Rail class 03 0-6-0 No. 03197.

Diesel Multiple Units undergoing light work

*British Rail Class 205 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)

tored Diesel Multiple Units

*DEMU "Hampshire" Motor Unit No. 1123.
*DEMU Class 205 "Hampshire" Trailing Car No. 1211.

External links

* [http://www.lavender-line.co.uk Lavender Line website]
* [http://home.clara.net/wealdenline/ Wealden Line campaign website]
* [http://www.qype.co.uk/place/144415-Lavender-Line-Ltd-Uckfield Review] of railway on Qype