The Seaford Branch - Lewes to Seaford

The ruins of the station master's house lie to the left of the lower view, next to the level crossing on the road to Tidemills. This together with the rest of the village and tidemills are currently being excavated and conserved by local archaeologists. The concrete station nameboard, seen in the middle of the upper shot, regularly has new graffiti inscriptions.

This view looks from near Tidemills, past the site of the former seaplane base, which was to the left, and on towards the harbour. This line's main function, in the mid-20th century, was to convey shingle from the east of Newhaven to the west. This and other interesting facts about East Sussex Coastal Railways can be found in two slim volumes by Paul O'Callaghan. The first is about the 'main' Ashford to Brighton line and the second covers branch lines and other railways. I have no connection with the author, but like to credit him with providing the information about this photo and the one of the original Bishopstone station. I think that the rails, since closure, at least at some places, may just have been used to edge the concrete path, as the gauge looks decidedly 'out', quite apart from the wobbles.

2015 - This siding now sees far more incoming traffic, with trainloads of aggregates arriving for distribution by lorry along the south coast.

The platform has been restricted to 3/4 coach use - 313s & some 377s. It was formerly used between the wars for much longer trains, because of the large number of boarding schools and some military establishments. It has now been resurfaced for its whole length to allow longer trains, used when there are football matches at Brighton & Hove Albion FC's Amex Stadium at Falmer. I expect that it will be our regular services with longer trains, rather than extra trains. The latter run between Brighton and Lewes. Falmer's platforms are having to be extended for these services. This is platform 2! Platform 1 was the bay on the right of the picture. All the track apart from this single line has been lifted, from the point at Newhaven where the branch to the disused Newhaven Marine station leaves.