A special steam train will be passing through Sussex and Kent next month.
The Christmas Sussex Belle will be on a day-long trip for the festive season on Wednesday 20 November.
Organisers The Railway Touring Company say: “Join us on a special train to celebrate the Festive Season in style. Our train travels from London Victoria to the Sussex coast, crossing the North and South Downs and passing through the beautiful countryside of the Weald. It will be steam hauled by an LMS Black 5 locomotive. This is a wonderful way to enjoy a leisurely lunch whilst appreciating the scenic views from your carriage window.”
For anyone hoping to catch a sight of the train, these are the details of the route:
“Our day out begins when our train leaves London Victoria station at around 10:30, hauled by a Black 5 steam locomotive. We journey south along the main line towards Brighton passing through East Croydon, Redhill, Gatwick Airport, Three Bridges and Haywards Heath. The route crosses the Weald, an ancient area of woodland scattered with farms and villages. We leave the Brighton line at Keymer Junction, just after Wivesfield, and head south-eastwards through Cooksbridge to Lewes. Here we join the East Coastway Line that runs from Brighton to Eastbourne, Hastings and Ashford. We pass through the South Downs, an area characterised by rolling chalk downland and recognised as one of the most important chalk landscapes in England.
“We head to Eastbourne where our steam locomotive will be serviced and there will be time to visit this popular South Coast seaside town. The seafront consists almost entirely of Victorian hotels, which along with its pier and bandstand, give it a timeless appeal. The town is situated immediately east of Beachy Head, the highest chalk sea cliff in Great Britain and an area of outstanding natural beauty. This sheltered position contributes to Eastbourne’s title of the sunniest place in Great Britain.
“We leave Eastbourne, diesel-hauled and head along the Sussex Coast through Normans Bay, Cooden Beach, and Bexhill to Hastings. Hastings can claim fame through its connection with the Norman Conquest of England, and also because it became one of the medieval Cinque Ports. The town is sometimes referred to as the birthplace of television since the pioneer of television, John Logie Baird, lived there.
“Our train reverses direction of travel at Hastings and leaves with the steam locomotive in charge. We continue our journey heading north through Crowhurst and Battle, and then passing through Mountfield Tunnel. Robertsbridge station was formerly a junction station with the Colonel Stephens’ famous old Kent and East Sussex Light Railway. We pass through Royal Tunbridge Wells, a spa town situated on the northern edge of the High Weald. At Sevenoaks, we take the line through Bat and Ball station, which was named after a local inn that no longer exists. We join the line from Ashford at Otford, and the Chatham Main Line at Swanley. Our tour ends when we arrive back at London Victoria at around 17:20.”
:: Photo caption: Railway Touring Company LMS Stanier Class 5 4-6-0 No. 44871 leaves Lewes on The Christmas Sussex Belle tour from London Victoria to Eastbourne and Hastings on 24 November 2022. Credit: Paul Bromley
