It's a nice sunny day in Reigate.
And I'm going to the printers.
I have ordered 100 flyers for distribution tomorrow at Paddock Wood station. Hopefully there is enough information on here to arouse curiosity amongst Horsmonden commuters who have to travel by train every day. I'm actually quite a shy person so I don't enjoy thrusting myself upon people, but I hope people realise that the possibility of reopening is not a hopeless case and I think some people will take an interest.
Wednesday 17th - That was not too bad, (there was a lot more staff today than the Saturday I visited before) I began by approaching the ticket office and asked if I could leave leaflets at the station, but the man there said he will have to ask his boss who was not in for another 2 1/2 hours. I then asked about sixty people if they were from the Horsmonden area and seven or eight were, all were interested and all took leaflets, there could be a collective strength here if people really wanted the railway reinstated. Then the Station Master(?) came out and suggested I leave the remaining leaflets on a little table where other literature was available. One lady who came out and chatted with me was very encouraging which was much apprecited but said that actually parking was not a serious problem as she parks somewhere nearby for £2.50 daily (what will it be like when 650 more houses are built near the town though?).
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If you took a leaflet today thanks for the interest. Like all of us I happened to be born in a particular time and grew up in a particular place, it happened to be in Orchard Crescent soon after the railway closed. As a result I grew up loving the railway; to me it is hallowed ground like Wembley, Wimbledon or Lords. I am not interested in any financial gain doing this.
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If the line re-opened, the station would be the site of W Barge and Sons garage on the Goudhurst Road.
The line would head north rising slightly into a deep cutting (which was filled in during the 1960's and 1970's).
It would then run under the beautiful Back Lane Bridge (buried - see my earlier rant about this bridge) this was about the deepest part of the cutting.
The deep cutting would continue on to the tunnel (this part of the cutting is now buried and someone's garden, why??)
The 76 yard tunnel still exists, in pretty good condition and runs under the B2162 near the Cricket ground, this is the highest point.
North of the B2162 the line would emerge into a deepish cutting (still largely in existence) dropping at 1 in 66 and roughly north and parallel to the Maidstone Road. After a few hundred meters the cutting becomes an embankment for half a mile crossing Swigs Hall Farm Bridge (both in very good condition) (a large tributary of the River Teise flows through a culvert under the embankment from the Furnace Lake).
At Yew Tree Green Road the line would run under a road bridge (now destroyed - why??) still dropping at 1 in 66 and run through four farmers fields via Rams Hill in an arc towards Churn Lane.
The line crossed the road via a level Crossing at Churn Lane.
More fields would be crossed through Beechland (formally August Pitts Farm) but the descent would be much less now.
Another dozen fields would see the line go near Old Hay Farm.
The very rural Willow Lane would be crossed next via a level crossing.
Shortly after that the line would go under Queen Street Bridge (now a hill - is the bridge still therebut burried?)
A few hundred meters later the line would bend round and run parallel to the main Ashford line for the last 2/3 miles and arrive at Paddock Wood, south of the up (to London) platform.
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If you look at Horsmonden on Google maps you can see the direction that the track ran due to the line of the hedges and the slight colour differences of the soil.
If you have any questions please do ask me but I don't know everything.
Anyone can call Network Rail on 03457 11 41 41 and they can quote the case reference number 000246 to receive any updates on the case review.
I would urge you to consider buying a book about the Hawkhurst Line you should find it very interesting and well worth it - see my book reviews post.
As I say (whatever your political views are) please let Mr Clarke know your feelings about this so that he can do his job, you are after all the most important people here.
Finally, maybe I am being unfair but Horsmonden council do seen to have a poor track record in preserving the line and may be unenthusiastic about reopening, if it was to be successful they may need convincing.
----------------------------
If you took a leaflet today thanks for the interest. Like all of us I happened to be born in a particular time and grew up in a particular place, it happened to be in Orchard Crescent soon after the railway closed. As a result I grew up loving the railway; to me it is hallowed ground like Wembley, Wimbledon or Lords. I am not interested in any financial gain doing this.
------------------------------
If the line re-opened, the station would be the site of W Barge and Sons garage on the Goudhurst Road.
The line would head north rising slightly into a deep cutting (which was filled in during the 1960's and 1970's).
It would then run under the beautiful Back Lane Bridge (buried - see my earlier rant about this bridge) this was about the deepest part of the cutting.
The deep cutting would continue on to the tunnel (this part of the cutting is now buried and someone's garden, why??)
The 76 yard tunnel still exists, in pretty good condition and runs under the B2162 near the Cricket ground, this is the highest point.
North of the B2162 the line would emerge into a deepish cutting (still largely in existence) dropping at 1 in 66 and roughly north and parallel to the Maidstone Road. After a few hundred meters the cutting becomes an embankment for half a mile crossing Swigs Hall Farm Bridge (both in very good condition) (a large tributary of the River Teise flows through a culvert under the embankment from the Furnace Lake).
At Yew Tree Green Road the line would run under a road bridge (now destroyed - why??) still dropping at 1 in 66 and run through four farmers fields via Rams Hill in an arc towards Churn Lane.
The line crossed the road via a level Crossing at Churn Lane.
More fields would be crossed through Beechland (formally August Pitts Farm) but the descent would be much less now.
Another dozen fields would see the line go near Old Hay Farm.
The very rural Willow Lane would be crossed next via a level crossing.
Shortly after that the line would go under Queen Street Bridge (now a hill - is the bridge still therebut burried?)
A few hundred meters later the line would bend round and run parallel to the main Ashford line for the last 2/3 miles and arrive at Paddock Wood, south of the up (to London) platform.
-----------------
If you look at Horsmonden on Google maps you can see the direction that the track ran due to the line of the hedges and the slight colour differences of the soil.
If you have any questions please do ask me but I don't know everything.
Anyone can call Network Rail on 03457 11 41 41 and they can quote the case reference number 000246 to receive any updates on the case review.
I would urge you to consider buying a book about the Hawkhurst Line you should find it very interesting and well worth it - see my book reviews post.
As I say (whatever your political views are) please let Mr Clarke know your feelings about this so that he can do his job, you are after all the most important people here.
Finally, maybe I am being unfair but Horsmonden council do seen to have a poor track record in preserving the line and may be unenthusiastic about reopening, if it was to be successful they may need convincing.
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