Elham Valley Light Railway

The Elham Valley Light Railway is a disused railway line that runs through the Elham Valley connecting Folkestone and Canterbury in East Kent. It was operational from 1887 to 1947.

History

The first concept of a line connecting Canterbury to Folkstone occurred in 1830 when a group of landowners and priests began to discuss the possibility of the line however this was not a concerted effort and each group had their own interest. They started the Elham Valley Light Railway company. However despite initial success they failed to convince either of the big two railway companies in the south east to support them - South Eastern Railway (SER) and London, Chatham and Dover Railway (LCDR). The company wanted to build a single track line with stations at Elham, Barham, Canterbury West and Shorncliffe. The matter was quietly dropped. However the scheme re-emerged when the LBSCR planned to link Canterbury East to Folkestone through the Akham Valley. This alarmed the SER and their chairman Sir Edward Watkin. For a period of time both railways argued that their scheme was superior. Eventually the SER came out on top. However if it was built as a light railway, under the Light Railways Act 1896, it could not be considered an integral part of the SER network.

Construction

A double track line was built. The railway was authorised on 18 June 1861 and was taken over by South Eastern Railway by an Act of Parliament of 28 July 1884. Awdry-RailCo Page 185.] Work began in 1884 and the first stage, from Shorncliffe (now Folkestone West) to Barham opened on 4 July 1887. The stretch from Barham to Canterbury was more difficult as rich landowners objected to trains passing through their land. The most stubborn was Matthew Bell who refused to see trains pass by the back of his mansion, and reluctantly the SER agreed to build Bourne Park tunnel instead of two bridges. In Canterbury, the South Eastern Railway wanted a station close to Wincheap but planning permission was refused, so the South Eastern had to site it's Canterbury South station much further south. Canterbury was reached in 1890 where it joined the Ashford - Ramsgate line at Harbledown Junction.

When the two railway companies SER and LCDR merged in 1899 to form the South Eastern and Chatham Railway (SECR), there were livery changes at the stations. Railmotors were introduced in 1913 although these struggled to cope with the steep climb up from Cheriton junction through Etchinghill tunnel and onto Lyminge.cite book|title=Lost Railways of Kent|last=Oppitz|first=Leslie|date=2003]

During World War I the line was taken over by the army, with much of the track used for storage, so single line working was introduced. Following a landslip at Folkestone Warren closing the main line between Folkestone and Dover in 1915, the Elham Valley line become a diversionary route for movement between the two ports via Deal, Minster and Canterbury.

Grouping, decline and closure

When the Grouping Act of 1923 came into force, the Elham valley railway was absorbed by Southern Railway (SR or just "Southern"). They immediately announced they would single the line and undertake staff reductions in order to save money. The line was singled between Harbledown Junction and Lyminge, the section from Lyminge to Cheriton remaining double tracked.

During the World War II the line was again taken over by the military and was home to a huge anti aircraft gun called the ‘Boche Buster’. This huge gun could fire shells of 1.4 tons over a range of 12 miles, and was kept in Bourne Park tunnel. The Elham Valley railway had some important visitors including Mrs Roosevelt, Mrs Churchill and Winston Churchill.

After World War II the line was returned to its normal purpose but unable to compete with the roads the Southern Railway closed the line on the 16 June 1947, despite local protest. Lifting of the line occurred in 1950-54.

The route

The railway ran from Canterbury West and finished at Shorncliffe. The line had intermediate stops at Canterbury South, Bridge, Bishopsbourne, Barham, Elham and Lyminge. The line stretched for 16 miles and is generally regarded as one of the most attractive English branch lines.

The railway today

Many of the tunnels survive, as does much of the trackbed and three stations live on. Lyminge is a public library and Bishopsbourne station is a private residence. Bridge station is also a private residence. The trackbed is largely covered by vegetation. However the sections between Canterbury South to West and Lyminge and Cheriton junction have been obliterated. The Lyminge section has been built over by the Channel Tunnel terminal building. Canterbury South has been lost to housing developments.

There is a museum at Peene, near the Channel Tunnel railway station, which contains many precious artifacts of railway history and a working model railway of what the line would have been like in SER days.

References

External links

* [http://www.elhamvalleylinetrust.org/ Elham Valley Line Trust]
* [http://www.barham-kent.org.uk/Rail%20Services.htm Elham Valley Railway at www.barham-kent.org.uk]
* [http://www.undergroundkent.co.uk/etchinghill_railway_tunnel.htm Elham Valley Railway at www.undergroundkent.co.uk]
* [http://www.elham.co.uk/Elham/Elham%20Valley%20Railway/Elham_Valley_Railway.htm Elham Valley Railway at www.elham.co.uk]
* [http://www.kenelks.co.uk/railways/elham.htm Elham Valley Railway at www.kenelks.co.uk]