The Lavender Line is part of the former Lewes to Uckfield Railway opened on 18th October 1858. Between 1859 and 1922 the line was operated by the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway and passed into the ownership of the Southern Railway in 1923. In 1948 it then became part of the nationalised British Railways Southern Region.
In its heyday, the line saw extensive use by local, London, Brighton, Tunbridge Wells and Dover services. However, due to a combination of factors including the Beeching cuts and the unsafe bridges on the approach to Lewes, the line was closed on 22nd February 1969.
In the 1980s the railway passed into private hands and the then owner started to rebuild the track. Alas he was not able to continue with the line and it was sold to the current preservation society in the early 1990s.
Isfield station has now been restored to early Southern Railway colours and looks very much as it would have done in the 1920's and 30's. The track has been extensively overhauled and modified since the society took over and the line has recently been extended to one mile.
Why are we called the Lavender Line?
This is because the coal merchants which used to operate from Isfield station yard were A.E. Lavender and Sons of Ringmer and uniquely Isfield retains its old coal office which has been restored and now houses our model railway..
Click on one of these links for our pictorial history pages.