Ouse Valley Railway (Sussex)

The railway was never completed.

See Wikipedia entry.

1906 'AN ABANDONED RAILWAY.
ILL-FATED MID-SUSSEX ENTERPRISE.
Just now the decision of the Cuckfield Rural District Council to remove the archway which spans Copyhold Lane, in the southern part of the parish of Ardingly, is awakening interest in the abortive railway scheme known as the Ouse Valley Railway. This abandoned project will be recalled by those of our older readers who reside in the district, but it is probable that to the younger ones and to new-comers both its history and the existence of its embankments are practically unknown. Somewhere about forty years ago the promoters of the enterprise launched their scheme for the construction of a branch line of railway to extend from the Brighton Company’s main line between Haywards Heath and Balcombe to Uckfield, and from the fact that it was to be a close neighbour of the river Ouse for much of its distance it was termed the Ouse Valley Railway. The work of laying down for some time proceeded apace, with the result that much of the project from the first bridge south of the Ouse Viaduct (where it was to leave the Brighton line) was completed far as Lindfield, where it was designed to cross the Ardingly road at a spot at the foot of Town Hill, mid-way between the Parish Church and the entrance to Paxhill Park. The works, however, were never carried further, as for some cause or other the scheme was abandoned, and Lindfield is still without its railway station. Many traces of the embankment and cuttings of the forsaken works are still in existence, though the former are not only overgrown but also fast losing their original shape in places, and the latter are becoming filled with underwood and brambles of vigorous growth. At Skewbridge, where the railway left the Brighton line, there is a mass of dilapidated brickwork marking the commencement of the ill-fated branch, which then proceeded across meadows to Copyhold Lane, the Ardingly and Horsted Keynes line now crossing its track. It is probable that the laying down of the latter largely interfered with the earthworks constructed for the Ouse Valley line. Just before Copyhold Lane is reached there is a substantial grass-grown embankment, now bearing a fine lot of firs and other trees of the same class; whilst the lane itself, which connects the Ardingly and Balcombe roads from Haywards Heath, is spanned by a massive arch almost entirely built of brick, and, from the fact of it crossing public road, in a state of perfect preservation. After this the course of the line runs through high ground in a series of cuttings, crosses the Ardingly road near Fountain Cottages, and runs through Kenwards Farm, where a long narrow strip of water indicates another excavation for its purposes. Still continuing its way it abuts on Fulling Mill Farm, where a second brick bridge may be seen, and runs on to Lindfield. Here the embankment and the brick bases of an archway are still definable at the bottom of Town Hill, where its course suddenly ceases. Thus far the track kept entirely on the south side of the Ouse. The Copyhold bridge already mentioned is situate at an awkward twist in the lane, and obstructs the view of the roadway on either hand, and it is with the object of improving this that the Cuckfield Rural Council, with the concurrence of the adjoining owners —Mr. W. Sturdy, of Paxhill Park, and Lieut.-Colonel Stephenson R. Clarke, of Rorde Hill—are undertaking its removal, at the same time somewhat straightening the roadway at the spot. Those who know the locality will realise that a very great improvement can be effected there. The scheme will carried out under the direction of Mr. A. MacArthur, C.E., the Council’s Highway Surveyor.'

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