The former line from Barcombe to Sheffield Park via Cinder Hill Tunnel (now closed)

North of Barcombe a footpath crosses the trackbed. This view looks south towards the station area where new houses have been built across the trackbed. Small parts of buildings can just be seen in the trees.

Looking north from the same position, the trackbed is within the trees to the left. The V-shape in the distant tree line marks the path of the railway.

Passing through the trees and looking south again, the power lines have been routed west of Barcombe and come across the fields to join the trackbed.

Turning round and looking north the power lines can be seen established within the trees on the trackbed.

A view within the trees looking north along the old trackbed, with the power lines above. Heavy undergrowth prevented direct progress north after a short distance.

The line climbed from Barcombe on a 1 in 75 gradient. The ascent is largely overgrown but in the first of two pictures the embankment is the nearest line of trees. Beyond is Knowlands Wood, which predates the line. (See also next picture).

The second of two overlapping pictures with the power line poles clearly visible and the end of Knowlands Wood on the left.

Closer to the embankment, this is the view north. The power lines follow the trackbed and pass through the V-shape in the trees in the distance.

A public footpath goes under an overbridge at this point, but it might be fair to say that the route is quite effectively camouflaged! There is a bridge in here!

The approach from the other side is a little better marked. This view looks west under the bridge.

Up on the old embankment this view looks south across the top of the bridge.

After a short distance any progress south towards the gradient down to Barcombe is blocked by heavy undergrowth.

Turning round this view looks north over the bridge.

A path leads north along the embankment from the bridge, but actually leads nowhere (see later). I found it slightly uncomfortable walking directly underneath two sets of power lines.

The path leads north under two sets of power lines, but after a few hundred yards becomes barely passable with heavy undergrowth and deep muddy pools of water. This view looks north, from a position north of the bridge.

Turning round and looking south from the same point the wider part of the path can be seen.

After negotiating a jungle the single span Brickyard Farm Accommodation Bridge appears, this view looking north. The power lines go above the bridge on higher poles. There were two accommodation bridges at Brickyard Farm but the second more northerly three arch bridge has been demolished.

This view looks south under Brickyard Farm bridge towards the jungle. Deer wander the area, and have presumably learned to use machetes to get through!

The path improves again after the bridge but is muddy. The author Michael Welch, visiting just over 10 years ago, described it as a quagmire, and I can see his point.

Looking north, this is the cutting through Brickyard Wood. Beyond the second power pole another three arch bridge used to span the railway, but it has been totally demolished and the area of the spans filled in to form a solid road blocking the cutting.

Brickyard Farm (or Oldpark Wood) accommodation bridge captured on 12 April 1965 in a lovely image taken by John Attfield. John retains all rights to these images but has kindly allowed me to use them on my site. This was the second (and more northerly) of the two accommodation bridges at Brickyard Farm, but sadly has been totally demolished. The same fate befell the three arch bridge at Newick & Chailey. This may be the only image of the northern Brickyard Farm accommodation bridge. Searches have failed to find another. If you have any pictures please contact me.

This is the site of the second Brickyard Farm (or Oldpark Wood) accommodation bridge, which has been demolished and filled in. This view looks south into the cutting. A ramp has been built with material designed to give vehicles a good grip. It is assumed that this is an access for power line crews, but the area is so overgrown that in practice no vehicle could get in more than a few hundred yards.

Turning round, this view looks north along the cutting from the top of the filled in bridge (see next picture).

To the east and west of the second Brickyard Farm (or Oldpark Wood) accommodation bridge site are large notices indicating that the land is private. These notices can only be aimed at walkers coming up the old trackbed, as there is no other access. This view looks north with a slightly longer lens (see next picture).

Looking north with an even longer lens, it can be seen that someone has built what appears to be a wall across the cutting, and within the brambles that block the route is a second fence and a warning notice! The irony is that the area is impassable anyway. Retrace your steps... :-)

Access to the trackbed becomes possible again north of Ridgelands Lane. There was a bridge here carrying the railway over the road, but driving down the road you can see no sign that a railway ever existed. The only clue on very close inspection is a clogged drain in the road that used to clear water from under the demolished bridge. This picture looks west with the southern embankment on the left, but you would never know.

Changing angle this is the private land that was the southern embankment, but it just looks like an ordinary earth bank.

Turning round and looking east the northern embankment has been dug away adjacent to the road, leaving a normal slope that you cannot identify as a railway.

Entering the wood, after about 20 metres the embankment is revealed and it is quite clear of vegetation for a short distance. This view looks north.

Turning round and looking south, you can see the access from the road sloping up towards the camera.

Unfortunately it is not possible to progress far, and after about 50 metres the embankment becomes clogged with brambles and nettles to the degree that it is impassable.

In finding another route this shot of the eastern side of the embankment shows the reasonably substantial earthworks. The fence has long gone, but the posts remain.

The embankment is so overgrown that even the power company thought better of it, and the cables run north through the fields on the east side of the old route.

An accommodation bridge gave access over the railway adjacent to Tomkins Barn (which has also been demolished), but finding the bridge in the nettles and brambles was something of a challenge. This view looks south down the overgrown cutting.

Turning round and looking north, this view shows the quite substantial arched bridge which carries a farm track.

Taken from a slightly different angle this view north shows that this is not exactly a pleasant country walk. Anyone want some nettles?

This closeup of the bridge looks south. Under the bridge is a conspicuous piece of chalk, and visitors mark the left hand wall with their name and date (presumably as a reward for being stupid enough to get through the brambles).

If you want to chalk your name on the bridge, Good Luck! Not recommended for a quiet Sunday afternoon walk.

A final view of the bridge looking south.

This view looks north along the cutting from the top of the bridge. A shot to the south was impossible owing to undergrowth.

In this area the railway alternates between cuttings and embankments, with the power lines continuing their march along the eastern side of the line. This view looks north from near Tutts Wood.

An ancient road, Cockfield Lane, (now a bridleway) runs north in parallel to the line, and this view looks west towards the railway embankment. Walkers are warned that this bridleway is exceptionally wet and muddy in places.

Although wooded, the railway embankment is passable at this point, with signs of an old path, but it no longer leads anywhere. This view looks south towards the area clogged with brambles and stinging nettles.

Turning round, this view looks north along the disused path.

Some distance further north, this view looks back south.

Another view north from the same position. Shortly afterwards undergrowth blocks the route and yet another enforced diversion is required.

Despite the passage of over 50 years the embankment still makes its mark on the landscape, here running north as a line of trees to the south of Cinder Farm (viewed from the east).

The embankment remains overgrown south of Cinder Farm, this view looking south into the jungle.