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

An old cattle creep south of Cinder Farm is fairly clear on the top, but there is a pronounced hump over the bridge suggesting a substantial depth of ballast either side of the bridge when the railway was in situ. This view looks south over the hump. The bushes either side actually conceal the parapet.

Believe it or not there is a bridge under there. This is what a disused cattle creep looks like when over 50 years of vegetation has been allowed to grow under the bridge. I concluded that the path was no longer used....

On top of the bridge again, and looking north towards Cinder Hill cutting and tunnel. This area has been grazed in the past and the scene is little changed from when Michael Welch pictured the remains of the route in December 1994.

Entering the undergrowth seen in the distance in the previous picture the going gets rather difficult again. This view looks north towards the tunnel. The route is blocked in places and significant diversions were necessary before a sequence of pictures could be produced. A 1951 photograph of 80016 was taken by S C Nash at about this point, but the area was nice and clear then.

Further north, this is a view of Cinder Farm cutting, looking north, with the cutting deepening as it runs towards the tunnel

A view south from the same point, towards the clear field previously pictured.

A final view of Cinder Farm cutting, leading north to the tunnel. This cutting is impassable and the tunnel cannot be reached from this direction owing to thick (and very unfriendly) undergrowth. Ouch!

Immediately south of Cinder Hill Tunnel this view looks south down the cutting towards the position of the previous picture.

Turning round, the southern portal of Cinder Hill Tunnel can be seen in the distance. This area is heavily overgrown

Almost the same view as a historical photo of the site taken by J G Mallinson in March 1994, and the area is almost completely unchanged. Note the very simple structure of this short tunnel.

The southern portal of Cinder Hill Tunnel 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. In those years the site was far less overgrown.

Within Cinder Hill Tunnel you can still see scrape marks on the floor where the demolition contractor extracted every last piece of ballast. This view looks north through the tunnel with a long lens.

Despite it's very remote location it was disappointing to find graffiti on Cinder Hill Tunnel, and many beer cans scattered around. This view looks south through the tunnel with a long lens.

This is the northern portal of Cinder Hill Tunnel, looking south. Trees prevent a clearer shot of this end of the tunnel.

A second view of the northern portal of the tunnel, looking south down the northern cutting.

A final view south down the northern cutting, with the tunnel just visible in the distance. This is a Hard Hat area with many unstable trees. Great care needs to be taken.

Further progress north was considered unsafe. After a short distance the path of the railway would in any event completely disappear as the line was infilled near Newick and Chailey.

A much photographed street sign, remembering the railway in the area of Newick and Chailey. The landscape has been completely changed by infilling and housing estates built after the railway was closed. A number of the adjacent properties have railway related house names. A separate gallery shows the original station buildings before they were demolished.

The railway went under the A272 main road in North Chailey but the bridge has been completely removed and the cutting filled in. This is the filled in cutting south of the road (which would have been just north of the station site). The fill appears to have slumped slightly to form a shallow U-shape. 06.04.2013 6702

The north side of the A272 main road in North Chailey, with the cutting that led to the bridge totally filled in. It is almost impossible to trace the exact route of the track at ground level, but the power lines that run either on, or adjacent to, the track bed reappear and continue their journey north having skirted the housing estate. 06.04.2013 6703

The north side of the A272 main road in North Chailey, with the cutting that led to the bridge totally filled in. It is almost impossible to trace the exact route of the track at ground level, but the power lines that run either on, or adjacent to, the track bed reappear and continue their journey north having skirted the housing estate. 06.04.2013 6704

The north side of the A272 main road in North Chailey, with the cutting that led to the bridge totally filled in. It is almost impossible to trace the exact route of the track at ground level, but the power lines that run either on, or adjacent to, the track bed reappear and continue their journey north having skirted the housing estate. 06.04.2013 6705

The course of the line reappears north of Newick and Chailey, but it was not possible to access the cutting owing to undergrowth and flooding in the base of the cutting. This view looks north down into the cutting.

A second view looking north down into the cutting. The brambles and stinging nettles are flourishing down there.

A final view looking south. In a series of 1994 photographs J G Mallinson reported that the line was still passable but in danger of being engulfed. Unfortunately nature has now successfully swallowed the route.

At Lane End (or Fletching) Common there is a delightful three arch bridge but it was simply impossible to get near it, and attempts showed that it was so obstructed by vegetation that photography would have been fruitless. This view looks east over the top of the bridge.

A second view looking west over Lane End Common bridge

For record purposes this view looks south down into the cutting but it is impossible to see anything. A V-shape at the top of the picture marks the route.

In 1955 historical pictures of the line show fine views towards Sheffield Park from the top of the bridge, but by 1994 the view north was obstructed by trees. Unfortunately they are still there!

Further access to the line north of Lane End Common bridge is almost impossible. This view looks west towards the tree lined embankment from the public footpath near the River Ouse

A second view of the tree lined embankment looking north. Sheffield Park is only a short distance away.

A few hundred yards short of Sheffield Park this is the view south along the tree lined embankment. The brambles and stinging nettles are as thick as ever.

Turning round and looking north, if you cut this lot down you would be able to see across into Sheffield Park.

Emerging into the road, this view looks north past the entrance to the Bluebell Business Estate (to the west of Sheffield Park Station)

Just a short distance down the road, and still looking north, the trees on the right mark the end of the southern embankment. The coach on the left is in a siding (not on the original main line) and the original line and a shunting neck crossed the road on a bridge sited behind the coach.

Still looking north, a closer view of the southern embankment, but it is completely concealed by trees. In the distance is the entrance to a former dairy.

A second view of the same area, this time looking south. The embankment is just to the right of the sign.

The northern embankment, with the remains of the bridge clearly showing its position. The two buffer stops above are the lines that originally crossed the bridge. The nearest one was the shunting neck, and the other one the single track main line.

Turning round and looking north again, the railway cottages at Sheffield Park are in the distance.

The same cottages can also be seen from the public footpath beside the River Ouse. In this shot 9017 is standing in the yard.

Taken from a different angle, WD1959 stands in the yard behind 9017.

And finally the best shot of the cottages I could obtain without using photographic magic to remove the power lines. Beyond is Sheffield Park Station and the working part of the Bluebell Railway that we know and love.