Barcombe Mills Station (Closed)
Separate collections cover (a) Culver Junction to Barcombe Mills; (b) Barcombe Mills Station; (c) Barcombe Mills to Isfield; (d) Isfield Station (Lavender Line); (e) Isfield to Little Horsted (Lavender Line); (f) Little Horsted to Uckfield; and (g) Uckfield (Old Station).
SCROLL DOWN to view the photos. Click here to return to the main website index page.
I am grateful to Eric Kemp for allowing me to include some of his historical images in this gallery. 1318 sets off south from Barcombe Mills Station with the 11:00 to Lewes on Sunday 23.02.1969 running "wrong line " during single line working. In the left foreground are the severed points to the former station goods yard and in the far distance is the bridge at Culver Junction. Although the bridge looks substantial it only carried a minor unmade agricultural track. Before reaching the bridge the train will pass Culver Junction signal box (out of shot on the left beside the bridge). To the right of the rear of the train the first line of trees in the distance were on the embankment of the line from Barcombe and Sheffield Park, which was curving round to join this line at Culver Junction. Eric Kemp retains all rights to this image.
The same view in 2014, looking south from the site of Barcombe Mills station. 28.07.2014 11369 Please note that this is private property (I was there on Bluebell Railway business).
The same view in 2014, looking south from the site of Barcombe Mills station. 28.07.2014 11367 On the right of the picture, between the two trees, a solid line of more distant trees marks the position of the former line from Barcombe, on a low embankment. Please note that this location is private property (I was there on Bluebell Railway business).
Barcombe Mills main station building, looking north towards Isfield on 01.01.1969. The picture just catches signals for both directions beyond the level crossing (the Down Home signal and Up Advance Starter respectively). The station garden extends south from the building, behind the fence on the left. Eric Kemp retains all rights to this image.
Barcombe Mills station on Sunday 23.02.1969 with 1302 (blue livery) having arrived at 10:52 on the 09:58 service from Tonbridge. It is connecting with 1318 (green livery) which is operating the single line shuttle service to Lewes, leaving at 11.00. Eric Kemp retains all rights to this image.
BarcombeMillsSun230219691302blue0958Tonbridgearr1052connecting1318green1100Lewes
After closure, roughly the same view. A north facing shot of Barcombe Mills station in 1983, prior to the auction of the site, which was looking very sad. Nick Mander retains all rights to this image and I am grateful to him for supplying some historic images for this gallery.
Roughly the same view north at Barcombe Mills in 2014. The track area has been infilled to provide a raised garden for the adjacent properties. 280714 11368 Please note that this location is private property (I was there on Bluebell Railway business).
Barcombe Mills station, looking north, on Sunday 23.02.1969. 1318 is about to depart (towards the camera) on the 11:00 "wrong line" shuttle service to Lewes. For some reason the paintwork on the first class section of the train appears to have failed. The photo catches the signalman opening the level crossing to road traffic. To the right the picture also shows a small section of the disused bay platform that was used for goods traffic only. A step ladder for lighting the lamps leans against one of the lamps, to which is affixed a "3-car stop" marker (facing away from the camera). Eric Kemp retains all rights to this image.
BarcombeMillsSun.23.02.1969.1318aboutdepartthe11.00Lewesshuttle
Barcombe Mills station, looking north, on Sunday 23.02.1969 1316 has arrived on the 10:58 service from Tonbridge. 1318 waits on the adjacent platform with the 12:00 "wrong line" shuttle service to Lewes. Eric Kemp retains all rights to this image.
BarcombeMillsSun230219691316arrived1058Tonbridgepassengers13181200shuttleLewes
Barcombe Mills station, looking north along the infilled platforms, on 28.07.2014. The buildings are two separate dwellings. 11366. Please note that this location is private property (I was there on Bluebell Railway business).
The garden of the former Barcombe Mills station, with some railway signs lurking in the undergrowth. 28.07.2014 11379. Please note that this location is private property (I was there on Bluebell Railway business).
A copy of the British Rail closure notice, dated 17. 10.1968. Eric Kemp retains all rights to this image.
A close up of the wording of the British Rail closure notice, dated 17. 10.1968. Eric Kemp retains all rights to this image.
Barcombe Mills Station during a visit by a Bluebell Railway tour in 2013. The fence on the left marks the position of the former level crossing gate adjacent to the station platform. 03.04.2013 6571
Outside Barcombe Mills station, looking east in 1983, prior to auction. The necessary "For Sale by Auction" notice is very prominent. On the right the picture just catches the "Angler's Rest" public house (formerly the "Station Inn"). Clearly the name had been changed to exploit the most likely source of trade, but the pub closed in the 1990s. Nick Mander retains all rights to this image.
Barcombe Mills Station building. An extension has been added on the right of the picture. Please note that this building is private property. 03.04.2013 6566
Barcombe Mills Station building. Please note that this building is private property. 03.04.2013 6569
Barcombe Mills Station building. The house would not have been called a "Lodge" during the time that it was occupied by railway personnel. Please note that this building is private property. 03.04.2013 6587
Barcombe Mills station. 28.07.2014 11364
The owner of Barcombe Mills station values his privacy. Don't say we didn't tell you.... 03.04.2013 6568
An earlier image of Barcombe Mills station building taken on 02.06.2007. The building was then called "The Ticket Office". This is the original station building, although after closure an extension was added under the canopy onto the old platform area. The post and fence on the left mark the position of the old level crossing and the Royal Mail post box can be seen to the right of the front door.
The white building adjacent to Barcombe Mills Station is the former "Angler's Rest" public house (previously the "Station Inn"). Presumably the name had been changed to exploit the most likely source of trade, but the pub closed in the 1990s and the building is now a private dwelling. 03.04.2013 6572
The erection of buildings and a fence make it difficult to see the old station. This is a glimpse of the canopy on the northbound platform. 02.06.2007
The building on the southbound platform appears to have been rebuilt. I am unable to say whether this is the original southbound canopy, but I suspect not. 02.06.2007
Barcombe Mills station viewed from the old goods yard on 23.02.1969. On the extreme right the picture just catches the loading dock door that allowed the transfer of goods from road vehicles on to the platform. In the foreground is the former bay platform that was only used for goods traffic, and the two curved grass strips mark the route of a former long siding to the large mill in the village. The mill was almost totally destroyed by fire in 1939, and the remains were subsequently demolished. Eric Kemp retains all rights to this image.
In 2014 part of the goods bay platform wall was still in existence at the former Barcombe Mills station. The bay platform never had the usual white line along the edge as it was not used by passengers. 28.07.2014 11365. Please note that this location is private property (I was there on Bluebell Railway business).
The former goods yard at Barcombe Mills station, looking north, on 23.02.1969. There are still sleepers in the old goods bay, and the curving lines of grass mark the former long siding leading to the large mill in the village. The mill was almost completely destroyed by fire in 1939 and the remains were subsequently demolished. The coal merchant was still in business, and given the position of the bins it seems likely that (before closure) the mill siding was also used to offload coal from rail wagons direct into the bunkers. Eric Kemp retains all rights to this image.
The site of Barcombe Mills goods yard, looking south. The unusual curved shape results from the long mill siding which entered the yard from behind the parked car and curved out of the picture in the left foreground, following the line of the hedge. This line was en route to Barcombe Corn Mills, from which the station gets it's name. The long siding ran 350 metres through the village en route to the mill and appears on 1899 and 1910 maps. However, the mill burnt down in 1939 at which point the siding was almost certainly truncated back to the goods yard. 02.06.2007
Barcombe Mills station, pictured from a point just east of the level crossing. 23.02.1969. Eric Kemp retains all rights to this image.
Barcombe Mills main station building, level crossing and Up starter, pictured on 01.01.1969. The car is "RMY978", an Austin A40 Somerset, used by the photographer and therefore functioning as transport to quite a few stations! Eric Kemp retains all rights to this image.
Barcombe Mills down platform shelter pictured together with the running-in board on 01.01.1969. The green double doors nearest to the camera led into a small goods area. On the rear of the building there were equivalent double doors and a goods dock that allowed road vehicles to load and unload. The rear doors are shown in other images. Eric Kemp retains all rights to this image.
Barcombe Mills station looking east across the former level crossing on 03.04.2013. On the extreme left is the empty bracket that formerly held a well known railway sign (pictured later). 6573
Barcombe Mills signal box and level crossing, photographed on 23.02.1969. The notice to the left of the signal box refers to a "Private Path" as opposed to the more common "Private Road" and is assumed to refer to the path behind the signal box. Something appears to be burning, but it's certainly not coming from the chimney...! Eric Kemp retains all rights to this image.
A much photographed and famous sign at Barcombe Mills explained by the tendency of the adjacent River Ouse to flood. 02.06.2007. This sign was found to have been removed in 2013, and a much loved village heirloom was thereby lost. Social media reports suggest that it was stolen.
The northern end of the former Barcombe Mills station in 2008. On the extreme left is the railway notice relating to flooding of the River Ouse, and the empty pole next to it formerly held another railway notice relating to a Private Path. The signal box stood roughly where the tree is located and the post holding the level crossing gate is adjacent to the tree. Believe it or not the level crossing gate is still attached to the post but completely hidden by the undergrowth which is growing in a "gate-like" shape. The railway track would have run across the bottom of the picture from left to right. 27.07.2008
A photograph taken early in the year (before the usual thick green undergrowth had developed) shows one of the former level crossing gates at Barcombe Mills station, almost completely swallowed by last year's growth. 03.04.2013 6570
From Barcombe Mills station the track headed north, along what is now a footpath. The route along this footpath towards Isfield is covered in a separate gallery. 27.07.2008
