The Lavender Line

Lovely little railway the kids loved it. Beautiful surroundings. Lovely and clean. Lovely relaxed atmosphere and the staff all fab too. Had a great time 😊

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Heritage railway based at Isfield in East Sussex. The line runs for a mile to Worth Halt and back. There is some nice countryside to see along the way and it's possible to alight at Worth Halt and use the picnic tables and enjoy the peace or you can walk back to Isfield. When trains are running the service is frequent so if you just picnic,you won't have to wait to long for your return trip. Please note there are no facilities at Worth Halt. At Isfield there is a cafe. Prices are reasonable,I would definitely recommend a slice of cake! You can also visit their signal box and imagine how it all worked, I spoke to one of the volunteers who explained everything to me and told me some if the history of the line which once ran much further. The station is set back in time with old signage,a wheelbarrow loaded with cases,an old platform ticket machine ( price 1D ) and scales that probably weighed cases it parcels. You can see some rolling stock including a lovely old brake van. On the day of my visit they were running a class 73 loco in diesel mode and a class 101 trailer coach to carry passengers. They do operate a steam locomotive on other days and also run a Hastings DEMU " Thumper" . They have a stored class 421 CIG unit that last run on the Lymington branch, it was the last of the old " slam door " units to run on the southern region. I believe the plan is for it to be restored and to be pulled by the class 73. There is also a miniature railway there which you can ride for just £1, kids will surely love it! I found everyone there very friendly,it had a family feeling to it, husband working in the shop/ticket office and his wife in the cafe etc. Parking at Isfield is free,there is no parking at Worth Halt. There are toilet facilities at Isfield. For train running days check out their Facebook page or their website. I made an enquiry and they were prompt in responding to me.

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Lovely little railway but seems to be suffering from lack of volunteers. The cafe had a perfect opportunity to do proper breakfast but says they can't get a chef! The railway itself is not very long but still enjoyable. Mainly diesel engines running. Worth a visit. Could be better with a bit of effort. We went there for a classic car show which was great.

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Rode the Santa Christmas train this afternoon with family including grandchildren aged 3 and 5 years. We all loved it. Staff were very friendly, the station and trains looked so festive too. Santa was great, spending ages speaking with each of the families. Gifts for the children were very thoughtful and great quality, no plastic tat! Mrs Claus and all the elves were fab, thank you for a brilliant afternoon!

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