HISTORY OF THE ROTHER VALLEY RAILWAY

An Act of Parliament was passed in 1896 to build a railway from Robertsbridge, on the London to Hastings line, to Tenterden (now Rolvenden). Almost as soon as the Rother Valley (Light) Railway Act had been passed however parliament passed the Light Railways Act 1896. This considerably simplified the procedure for obtaining authority to build minor railways and relieved those railways of many statutory duties and obligations making them much cheaper to construct and operate. The Rother Valley (Light) Railway Act was therefore abandoned and the promoters obtained permission instead to proceed under the terms of the Light Railway Act. The RVR/K&ESR is unique in that it is the only preserved railway which was originally constructed to these standards.

The Company’s Engineer was Holman Frederick Stephens who became General Manager in 1899 and Managing Director in 1900. The London & Scottish Contract Corporation were contracted to build the railway, but the work was in fact sub-contracted to Godfrey & Siddelow.

The line followed the courses of the River Rother and its tributary, the Newmill Channel. There were 24 bridges and culverts and much of the line was carried on a low embankment. All roads were crossed on the level. The rail was 60 lb Vignoles rail spiked directly to the sleepers, some of which survived some 50 years until nationalisation.

The Rother Valley Railway opened for goods traffic on the 26 March 1900 and for passengers on the 2 April 1900. In March 1903 the old (Tenterden) terminus was renamed Rolvenden and the railway was extended 1.5 miles to the present Tenterden Town station. The name of the railway was changed in 1904 to the Kent & East Sussex Light Railway. The railway was further extended to a junction with the SECR at Headcorn, opening on the 15 May 1905. It survived the 1923 grouping and remained independent until taken over by British Railways in 1948.

The railway closed to regular passenger services on the 2 January 1954, and the Tenterden to Headcorn section was lifted in 1955. Freight services continued between Robertsbridge and Tenterden until June 1961, when the line was closed completely, except for the short section between the main line and Hodsons Mill at Robertsbridge, which survived as a private siding until 1969.

A complete history of the Railway is available at the excellent Colonel Stephens Railway Museum situated at Tenterden Town Station.