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130 Old Memories of East-Bourne. [Chap. XI.
as the others, but in a deviated form in the following session; and the Surrey and Sussex line was also sanctioned about the same time and was taken over by the Brighton Company. The proposed Battle branch of the S.E.R., which I mentioned first of all in dealing with this group of Railways, was withdrawn in consequence of the Brighton Company conceding to the S.E.R. the right of running a service of trains from Charing Cross to East-Bourne via Tunbridge Wells, Groombridge, and Hailsham. Such a service in the form of 2 trains each week-day in each direction was at a much later period instituted, and was much appreciated by some of the East-Bourne people.
A start was soon made with the Ouse Valley and Surrey and Sussex lines, and as much as J- a million of money had been spent on them when owing to the great Financial Crash of 1866 not only were the works stopped but later on the sanction of Parliament was given to their total abandonment. This was about 1871. I think nothing had been done between Groombridge and Hailsham because of a disinclination to start sooner than could be helped the construction of a tunnel more than a mile long under Heathfield Park. Just before the great Financial Crash of 1866 the Brighton Company had to face another Beckenham aggression in the shape of a new line to Brighton through Keston, Limpsfield, East Grinstead, Lewes, and Ovingdean to Kemp Town, with a branch to Westerham but without the projected branch to East-Bourne of the scheme of 1864. Once more were the invaders defeated.
Some years later under new Parliamentary powers and in a modified form some of the Brighton Company's East Sussex lines mentioned above, with the exception of the Ouse Valley one and the line from Uckfield to Hailsham, were revived and made. The Ouse Valley and Uckfield—Hailsham sections were, however, never revived, and various unfinished embankments and works disfigure the country between Balcombe and Uckfield to this day. The Surrey and Sussex line was revived and sanctioned, I think, in 1882. Then in 1883 its |
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