The Railway Mania in the mid 1800s was a classic bubble. Middle class money was thrilled to be part of this huge social enterprise. From 1843 to 1846 hundreds of companies were formed with shares duly issued in anticipation of the required Act of Parliament to commence the purchase of land. Sadly in 1845 Bank interest rates rose providing a less risky home for savings. Overnight share prices collapsed and the nascent railway boom hit the buffers.   Large landowners, though, had the capital to acquire bankrupt companies and proceeded with plans to open up their estates to commercial exploitation.

The Duke of Devonshire saw a line to Eastbourne open in 1849, while three years earlier Sir Richard Hotham’s Bognor was rail linked to London. On the east coast the Earl of Scarborough’s landholding in the wilds of Lincolnshire was developed into the happy holiday resort of Skegness, offering relaxation and frivolity for the tobacco workers of Nottingham and industrial powerhouse of Derby. Once a railway was planned, entrepreneurs soon grasped the opportunities for housing development.

Into these fevered times stepped Sir Edward Watkin, Manchester born, he was a visionary a century before his time. He was Chairman of London’s first underground system, the Metropolitan Railway. He planned a tunnel between Scotland and Ireland – and in 1880 dug two miles under the sea at Dover to develop a Channel Tunnel. In the north he created the port of Grimsby and its neighbouring resort Cleethorpes, while in 1899 his Grand Central Railway opened from Manchester to London’s Marylebone. He also campaigned in Parliament in 1867 to give women the vote. Abroad he rescued the bankrupt line across Canada to form the Canadian Pacific Railway. So why would he trouble himself with a three miles branch line from Westenhanger to the village of Sandgate? His vision was to create an alternative route for cross-channel freight and leisure.

The line from London to Folkestone Junction opened in December 1843, reaching Dover the following year. Folkestone West (named Shorncliffe Camp until 1962) opened almost twenty years later. The South Eastern Railway also built a new more accessible station in 1884, Cheriton Arch – renamed Radnor Park in 1886 and Folkestone Central by 1895.

 A rival service to the continent was also built by the London, Chatham and Dover Railway – reaching Dover by 1861.  Two rail lines now converged on Dover, but the SE Railway had developed Folkestone Harbour from 1844 and was determined to fight back. Sir Edward Watkin had a vision of a spur leaving the main London line at Westenhanger and being routed along the coast to Folkestone via Hythe and Sandgate. The final link would have involved a line passing close to Sandgate Castle and thus onwards along the cliff to Folkestone Harbour. Sadly, Watkin hadn’t reckoned with the wiles of the Radnor Estate, leading to a thirty year battle, ending in stalemate.

The first sod of the new Hythe and Sandgate Railway was dug by Prince Arthur of Connaught, grandson of Queen Victoria, on Thursday 11^th April 1872 at Cannon Gate, Hythe, sadly the spade snapped in two but the Prince gallantly used the lower portion to transfer the turf to the barrow.

Work on the line continued at pace and the first London train streaked into Hythe Station on Friday 9^th October 1874 at 11.40am. Prince Arthur was unable to officiate but taking his place was Prince Francis, Duke of Teck, whose daughter, the eventual Queen Mary, had been born seven years earlier. His later life was rather colourful – gambling and womanising being his favourite hobbies. In his will he left the family jewels to a mistress and also created the concept of secrecy by ‘sealing the Royal will’ – a practice that continues to this day. The actress Sarah Miles claims to be the great- granddaughter of Prince Teck from his liaison with a seamstress – further details in her memoirs, A Right Royal Bastard.

Back at Hythe Station in 1874 the whistle blew for the short journey to Sandgate, where Prince Teck was shown the waiting room and the booking office. Back in Hythe the party was met by local dignitaries, school children and a Military Band. The 300 guests were then taken down to Rampart Road where a huge marquee had been erected for a sumptuous celebratory meal. From the following day a regular seven day service ran,  the first train departing Sandgate at 6.15am and the final service arriving back into the station at 9.10pm. A Goods Traffic service later commenced on Friday 1^st January 1875. Five years after the Sandgate branch opened, a new station was built at Westenhanger, and the original branch station was renamed Sandling Junction.

  During its heyday the line was advertised across London stations by Thos. Cook offering a Rail & Tea Excursion for 3/9d. Breakfast, Lunch and Teas were served at the Grosvenor Hotel, Sandgate. ‘The village is an ideal spot for a Day’s Outing, there being excellent facilities for Boating, Bathing and driving.’

 Sadly, the line was never extended into Folkestone – Sir Edward Watkin had fought for nearly three decades but vested interests forestalled his dream of a rival route to the continent. The Railway King died in 1901 and there was no enthusiasm within the company for more investment. The final train ran into Sandgate on Tuesday 31^st March 1931 saving annual wages of £679. Hythe survived for a further twenty years with its final closure on Saturday 1^st December 1951.

The people of Hythe were enthusiastic when their station opened, and on its final day 77 years later, railway fans were back on the platform for an hour to say farewell to a treasured friend. A special wreath was made, of various vegetables and was placed on the engine front. At 4.20pm the whistle sounded and the packed train ran over two detonators creating loud explosions as its final parting shots. 

This was all in contrast to the reaction in Sandgate. On the very first public train out only two passengers alighted – while on the final journey in 1931 again only two travellers left the train. Sandgate held no opening celebrations nor final farewells. The East Kent Bus Service soon bought up to the site and from 2005 the Corniche housing estate was built on eastern part of the station platform.

Walking access is restricted now but views of the old line can easily be seen between Seabrook and Saltwood. The Hayne tunnel remains intact although impassable due to flooding. 

• For a very thorough history of the branch line, Brian Hart’s exhaustive “The Hythe & Sandgate Railway” book is highly recommended.

The Hayne Tunnel is easily accessible from the car park at Sandling Station, but impossible to walk through. Here we see a film crew using the historical atmosphere to create memories of the rather underused Hythe & Sandgate rail line.

Bob Preedy

Archive Team