Kent Works was built between 1919 and 1922. It had an extensive 4ft 3in railway “which ran inland to large chalk pits, connected with the lines of the Stone Court Chalk and Ballast Co. and … to Johnson’s Works next door.” [1: p4]
According to Stoyel & Kidner the Kent Works were built between 1919 and 1922 by contractors P. & W. Anderson for the Kent Portland Cement Co. Ltd, “but only a year after its completion the company was acquired by APCM. It is situated on the Thames foreshore about ½ mile north-east of Stone Crossing Halt between the railway (and road) and the river, where there was a jetty. There were extensive store areas and sidings between the main works and the SR exchange siding immediately west of Stone Crossing Halt.” [3: p14]
“It is probable that chalk was originally taken from the pit south of Cotton Lane; however by 1930 a large pit east of this, south of Elizabeth Street, was being worked. … This was progressively opened out down to London Road, and finally a tunnel under that road reached the southernmost pit.” [3: p14]
“The method of working a face was to lay a double track approaching it, singling at the actual face. As the engine hauled away the full wagons, the empty train would be propelled under the excavator, thus losing no time. The six-coupled engines could take some 16 wagons, loaded to about 3-4 yards each; though with a split-level face the gradient to the top level was sometimes severe, it was always in favour of the loaded trains.” [3: p14]
“In 1963, a cutting was built to connect the pit with that of Johnson’s Branch: there had always been a certain amount of interchange between the two works by a line along the bank of the river.” [3: p14]
Apparently “there was a well-built locomotive shed on the western edge of the works area.” [3: p19]
Kent Portland Cement Works as shown on the 6″ Ordnance Survey of 1938, published in 1946. Note the location of Charles Street to the North of the Main Line Railway. [8]Approximately the same area as it appears on 21st century satellite imagery. There is no remaining sign of the Kent Works. Charles Street still sits where it did during WW2. [Google Maps, August 2026]
Looking East along Charles Street from close to the roundabout junction with Crossways Boulevard. [Google Streetview, May 2018]
Looking East again along the extension to Charles Street to the East of the modern green open space. [Google Streetview, May 2018]
Locomotives
Stoyel & Kidner tell us that the company purchased its first locomotives second-hand from the contractor that built the works. These were:
Stone 0-6-0ST Hudswell Clarke, Works No. 298, built in 1888, it had inside cylinders (12″ x 18″) and 3′ 0″ wheels.
Toronto 0-4-0ST Hudswell Clarke, Works No. 571, built in 1900, it had outside cylinders (10″ x 16″) and 2′ 9″ wheels.
It is the end of the line for these two different Hudswell Clarke 0-4-0ST locomotives. Note the different cab roof details. On the left of this image is ‘Toronto’ HC Works No.5710f 1900 and on the right is ‘Stone’ HC Works No. 298 of 1888, (c) Public Domain – photographer F. Jones. [25: photo No. 20]
Arthur 0-6-0ST Manning Wardle, Works No. 1601, built in 1903, it had inside cylinders (12″ x 18″) and 3′ 0″ wheels. Arthur continued in use at the works until 1967 [2: photo No. 23] and has survived into preservation, residing at The Middleton Railway in Leeds, although under a different name.
Apex 0-6-0ST Manning Wardle, Works No. 1657, built in 1905, it had inside cylinders (12″ x 18″) and 3′ 0″ wheels. [3: p19] ‘Apex’ was not as fortunate as ‘Arthur’, it only survived in use until 1960 and was scrapped in that year.
They were soon supplemented by other second-hand locomotives transferred from other works owned by APCM.
Hilton 0-4-0ST Peckett, Works No. 633, built in 1896, it had outside cylinders (12″ x 18″) and 2′ 9″ wheels. ‘Hilton’ came from Hilton Works, Halling. I have not been able to find a photograph of No. 633, Hilton. However, Peckett Works No.614 ‘Bear’ was also built in1896, and was of the same W4 class as Works No. 633, with the characteristic open-backed cab.
No. 614 ‘Bear’ at Sittingbourne & Kemsley Light Railway 10th October 2023, The locomotives was moved to the Buckinghamshire Railway Centre, in March 2024 for initial cosmetic repair, followed, in due course as time and resources permit, by restoration to operating condition, (c) photographer not known. [7]
Elephant 0-4-0ST Brush (Flacon/Henry Hughes), Works No. 287, built in 1899, it had outside cylinders (10′ x 18″) and 3′ 0″ wheels. This came from Tolhurst Works, Northfleet.
Clarence – an 0-4-0ST Andrew Barclay & Sons, Works No. ???, built in ????, had outside cylinders (10″ x 18″) and 3′ 3″ wheels. This came from Hilton Works, Grays. [3: p19]
Wouldham – Hatherill & Hatherill tell us that ‘Wouldham’, an 0-4-0ST Andrew Barclay & Sons, Works No. 1679 arrived at Kent Works in 1920. They provide the works drawing below which indicates that the cylinder size matches that of ‘Clarence’. It is possible that ‘Wouldham’ was renamed ‘Clarence’ on arrival at Kent Works.
Stoyel & Kidner tell us that Kent Cement Works rebuilt Elephant and Apex in 1927 and Clarence in 1928. Stone was rebuilt by its makers in 1909.
Two new locomotives were the next to be purchased:
0-4-0ST Peckett, Works No. 1804, built 1935 (outside cylinders, 14″ x 22″ and 3′ 2½” wheels)
0-4-0ST Robert Stephenson & Hawthorns, Works No. 7336, built 1947 (outside cylinders, 14″ x 22″ and 3′ 8″ wheels)
After the war another 0-4-0ST Peckett was acquired second-hand from the Woolwich Arsenal. It was Works No. 1985, built in 1940 (outside cylinders 14″ x 20″).
Cab roofs of the second-hand locomotives had to be adapted after arrival to suit the tunnels on site.
Stoyel & Kidner tell us that “Stone and Toronto were scrapped in 1950 and in 1953 running numbers were allotted to the remaining locomotives as follows:
And finally, No. 2 at Northfleet Works was subsequently transferred to Stone, it became No. 9, it was an 0-4-0ST Peckett, Works No. 1702, built in 1926 (outside cylinders 14″ x 22″ and 3′ 2″. [3: p19]
Peckett & Sons Ltd. No. 1985 of 1940 was acquired after WW2 from Woolwich Arsenal and became Kent Works No. 7 Although a standard 0-4-0ST Peckett design (Class W6) with 14″ cylinders. Its appearance was changed by a lowering of the cab roof at the eaves to give clearance in the tunnels.
Robert Stephenson & Hawthorns (RSH) No. 7336 of 1947 became Kent Works Locomotive No. 8. This design of 16″ cylinder 0-4-0ST locomotives was used at several of the cement works in Kent. Like the Peckett design, these engines needed the eaves of the cab roof lowering to give clearance in the Works’ tunnels.
References
A & G Hatherill; Narrow Gauge & Industrial Album; RCL Publications, Gaendolbenmaen, Gwynedd, 2004.
Andrew Neale/Chalk Pits Museum; Industrial Railways of the South-East; Middleton Press, 1984.
B. D. Stoyel & R. W. Kinder; The Cement Railways of Kent; Oakwood Press, Headington, Oxford, 1973, 1990.
Possibly as early as 1825, an extensive horse-drawn tramway network served the works.
The tramway was laid to 3ft 5.5in. “The gauge was measured to the outside of the railheads as the wheels had flanges outside of the rails. … They were the earliest railways in the area. … It is said that outside flanges were used so that the space between the rails could be built up into a firm level path for the horses. Fallen lumps of chalk could then be easily kicked clear of the rails.” [1: p4]
“The works lay to the north of the London Road and the tramway ran due north for 1000 yards to Bell Wharf. There was a whiting works to the west of the main works with a tramway to the pits near the cricket ground. The main pits were between the London Road and the South Eastern Railway. Some time before 1898 the tramway burrowed under the South Eastern Railway in a tunnel at Craylands and pits were opened south of the railway later extending for a considerable distance. There was a transhipment siding on the South Eastern Railway at Craylands during the time of the narrow gauge.” [30: p38,42]
“Steam locomotives were introduced in 1875, built by a variety of builders. “There were engines by Lewin of Poole, HE Taylor of Chester, Kilmarnock Engineering Co. and … Aveling and Porter of Rochester. By 1927, these charming workhorses were becoming increasingly difficult to maintain and so, with the need to increase production, the railway was re-laid to standard gauge and new locomotives purchased.” [1: p4]
Initially the industry was made up of a series of independent companies. These companies joined in 1900 to form ‘The Associated Portland Cement Manufacturers’ (APCM), often referred to within the industry as ‘The Combine’. After 1900 the various works continued to be known by their original names.
The modernisation of the railways at Swanscombe Works was completed by 1929. … The Works shifted to a busy, efficient standard-gauge system connecting the chalk pits, main plant, river Thames jetty, and British Rail interchange.
“When the standard gauge line was built a single track ran down from the exchange sidings on a steep and curving route to the works. The standard gauge ‘main line’ ran through the tunnel under Craylands, then turned more westerly than the old line, and passed under a footbridge across old workings, through a tunnel under a lane, then another tunnel under Alkerden Lane, and into a very large pit running almost down to Watling Street, a distance of 14 miles from the Works.” [30: p42]
The Works were among the most important cement production facilities in the country. Extensive railway infrastructure was required to handle raw materials and finished cement, resulting in a complex network of sidings, exchange lines, and industrial locomotives. Rail traffic included limestone and chalk movements, internal works shunting, and outward cement trains connecting with the wider British Rail network. By the late 1960s and early 1970s, the site reflected wider changes across the UK rail system. [11]
A sketch of the area around Swanscombe Works. The pier on the Thames, the Works and the quarries were on a North-South axis. This sketch is an extract from a broader sketch of the various Cement Works on the South side of the River Thames. [30: p10]
The series of map extracts and photographs below illustrate the development of the Works over the years.
Map of Works in 1864
The First Edition OS 1:2500 County Series Kent X.1 map surveyed 1864 (British Library), modified to National grid format. The plant in 1864 was in course of rapid expansion, still using the wet process static kilns originated by Frost. Chalk quarrying, initially north of the road, had spread to the area between the road and the railway, connected by a 4 m wide tunnel under the road – the first of five eventually dug. [
Map of Works in 1895
This pair of Ordnance Survey Map extracts are taken from the 25″ Ordnance Survey of 1895, published in 1897. [7]
These three 6″ Ordnance Survey map extracts of 1938-1940 and published in 1950-1951 belong together. The top two overlap marginally North to South. [5] The third extract sits alongside the second – to its left. It comes from a different OS Sheet and shows the Works line extending to Chalk Pits near Knockhall and Alkerden Manor Farm. [6]
Swanscombe Cement Works began operations in 1825, when James Frost commenced making his “British Cement” using wet process bottle kilns. The plant was acquired by Francis and White in 1833 and made the same product. The partnership was dissolved in 1836 and John Bazley White and Sons commenced as a business in 1837, making both Roman and Frost’s cements at the Swanscombe site. [8]
Map of the Railway Network in 1965
Note that the Northpoint for this plan is turned through about 120 degrees. The Thames jetty is off the left of the plan. The chalk Pit Workings are off to the bottom-right. [12]
In 1965, the Works had seven 0−4−0STs to work the considerable traffic – six built by Hawthorn Leslie (four in 1928, one in 1929 and one in 1935) and the last by Robert Stephenson & Hawthorns in 1948. All seven were painted green with the running number on each side of the tank. There were no diesels. One was tried but it could not manage the poor track and was continually “sitting down”. There is no prospect of having any until money can be spared for relaying several miles of track. [12] A number of other locomotives were used at different times after 1929.
The five identical Hawthorn Leslie 0-4-0ST engines were delivered in 1928, followed by a sixth in 1935. They weighed 25 tons, featured 16in x 24in outside cylinders, and had a tractive effort of 21,425 lbf. [13]
The works can be divided into three areas. The first two are old chalkpits, dug each side of the main road, while the third contains the line to the workings. The first area is bisected by a private road with the cement works proper on one side. On the other side is the single road engine shed and works, and also an awning over one track where engines stand when not in use. A single line runs past the works, and across the marshy countryside to the jetty on the river Thames. [12]
“Another line runs across the road and winds its way around the main works until entering a tunnel under the main road. This brings it to the second old pit, where are situated two unloading tips for arriving trains. As can be seen from the map, a connection to British Railways struggles up and round the side of the pit. (Sand all over the rails shows the severity of the climb.) On the opposite side of the pit, another single line dips downwards into a tunnel under BR, a road and the connecting line, and emerges into a long, deep and wide cutting. There are two passing loops on the way to the workings, of which one has watering facilities, and another tunnel, and a high footbridge.” [12]
Chris Down, writing in 1965, continues:
“At the middle pit, an arriving train runs above one of the two tips, and backs down on to the tip. When the end wagon is on the tip, the wagons are braked, and the locomotive is uncoupled so that it can go up to the end of the line to obtain coal and water.
“The tips are similar to mechanical coaling plants on B.R. and deal with one wagon at a time. As each wagon is unloaded, it runs along the siding by gravity, until the train is reformed at the other end of the loop. The locomotive then comes back and couples onto the same end as before. The next train brings the single line tablet which is hung on a hook on a post. The first train collects the tablet and then goes down to the workings, the locomotive propelling the wagons.
“I spent some time around the footbridge, photographing the trains which passed at frequent intervals. The maximum speed was about 20m.p.h., but trains lurched terribly, due to the poor track. When the track deteriorates so much as to necessitate its replacement, diesels will doubtless be purchased. From the opinion of many of the men to whom I spoke, however, steam should retain its supremacy for some time to come.” [12]
Satellite Image the Area of the Works of 2026
“Swanscombe cement works operated for nearly 165 years, one of the longest-lived cement works in the world and, for many decades, … one of the largest. For a hundred years from about 1826 until 1929 it employed a unique narrow gauge railway using outside-flanged wheels, with over thirty steam locomotives, many also unique. When modernised in the 1927-29 period, its new standard gauge railway was one of the busiest and most efficient in the industry.” [9]
Details of locomotives employed at the Works can be found below.
Production at Swanscombe Works measured in tonnes per year. [8]
Comparing 1915/1916 to the 21st century
A few images follow which compare locations on the Swanscombe Works network with modern satellite imagery. The plans and satellite images are supplemented, where available, with photographs from close to ground level.
Bell Wharf at the North end of the company’s rail network, as it appears on the 6″ Ordnance Survey of 1915/1916 published in 1923. [33]
The Wharf as it appears on the ESRI satellite imagery provided by the national Library of Scotland (NLS) [34]
The approach to the Jetty along the line of the old railway. This view looks North towards the jetty. [Google Streetview, August 2025]
The jetty seen from the South. [Google Streetview, August 2025]
Looking South across the marshes from the jetty towards the location of Swanscombe Works. [Google Streetview, August 2025]
The Cement Works in 1915/1916. A road can bee seen leaving London Road at the bottom-left of this map extract and running towards Manor Way Farm through the centre of the site. [33]
In the 21st century, the outline of the Cement Works site is still visible. A variety of primarily transport related companies use the site. Manor Way now runs from the bottom-right across the centre of the old cement works siteand the area is known as Manor Way Business Park. [34]
Looking Northeast along Manor Way in the 21st century. The majority of buildings which were present when the Cement Works was in operation have been removed. [Google Streetview, October 2024]
Narrow Gauge Locomotives before 1929
Although records are sketchy, Stoyel and Kidner give details of nearly 30 narrow-gauge locomotives which served at Swanscombe, all of which had wheels with outside flanges. These included:
Aveling & Porter supplied a total of eight 3ft 5.5in, outside-gauge, geared tramway engines to Swanscombe Works. These were all scrapped by 1929 after the standard-gauge works lines were built.
S. Lewin of Poole – Only a small number of locomotives were built by this company, including: an 0-4-0 locomotive of 1875, for the 1 ft 10 in (559 mm) gauge Cornish Hush Mine, Howden Burn; 0-4-0 Ant and Bee, for the 20 in (508 mm) gauge Great Laxey Mine Railway, Isle of Man; an 0-4-0ST for Seaham Harbour, County Durham; an 0-4-0 steam tram engine for Guernsey Railway; an 0-4-0 with rear tank, 3 ft 5 1⁄2 in (1,055 mm) gauge, outside flanged, (photographed below at) Swanscombe Cement Works; and an 0-4-0 Tiny, a 3 ft 9 in (1,143 mm) gauge loco for the Fayle’s Tramway on the Isle of Purbeck. [23][24]
S. Lewin only made a few locomotives. Erith “had the eccentrics on the front axle and the valves were on top of the steeply-inclined cylinders, the spindles being actuated by Stephenson link motion. Erith was rebuilt at Swanscombe Works in 1920 with the help of fitters from the Dorset Iron Foundry.” [30: p45]
De Winton supplied one vertical-bolier 0-4-0WT locomotive, Revolution, it had two 6″ x 10″ cylinders and 1ft 7in diameter wheels.
It is possible that Revolution “came second-hand in about 1890 and possibly from the Bute Works Supply Co. Cardiff, who were advertising a similar locomotive for sale in 1893.” [30: p45]
H. E. Taylor of Chester supplied six 0-4-0 side tank locomotives to Swanscombe Works between 1877 and 1882.
Stoyel & Kidner provide details of these locomotives:
Swanscombe, 0-4-0ST, 1879, outside cylinders other details not known.
Iron Horse, 0-4-0ST, 1882, outside cylinders (9.5″ x 18″), 2ft 6in wheels.
Dead Horse, 0-4-0ST, 1882, outside cylinders other details not known.
Millbank, 0-4-0ST, 1879, outside cylinders other details not known.
Liverpool, 0-4-0ST, 1879, outside cylinders other details not known.
Chester, 0-4-0ST, 1877, outside cylinders other details not known.
William Wilkinson & Co. built around sixty locomotives. Wilkinson’s also contracted out the manufacture of tram locomotives to Beyer, Peacock and Co, Black, Hawthorn and Co and Thomas Green and Son. Altogether 207 engines were built to Wilkinson’s patent. The Plymouth & Devonport Tramways steam locomotives were assembled at Wilkinson’s works in Wigan, the vertical boiler in each of these locomotives was made by the Steel Company of Scotland. Small bore cylinders acted upon a crankshaft that was in turn connected to the four, coupled wheels by means of cog-wheel gears. The axles, wheels and nearly all the working parts of the engine were made of Sieman-Martin’s best quality steel and all the brass workings were of phosphor bronze. The exhaust steam was superheated in the firebox before escaping to the atmosphere through the chimney. The fuel was coke and the emission of smoke was described as ‘scarcely perceptible’. The Plymouth locomotives were apparently from Wilkinson’s own works. They cost between £600 each for the non-condensing version and £1,100 for those fitted with the condensing apparatus. [26]
A number of the Wilkinson steam trams purchased by the Plymouth & Devonport Tramways for their abortive experiment with steam trams were bought by the Swanscombe Works in the late 1880s/early 1890s. [25]
A typical Wilkinson’s Steam Tram – this one was used on the Wigan network close to Wilkinson’s Works. It was built in 1886. These engines must have been an unusual sight working on an industrial railway! [27]
Wilkinson also supplied a single vertical-boiler locomotive to Swanscombe Works. It was built in 1884.
Kilmarnock Engineering Co. supplied five 0-4-0ST 3ft 5.5in outside-gauge locomotives to Swanscombe Works in 1920 and 1925. Kilmarnock Engineering Co. were not prolific engine builders. These five were some of a very few locomotives built by the Company.
These sturdy 0-4-0ST locomotives undertook most of the chalk haulage for Swanscombe Works in the 1920s. When the railway was modernised and the gauge changed the locomotives were scrapped. [1: p6]‘Hustler’ was one of this batch of locomotives from Kilmarnock Engineering Co., (c) Public Domain. (Kenn Nunn Collection/LCGB). [25: photo No. 26]
J. B. White& Bros, owners of the Swanscombe works, appear to have constructed at least one locomotive in use on their own site, Gravesend, another 0-4-0WT. It is also possible that a number of other locomotives used on the site were rebuilt there at various times. [30: p45]
Bagnall – one locomotive, Rede, an 0-4-0ST built in 1894, was built by Bagnall (Works No. 1413) and came second-hand in 1921. [30: p45]
Hudswell Clarke – one locomotive, Spry, another 0-4-0ST, was built by Hudswell Clarke and arrived at Swanscombe in 1923. [30: p45]
Stoyel & Kidner tell us that “on a visit to the works in December 1929, 12 narrow gauge locomotives were seen on a length of track awaiting scrapping. The old 3-road engine shed was rebuilt as a two-road standard gauge shed. … On the modernisation of the railway system in 1929 all the remaining narrow gauge locomotives were scrapped that year or in 1930, and it is thought that very few of them had been scrapped at an earlier date, although Plymouth and Devonport are said to have been broken up in 1922, and Swanscombe by 1920. The second-hand engines would have had their gauge altered on arrival.” [30: p45]
The narrow gauge wooden tipper wagons, “were shunted in 1929 into the passing loops half way down the tramway to the river, and remained there for many years. There were also a few left in an old pit south of Ingress Gardens.” [30: p45]
Standard Gauge Locomotives after 1929
“When preparations were made in 1928 for replacing the narrow gauge system by one laid to the 4ft 8½ in. gauge, an order was placed for a series of powerful new locomotives for the purpose. Pending their delivery three old locomotives were transferred from other works but they were usually employed two at a time in removing the overburden prior to quarrying, on track which had no physical connection with the remainder of the system.” [30: p45]
Those early standard-gauge arrivals were from two manufacturers:
Falcon – Henry Hughes and Company was based at Falcon Works. The firm experienced financial difficulties in the late 1870s/early 1880s. It was restructured as the Falcon Railway Plant Works in 1883 under the control of Norman Scott Russell. [31]
The factory remained busy with both railway and tramway locomotives and rolling stock. Among these were tank locomotives for Ireland, Spain and the Azores. Some were subcontracts from other firms, such as Kerr, Stuart and Co, at that time in Glasgow. [32]
The two Falcon locomotives came to Swanscombe second-hand, they were Works Nos 120 and 150 and were named Wolf and Delta. Delta was one of a number originally supplied to Gibbs Works, Essex. It had a dropped cab for passage through low tunnels. [30: p43, 45]
Falcon also provided a later second-hand arrival, Lion, (Works No. 205?) which was transferred from Stone Court in 1946. [30: p41, 45]
Manning Wardle – Guernsey, a 0-4-0ST, Works No. 1241 of 1892 came second-hand to Swanscombe at the end of the 1920s.
Hawthorn Leslie supplied five identical standard-gauge 0-4-0ST locomotives to Swanscombe Works in 1928. [1: p6] These locomotives were constructed with two outside cylinders of 16in x 24in, 3ft 3in diameter driving wheels and a weight of 25 tons and a tractive effort of 21.425 lbf. [13] A single further engine (No. 6) was supplied in 1935.
No. 1 was Hawthorn Leslie Works No. 3715. [13]
No. 2 was Hawthorn Leslie Works No. 3716. [16]
No. 3 was Hawthorn Leslie Works No. 3717. [15]
No. 4 was Hawthorn Leslie Works No. 3718. [14]
No. 5 was Hawthorn Leslie Works No. 3719. [17][25]
No. 6 was Hawthorn Leslie Works No. 3860. [18]
No. 5 was one of the fleet of standard-gauge Hawthorn Leslie Locomotives. It is seen here working the exchange sidings at Swanscombe, (c) Public Domain, (Andrew Neale Collection). [25: photo No. 27]
This image is embedded here directly from the Middleton Railway Website, it shows Hawthorn-Leslie No. 3860 Swanscombe ‘No.6’ which was gifted to the Middleton Railway in 1971 once the APCM turned away from steam- to diesel-power. [19]
Chapman & Furneaux – Kappa, another 0-4-0ST, built by Chapman & Furneaux (successors to Black, Hawthorn & Co) Works No. 1164 (of 1898) arrived at Swanscombe in the 1930s. [30: p45]
Robert Stephenson & Hawthorns supplied one slightly larger standard-gauge locomotive to Swanscombe Works – 0-4-0ST No. 7, RSH No. 7405 of 1948. [1: p6]
C.R. Henry of the South-Eastern & Chatham Railway wrote about this line being the second public railway opened in England in an article in the October 1907 edition of The Railway Magazine. [1] Reading that article prompted this look at the line which was referred to locally as the ‘Crab and Winkle Line‘.
There are a number of claimants to the title ‘first railway in Britain’, including the Middleton Railway, the Swansea and Mumbles Railway and the Surrey Iron Railway amongst others. Samuel Lewis in his ‘A Topographical Dictionary of England’ in 1848, called the Canterbury & Whitstable Railway the first railway in the South of England. [2][3]
The Crab and Winkle Line Trust says that in 1830, the “Canterbury and Whitstable Railway was at the cutting edge of technology. Known affectionately as the ‘Crab and Winkle Line’ from the seafood for which Whitstable was famous, it was the third railway line ever to be built. However, it was the first in the world to take passengers regularly and the first railway to issue season tickets. The first railway season tickets were issued at Canterbury in 1834 to take people to the beach at Whitstable over the summer season. This fact is now recorded on a plaque at Canterbury West railway station. Whitstable was also home to the world’s oldest passenger railway bridge.” [17]
Henry explains that in 1822, “the possibility of making Canterbury a virtual seaport was engaging much thought and attention on the part of the inhabitants of that ancient city. Canterbury is situated on the banks of a small river called the Stour, having an outlet into the sea near Sandwich, and this river was a very important waterway in Roman and Saxon times, but by the date above-mentioned, it had fallen into a state almost approaching complete dereliction, being quite unnavigable for ships of any appreciable size. The resuscitation and improvement of this waterway was considered to be the only solution of the problem of making Canterbury a seaport, and as a result of a very strong and influential agitation by the citizens a scheme of revival was announced by a number of commercial men who had formed themselves into a company for the purpose. The scheme comprised many improvements to the river, such as widenings, new cuts, etc., with the provision of a suitable harbour at Sandwich, the estimated cost of the whole being about £45,700. It was submitted to Parliament in the session of 1824, but the Bill was rejected by a motion brought forward by the Commissioners of Sewers, who complained that the works had been hurriedly surveyed and greatly under-estimated. Nothing daunted, however, fresh surveys and estimates were prepared and presented to Parliament in the following year. This second Bill was successful, and when the news that it had passed the third reading in the Upper Chamber was made known in Canterbury, the event occasioned much jubilation amongst the inhabitants, who, according to local records, turned out with bands of music and paraded the streets exhibiting banners displaying such words as ‘Success to the Stour Navigation’.” [1: p305-306]
It is worth noting that it was as early as 1514 that an Act of Parliament promoted navigation on the River Stour. There remains “a Right of Navigation on the river from Canterbury to the sea. After two weirs above Fordwich, the river becomes tidal.” [4]
C.R. Henry continues:
“While the city was so enraptured with its waterway scheme, influences of a quieter nature were steadily at work with a view to making Canterbury a virtual seaport by constructing a railway from thence to Whitstable. One day in April 1823, a gentleman – the late Mr. William James – called on an inhabitant of Canterbury to whom he had been recommended, to consult with him on the subject of a railway. It was arranged between these two gentlemen that a few persons who it was thought might be favourable to the project should be requested to meet the next day: several were applied to, but the scheme appeared so chimerical that few attended. At the meeting the gentleman stated he had professionally taken a cursory view of the country, and he thought a railway might be constructed from the copperas houses at Whitstable (these houses used to exist on the eastern side of the present harbour) to St. Dunstan’s, Canterbury. This line, he observed, was not so direct as might be the most desirable, but there would not be any deep cutting, and the railway would be formed on a regular ascending and descend. ing inclined plane. He also urged that by the construction of a harbour at Whitstable in conjunction with the projected railway, the problem of making Canterbury an inland seaport would be effectually solved, and that the railway offered undoubted advantages over any waterway scheme in point of reliability and rapidity of conveyance, as well as being only half the length of the proposed navigation.
The railway scheme met with scant support at first, but by 1824 a few private and commercial gentlemen had been found who were willing to form themselves into a company for the prosecution of the project, and they elected to consult Mr. George Stephenson as to the feasibility of their idea. The projector of the Canterbury and Whitstable Railway, as already said, was the late William James, well-known for the part he took in the Liverpool and Manchester Railway and other lines, and it was no doubt through his influence that it was decided to consult Stephenson, with whom he was very friendly at the time. George Stephenson, however, was too occupied with larger undertakings in the North to give the Canterbury and Whitstable Railway much of his personal attention, so he deputed his assistant, Mr. John Dixon to survey the line.
George Stephenson advised that the railway be made to pass over the ground situate between the [present] tunnel through Tyler Hill and St. Thomas’s Hill onwards through the village of Blean, then to Whitstable, terminating at precisely the same spot as it now does [in 1907], this route being an almost level one, and not necessitating many heavy earthworks. But the proprietors did not behold this route with favour: they wished for the novelty of a tunnel, so a tunnel Stephenson made for them, thereby altering the whole line of railway he first proposed, and causing it to traverse some very undulating and steep country. A survey of the new route was made, which was to the right of the original one, and plans, sections and estimates were duly deposited with Parliament for the Session of 1825.
The Canterbury and Whitstable Railway Bill was not assailed with great opposition, the only body really opposing it being the Whitstable Road Turnpike Trust, who, however, were compromised by the insertion of a clause in the Bill to the effect that ‘should the project be carried into execution, the Company, when formed, will indemnify the Trust to the full amount which they may suffer by traffic being diverted, and that for 20 years’. The Act received Royal Assent on 10th June 1825.” [1: p306-307]
So it was, that work on the railway and harbour went ahead and the improvements to the Stour Navigation were left in abeyance, and the then insignificant village of Whitstable became one of the first places to have a railway.
The Company was formed with a nominal capital of £31,000 divided into £50 shares. Joseph Locke was appointed ‘resident engineer’ and a host of experienced workers (navvies) were brought down from the North of England to work on the line.
North of the railway corridor the route of the old railway, shown in pale orange, runs North-northwest. It crosses Hanover Place twice and runs ups the West side of Beverly Meadow. The route is tree-lined as far as Beaconsfield Road. A footpath runs immediately alongside to the route. That footpath appears as a grey line on the satellite imagery adjacent to this text.
North of Beaconsfield Road the line of the old railway has been built over – private dwellings face out onto the road. North of the rear fences of these properties a tree-line path follows fairly closely the line of the old railway between two modern housing estates as far as the playing fields associated with The Archbishop’s School. [15]
C.R. Henry continues:
“The Canterbury and Whitstable Railway was laid out with gradients almost unique in their steepness, necessitating the major portion of the line being worked by stationary engines. At Canterbury the terminus was situated in North Lane, whence the railway rises in a perfectly straight line on gradients ranging between 1 in 41 and 1 in 56, to the summit of Tyler Hill, a distance of 3,300 yards.
On this section is the Tyler Hill tunnel which the proprietors were so anxious to have. This peculiar little tunnel may be termed the principal engineering feature of the Canterbury and Whitstable Railway: it is half a mile long, and was constructed in four different sections, each of varying gauge. The working face evidently started at the Whitstable side of Tyler Hill, since as it advances towards Canterbury each section becomes larger than the preceding one. The first three sections are the usual egg shape, but the final section, i.e., at the Canterbury or south end, has perpendicular instead of bow walls, and is the largest of the four. In the very early days the Canterbury end of the tunnel was closed at nighttime by wicket gates, and the rides upon which the gates hung are still to be seen in the brickwork. The bore of the tunnel is unusually small specially constructed rolling stock having to be used for the present day passenger service over the line.” [1: p309]
Tyler Hill Tunnel runs underneath the Canterbury Campus of the University of Kent. Its South Portal was adjacent to the Archbishop of Canterbury’s School at the bottom-right of the adjacent satellite image. [15]
Giles Lane appears on both the early OS map extract and this satellite imagery. [8][15]
The North portal of the tunnel is highlighted by a lilac flag on the adjacent satellite image. [15]
Two photographs below show North Portal as it is in the 21st century. It is fenced and gated for safety and security purposes. The first shows the spalling brickwork of the tunnel ring, and the boarding-off of the entrance provided with an access gate. for maintenance purposes. Both were shared on Google Maps.
Tyler Hill Tunnel North Portal, (c) Enigma “Enigma” Hyena. (August 2021)Tyler Hill Tunnel North Portal, (c) Enigma “Enigma” Hyena. (August 2021)The route of the old railway is clearly visible as a straight line in the middle of a wooded strip of land running North-northwest from the North Portal of Tyler Hill Tunnel. [Google Maps, December 2024]Looking North toward the site of the stationary engines from Tyler Wood Road. [Google Streetview, October 2022]
Henry continues his description of the line:
“At the top of the steep bank from Canterbury there stood two 25 h.p. stationary engines for winding the trains up the incline. From where the first engine house stood the line is straight and practically level for the next mile to Clowes Wood summit, where there were two fixed engines of the same type and h.p. as those at the previous stage. The line then descends at 1 in 28 and 1 in 31 for the next mile to a place called Bogshole, so named owing to the once spongy condition of the ground in the vicinity, which was a constant source of trouble during the early days of the railway, as whenever wet weather set in the track invariably subsided with sometimes consequent cessations of traffic for a whole day, and even longer. At Bogshole commences the South Street level, which continues for a mile to the top of Church Street bank, whence the line again falls for half a mile at 1 in 57, the remaining half mile to Whitstable being almost at level.” [1: p310]
The two extracts from railmaponline.com’s satellite imagery above show the route of the old line as it runs down across the line of the modern A299 (at the top of the first image and at the bottom of the second image). In each case, if you cannot see the full image, double-click on it to enlarge it. For the majority of this length the old railway line followed a straight course. [15]
Looking South from the A299 along the route of the old railway, nothing remains to show that this was once the location of the old railway. [Google Streetview, August 2024]Looking North from the A299 along the line of the old railway – there is nothing to see. [Google Streetview, August 2024]At the bottom of the incline the old railway curved a little to the Northwest and met South Street tangentially. A level-crossing took the line across what is now Millstrood Road. [11]The length of the line shown on the OS Map extract above is the bottom half of the old line as it appears on this modern satellite image from railmaponline.com. [15]
The old railway route continues North and after passing through the rear gardens of houses on South Street runs, for a short distance immediately adjacent to South Street.
“Just below the top of Church Street bank is situated the only public road bridge on the railway. This is a narrow brick arch spanning Church Street, and stands today in its original form, notwithstanding the several but fruitless efforts of the local traction engine drivers to affect its displacement with their ponderous machines.” [1: p310]
The bridge to which Henry refers is long-gone in the 21st century. We can still, however, follow much of the route of the old railway.
“Before the completion of these works, … the company had twice to recourse to Parliament for additional capital powers, having exceeded those already granted with the railway in a half-finished state. The first was in 1827, when it was stated that the works authorised in 1825 had made good progress, but for their successful completion a further sum of money to the tune of £19,000 would be required, and for which they now asked. This Act also empowered the company to become carriers of passengers and goods, their original intention being to only levy tolls on all wagons and carriages passing over their line, the railway company providing the tractive power. The Act received royal assent on 2nd April 1827, but the larger portion of it was repealed by another in following year, the directors having found that the £19,000 previously authorised would prove inadequate for their purpose; so in 1828 they again went to Parliament for powers to raise £40,000 in lien thereof, and also petitioned for powers to lease the undertaking should they so desire, for a term not exceeding 14 years. These powers were conceded, and the Act received Royal Assent in May 1828. … The capital of the company aggregated £71,000 before the opening of the railway took place, which sum was further increased by a subsequent Act. … By May 1829, the works were nearing completion [and] … the question of permanent way and the gauge to which it was to be laid, had to be [considered.] … The Stephenson gauge of 4 ft. 8 1/2 in, was adopted. The permanent way … was laid with Birkenshaw’s patent wrought-iron fish-bellied rails and castings, of which George Stephenson highly approved. These rails were rolled in lengths of 15 ft.and weighed 28lb to the yard. The castings were spiked to oak sleepers placed at intervals of 3 ft., and the sheeves upon which the winding ropes of the stationary engines ran were situated in the centre of the track fixed to the sleepers at intervals of 6 ft.” [1: p310-311]
Henry continues:
With “all earthworks completed, engine houses, engines and stationary engines erected, permanent way laid, and everything generally ready to be brought into use, excepting the harbour, which was not completed for a year or two later, the Company announced the formal opening of the railway for 3rd May 1830.” [1: p311]
Of that day in 1830, the Kent Herald wrote:
“The day being remarkably fine, the whole City seemed to have poured forth its population, and company from the surrounding country continuing to augment the throng. By eleven o’clock, the time appointed for the procession to start, the assemblage of spectators was immense. The fields on each side of the line of road being crowded by well-dressed people of all ages, presented one of the most lively scenes we have witnessed for some time. The arrangements were so judiciously made, that by a quarter past eleven the procession was set in motion, the signal for starting having been given by telegraph. The bells of the Cathedral rang merrily at intervals during the day, and flags were displayed on the public buildings and railway. The following is the order of the procession:
1. Carriage with the directors of the Railway Company wearing white rosettes.
2. A coach with the Aldermen and other Members of the Canterbury Corporation.
3. A carriage with ladies.
4. A carriage with a band of music.
5. Carriages with ladies.
6 to 20. Carriages containing the Proprietors of the Railway, their friends, etc., in all amounting to near three hundred.
The procession was drawn forward in two divisions until it arrived at the first engine station, in which manner also it entered Whitstable, preceded by the locomotive engine. The various carriages contained nearly 300 persons, consisting of the principal gentry, citizens, and inhabitants of Canterbury and its neighbourhood. At Whitstable an excellent lunch was provided for the company by the Directors at the Cumberland Arms.” [14]
The inaugural train sets off from Canterbury and approaches Tyler Hill Tunnel South Portal. [1: p305]The return journey with the inaugural train leaving Whitstable and heading South for Canterbury. [1: p312]‘Invicta’ – the first engine used on the Canterbury’s and Whitstable Railway standing in 1950 on a plinth in Dane Jon Park, Canterbury. [19: p107]
The Kent Herald continues:
“On returning, the procession was joined at the Engine Station, and the whole went forward into Canterbury together.
The motion of the carriages is particularly easy and agreeable, and at first starting the quiet power with which the vast mass was set in motion dispelled every fear in the passengers. The entrance into the Tunnel was very impressive – the total darkness, the accelerated speed, the rumbling of the car, the loud cheering of the whole party echoing through the vault, combined to form a situation almost terrific – certainly novel and striking. Perfect confidence in the safety of the whole apparatus
The Crab and Winkle Line Trust tells us that the locomotive that pulled that first passenger train on the line was ‘Invicta’. They go on to say that the ‘Crab and Winkle Line’ became:
“the ‘first regular steam passenger railway in the world’ as stated in the Guinness Book of Records. … The ‘Invicta’ was based on Stephenson’s more famous ‘Rocket’ which came into service four months later on the Liverpool to Manchester line. Unfortunately with just 12 horse power the ‘Invicta’ could not cope with the gradients and was only used [regularly] on the section of line between Bogshole and South Street. The rest of the line was hauled by cables using steam driven static winding engines at the Winding Pond in Clowes Wood and the Halt on Tyler Hill Road. The Winding Pond also supplied water to the engines. … By 1836 the ‘Invicta’ was replaced and a third winding engine was built at South Street. The line was a pioneer in railway engineering using embankments, cuttings, level crossings, bridges and an 836 yard (764 metre) tunnel through the high ground at Tyler Hill. The railway was worked with old engines and ancient carriages always blackened by soot from the journey through the tunnel. It was said that goods trains tended to slow down for their crews to check pheasant traps in the woods and to pick mushrooms in the fields.”
“Journey times in the 1830s were approximately 40 minutes, but by 1846 with improvements to both the line and the locomotive, the trip took just 20 minutes. This is a very respectable time especially when compared with today’s often congested roads. … In 1839, the ‘Invicta’ was offered for sale as the three stationary engines were found to be adequate for working the whole line. The one enquiry came to nothing and the locomotive was put under cover. In 1846, The South Eastern Railway reached Canterbury and acquired the Canterbury and Whitstable Railway in 1845. The branch was relaid with heavier rail and locomotives replaced the stationary engines. For many years the ‘Invicta’ was displayed by the city wall and Riding Gate in Canterbury. The ‘Invicta’ is now displayed in the Canterbury museum.” [17]
A later article about the Canterbury & Whitstable Railway, written by D. Crook, was carried by The Railway Magazine in February 1951. [19]
Crook says that the Canterbury & Whitstable was “the first railway in England to convey ordinary passengers in steam-hauled trains. … In 1832, Whitstable Harbour was opened and … a steamer later ran … between Whitstable and London. During the 1840s, the South Eastern Railway took an interest in the Canterbury & Whitstable line. The S.E.R. leased it in 1844, commenced working it in 1846, and eventually bought it outright in 1853. From 6th April 1846, it was worked throughout its length by locomotive traction, when a junction was made at Canterbury with the South Eastern line from Ashford to Margate.” [19: p125] It was at this time that the stationary engines became surplus to requirements.
“The financial receipts improved steadily and throughout the remainder of the nineteenth century the line was prosperous. In 1860, the London, Chatham & Dover Railway reached Whitstable, and shortly afterwards was extended to Margate. The South Eastern Railway opposed the construction of this line and, of course, there was no connection between the two railways at Whitstable. Early in the [20th] century intermediate halts were built at South Street, and Tyler Hill, both serving scattered communities between Whitstable and Canterbury, and a new station was provided at Whitstable Harbour, on a site just outside the harbour. In 1913, the South Eastern & Chatham Railway, into which the L.C.D.R. and S.E.R. had merged, built the present Whitstable & Tankerton Station on the main line. The Canterbury & Whitstable Railway crossed over this line just beyond the end of the platforms, and a halt was built on the bridge at the point of crossing. Steps connected the two stations and special facilities, such as cheap day tickets between Herne Bay and Canterbury via Whitstable, were commenced. After the first world war, local bus competition became intensive and the inevitable decline followed. In 1930, it was decided to close the line to passengers and the last passenger train ran on 31st December of that year. This decision must have brought the Southern Railway more relief than regret, for, in consequence of the one tunnel (Tyler Hill) on the route, clearances are very limited, and only selected engines and special coaching stock can work over it. From 1931 onwards the line has been used regularly for goods traffic, and today [in 1950], with total closure a possibility in the near future, it provides a wealth of interest.” [19: p125-126]
In 1950, Crook took his own journey along the Canterbury & Whitstable Railway which began at “Canterbury West Station, the bay platform from which the Whitstable trains ran [was] now disused. The railway [curved] sharply towards Whitstable, and immediately [left the main] line. The single track [climbed] up through the outskirts of Canterbury, and [entered] the first railway tunnel to be built in the world.” [19: p126]
We need to pause for a moment to note that Tyler Hill’s claim was actually to being the first tunnel which passenger services passed through. (Haie Hill Tunnel in the Forest of Dean was an earlier structure but was only used for goods services.)
Tyler Hill Tunnel restricted the dimensions of locomotives and rolling-stock on the line. Nothing wider than 9ft. 3in. or higher than 11ft. could work through the tunnel which was nearly half a mile in length. The gradient through the tunnel (1 in 50) continued North of the tunnel for a total length of two miles.
Crook mentions passing Tyler Hill level crossing but noted that there was no sign of the passenger halt which once stood there. He continues: “Entering woodland country, the line … begins to drop sharply towards Whitstable. The gradients on the descent have been widely quoted as 1 in 31 and 1 in 28, but [Crook notes] the gradient boards [he saw] show them as 1 in 32 and 1 in 30. In any case, they are among the steepest to be found on a British railway. At the foot of this bank, the woods are left behind and another level stretch follows: it was at this point that Invicta used to be coupled on to the trains. The line then approaches South Street Halt, of which the platform has been removed and the waiting room only remains. The level crossing gates there, and similarly at Tyler Hill, are operated by the resident of a nearby house, the train indicating its approach by prolonged whistling. Nearing the outskirts of Whitstable, the line passes under an imposing road bridge built in 1935 by the Kent Kent County Council and carrying the A299 road which takes the bulk of the road traffic to the Kent coast. … The final steep drop into Whitstable is at 1 in 57 and 1 in 50. A road is crossed on a picturesque brick arch, which is still in its original condition, although it is undoubtedly awkward for road traffic because of its narrowness and oblique position. Immediately beyond this bridge is a much more modern one carrying the railway over the main Victoria-Ramsgate line at a point (as mentioned earlier) just clear of the main line Whitstable Station. Not a trace remains of Tankerton Halt.” [19: p126-127]
“By 1914, the railway was running regular services for day-trippers and Tankerton was becoming a thriving tourist destination, with tea shacks and beach huts springing up along the coast. 1914 also saw the outbreak of WW1 and the Crab and Winkle Railway was passed into the hands of the Government for the next 5 years. Passenger services were halted and the railway and harbour were used to transport much needed resources to the Western Front. These included livestock, horses, ammunition and trench building equipment.” [18] After the war, the return of passenger services did not result in the same level of patronage as before the war.
Crook continues his 1950s commentary: “Half a mile on lies the harbour, from the railway viewpoint, a pathetic sight. Both stations are still standing, the original inside the harbour gates, and the later one just outside and separated from the harbour by the main road through Whitstable. Level-crossing gates are provided there. The original station is completely derelict, and the later station, now closed for over 20 years, from the outside at least, is little better. This building has been leased for various purposes, and at present is the headquarters of the local sea cadets. Devoid of paint, and with the platform surface overgrown with weeds, it makes a very sad commentary on the march of time. The small signal box which stood there has been completely removed. A loop is provided for the engine to work round its train and this is the only section of double track along the whole six miles. The harbour itself is as pathetic as the derelict stations, with a profusion of sidings which could hold without difficulty 70 to 80 trucks. Thus the handful of trucks, rarely more than 15, lying in one or two of the sidings, serve only to remind of a past prosperity now not enjoyed. Small coastal steamers and barges carrying mostly grain and stone use the harbour, which suffers badly from the disadvantage of being tidal.” [19: p127]
It is worth commenting that Whitstable has seen a renaissance in the late 20th- and early 21st- centuries. It is a pleasant place to wander and has seen a real recovery in its economy.
Crook continues his 1950s commentary: “There are now no signals along the track but the telegraph wires appear intact, though off their poles in some places. A modern touch is provided by standard Southern Railway cast-concrete gradient signs and mile posts. The latter give the route miles to London via Canterbury East and Ashford, and, as a point of interest, by this route London is [76.25] miles from Whitstable compared with 59 miles by the Victoria-Ramsgate main line. … Originally two goods trains each day were needed to keep abreast of the traffic, but now one is ample. It takes half-an-hour to arrive from Canterbury, there is an hour’s leisurely shunting in the harbour, and the return to Canterbury is made at about 1 p.m. There is no train on Sundays. Goods carried mostly are confined to coal into Whitstable and grain into Ashford. At one time coal from the Kent mines was exported from Whitstable, but now the coal which comes this way is entirely for local use and is not a product off the local coalfields alone, but mostly from the Midlands. In the other direction, grain is unloaded at Whitstable from class “R1” six-coupled freight tanks which are in accord with the historical traditions of the line, for no fewer than three Chief Mechanical Engineers have shared in producing the version seen today. Originally known as Class ‘R’, they were built between 1888 and 1898 by the South Eastern Railway and were among the last engines to appear from Ashford under the Stirling regime, 25 being built in all. On the formation of the S.E.C.R.. some of the class were modified by Wainwright and classified R1, a total of 23 ‘Rs’ and ‘R1s’ survived to be included in the Southern Railway stock list. Nine of these subsequently were further modified to enable them to work over the Canterbury & Whitstable line and succeeded some of Cudworth’s engines. At the end of 1950, all the ‘Rs’ and all but 10 of the ‘R1s’ had been scrapped. The surviving ‘R1s’ which can work this route are Nos. 31010, (now 61 years old). 31069, 31147, 31339, and these engines all make regular appearances.” [19: p127-128]
Because of the gradients on the line, working rules stipulated that trains had to be limited to 300 tons (18 loaded trucks) from Canterbury to Whitstable, and 200 tons in the other direction, but by the early 1950s loads rarely approached these figures. “Modifications were necessary to reduce the height of the ‘Rs’ and ‘Ris’ so that they could negotiate the tunnel on the branch, these alterations included the fitting of a short stove pipe chimney, a smaller dome, and pop safety valves. The ‘R1’ rostered for duty on the Canterbury and Whitstable line spends the rest of its day as yard pilot in the sidings at Canterbury West. It is coaled and watered there, and returns to Ashford only at weekends.” [19: p128]
The reduced headroom in the tunnel also meant that while most open type wooden and steel trucks were permitted over the route, no closed wagons were. “For the grain traffic, special 12-ton tarpaulin hopper wagons were used. These [had] fixed side flaps and [were] all inscribed with the legend ‘When empty return to Whitstable Harbour’. Special brake vans [were] used also. Because of weight restrictions, the ‘R1s'[were] not allowed over all the harbour sidings, and trucks there [were] horse drawn or man-handled.” [19: p128]
Crook concludes his article with some comments which were topical at the time of writing: “In recent years there has been strong agitation for the railway to be re-opened for passengers, but these efforts have been unsuccessful. It had been suggested that, as Canterbury is to be a local centre for the Festival of Britain, and the line has such an historical background, a passenger service should be reinstated for a trial period during the coming summer, but this was considered impracticable. … Perhaps specially-built diesel railcars would provide a satisfactory solution. On the other hand however strong the case for re-opening, it must be admitted that the need for special rolling stock constitutes a serious difficulty.” [19: p128]
“The line was in use for over 120 years. Passengers were carried until 1931 after which the line was used for goods only. The line finally closed on the 1st of December 1952, but was re-opened for several weeks in 1953 after the great floods cut the main coastal line on the 31st of January. The line was offered for sale in the late 1950s and large sections of the line were sold to private landowners. … The world’s oldest railway bridge in Whitstable was knocked down in 1971 to make way for cars. Thirty metres of the tunnel collapsed in 1974 and by 1997 the whole route was disused built on, or overgrown, almost entirely forgotten…” [17]
Two short notes about the Canterbury and Whitstable Railway:
A. A Canterbury and Whitstable Echo (The Railway Magazine, June 1959)
“Indignation has been expressed by residents in Whitstable at a recent substantial increase in the local rates, and the Urban District Council has been criticised for purchasing the harbour last year from the British Transport Com-mission for £12,500. This purchase accounts for 5d. of the 4s. 4d. increase in the rates. Whitstable Harbour was the first in the world to be owned by a railway company; it was among the works authorised by the Canterbury & Whitstable Act of incorporation of June 10, 1825. The railway was closed completely in December, 1952, and has been dismantled. In present circumstances, it probably is but cold comfort for the disgruntled residents to stress the historical interest of the harbour, quite apart from its commercial value. For them the fact remains that the purchase by the local authority of this adjunct to the pioneer railway in Kent has resulted in an increase in their rates.” [22]
B. Whitstable Harbour (The Railway Magazine, September 1959)
“Sir, Your editorial note in the June issue is of considerable interest to railway historians, for in addition to the fact that Whitstable Harbour was the first in the world to be owned by a railway company, it was also via this harbour that one of the earliest combined railway and steamboat bookings was introduced … In 1836, a local steam packet company agreed with the Canterbury & Whitstable Railway for the issue of tickets between Canterbury and London, and advertised that the ship William the Fourth, with Captain Thomas Minter, would leave Whitstable at 12 o’clock every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, and that the connecting train from Canterbury would leave that station at 11 o’clock. The journey from London would be made on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. The advertised single fares (including the railway journey) from Canterbury to London were in chief cabin 6s., children 4s.; and in fore cabin 5s., children 3s. 6d. The advertisement was headed with a small picture of the steam packet and the words, ‘Steam to London from Whitstable and Canterbury to Dyers Hall Steam Packet Wharf near London Bridge‘.” [23]
NB: There is at least a question mark to the assertion that Whitstable Harbour was the first in the world to be owned by a railway company. We know that Port Darlington was opened in December 1830. Whitstable harbour was built in 1832 to serve the Canterbury and Whitstable Railway which opened earlier. [24]
References
C.R. Henry; The Canterbury and Whitstable Railway: The Second Public Railway Opened in England; in The Railway Magazine, London, October 1907, p305-313.
Roger Farnworth 
