Rye & Camber Tramway

One of the Colonel Stephens Railways, it operated from 1895 until 1939, connecting Rye, East Sussex, in southeast England, to the nearby coast. It was a very small line, only about 1 3/4 miles in length, and boasting only four stations. It mainly operated to transport golfers from Rye to the nearby golf links and holidaymakers to the coastal dunes.

Although quite successful initially, increasing competititon from automobile and bus transport eventually caused it to enter a terminal economic decline, as was the case with many small railways. It was used by the government to a limited extent during World War II, but was in so run-down a condition by the end of the war that it was then disassembled entirely.

The line has a prominent part in several novels by Rye resident E.F. Benson.

External link

Rye & Camber Tramway history site