Almost 70 years ago the Rother Valley Way (Petersfield to Midhurst railway line) closed. A newspaper headline at the time read “Branch rail line to be torn up. No future plans, says railway authority, but open to ‘bright ideas’.” Unfortunately, none were put forward at the time, but fast forward to today and there is news of an exciting plan to turn this 9-mile stretch of former railway line into an accessible, shared-use, traffic-free path connecting the two market towns on either side of the Hampshire Sussex border.
The travel routes of yesteryear
The Downs are an imposing natural barrier to the south of our area, so it is no surprise that for centuries local people have preferred to travel and trade along the flat, sandy soils of the Rother, between Petersfield and Pulborough rather than up and over the steep, scarp slope. If you know where to look, the history of this vital communications corridor is still visible, providing a vivid picture of centuries gone by. There are the pubs that were once coaching inns; the remains of toll houses and turnpike gates, constructed to gather revenue; a plaque on a river bridge warning drivers of steam engines against seeking water; as well as the many bridges and cuttings of the former railway that once ran through the valley.
The Rother Valley Railway was once described as “among the most beautiful lines in England”. Opening in 1864, its beauty unfortunately did not prove a big enough pull, with the line closing to passengers in the 1950s, long before Beeching’s axe fell a decade later. Leading up to the war, the line appears to have been quite well used and even profitable, but competition from the arrival of buses and lorries post-war proved too big a challenge to overcome. Paradoxically, in the weeks leading up to the line’s closure to passengers in 1955, thousands of people turned up to ride the 9 ¼ mile journey.
Petersfield resident, Gordon Churchill, has vivid memories of these final days as his father was a signalman at the station. He describes an almost party-like atmosphere along the line with everyone desperate to have a ride, and well-wishers waving as the trains went by. Knowing many of the engine drivers through his father, Gordon was lucky enough to ride on the engine footplate. Gordon remembers seeing wagons full of antlers in the Petersfield goods yard, possibly from the annual cull at Petworth and the railway used to transport polo ponies across to Cowdray.
Listening to stories about the railway from different, local people, it seems our town and local area might have been quite different without the Rother Valley Railway. The station in Nyewood for instance was known as ‘Rogate for South Harting’ as the tiny hamlet barely existed pre-railway. It grew up around a brickworks, but this had been losing money before the arrival of the railway. In the late 1800s, a new owner saw the opportunity provided by the railway to turn the business around. He moved the yard alongside the line, where it had its own siding, and installed more modern facilities. By the early 1900s they were producing 100,000 bricks a day, employed 60 men, had acquired an international reputation, and had given rise to two pubs in the village. If only we could find similar stimuli for economic growth in our rural communities today.
Weather Forecasting by Train
One of the most endearing tales I heard told about the Rother Valley Railway was its contribution to local weather forecasting. It was said that if you were in Elsted and heard the whistle on steam trains at Buriton tunnel on the main line, rain was imminent. However, hearing the whistle on branch line trains was a harbinger of the weather set fair. At first, this seemed an apocryphal tale, but when you consider the role wind plays in carrying sound it could be as accurate a forecast method as any of the technology at our disposal today. Perhaps, when recruiting our new town crier their audition should include whistle blowing from various parts of the town, so they are able to provide an up-to-date weather forecast along with the town news!
Sussex multi-purpose and cycle routes
Between Petersfield and Midhurst there is only one section of public footpath along the former track bed of the Rother Valley Railway, but several places where paths cross it. Turning old railways into multi-user paths is nothing new, many superb examples can be found around the country. Not only are they a safe, green, sustainable method of local travel, but they are a tremendous tourism asset too. There is no better way of getting to know an area than a gentle cycle along a flat, safe, well-maintained path, possibly with a café or pub along the way too. Motorists also benefit, as these pathways remove excess local traffic and dawdling cyclists from our windy, often hilly roads. The health benefits to the community, for young and old are also not to be underestimated.
Within the South Downs National Park there are already a couple of well-progressed cycle paths. After 10 years of hard work by local volunteers, the 7 mile Egrets Way, between Lewes and Newhaven is almost complete. Meanwhile, the Centurion Way from Chichester to Midhurst is gradually creeping northwards and, as the name suggests, the Downs Link runs from the North to the South Downs. The next section of Centurion Way between West Dean and Singleton is due to open in Spring 2024 and plans have already been approved for the onward section to Cocking.
The Rother Valley Way
While still on the drawing board, the Rother Valley Way project has been brewing for a while. As far back as 1999 it was earmarked as a possible National Cycle route, but in 2017 the National Park identified the Petersfield to Midhurst line as an aspirational pathway and protected the route from further development. Thankfully, the project received new impetus from Covid, which ignited interest in Active Travel. The Friends of Rother Valley Way (FoRVW) are now focused on making this path a reality.
FoRVW is a community group of local individuals and organisations who have come together to deliver the project alongside Shortcut (Sussex Hampshire Off-Road Track – reg. charity established 2012). The FoRVW Steering Committee brings together statutory authorities such as South Downs National Park Authority (SDNPA), West Sussex County Council (WSCC) and Hampshire County Council (HCC) together with local groups including Sustrans and Midhurst Area Cycling (MAC).
Schemes like this take years to develop and are often done in stages. At present, FoRVW is talking to stakeholders on the section between Petersfield and Nyewood. Where possible the aim is to follow the existing track bed, but the group appreciates that this might not always be feasible because of homes and businesses having been built along the route of the former line. Securing the Midhurst end of the pathway will also likely be a priority because of the proposed housing development on the site of the old railway yard.
If you would like to learn more about the Rother Valley Way you can visit the project’s website www.rothervalleyway.org.uk and sign up to receive updates. The cycle path is very much a community initiative, so the group welcomes support from interested individuals who would like to help make the plans a reality.
This post was contributed by Malinka van der Gaauw of Rural Strides. Rural Strides offers private and scheduled walks, as well as outdoor courses, in the Western Weald.
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