WESTFIELD RAILWAY AND BUSES

[Chris Page]

Can anyone tell me how people would travel, apart from car, from West Marina Railway Station, St Leonards to the village of Westfield, either by railway or bus around 1930, please? My Grandad, who worked on the railway, lived at West Marina station between 1924 and 1930 and his family regularly travelled to Westfield where his wife's mother lived at Hillside, Cottage Lane. I have done the usual Google searches, etc but cannot come up with anything. I have not been able to find a railway station at Westfield (Grandad's family would have had free travel), what would the nearest one have been at that time, please?

Thanks for any help.

Chris Page

[Richard]

Local bus service...

https://ryesown.co.uk/bus-operators-of-rye-district/

[Chris Page]

Great information about the buses, Richard, many thanks.

Does anyone know about the railway, please?

Chris Page

[Richard]

There were two rail stations just to the east of Westfield:

'Guestling Halt' opened on 1 July 1907 after the South Eastern and Chatham Railway had introduced a steam railcar service on the line in order to improve traffic. It was one of the few places along the line between Hastings and Winchelsea that could access the railway by a public road. The station was renamed 'Doleham Halt' in 1909 as Guestling was more conveniently accessed from the previous station, 'Three Oak's.

https://www.thetrainline.com/stations/doleham

These two stations were both to the immediate east of Westfield but could possibly have been used by passengers wishing to journey to Westfield instead of the aforementioned bus service.
I believe they were both on what is known as the Marshlink line.

[Chris Page]

Thanks again Richard. I take my hat off to your knowledge about transport in the hastings area in the 1920s.

[Richard]

I just look things up Chris.
The ditty by Flanders and Swann sums up the feeling of nostalgia brought about by the Beeching cuts of the 1960's.
Those cuts isolated rural areas in favour of motorways and yet now we are trying to reconnect them, the motorways did not help and London was the only winner:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6OHD2uCpfU

[Chris Page]

You have a good point Richard about the closure of the railways and the motorways.

By the way, what is the significance of the police box alongside your name? Are you a Doctor
Who fan or are/were you connected with the police force?

[Richard]

I was captivated by the scary drama of 'Dr. Who' as a child...
No connection with the police force at all.

[seahermit]

The Beeching cuts and creation of motorways certainly isolated many country localities and yes, looking back, the major cities were the winners. Countryside isolation has not really been resolved, probably worse now in some ways e.g. very poor coverage by mobile phone networks and broadband providers.

Richard is being very modest. Despite his genial, academic outward persona, he was one of the more secretive and ruthless members of C.I.5, supremely fit and capable of cracking a terrorist's neck in one second using just his two little fingers. Don't EVER say a bad word about his mother!

[Chris Page]

Fine on Doctor Who, Richard. I asked because I spent 30 years in Sussex Police, mostly in the CID, including a spell at Hastings in the late 1980s.

Thanks for the advice Seahermit about what I say to Richard!