Ted Power
Brighton and Sussex - other interests

The history of Devil's Dyke 1

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Bus Times from Brighton to Devil's Dyke

Brighton Pier (stop N)

Brighton Pier

Since the 1930s, it has been possible to take a motorised bus from Brighton to Devil's Dyke. This facility helped lead to the closure on 31st December 1938 of the Dyke Railway, which had transported passengers from Brighton Station to Devil's Dyke since 1st September 1887 using mainly steam locomotives.

Today's no 77 bus stops alongside the promenade on the Sea Front just west of Brighton Pier opposite the entrance to Pool Valley Coach Station..

Churchill Square (stop G)

Churchill Square

The 77 bus to the Dyke also stops in Brighton's Churchill Square at the stop in the foreground (near right) of this picture just east of Marks and Spencer.

Queens Road, just north of the Clock Tower

The Clock Tower

Another place to catch the 77 bus to Devil's Dyke is in Queens Road, just north of the Clock Tower. The bus heads northwards to Brighton Station before branching in a north-westerly direction to the Dyke. Dyke Road actually starts at the Clock Tower so the detour to the railway station is not necessary today.

Also the journey time by road is little over 15 minutes, a lot less than the estimate given in the following directions, taken from the first edition of The Devil's Dyke Times in May 1893:

JOURNEY BY ROAD

THE road rises steadily from Brighton to the Dyke, nearly 760 feet in 5.75 miles, so that the journey occupies about an hour.

From West Street we pass along Queen's Road into Surrey Street and Terminus Road, leaving the CENTRAL RAILWAY STATION on the right hand, then up Buckingham Place into the main Dyke Road, and going across the top of the Railway Tunnel we arrive on the right hand at the late MR BOOTH'S MUSEUM OF BRITISH BIRDS.

This unique collection is, perhaps, the finest of its kind in England, and of the greatest interest to the sportsman and naturalist. The birds were all shot by Mr. Booth and stuffed under his direction, being mounted in cases representing the scene where they were taken; and they consequently afford a most instructive illustration of the homes and habits of birds.

A charge of One Shilling is made for admission, but the owner gives the proceeds to the local charities. The visitor to the Dyke should not fail to alight hereon his return journey from there, and can walk back to Brighton, reaching the Central Station in about ten minutes. Opposite the Museum, on the left hand, is the CONVENT OF THE SACRED HEART.

We next reach a small copse and several villas, those on the right hand being situated just above Preston Park Railway Station. On the left hand is UPLANDS, the residence of Mr. Peter A. Taylor, a noted Radical, and formerly MP for Leicester, erected at a cost of 36,000 pounds. We then ascend a short hill, with a small copse on the left hand, and on gaining the brow obtain a fine view over the Downs, which affords one of the great attractions to the journey by road.

The large valley opening out on the right hand is WATERHALL VALLEY, which was one of the proposed sites for the Volunteer Camp and Rifle Range in place of Wimbledon, and in the distance is the Railway emerging from Patcham Tunnel. On the Downs to the north two windmills can be seen, which are situated above Clayton, and to their left is a cutting, showing like a notch in the hills, through which the high road from London to Brighton passes over the top of Clayton Tunnel. A little further on a road branches off to the right hand leading to Saddlescombe, Poynings, and the foot of the Dyke Hill. The junction of the roads is three miles l,040 yards from Brighton Town Hall. The Dyke road continues to rise and at last we pass the DYKE RAILWAY STATION on the left hand, and ascending a sharp hill and turning northwards, soon reach the DYKE HOTEL, which is 897 feet above the mean sea level.

Brighton Station (stop E)

Brighton Station

You can also take the no 77 bus to Devil's Dyke from Brighton railway station. Had competition from buses not helped to close the Dyke Railway Line on the last day of 1938, the train journey would have offered quicker access to the Dyke, but the problem was that the rail terminus (Dyke Station) still left you with a 200-foot climb before you could get to the highest part of the hill fort and the hotel. Now it is true that there was a very good Tea House adjacent to Dyke Railway Station known as 'Dennet's Corner', serving lunches and dinners with quality wines in addition to traditional English teas. However, the major attractions were at the top of the hill, so when buses became motorized they clearly competed with a railway that failed to go all the way.

Here is the journey by rail, as described by Mr James Hubbard, owner of the Dyke Hotel, in the first edition of the Devil's Dyke Times, May 1893:

JOURNEY BY RAIL - May 1893

The Dyke is now reached by a short line of Railway, which branches out from the Brighton and Portsmouth main line, just beyond the West Brighton Station, and terminates in a cutting below the high road to the Dyke, and about a quarter of a mile south of the Dyke Hotel.

The first sod of the Railway was turned on June 2nd, 1883, by Mrs. Pavey (wife of Mr Alderman Davey, J.P., as Deputy Mayoress, near the road at the head of the Dyke gorge. The line was opened for traffic 0n September 1st, 1887.

The trains start from the fine, new CENTRAL STATION at Brighton, and stop first at West Brighton Station. After passing through a short tunnel we reach Hove, the fashionable suburb of Brighton, and the HOVE TOWN HALL is visible on the left. This is a handsome building of red brick, erected at a cost of about 50,000 pounds and was opened on December 13th, 1882. It is furnished with a set of chimes and carillons, by which I4 tunes are played.

Nearer to the rail on the left, is the SUSSEX COUNTY CRICKET GROUND, where all the great matches are played, and which the visitor can easily inspect on his return journey from the Dyke, by alighting at the WEST BRIGHTON STATION The large building on the right hand side is the CONVENT OF THE SACRED HEART, and is passed just before reaching West Brighton Station.

Also on our right, after leaving West Brighton Station, the Celebrated BREAD FACTORY of Mr. J. J. Clark is a conspicuous object. It is the largest Machine Bakery on the South coast and "Clark's Bread" and "Clark's cakes" are fast becoming " Household Words." By the aid of Science the Art of Bread-making has here reached its very highest development, every possible operation being carried out by the aid of machinery, thus ensuring perfect cleanliness.

The Dyke line now diverges from the main line, and on the left hand we pass the picturesque HOVE CEMETERY, which was consecrated an May 27th, 1882; whilst on the right hand is WEST BLATCHINGTON, with a ruined Chapel, now annexed to the Vicarage of Brighton. In I818 the remains of a Roman Vil1a were discovered here, supposed to be those of the Mansio ad Portus Adurni, and the residence of the Roman Port-Officer.

Just below West Blatchington is GOLDSTONE BOTTOM, which will be recognised by the tall shafts of one of the chief Pumping Stations of the BRIGHTON CORPORATION WATERWORKS. Brighton and its suburbs derive from these works almost the finest supply of pure water enjoyed by any town in England. 'The Railway line now rises rapidly, and a fine view over Brighton and Hove is obtained on the right hand side.

Round Hill is skirted on the right hand, and on the left we pass close to the village of HANGLETON (where a station will no doubt eventually be erected), and with an ancient CHURCH dedicated to St. Helen, dating back beyond the year] 200. The Parsonage was struck by lightning in 1666, and burnt down, the Parish Registers being destroyed.

The little RAILWAY TERMINUS at the DYKE is reached after a run of 20 minutes from Brighton.


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