Storage King, Freshfield Industrial Estate

Image: © Simon Carey Taken: 11 Jan 2009

Not the greatest of pictures as taken over a gate without any viewing aid. The interest lies mainly beyond the second gate, namely the southern portal of Kemp Town Tunnel the only remaining item to remind you that the area was once the terminus of a small branch railway. The Kemp Town branch opened in 1869 though it closed to traffic in 1932 losing out on the easier and cheaper journey by bus. However, it remained open to goods until its final closure in 1971. The tunnel was used during the war to shelter both railway stock and people and after its closure was used for a while to grow mushrooms and store motor vehicles. The cliffs beyond give some idea of the bowl shaped out of the downland by the railway and also the engineering required to build a branch. Despite being 1 mile and 726 yards long the line required a 180 yard viaduct over Lewes Road, a shorter three arch viaduct over Hartington Road, followed by a short cutting before entering the 1024 yard long Kemp Town Tunnel and exiting into this bowl towards the terminus.

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