Spa Valley Railway » Family Events
Friday 13th, Saturday 14th and Sunday 15th June 2025
Book tickets
Jump to tickets
The Cuckoo Line Gala – Friday 13th, Saturday 14th and Sunday 15th June 2025Step back in time to the 1960s when steam still ruled supreme and join us as we commemorate 60 years since the closure of the famous Cuckoo Line, which once ran between Tunbridge Wells West via Eridge and Hailsham to Polegate. We join the countrywide celebrations of 200 years of rail in the United Kingdom!
With visiting U Class 31806 from the Swanage Railway/JMB Locomotive Services, Ivatt Tank 41313 from the Isle of Wight, BR Standard 4MT 80078 from Stewart Robinson, Class 33/0 D6566 from the Diesel Electric Preservation Group and Spa Valley-based 34050 'Royal Observer Corps' and Class 207 DEMU 1317, this is an event not to miss!
History of the Cuckoo LineThe Cuckoo Line is the name for the now-closed railway line that joined Polegate to Eridge from 1880 to 1968. Drivers nicknamed it the Cuckoo Line from a tradition observed at the annual fair at Heathfield, a station on the route. At the fair, which was held each April, a lady would release a cuckoo from a basket, it being supposedly the 'first cuckoo of spring'.
The Cuckoo Line was built by the London Brighton and South Coast Railway (LB&SCR) in two sections, starting with the branch from Polegate to Hailsham, which opened to traffic on 14 May 1849. It diverged from the Eastbourne to London line at Polegate and ran northwards to the market town of Hailsham, which was the terminus for 31 years until the line through to Eridge was completed and opened in September 1880.
The line then passed through the villages of Hellingly (where the electric Hellingly Hospital Railway once operated), Horam, Heathfield, Mayfield, Rotherfield & Mark Cross, then joined the Oxted Line at Redgate Mill Junction before arriving at Eridge. The route continued what is now the Spa Valley Railway, leaving the Oxted Line at Birchden Junction, heading for Groombridge, High Rocks Halt and eventually Tunbridge Wells West.
Following the famous Beeching Report in 1963, the line was recommended for closure. The section from Eridge to Hailsham was closed to passenger traffic on 14th June 1965. The section between Heathfield and Hailsham remained open for freight until April 1968, when a lorry collided with a low road bridge under the line at Horsebridge north of Hailsham, damaging it and causing the immediate closure of this part of the line.
Passenger services between Polegate and Hailsham remained until 8th September 1968. The closure of this section was hotly disputed – even British Railways itself agreeing that Hailsham was a growing town and that buses would be unable to cope with the demands of the increasing population.
Much of the line was left untouched until the early 1990s, but part of the route has since been converted into the Cuckoo Trail, running from Heathfield to Polegate. The 265-yard Heathfield Tunnel has been reopened for our event. Please do go and visit!
The line between Eridge and Tunbridge Wells West remained open until 1985 and, of course, was reopened in 1997 as the Spa Valley Railway. We’re delighted to be hosting this event to commemorate 60 years since the closure of this famous line!
What is there to do for kids at the Cuckoo Line Gala?While this event is primarily aimed at enthusiasts, we recognise that families will also be visiting, and we want to ensure that your children learn from this experience. What are the top things to see and do for kids?
Visiting Locomotives:
Southern Railway U Class 31806 – Courtesy of the Swanage Railway & JMB Locomotive Services31806 is the only survivor of the U-class locomotives, which were initially built as K-class 2-6-4Ts. It was originally built at Brighton as A806 "River Torridge" in 1926, but following the accident at Sevenoaks, it was rebuilt as a U-class 2-6-0 at Brighton in 1928.
After entering traffic at Guildford, it soon moved to Nine Elms early in 1929. It remained at Nine Elms until the late 1930s, when it moved to Basingstoke and then Guildford by the beginning of 1945. After withdrawal from service in January 1964, having covered 970,103 miles, it was stored at Fratton before going to the scrapyard at Barry Island in June 1964.
31806 was purchased by John Bunch in 1975, and it left Barry in October 1976, moving to the Mid Hants Railway. The restoration began in 1979, and the locomotive returned to steam in April 1981. Following another overhaul, the locomotive re-entered service in 2011, and it moved to the Swanage Railway in 2014, where it can regularly be seen pulling trains along the Purbeck Line.
The last steam-hauled train between Eridge and Polegate ran on June 13, 1965, under the title "The Wealdsman Railtour" It was formed of U Class 31803 and N Class 31411. The visit of 31806 is therefore a very historic occasion to mark 60 years not only since the line closed but also 60 years to the day since "The Wealdsman Railtour" operated. On Friday 13th June, we will be recreating a little slice of history as Bulleid Pacific 34050 'Royal Observer Corps' arrives at Eridge and U Class 31806 will take over its train and haul a train departing at 12:50, 60 years to the day since the original train departed Eridge heading for Polegate (albeit ours will head to Tunbridge Wells West!)
Photo of 31806 courtesy of David Cable
British Railways Ivatt 2MT Tank 41313Ivatt tank 41313 is returning for another visit to the Spa Valley, courtesy of our friends at the Isle of Wight Steam Railway.
41313 is an example of the Class 2 2-6-2 tank locomotive designed by George Ivatt for the London Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS). The locomotive was based at Three Bridges for a brief period in 1953 before being transferred to Faversham, Kent. At that time, it may have hauled trains along the line to Tunbridge Wells West, and sister Ivatt tank 41319 operated along the Cuckoo Line. The locomotive was withdrawn in June 1965, and its visit to us coincides with 60 years since it was withdrawn from service.
Sold to Woodham Brothers scrap merchants in February 1966, 41313 was towed to their yard at Barry Docks, South Wales, where it was to stay until purchase by the Ivatt Trust in 1975. It was decided that the engine should be restored to working order, and the Isle of Wight Steam Railway was chosen as a suitable location for 41313’s future operation. 41313 was moved to Havenstreet in August 2006 and, in 2014, underwent an extensive overhaul at the East Somerset Railway. The locomotive returned to steam in 2017 and has since been a regular performer at the Isle of Wight Steam Railway.
Photo of 41313 courtesy of David Cable
British Railways Standard 4MT Tank 80078 – Courtesy of Stewart Robinson80078 was built at Brighton at a cost of £17,364 and entered service in February 1954. It was based in the Eastern Region, operating commuter services on the London, Tilbury and Southend Line (LT&S) out of London until the route was electrified in 1962. In July 1962, it came under Western Region ownership when it moved to Shrewsbury and later on to Croes Newydd at Wrexham. While at Croes Newydd, it passed to London Midland Region ownership when Croes Newydd (along with Shrewsbury) was transferred to the London Midland Region in September 1963.
The locomotive was withdrawn in March 1965 and sent to Barry Island the following year. It was saved and restored to operational service by the PROJECT 78 group and Southern Locomotives Limited for its first operational period in preservation before being sold to Stewart Robinson in 2012. After a significant overhaul, the 4MT returned to service in 2017 and has visited the Spa Valley Railway regularly ever since. We are incredibly grateful to Stewart for enabling the visit of 80078 once again for this gala. 80078 will be appearing throughout the weekend as other Standard 4MT tanks.
Photo of 80078 courtesy of David Cable
Southern Railway Bulleid Pacific 34050 'Royal Observer Corps'During the Cuckoo Line Gala, resident Bulleid Pacific 34053 will swap identity to that of 34050 'Royal Observer Corps', which hauled the London Waterloo to Three Bridges leg of "The Wealdsman Railtour" which was the last steam-hauled train to traverse the Cuckoo Line on 13th June 1965.
The real 34050 entered service on 16th December 1946 at Salisbury as 21C150 'Royal Observer Corps'. 21C150 was named to honour the Observer Corps, which in April 1941 had been awarded the title Royal by King George VI for service during the Battle of Britain. The locomotive was rebuilt between June and the end of August 1958, having covered 509,320 miles in air-smoothed form. Re-entering traffic at Salisbury in November 1960. On 2nd July 1961, it was awarded the Corps' long service medal, with the cabside plaques being unveiled at Waterloo Station prior to working a special train for the Corps.
34050 was relocated to Bricklayers Arms, where it remained for a year before moving on to Nine Elms. In September 1964, 34050 moved to Eastleigh and was withdrawn on August 29, 1965. The locomotive was subsequently scrapped at Barry Scrapyard in South Wales.
During our Cuckoo Line Gala, 34053 will carry replica Royal Observer Corps nameplates, plaques, Corps long service medals, and numbers. After the event, one of the nameplates will be donated to the Royal Observer Corps Association National Heritage Team.
Photo of 34050 courtesy of Don Benn
Class 33 D6566 – Courtesy of the Diesel Electric Preservation Group (DEPG)D6566 is a member of a class of 98 “Type 3” locomotives, later known as “Class 33”, that were designed and built by the Birmingham Railway Carriage & Wagon Company (BRCW) in Smethwick, West Midlands, in the period 1960 to 1962. Our locomotive entered service on the Southern Region (SR) of BR in August 1961. The locomotive class is a diesel-electric design concept and was the first design to incorporate dual braking (air and vacuum) and electric train heating (ETH) as standard equipment. The same class as Spa Valley Railway residents 33063 and 33065, owned by the South East Locomotive Group.
D6566 worked mixed traffic on the SR for 34 years until withdrawal in 1995. After two years in storage, it was condemned as surplus to requirements in 1997. Acquired almost immediately by one of the D&EPG founder members, the locomotive arrived at Williton in May 1997. The locomotive first worked a train on the West Somerset Railway in October of that year, marking the first use of a (subclass) Class 33/0 in preservation.
D6566 was stopped for an overhaul in 2013 after 16 solid years of service. The overhaul included engine work and major bodywork repairs, and the locomotive returned to service in 2018, resplendent in its original two-tone green livery but with the small yellow warning panel at each end. This popular and reliable locomotive continues to serve the West Somerset Railway, and we are incredibly grateful to the Diesel Electric Preservation Group, the WSR and the owner for enabling this rare visit away from the 'Crompton' for our historic event! It is the first time D6566 will be seen away from the WSR in preservation. Wording courtesy of the DEPG website.
Photo of D6566 courtesy of Tom Courtney
The Cuckoo Line GalaWe're planning to operate one of our most interesting timetables in years, incorporating early morning and late evening services with the following locomotives:
The Wealdsman Rail TourThe last steam-hauled train between Eridge and Polegate ran on June 13, 1965, under the title "The Wealdsman Railtour." It was formed of U Class 31803 and N Class 31411. The visit of 31806 is therefore a very historic occasion to mark 60 years not only since the line closed but also 60 years to the day since "The Wealdsman Railtour" operated. On Friday 13th June, we will be recreating a little slice of history as Bulleid Pacific 34050 'Royal Observer Corps' arrives at Eridge and U Class 31806 will take over its train and haul a train departing at 12:50, 60 years to the day since the original train departed Eridge heading for Polegate (albeit ours will head to Tunbridge Wells West!)
On Friday 13th June 2025, 31806 and 34050 will carry replica headboards of the very tour that was the last steam-hauled train along the Cuckoo Line!
Photo copyright Lamberhurst via Wikipedia
Heathfield TunnelWe are delighted to add to the Cuckoo Line event that the 265-yard-long Heathfield Tunnel will be open for people to walk through on Friday 13th, Saturday 14th and Sunday 15th June for the first time in around 10 years. The tunnel will be open from 10:00 to 17:00 for visitors to explore and walk through the most significant piece of infrastructure on the Cuckoo Line. The original Heathfield station building has been converted into a café.
Walk through this piece of history 60 years to the day since it last saw a steam train pass through! You can find Heathfield Tunnel at Station Rd, Station Approach, Heathfield TN21 0AA. What3words: novel.passport.skirting. Parking is available in Heathfield for those visiting by car. If you need to use public transport to reach the village, then the Stagecoach 51 bus stops at Heathfield. Click here for the bus timetable.
We have not yet been able to source a bus link between Tunbridge Wells and Heathfield, but we are still trying to arrange this.
There will be a small charge payable at the tunnel on the day, £1 per adult and 50p per child to walk through. This payment goes towards costs associated with the opening of the tunnel for this event; it is not for profit (we are a charity).
Inside Heathfield Tunnel during an inspection on 1st May, which has enabled us to reopen it for this event, with the support of Wealden District Council and Heathfield Parish Council.
Tickets – Discounted online in advance as prices shown below:
Tickets are valid for travel on all trains during the hours of operation, including non-dining travel on the evening services. A small supplement applies to travel in the Queen Mary Brake Van, which the Guard sells on a first-come, first-served basis.
Other Tickets, including discounts and singles:Groupon, Virgin Experience Days, and other discounted tickets or schemes, such as the Metrobus 10% discount, are not available or accepted during this event.
Single tickets to travel between Tunbridge Wells West, Groombridge and Eridge or vice versa will be available on the day. Due to the nature of the event, no other tickets are available.
Society Members, Reciprocal Travel or HRA Privilege Pass Members:Members of the Tunbridge Wells & Eridge Railway Preservation Society, any railway with which we have a reciprocal travel arrangement, and HRA Privilege Pass Holders can obtain a 25% discount on tickets purchased on the day at any ticket office. These are not available online in advance, as our online booking system cannot check external HOPS ID cards or HRA Privilege passes.
Carers & Disabled Visitors:The necessary companion, or carer, of a disabled visitor can travel free instead of paying the advertised train fare, whilst the fares shown above apply to the disabled visitor.
A carer's free travel ticket can be obtained from Ticket Offices on the day of travel and not online in advance. We request customers requiring a carer's ticket please produce one of the following forms of ID when collecting tickets: Personal Independence Payment (PIP) Document, Disability Living Allowance Record Book, Attendance Allowance Book, Invalidity Benefit Book, Visual Impairment Registration Card (BD8), Blue/Orange Parking Permit or written confirmation of the above from the DWP with photographic identification.
A note about our fares:As you will appreciate, transporting trains on trucks is a significant expense. For this event, at least five lorries will come in to drop the locomotives off, and five lorries will leave to take the locomotives away from the Spa Valley Railway at the event. We have kept the fares as low as possible, but, of course, there are other costs, such as coal, water, lubricants, and locomotive hire fees, that we must take into account when running this event. We thank you greatly for your support in commemorating this much-loved railway.
TimetableTrains will be running from early morning until late evening; evening dining trains can be booked for Friday 13th or Saturday 14th June here:
A timetable for this event will be published at the beginning of June. Brake van rides in our Queen Mary Brake Van will also be available! High Rocks station will be closed for the duration of the event.
Dining TrainsTickets are available via the dedicated webpages for you to book on board one of our popular evening dining trains. If you've got a Day Rover ticket, you don't have to book to travel on the evening services, and you can purchase drinks and snacks from the bar.
If you're visiting during the day and wish to dine with us on Friday 13th or Saturday 14th June in the evening, we offer a joint Day Rover and Fish & Chip Supper ticket, available via the link below. We are also operating one of our popular Murder Mystery Afternoon Tea trains on Sunday 15th June from Tunbridge Wells West.
Real Ales and Ciders at our Cuckoo Line Gala!
Lakedown Brewery – East Sussex
Gun Brewery – East Sussex
Seacider – East Sussex
Please help us raise £300,000 to replace the vital Broom Lane Bridge between High Rocks and Groombridge; click here for details and to donate!
On the day of your visit, you must have your e-tickets available to show, either in print or on a mobile device. You do not need to visit the ticket office to check in; if you have the e-ticket on your phone, you can hop on board!
Please note that a £10 administration fee applies to all booking alterations.
Click here to view our refund, cancellation and alterations policy
We regret that there can be no refund or transfer to a future date for ‘no-show’ customers. The Spa Valley Railway still incurs charges for its services, which must be paid to our suppliers. We recommend taking out a form of insurance to protect yourself if necessary. To re-book, you will be required to pay the full fare again
Help us raise £300,000 to replace the vital Broom Lane Bridge between High Rocks and Groombridge, click here for details and to donate!