The Westerham Valley Railway

This branch line that ran from Dunton Green to Westerham stopping at Chevening and Brasted opened on 6th July 1881.

The map of Railways - comes from Wikipedia

When the first train arrived at Westerham there was a typical Victorian pomp and ceremony, flags flew and fireworks lit the sky and the band played on the green. Speakers at a special banquet looked forward to a fresh era of prosperity for the town with new industries growing and thriving through improved links with the Capital.

Westerham station in c1902 - the photo comes from Wikipedia

But it all ended 80 years later on the 26th October 1961 when the line was closed despite heroic efforts to save it. Walking along the old line from Dunton Green you can see one or two relics left from this bygone era which were once part of the branch line infrastructure a metal gate and the bank down and up where once a bridge would have stood that crossed the river each side of the embankments are the old concrete posts that held up the fence and further up there is a concrete block with four metal rods coming out of the top this was a post base for a signal for the trains to see and I am sure you can even smell the coal and soot as you walk along the narrow footpath on the track bed which is now covered with trees.

The text comes from: https://www.geocaching.com/geocache/GC3ERHP

If anybody is interested on this topic:

• http://www.visitwesterham.org.uk/heritage/westerham-valley-railway