Route
Chichester Tramway Station
The Chichester terminus of the Tramway stood on the far side of the Wiley building. It opened to acclaim on 27 August 1897. The Tramway was not connected to the main line except for transfer of rolling stock. The gasworks was across the road. Steam locomotives were originally used but railmotors were later introduced. The journey from here to Selsey was timetabled to take about 30 minutes but that proved to be very approximate on most occasions
Marks
Waypoints
Canal Crossing
There was a lifting bridge here that enabled the tramway to cross the canal. You can still see the remnants of the bridge footings.
Hoe Farm Halt
The Tramway ran through what are now the two courses of Chichester Golf Club. Nothing can now be seen but there was a private farm halt here (last remains in photograph below) and a siding. In January 1915, two large elm trees fell on to the track during a severe gale but Miss Jupp of Hoe Farm was able to stop the train in time. Its passengers and crew were put up at the farmhouse until the line could be cleared. The delay was typical of the Tramway!
Sidlesham Station
In 1910 a dramatic flood swept away the platform here along with the embankment. The station and embankment were rebuilt and the station building moved off the platform.
Broad Rife Bridge
This was the only fixed over bridge on the line, crossing from the embankment over Broad Rife which runs into Pagham Harbour. Rife is a Sussex word for a channel that drains water from agricultural land.
The bridge was poorly built using harbour shingle in the concrete. It had to be rebuilt after the 1910 flood.
The line continued a short distance from here to Ferry station.
Selsey Bridge Halt
You are now at Selsey Bridge Halt. This was the original terminus of the line because Selsey Town station had not yet been completed.
It featured the only over bridge crossing the line, carrying the main Selsey road. The bridge has since been filled in but the cutting on the other side of the road can still be seen.
Selsey Town Station
The station building was in the middle of what is now Manor Road. The houses to the right and along Allandale Close are on the rest of the site.
It was expected that the line would bring coal and other goods to Selsey and take fish and seafood away but in fact, the fish trade was small. Journey times from here to Chichester were published as 30 minutes but tended to take much longer.
Selsey Beach Station
The line was extended to Beach station in 1898 with a view to carrying tourists to East Beach and taking the products of the local fishing fleet to Chichester and London. The train on the right is leaving Selsey Town for Beach. The station was not a success and closed before the First World War.