Leighside Access Bridge

The building of the railway to Lewes cut off Leighside house and estate from the town. To provide access a bridge was built to cross the line from Lansdown place with a gentle ramp down to the estate. An ornate building on the junction between ramp and bridge was also built although its exact purpose is not known to me. I believe the construction was at the time of the first station. There is evidence of a stairway down the external wall of the building to the platform from the end of the bridge parapet, which appears to be bricked up. I have not modelled the stairway as I believe it was removed sometime after the second station was built. The building does not appear to have provided internal access to the platform. The colour photographs were taken by myself circa 1980 after demolition had started, but still provide some useful detail. As with other structures modelled I have not been able to work from a complete set of data. In particular views of the rear of the building and its entrance from the bridge are limited. Views of the side and East end of the signal box are also limited. Any additional information would be very welcome. Note also that the rendering of the roofs is plain tiles whereas the prototype has alternating bands of plain and scalloped tiles.

View showing bridge from Lansdown Place. Three further arches are not modelled.

View from Leighside Estate side. Greenhouses abutting these arches are not modelled.

Ground level view of access ramp arches.

View up the access ramp

View of building from top of ramp

View of building and entrance of bridge to Lansdown Place

View of building from bridge

Close up of signal box 2

Ground level view of signal box

Close up of signal box

View from the East toward signal box

View of signal box across the tracks

Aerial view from South

View of rear of building from the South West. Iron railings on terrace corners are place holders in the absence of details.

Blow up of section of full print to show signal box detail. By kind permission of the National Railway Museum

Blow up of section of full print to show bridge and building detail. By kind permission Sussex Archaeological Society

Much later view some time after the third station had been built. Signal box and platforms no longer in use.

Good detailed view of building prior to its demolition

View from West of bridge span (now missing) and first arch span leading to Lansdown Place. 3 further arches are not modelled.

View from West

View from North East

View from South West of terrace at the top of ramp to Leighside. Evidence of where the demolished building joined is clear.

View from South showing access ramp to Leighside.

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