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Location notes
Horsted Keynes is the middle station of the Bluebell Railway in Sussex. The award winning station was a former Southern Railway junction between the East Grinstead - Lewes line and an electrified branch to Haywards Heath on the main Brighton line. This link will one day be restored. Horsted Keynes is also home to the yards and the carriage works of the railway, which maintains the award winning vintage carriages and wagons.
Railway type and traffic
The Bluebell is the only all steam preserved railway in the country, so is lacking in diesel or electric locomotive. The line has engines built from the 1870s to the 1960s. These haul everything from Mk.1s to Victorian branch trains and Metropolitan Railway carriages. See the Bluebell Railway for more information.
Environment
The station is in the middle of beautiful Sussex countryside, about a mile from the small village of the same name.
Road directions
From the A23 at Haywards Heath:
Follow signs to the Bluebell Railway and either travel by train from Sheffield Park or follow the A275 north past there towards Danehill, then signs to the Bluebell Railway from there.
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Horstead Keynes map co-ordinates
Follow signs to the Bluebell Railway and either travel by train from Sheffield Park or follow the A275 north past there towards Danehill, then signs to the Bluebell Railway from there.
Click here to set up your location for directions to this location
Horstead Keynes map co-ordinates
Parking
There is ample free car parking at Horsted Keynes and Sheffield Park (travel by train). It is advisable to leave the car at Sheffield Park in wet weather as the car park at Horsted Keynes is a large field.
Public transport
From London travel to East Croydon from London Victoria, Clapham Junction, London Bridge, then board a train to East Grinstead (roughly hourly frequency). At East Grisntead, a vintage bus runs most weekends from the station forecourt to Kingscote station, form where you can travel by train to Horsted Keynes. Alternatively, Metrobus services link Horsted Keynes direct with Haywards Heath.
Click here to set up your location for directions to this location
Click here to set up your location for directions to this location
Amenities
Plenty of toilets on the station, plus a refreshment room. Or travel down to Sheffield Park for a fully licensed restaurant on platform 1.
Accommodation
Hotels in East Grinstead, Crawley, Haywards Heath, Brighton and Lewes are within easy reach. Also Bed and Breakfasts in several local villages.
Sun Compass
Sun Compass using Suncalc by brought to you by Vladimir Agafonkin:
It might be necessary to adjust the time to suit your visit, this link should open with the current day.
Horstead Keynes
Streetmap links
Horstead Keynes general view map
Horstead Keynes close up map
Windows Local Live Link - image quality may vary
Horstead Keynes
It might be necessary to adjust the time to suit your visit, this link should open with the current day.
Horstead Keynes
Googly map
Horstead Keynes general view map
Horstead Keynes close up map
Windows Local Live Link - image quality may vary
Horstead Keynes
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Photographic notes
The light is good all day. The south end of platform 5 is good for northbound trains, and the field good for southbound services. Plenty of space at the station for pictures and videos.
General views - All photographs © Christopher Ward unless otherwise stated
Fig 1 - Looking south
This picture is from the field to the west of the station, but is not normally accessable except for special events. Showing a northbound train leaving the station.
Fig 2 - Looking north
This picture shows a northbound train arriving at the station from the end of platform 5
Disclaimer
All information contained within this is site is © Trainspots. The images used on this site remain the property of the original photographer, as credited at the top of the page, and are used with their kind permission.
The information on these pages is supplied for the benefit of railway enthusiasts who carry out a harmless hobby, and through the medium of photography and video, actually promote the railway industry. Railway enthusiasts can also act as eyes and ears against railway vandalism, and as such should surely be encouraged to do so by the supply of adequate information such as is found on this website.
This site has been created to assist railway photographers in their travels around the country. It is based on the personal knowledge and experience. No liability can be held against the web site or its contributions for incorrect information. Trainspots will endeavour to check all information and corrections will be accepted and posted accordingly.
Advice as to the locations general environment is given as a guide on each page. This information is a GUIDE only. ALWAYS be careful with your equipment, Trainspots can not be held responsible for your personal security. Avoid leaving your property on display for all to see, be aware of your surroundings at all times. There are, sadly, people who will not think twice about trying to steal your equipment.
Trainspots DOES NOT condone trespass and none of the information on this site should be taken as a right to trespass on either railway or private land. To the best of our knowledge all locations are publicly accessible areas, where they are not contact information will be given to the appropriate authority for permission to be obtained.
The content of this site is created and intended for all age ranges but the content of sites linked from this site are not subject to the same intentions. Trainspots will attempt to check links for validity but as time passes and the site grows this will not always be possible. Broken, or indeed updates to, links should be submitted to the editor for inclusion in the updates. All links external to the Trainspots site are opened in a new browser window. Trainspots has been running now for over 10 years and there are imitation sites and guides to railfotspots. But we are a free site and we continue on the path we started out on over a decade ago to provide a useful guide to UK Railway Photographic Locations.
The information on these pages is supplied for the benefit of railway enthusiasts who carry out a harmless hobby, and through the medium of photography and video, actually promote the railway industry. Railway enthusiasts can also act as eyes and ears against railway vandalism, and as such should surely be encouraged to do so by the supply of adequate information such as is found on this website.
This site has been created to assist railway photographers in their travels around the country. It is based on the personal knowledge and experience. No liability can be held against the web site or its contributions for incorrect information. Trainspots will endeavour to check all information and corrections will be accepted and posted accordingly.
Advice as to the locations general environment is given as a guide on each page. This information is a GUIDE only. ALWAYS be careful with your equipment, Trainspots can not be held responsible for your personal security. Avoid leaving your property on display for all to see, be aware of your surroundings at all times. There are, sadly, people who will not think twice about trying to steal your equipment.
Trainspots DOES NOT condone trespass and none of the information on this site should be taken as a right to trespass on either railway or private land. To the best of our knowledge all locations are publicly accessible areas, where they are not contact information will be given to the appropriate authority for permission to be obtained.
The content of this site is created and intended for all age ranges but the content of sites linked from this site are not subject to the same intentions. Trainspots will attempt to check links for validity but as time passes and the site grows this will not always be possible. Broken, or indeed updates to, links should be submitted to the editor for inclusion in the updates. All links external to the Trainspots site are opened in a new browser window. Trainspots has been running now for over 10 years and there are imitation sites and guides to railfotspots. But we are a free site and we continue on the path we started out on over a decade ago to provide a useful guide to UK Railway Photographic Locations.
