The K&ESR is a registered educational charity whose purpose is to preserve the railway - its rolling stock, infrastructure and environment - as a living museum for the benefit of the general public.
With the help of some 500 active volunteers, we look after a range of heritage locomotives and carriages which convey our visitors along the line, as well as historic station buildings and signal boxes. Our work and the dedication of these volunteers allows both young and old to be transported back in time to learn about the history of rural railways and the social and economic change that they enabled.
We are also passionate about the environment in which we operate: the High Weald National Landscape (previously known as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty) in the beautiful Rother Valley. We care about the habitats that exist along the remarkable linear wildlife corridor that is created by the railway, and we encourage our visitors to enjoy both the landscape and the wealth of wildlife to be found along the route.
The charity provides a host of benefits on many levels including:
- Boosting the local economy - up to 90,000 visitors a year travel the line, bringing custom to local businesses whom we also seek to support as suppliers to the railway
- Creating a hub for volunteering - which brings many benefits to well-being through meeting new people, learning new skills, keeping active, and contributing to a common cause
- Training - volunteers acquire new skills which can be helpful in entering the world of work or developing a career outside the railway
- Keeping heritage skills and crafts alive - we pass on knowledge about traditional engineering as we preserve and operate the line
- Education - we hold regular schools visits including wartime evacuation events, where children learn about how railways were used to move children to safety during World War II, and Young Engineer days where children can learn how a steam engine works
- Increasing access to heritage - we have developed a link with the London borough of Tower Hamlets, working on projects to enable inner-city children to learn about and experience first-hand the transport heritage in our care
Our charity depends both on visitors and financial supporters to continue its valuable work. Please do visit us, and if you are able to support us with a donation you can do so here.
Thank you.