Hastings Underground Railway - You Can Ride it!
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- čas přidán 2. 04. 2022
- A quick break from the usual abandoned railways, canals and landscapes. This week we took a mini tour of the Hastings Funicular railways. Yep there is two! So join us as we try and find the Victorian splendour that is The Hastings Funicular Railways.
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Side Clip in Tunnel: SecretLondon (CC)
Wheel Image: HastingsInFocus
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The interplay between this man and woman is lovely, cute and joyous! Great video too.
I agree they are both very nice people and I would love to move in their circle, especially as their subject interest and research done for their postings, they should. Be on mainstream TV 👍🏻❤️
Old Hastonian here. We lived about a mile north of the Old Town, with easy access to the East Hill, and its lift, Then it was a water balance lift. They filled a tank under the car with water. The extra weight took the loft down, bringing the car with the empty tank up. Simple and easy. Sometime later they replaced it with an electric motor. The West Hill lift holds special memories for me - on the grassy slopes above the lift, with a view over the lights of the harbour and the old town, I lost my virginity - well I didn't lose it - I willingly threw it away. 1962
We returned to Hastings recently, the first time for many years. The modern town is rather sad, but the Old Town is as lively and vibrant as ever - probably more so - and I was pleased to see that all the pubs I drank in are still there (Real ale in The Anchor, 1/6d a pint - 7 and a half p, that disgusting Watney's Red Barrel, half a crown a pint in The Pump House, opposite. Sunday evening folk nights at the Lord Nelson)
Oh wow 😍. Loved this one, Paul & Rebecca! Quirky railways, secret passageways, obscure world records, AND climbing a hill, all in the same video? Can't wait for the next episode in the series! (You're planning a series, right? Right??)
Incidentally, on behalf of my adopted homeland: France might have a thing or two to say about that "Oldest Surviving Underground Funicular" claim. They've got one in Lyon that dates to 1878. Someone should probably make a video about it...
I've no idea who that someone is Tim but I'm certain they will make an epic video about it..... veeeeery soon. Please.
@@pwhitewick It would have to be someone who is fluent in multiple languages, lives in France and has an alliterative CZcams channel...
@@hairyairey nope.... no idea still.
Worth noting the Metro C in Lyon is from *another* funicular that opened in 1891, and it has the steepest metro platform in the world at 17%! Of course, it was converted into a rack railway in the 70s, which is a delightful addition to Lyon's varied modes of transit.
I’m from Vancouver Canada. My wife lived in Hastings when I met her. I stayed 7weeks and have been on both lifts and walked the same path (down). Like you said Hastings has a lot of history. The Smuggers Caves are a must see.
Hello Paul and Rebecca., as always enjoyed your video. I had a parallel experience this week. While not a funicular railway a cable based tram located in Albuquerque, NM USA, a name I am only able to spell with he help of spell check. We were visiting a part of our country I'd never been to the desert Southwest and several friends told us oh you must ride the tram, a guide we had up in Colorado also said you must ride the tram our friends who live in the city said - well you get the idea. The tram climbs from the city of Albuquerque to the top of the ridge of the Sandia Mountains. The city is at 5,300 feet and the mountain peak is at 10,300 so nearly a mile higher and two miles above sealevel. Like the finiculars it hold records,, till 1966 it was the longest in the world, its now the third longest, it is still the longest in the Americas.
However like the East Cliff when we arrived it was closed it had closed three days earlier for its annual maintenance and regrettably will not reopen till four days after we'd left. On the plus side we now have an excuse to return to the area as we have many things left undone. The ride is 15 minutes long so a bit longer than most of the coastal finiculars we have ridden in the UK. Regards from the states.
Regarding Hastings history, the town also lays claim to being 'The Birthplace Of Television" , as John Logie Baird , the television pioneer conducted his early tv experiments in the town when moving here in the early 1920's .
Gotta love a funicular!
My first (and so far, only) experience of this type of travel, was the water-powered Lynton & Lynmouth Cliff Railway.
There is a funicular in Istanbul that runs entirely within a tunnel and is called something like the Tumel.The one in Haifa, Israel is supposed to be in a tunnel too but, sadly, I've never been on it.
There's another lovely one at Saltburn by the sea , remember riding it lots when I was a small child
Lovely video - I hope the fish and chips at the Blue Dolphin is as excellent as ever...
I went on this in Hastings, I liked the place and the big black fishing net dryer buildings.
We have a funicular here, built 1879, Funiculaire du Vieux-Québec.
Was last in Hastings the weekend before the first lock down. The East cliff funicular was meant to be open that weekend, but wasn't . The walk to the top though was worth it. The West cliff funicular is easy to miss ,especially in the summer when it can be quite packed in the Old Town.
Back in the day, I used to walk down from school past the West Hill railway. In those days it was steam driven and used to chuff on working up and down. The school (Priory Road) playing fields were on the East Hill, and the wind and rain from the South West made games periods awful. On a cross country run through Ecclesbourne Glen (just past East Hill), I nearly stepped on an adder. So if the weather didn't get you, the wildlife tried to!
Oh wow, this was so cool! We had a family friend who had a holiday house near Hastings which my family stayed in for 1-2 weeks a year when I was a kid. I live in Australia now, so it was really lovely seeing Hastings again, it's just like I remember it! I remember going up and down the eastern funicular, but had no idea the western one existed!
Sorry we missed you, in our home town. I'm often to be found in a pub somewhere between the two lifts! So much more history to Hastings than just 1066 & all that.
Nice video. I go to Hastings for Jack in the Green most years, and always include a ride on the West Hill Lift. Sometimes the East Hill too.
That second one I've never seen before, never even been on a Funicular :(
Never knew it existed!.... that because I never been to Hastings which is a place I always want to go, something different but a lovely video.
Three in Bornemouth, one in Redcar.
This just pipped by three months the Funicular dos Guindais in Porto which runs in a tunnel for about half it journey. It has lovely views over the the quay of the river Douro and the magnificent River bridge that now carries the metro.
Hi Paul and Rebecca, yes Hastings and the surrounding area is historically packed! Cinque port, birthplace of TV thanks to the Scot Logie Baird, centre for smugglers and many of the houses/ shops/ churches have secret cubby holes etc and “Caves Road” houses have caves, the fishing end “Rockanore” and those cliff railways sorry you missed the East Lift as when you are on it you can tell it is the steepest in Europe! I live here now and take all our visitors up it, around the fisherman’s museum and show them Logie’s House and blue plaque, if they stay longer Battle for the big thing in 1066 and Bexhill the birthplace of British motor racing. Keep up the good work Andy.
Didn't know these amazing gems existed!
You always learn something with Paul and Rebecca's channel!
It is an amazing town that could be far more so. The lower promenade is interesting, the walls are cast with thousands of recycled glass bottles in them , not a recent thing. It's lit up at night with a coloured light show. Also hidden under the prom is a disused victoriana swimming baths later converted to an also disused roller rink
It was an Ice Rink as well.
I grew up in Hastings and often rode both these funiculars. The East hill lift used to be powered by water pumped into the tank of the one at the top, as I understand it.
If you ever decide to make a trip the the USA, please consider visiting Pittsburgh Pennsylvania. It has lots of railroad history, more bridges than you can shake a stick at, three major rivers, an old French and then British fort, and TWO functional funiculars with AMAZING VIEWS!
Heavens! In the 1970s I lived for a year or two at St Leonards, just along the coast from Hastings proper, and never even knew there was a West Lift. The Eastern one is easily visible from the sea front, but the West one must be less obvious. Come to think of it, I didn't often go to Hastings Old Town, which is very touristy.
One was out of use for many years , getting a restoration later.
i do so like there adventures ..
Excellent. Despite living all my life in the SE, and having been to Hastings many times, I did not know it had a funicular, never mind two!
Hastings is an amazing Place one of my favourite places on Earth. You two really must walk along the Coastal Path at Hastings to Fairlight it is stunning!!
Wow been on East Hill Funicular but never West Hill had no idea it was underground! Amazing stuff!
Very interesting. Have been on the one (now closed I think) in Bournemouth and the little train one in Shipley near Saltair. Wonderful devices. And yes - love the short format of this one. Well Done. Cheers
Use to be two in Bournmouth,they only ran in the summer season.
@@stuartandrews4344 thought there were three in Bornemouth.
@@highpath4776 Yes your right,West Cliff ,Fisherman's Walk, & East Cliff, did this one ever reopen after the landslide some years ago?
@@stuartandrews4344 I forgot the landslip , not been in years
We live near Eastbourne and didn’t know of the underground vernacular railway, we will have to take a look , thank you.
Great little video .. I knew the funicular railways existed but didn’t realise the left one ran in a tunnel!
Quirky alleyways? Yes please!
Aberystwyth funicular railway Is my local one great video as always
And you have one at the eco-centre place nearby too
@@highpath4776 At Corris ?
@@colin125gwr Its nearby , I keep wanting to call it the Earth Centre, but its not , but has similar ecological claims.
i went to Hastings when i was holidaying in Kent in 2018 and ive been on that train its brilliant as far as i know Scarborough still has a cliff railway keep up the awesome work
Scarborough's is still running!
O love everything you guys do, and coming from North Devon and having spent a few years as a Bristol copper, I know the Lynmouth Lynton beauty, been on it many times, of course it's powered by the water in the tanks, simple weight transfer, but also have seen a lot of the inside of the Clifton railway, which during the war was an incredible BBC broadcasting studio. How crazy is that. I'm sure the group that run it and are slowly preserving it would give you a tour for the publicity as they are so desperate for funds, any exposure helps. Of interest, my dad, a WW2 tank driver, worked as a bulldozer driver at Lynmouth after the floods 15th and 16th August 1952,, and I worked at Boscastle re-building after the floods 16th August 2004, 52 years later.
So two new series, Paul and Rebecca? Alleys and funiculars? I can't wait!
Great video guys there are three funicular railway lifts on the seafront cliffs down here in Bournemouth. All are running except the East Cliff lift which hasn’t operated since a cliff collapse in 2016👍😎
Is Folkestone on your list but if you want a really nice trip try going to Paris in August and go to the funicular at Mont Marte
Another great video! I was in Heidelberg recently and they have two funiculars, one of which has an underground section.
Nice video, I've been on that railway back in 2005. :)
Well, you've made it to Hastings, this was probably one of my late father's favourite places and of course over the years, we travelled on both cliff railways and the miniature one. Hope whilst you're down there you explore the trackbed of the Rye and Camber Tramway (some track sections still exist in the Rye Harbour area) and over to the Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway, where there are also abandoned railways in the Dungeness and New Romney areas.
And the WW2 Sound Mirrors. I think the exploring of Dungeness Power Station has ceased , but the Lighthouse should be visitable
@@highpath4776 Indeed, I have stayed at Romney Sands caravan park many times, often right up against the railway trackbed (not the original branch, but a diversion built by the Southern Railway later on) and could see the sound mirror structures quite clearly.
@@davidcann4329 I have walked around them and had a book on them, there were others in Essex too.
@@highpath4776 They are very impressive things to see, in these troubled days it's interesting what our engineers and technicians came up with to detect enemy aircraft early.
Always great fun done so many times love Hastings great for railways
Fabulous! And that's a yes, please for quirky laneways.
What a great channel of interesting places to share.
Awesome video cobber grew up in st Leonard's/ Hastings fond memories of the alley and what i got up 2 .all best cobber from AUSTRALIA Nick
I use to work on both the cliff railways in Hastings - 1999 - 2004
Great video guys, the East Cliff lift was shut for quite a while due to a problem with the cables, hopefully it will be open soon.
Used to work as a driver of the Saltburn Cliff Lift and had to walk the tracks daily to check before operating. The emergency brake tests were always spectacular. Fill top tank, load with concrete blocks to simulate full/overload, release brake and override the then recently fitted electronic safety system, let it fly! Pull red lever and watch the wooden beams drop and wedge the cars to simulate a catastrophic failure.
I was going to suggest Clifton, but you already know about it!
I love hastings! I'm glad the West Hill Railway's up and running again! There are prettier ways up to the top than that alley!
Thanks guys didn't know Hastings had the railways very interesting
Yes, quirky alleyways, please.
Wow that was fantastic. Really loved that. Look forward to your next one. Please stay safe and take care
Tewkesbury is full of quirky alleyways!
What a Fun* video :D
Quirky Alleyways? Heck, why not!
*...icular
Great Video both - short and sweet 😀
If you go back to ride the East Cliff I would recommend Maggies' for Fish & Chips. On the first floor above the Fish Market (You can just see it in the clip of the minature railway)
You get a fantastic view of the channel, whilst feeding the inner man, or woman.
Any viewers tripping to Hastings should also make time to visit all the old "collectables" shops in the Old Town.
This is brilliant 😊
Welcome to Hastings!
There are lots of little alleyways, or "Twittens" in Hastings, for a future video.
just remember to keep your valuables out of sight. Countries largest population of benefit scroungers and the like.
Yes, quirky alleys, please!
Can't wait for the alley vlog - or ginnels and snicket's up't north!
And twittens (apparently)
You should pop over to France and do the "Le Tréport" (Haute Normandie) one, the area at the top of it was once a hotel and the hotel and area around it was used as an allied WW1 military hospital.
It's just down on the coast from the town of Eu, where my great grandmother came from, there are also some abandoned railways around there as well.
Think I travelled on the open air one as a child with my parents nd sster. Well overdue for another visit.
Thanks for this Paul and Rebecca.
im down for quirky alleyways videos !
I had to look up finicular. 🙂 Very nice little short Video.
Very interesting video I’ve never been to Hastings looks very good place to visit thank you from NZ
I was once the driver of a cliff lift funicular railway on the south coast.
It was short and it was fun! Sure hope you'll do a serie of the quircky and also more of Hastings.
“Ambush Alleyways” it’s got a ring to it😂
Enjoyed the video as ever, thanks.
Pittsburgh has a few of these operating daily, especially during the rush hour.
Quirky Alleyways - Qallayways
Sounds like another good subject to make videos on.
There is a lift at lynton and lynmouth also visit the lynton and Barnstaple narrow gauge railway
We almost did a few months back
i remember going on the Broadstairs funicular when i was a kid :) family took a train down from medway to broadstairs for the day. we went down to the beach via the funicular, and back up again at the end of the day \o/ the trackbed in the tunnel was like large stairs and was covered in soft toys XD. am sad it is closed down now :( should be restored and preserved D:
Hi Paul and Rebecca,
I do enjoy your videos on railways past and present. However, I must correct you regarding the west cliff funicular, the F1 funicular in Lyon (France) which is almost entirely underground was opened on 8 august 1878 and is 783 metres in length. Lyon once boasted 4 funiculars, today there are but two, one has been converted to a road tunnel in the early 70's and the other now forms part of line C of the metro - interestingly the only rack and pinnion underground in the world. Well worth the visit.
I see that and raise you Tünel in Istanbul. Opened 1875 and still going today!
Hi Paul & Rebecca. Hope you two are doing well.
That was so cool to see one of my UK home towns again.
Stay safe and take care.
Cheers.
Given the harsh environment at the coast I would suggest that the entire tunnel should be lined. You can see where many bricks have lost their weatherproof facings and that's never good. Obviously it won't look as good but it also needs to last.
1066 of Course Pevensey Bay and somewhere near Battle (abbey and town).
I loved that Rebecca and Paul!
Quirky alleys video, can't wait!
My mates fr Hastings! Had no idea about these two Fun places though 😂
East Cliff Railway is visible on the Hastings webcam when it pans across
As you say, that was loads of fun...icular! I look forward to your new series "Great Abandoned Funicular Railways".
And seriously, as someone who is as obsessed with funiculars as I am regular railways (we've got Angels Flight in LA), I thank you and hope we'll see more of these cliff-y trips.
Now you need to do the Lynton to Lynmouth one, and compare to Bridgnorth. Lots of fun! I've not used the hatsings ones since I was quite young, it being the nearest seaside to where I lived at the time. Now I need to go back:-)
Good to be reminded of Bridgnorth which I think is Britain's only inland funicular?
Went on it when was on holiday a few years ago at the campsite near the east lift. Caves worth going in, if you can at the top. Not much left of the castle as half of it fell into the sea in a storm 200 years ago.
Great video. Thanks.
Good stuff as ever…love Hastings but haven’t been in years, and I never knew about that subterranean funicular. Just one point of pedantry Paul…you quoted the incline as 1 in 29. I’m guessing it is actually 29%, which would make a bit steeper than 1 in 4.
29% seems way more like it! I was wondering if he meant 1 in 2.9, but your version seems likely. 1 in 29 isn't _that_ much steeper than Lickey!
Thanks again, Paul.
@@hoagy_ytfc Yes, I caught that one too. For the record, the steepest gradient on currently operating UK railways is the 1:30 Golfa Bank on the Welshpool and Llanfair Railway. Lickey Incline is 1:38 for a continuous length of 2 miles.
What a funtastic video!
Great stuff!
I used to regularly ride the Folkestone funicular Leas cliff lifts. I am unaware if they are still running today, though it was always a joy.
Been on both many years ago, also Budapest in Hungary has a great one too.
I have traveled on both (the underground on first in 1973/4) a few years ago when it was cold I went up the steps next to the East Cliff one, two at a time, as it was a cold day I didn't get too hot, but had to sit down at the top for 5 minutes to get my breath back.
I went to Hastings once and the whole town was closed. I love the one at Bridgenorth.
Welcome, W.C. Fields fan. Philadelphian?
Bridgenorth is good,calso one at Aberystwyth.
I need to go to Hastings now... 😀
hello paul and rebecca, cool video again , thank you for taking us along with you , well done guys 😊
The Linton and Lynmouth Cliff Railway is a must
That was really different. Can't wait to try it for myself!
Another great Sunday evening video....Thank you
Brilliant absolutely brilliant. We live and learn. Thoroughly enjoyed this. Beautiful day and scenery. Felt I was on the funicular. Thank you.
Loved it.
I lived in Hastings from 1988 to 2000 and never used this rail lift. I didn't realise it was in a tunnel. I used the other one once when we first moved there just to see what it was. I feel cheated now!