Leaflet launched to promote Winchelsea station onward travel

The travel guide has been produced by Winchelsea Station Partnership Group which works to promote train travel to and from the station in East Sussex on the Marshlink line.

Lead volunteer John Spencer said: ”The leaflet helps to popularise the businesses local to Winchelsea station so that people can walk from the station having travelled by train and enjoy the wineries, pubs and tea rooms. We hope that this leaflet will be of help in boosting tourism in the area.”

The updated map has been funded by Southeast Communities Rail Partnership (SCRP), Community Rail Network and Southern Railway with further contributions from some of the businesses featured in the leaflet.

Paul Ramsey, landlord of The New Inn Winchelsea, added: “We’re glad to be supporting this great idea. The trains bring in tourists and visitors to the town. It’s better than using their cars so they can use the train and then just walk straight up to the town.”

A total of 500 copies of the leaflet have been produced and are available in shops, pubs and businesses in Winchelsea as well as in the ticket office waiting room at nearby Rye station. A pdf version can be downloaded from the SCRP website at: https://www.southeastcrp.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/WInchelsea-Folding-Map-March-2025.pdf

The updated leaflet follows production of an earlier brochure which had a print run of 200 and copies “just flew out”, according to Mr Spencer.

Winchelsea has direct links from the station to the 1066 Country Walk and is on National Cycle Route 2.

The station’s welcoming environment includes planters looked after by volunteers from the Winchelsea Station Partnership Group and artwork from pupils at nearby St Thomas’ primary school.

Promotion of the attractions in Winchelsea coincides with the celebrations this year for 200 years of the modern railways since the Stockton & Darlington Railway opened in 1825. It also marks 20 years of campaigning by the Three Oaks and Winchelsea Action for Rail Transport (THWART) which opposed a planned decrease in train services then successfully argued for the reintroduction of stopping services every two hours which has been extended to hourly stopping trains and weekend services.

The Marshlink line runs from Eastbourne in East Sussex to Ashford International in Kent. It is one of 10 Community Rail lines served by Southeast Communities Rail Partnership.

More details about the work of SCRP at www.southeastcrp.org/