West Hill Cliff Railway

The West Hill Cliff Railway is a funicular line in Hastings, East Sussex. It links the seafront at George Street with Hastings Castle and St Clement’s Caves high above. The route runs mostly inside tunnels cut through the sandstone ridge. From the carriages passengers look out over the sea to the south, the Old Town to the east, and the town’s central streets to the west. The line opened in 1891 after delays and cost overruns pushed its price more than half above the original estimate. It was first driven by a gas engine before being electrified in 1971. The council took ownership in 1947 and carried out a full refurbishment for the centenary in 1991. A second lift, the East Hill Cliff Railway, now shares the job of carrying visitors up the cliffs. At the top the railway opens on to the ruined walls of Hastings Castle. Nearby are the entrances to St Clement’s Caves, a network of man-made tunnels. The lift itself remains a working example of Victorian engineering, its two cars still carrying up to sixteen passengers at a time.