East Hill Cliff Railway, Hastings

[John]

East Hill Cliff Railway, or East Hill Lift, is a funicular railway located in the English seaside town of Hastings. It provides access to Hastings Country Park via the East Hill, which overlooks the Old Town and Rock-a-Nore, an area to the east of Hastings. The line provides views over the Stade, home to the largest beach launched fishing fleet in Europe.
 
The line is owned and operated by Hastings Borough Council and has the following technical parameters:
 Length: 267 feet (81 m)
 Gradient: 78%
 Cars: 2
 Capacity: 16 passengers per car
 Configuration: Double track
 Gauge: 5 feet (1.5 m)
 Traction: Electricity
 
Work on this lift was started in January 1889, and the line was opened in 1903 by Hastings Borough Council. The line was originally operated on the water balance principle, and the twin towers of the upper station contained water tanks for this purpose. The line was modernised between 1973 and 1976, during which time it was converted to electric operation and new cars were provided. The line was shut in June 2007 because of an incident where a fault in a control panel caused the cars to fail to stop at the correct point, resulting in damage to both cars and stations. In 2008, Hastings Borough Council decided on a major refurbishment involving new cars and new control and safety systems, together with repairs to the damaged stations. The line reopened in March 2010.

[helcion]

Does anyone know whether the East Hill Cliff Lift is operating & if so, hours of operation ?
I gather that it reopened last year after a major refurbishment & was rapidly closed again.

I've not found any specific info on the internet & a phone number I found for the lift is never answered.

Any info would be much appreciated !

Thanks / Cheers

Helcion

[Longpockets]

Does anyone know whether the East Hill Cliff Lift is operating & if so, hours of operation ?
I gather that it reopened last year after a major refurbishment & was rapidly closed again.

I've not found any specific info on the internet & a phone number I found for the lift is never answered.

Any info would be much appreciated !

Thanks / Cheers

Helcion

Helcion,

Are these any different to what you have already?

Cliff Railways
 
The council operates funicular cliff railways on the East and West Cliffs above Hastings Old Town.
 Telephone: 01424 446104
 e-Mail: westhill@hastings.gov.uk (West Hill lift)
 e-Mail: easthill@hastings.gov.uk (East Hill lift)
 Web: www.visit1066country.com/hastings/attractions/cliffrailway/

From here - http://www.hastings.gov.uk/services/default.aspx

[Chris in 1066]

helicon

Yes, it is open on a daily basis but the last time i went down the old town the hours were standard - like 9 till 5; so visit during the main hours of the day to be sure

[helcion]

Longpockets / Chris in 1066    -


Thanks.      That was the number that I've was trying without success.

There seems to be a strange lack of information on the internet on the East Hill lift & I was wondering whether there were still problems with it.
Plenty of info on the West Hill lift although some websites get the two muddled up !

I'll take a look next time I'm in the area.

Thanks again,

Helcion

[John]

How about this for a lovely picture? East Hill Cliff Railway sometime between WWI and WWII.

[Pete]

There is a beacon next to the top of the lift, on Hastings Bonfire Night the Beacon is lit and members of Hastings Atheletic club run down the track with torches to light the procession banners and torches- it is great to see the flames coming down the cliff. Hastings is also the only town I'm aware of that still rings the church bells during the procession following the law of 1606 to celebrate deliverance from the Gunpowder Plot (which also made Nov 5 a public holiday)

[John]

Hastings and St Leonards Observer - Saturday 09 August 1902

THE EAST HILL LIFT. After many months' operations, the Lift from Rock-a-Nore to the East Hill may be regarded as complete, and, as decided by the Emergency Committee of the Town Council on Wednesday, will very fittingly be opened for traffic on Coronation Day. Some difficulty had been experienced with the wheels, but since they have been substituted for others with different flanges the affair has worked quite smoothly. During the latter part of the present week it has been running almost continuously without hitch, and the breaks have worked very satisfactorily. Had the Lift been open for patronage on Monday, Bank Holiday, it is estimated that 5,000 people would have mounted the Hill by the Lift.

[tallstory]

During the 2010 update the old glass fibre cars were replaced by wooden ones in the style of the original Edwardian carriages. The photo shows one during their construction.

[Man of Kent1]

I remember the ECR very well from my various sojourns in the town in the early '50's!   Great ride!