Riley's Miniature Railway

Riley's Miniature Railway Riley's Miniature Railway is a not for profit, fun, 5 inch gauge miniature railway. Many years ago, you could travel to Isfield by rail.

Located at Isfield Station on the Lavender Line, a lovely heritage railway in the village of Isfield in East Sussex, TN22 5XB, just off the A26 between Lewes and Uckfield. Right from our conception back in 2011 we have been very proud to support the Evelina Children's Hospital in London, part of Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust. Every year a donation is sent to the hospital collected from

fares and donations. Charging a very reasonable £1 per person per ride, we give rides to both children and adults alike. We are one of the few, ground level, 5 inch gauge railway's open to the public in the UK and as such, is considered to be the smallest practical ride on track gauge. It is located at the Lavender Line at Isfield Station in Station Road, just off the A26 between Lewes and Uckfield, East Sussex, TN22 5XB. With generous free parking, this is a delightful standard gauge heritage railway with preserved steam and diesel locomotives offering a two mile round trip. The railway's shop can be found within the old waiting room, the grade II listed signal box can be visited and the Lavenders Tea Room is located in the old station building. Of course if the line hadn’t of closed the Lavender Line wouldn’t exist. Today, the nearest national network railway stations are Uckfield to the north with services from London, and Lewes to the south, served by east and west coastal services. Isfield is still served by public transport in the form of Brighton and Hove buses Regency Route running between Tunbridge Wells, Uckfield, Lewes and Brighton. Please visit the following for further information: https://www.buses.co.uk/services/BH/29

For further information on the Lavender Line in particular please have a look at their pages (Lavender Line or Lavender Line Loco Dept) or visit their website: https://www.lavender-line.co.uk

Both Riley’s Miniature Railway and the Lavender Line are looking forward to our next open day on Fathers Day - Sunday 21...
08/06/2026

Both Riley’s Miniature Railway and the Lavender Line are looking forward to our next open day on Fathers Day - Sunday 21st June 2026.

Entirely operated by volunteers throughout, both railways are located at the beautifully restored Isfield Station in Station Road, Isfield, East Sussex, TN22 5XB, just off the A26 between Lewes and Uckfield.

Riley’s Miniature Railway will be open from 10:00 - 16:00 running from Platform 2 with rides on our little trains costing a small charge of £1.00 per person per ride or alternatively an All Day Rover ticket for £4 for unlimited rides on date of travel. Cash and card payments accepted. Great fun for both children and adults alike.

The Lavender Line will be running passenger services on the heritage railway alongside using one of their heritage diesels.

Their first service will leave Isfield Station at 11:00 operating a half-hourly service, with the last train at 15:30. Trains travel north to Worth Halt before returning covering a two mile round trip.

It is free to explore Isfield Station, which includes much its original features such as the cattle and unloading dock, yard crane, crossing gates, and of course the Grade II listed Signal Box. Children will love operating the point and signal levers (now disconnected) and having a look at the fantastic pictures of how the station looked back in the day when it was part of the main railway network (1858 to 1969).

Lavender’s tea room located in the old station building will be open from 10:00 - 16:00 for light lunches, tea, coffee, cream teas, cakes & cold drinks.

Our younger visitors can be kept amused at the two play tables while the grownups enjoy a coffee!

Please take a look in the Gift Shop (once the waiting room) on Platform 2 where they have a wide variety of gifts, souvenirs and a lovely selection of ice cream.

Well behaved dogs on a lead are welcome on site and on the heritage railway train providing they don’t sit on the seats. Small dogs are generally able to be accommodated on the miniature train.

There is no need to book, just turn up on the day where tickets for the Lavender Line train are available from the gift shop. Cab rides available for an additional supplement.

There is plenty of free parking located in the old goods yard right next to The Laughing Fish, a lovely traditional Sussex village pub.

The nearest mainline railway stations are at Lewes and Uckfield, however a taxi or the 29A bus operated by Brighton & Hove buses will be required for the rest of the journey. This service stops directly outside Isfield Station and runs regularly and daily between Brighton, Lewes, Uckfield and Heathfield. The timetable can be found at https://www.buses.co.uk/services/BH/29.

Can’t make this date? Don’t worry, Riley’s Miniature Railway and the Lavender Line’s remaining public open days for 2026 are as follows with the Lavender Line’s traction type also shown:

•Sunday (Father’s Day), June 21st- Diesel
•Sunday, June 28th - Steam - Isfield Summer Fete
•Sunday, July 19th - Diesel
•Sunday, August 2nd - Steam
•Sunday, August 16th - Diesel
•Sunday, August 30th - Steam
•Monday (Bank Holiday), August 31st - Diesel
•Sunday, September 13th - Steam - plus Southern Classics Society - Classic Car Show
•Sunday, September 27th - Diesel
•Sunday, October 11th - Steam - plus Model Railway Exhibition and Miniature Day
•Sunday, October 25th - Diesel
•Saturday, October 31st - Diesel - Halloween Special - timings TBC
•November - CLOSED

The Lavender Line will aim to operate the advertised traction, however reserve the right to substitute with alternative traction if required for operational reasons.

If a date is not shown there are no public trains or site access and the tearoom is not open.

Further information on the Lavender Line can be found here: https://www.lavender-line.com or by visiting the Lavender Line’s page.

Riley’s Miniature Railway is a not for profit set up and very proud to support the Evelina Children's Hospital in London (part of Guy's & St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust) by sending them a donation once every year collected from fares.



We very much enjoyed our open day today and we welcomed many visitors some from as far as Zimbabwe, Australia, Isle of W...
07/06/2026

We very much enjoyed our open day today and we welcomed many visitors some from as far as Zimbabwe, Australia, Isle of Wight, but many from much closer to home. Even a London Routemaster bus stopped off at Isfield for a few minutes! On the miniature track today we had two Ride on Railways locomotives in use hauling two trains. One of these was our trusty Jasper loco and the other a Hercules which has recently undergone a bit of a makeover with its new narrow gauge industrial body shell (see earlier post). On the Lavender Line side diesel electric multiple thumper unit number 1133 was in operation today which was standing in for steam locomotive Lady Lisa as a fault was sadly discovered. The gift shop, signal box and the Lavenders Tea Room was busy with visitors and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves. Thanks to our visitors for coming to see us today and to all our volunteers, it was a great day!

07/06/2026

We very much enjoyed our open day today and we welcomed many visitors some from as far as Zimbabwe, Australia, Isle of Wight, but many from much closer to home. Even a London Routemaster bus stopped off at Isfield for a few minutes! On the miniature track today we had two Ride on Railways locomotives in use hauling two trains. One of these was our trusty Jasper loco and the other a Hercules which has recently undergone a bit of a makeover with its new narrow gauge industrial body shell (see earlier post). On the Lavender Line side diesel electric multiple thumper unit number 1133 was in operation today which was standing in for steam locomotive Lady Lisa as a fault was sadly discovered. The gift shop, signal box and the Lavenders Tea Room was busy with visitors and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves. Thanks to our visitors for coming to see us today and to all our volunteers, it was a great day!

Spot the difference! Keith’s Ride on Railways Hercules locomotive has had a bit of a makeover with the addition of a new...
07/06/2026

Spot the difference! Keith’s Ride on Railways Hercules locomotive has had a bit of a makeover with the addition of a new industrial body shell. The original body shell will still occasionally make an appearance but this gives Keith a bit of variation when running the locomotive!

Open this coming Sunday! Both Riley’s Miniature Railway and the Lavender Line are looking forward to our next open day o...
06/06/2026

Open this coming Sunday!

Both Riley’s Miniature Railway and the Lavender Line are looking forward to our next open day on Sunday 7th June 2026.

Entirely operated by volunteers throughout, both railways are located at the beautifully restored Isfield Station in Station Road, Isfield, East Sussex, TN22 5XB, just off the A26 between Lewes and Uckfield.

Riley’s Miniature Railway will be open from 10:00 - 16:00 running from Platform 2 with rides on our little trains costing a small charge of £1.00 per person per ride or alternatively an All Day Rover ticket for £4 for unlimited rides on date of travel. Cash and card payments accepted. Great fun for both children and adults alike.

*Please note there is a change of traction on the Lavender Line. Sadly steam locomotive Lady Lisa has developed a fault, therefore a heritage diesel will be running passenger services on the heritage railway alongside.*

Their first service will leave Isfield Station at 11:00 operating a half-hourly service, with the last train at 15:30. Trains travel north to Worth Halt before returning covering a two mile round trip.

It is free to explore Isfield Station, which includes much its original features such as the cattle and unloading dock, yard crane, crossing gates, and of course the Grade II listed Signal Box. Children will love operating the point and signal levers (now disconnected) and having a look at the fantastic pictures of how the station looked back in the day when it was part of the main railway network (1858 to 1969).

Lavender’s tea room located in the old station building will be open from 10:00 - 16:00 for light lunches, tea, coffee, cream teas, cakes & cold drinks.

Our younger visitors can be kept amused at the two play tables while the grownups enjoy a coffee!

Please take a look in the Gift Shop (once the waiting room) on Platform 2 where they have a wide variety of gifts, souvenirs and a lovely selection of ice cream.

Well behaved dogs on a lead are welcome on site and on the heritage railway train providing they don’t sit on the seats. Small dogs are generally able to be accommodated on the miniature train.

There is no need to book, just turn up on the day where tickets for the Lavender Line train are available from the gift shop. Cab rides available for an additional supplement.

There is plenty of free parking located in the old goods yard right next to The Laughing Fish, a lovely traditional Sussex village pub.

The nearest mainline railway stations are at Lewes and Uckfield, however a taxi or the 29A bus operated by Brighton & Hove buses will be required for the rest of the journey. This service stops directly outside Isfield Station and runs regularly and daily between Brighton, Lewes, Uckfield and Heathfield. The timetable can be found at https://www.buses.co.uk/services/BH/29.

Can’t make this date? Don’t worry, our remaining public open days for 2026 are as follows with the Lavender Line’s traction type also shown:

•Sunday, June 7th - Diesel
•Sunday (Father’s Day), June 21st - Diesel
•Sunday, June 28th - Steam - Isfield Summer Fete
•Sunday, July 19th - Diesel
•Sunday, August 2nd - Steam
•Sunday, August 16th - Diesel
•Sunday, August 30th - Steam
•Monday (Bank Holiday), August 31st - Diesel
•Sunday, September 13th - Steam - plus Southern Classics Society - Classic Car Show
•Sunday, September 27th - Diesel
•Sunday, October 11th - Steam - plus Model Railway Exhibition and Miniature Day
•Sunday, October 25th - Diesel
•Saturday, October 31st - Diesel - Halloween Special - timings TBC
•November - CLOSED

The Lavender Line will aim to operate the advertised traction, however reserve the right to substitute with alternative traction if required for operational reasons.

If a date is not shown there are no public trains or site access and the tearoom is not open.

Further information on the Lavender Line can be found here: https://www.lavender-line.com or by visiting the Lavender Line’s page.

Riley’s Miniature Railway is a not for profit set up and very proud to support the Evelina Children's Hospital in London (part of Guy's & St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust) by sending them a donation once every year collected from fares.



Scratching around for something to do? Fancy keeping active? In need of social interaction? Making new friends? Or perha...
06/06/2026

Scratching around for something to do? Fancy keeping active? In need of social interaction? Making new friends? Or perhaps willing to make a difference so that it can be enjoyed by others? We may be able to help.

Riley’s Miniature Railway is a 5 inch gauge ride on railway located at the Lavender Line, a heritage railway running from Isfield Station in East Sussex, TN22 5XB.

There are no paid positions, both Riley’s Miniature Railway and the Lavender Line rely entirely on a wonderful team of volunteers who give up their spare time for free to help maintain and/or operate both railways.

We are looking for volunteers to help with the running and upkeep of Riley’s Miniature Railway.

Perhaps you’d like to learn how to drive one of our miniature trains, giving rides to our visitors. A responsible job ensuring the safety of our visitors but very satisfying.

On our open days you could help with meeting and greeting our visitors, preparing the tickets, and assisting with guiding our visitors on and off our trains.

Other roles include maintenance tasks such as painting, gardening, fence repairs, woodwork, track work repairs and reinstatement, stock restoration, etc.

There’s absolutely no need to feel anxious or daunted, we’re a friendly bunch and full training can be given if necessary.

You can offer as much or as little time as you wish, it’s up to you!

We believe the best way to enquire is to come and have a chat over a cuppa on one of our open days - these are shown at the bottom of this page.

That way we can answer any questions you may have but of course you may wish to message us privately or call 07793 435428. Please leave a voicemail message if no answer and we will get back to you.

Public open days for 2026 are as follows with the Lavender Line’s traction type also shown:

•Sunday, June 7th - Diesel
•Sunday (Father’s Day), June 21st- Diesel
•Sunday, June 28th - Steam - Isfield Summer Fete
•Sunday, July 19th - Diesel
•Sunday, August 2nd - Steam
•Sunday, August 16th - Diesel
•Sunday, August 30th - Steam
•Monday (Bank Holiday), August 31st - Diesel
•Sunday, September 13th - Steam - plus Southern Classics Society - Classic Car Show
•Sunday, September 27th - Diesel
•Sunday, October 11th - Steam - plus Model Railway Exhibition and Miniature Day
•Sunday, October 25th - Diesel
•Saturday, October 31st - Diesel - Halloween Special - timings TBC
•November - CLOSED

Regular visitor Stephen Brown very kindly sent us these two photographs showing our Evelina Junction Station, which he t...
05/06/2026

Regular visitor Stephen Brown very kindly sent us these two photographs showing our Evelina Junction Station, which he took on his visit on Monday 25th May. Thanks to Stephen for sharing these, they’re great. It’s always nice to see our visitors photographs, so if you take any we’d always love to see them! And if you’re happy we’d love to share them, like we have done with Stephens.

Both Riley’s Miniature Railway and the Lavender Line are looking forward to our next open day on Sunday 7th June 2026. E...
03/06/2026

Both Riley’s Miniature Railway and the Lavender Line are looking forward to our next open day on Sunday 7th June 2026.

Entirely operated by volunteers throughout, both railways are located at the beautifully restored Isfield Station in Station Road, Isfield, East Sussex, TN22 5XB, just off the A26 between Lewes and Uckfield.

Riley’s Miniature Railway will be open from 10:00 - 16:00 running from Platform 2 with rides on our little trains costing a small charge of £1.00 per person per ride or alternatively an All Day Rover ticket for £4 for unlimited rides on date of travel. Cash and card payments accepted. Great fun for both children and adults alike.

*Please note there is a change of traction on the Lavender Line. Sadly steam locomotive Lady Lisa has developed a fault, therefore a heritage diesel will be running passenger services on the heritage railway alongside.*

Their first service will leave Isfield Station at 11:00 operating a half-hourly service, with the last train at 15:30. Trains travel north to Worth Halt before returning covering a two mile round trip.

It is free to explore Isfield Station, which includes much its original features such as the cattle and unloading dock, yard crane, crossing gates, and of course the Grade II listed Signal Box. Children will love operating the point and signal levers (now disconnected) and having a look at the fantastic pictures of how the station looked back in the day when it was part of the main railway network (1858 to 1969).

Lavender’s tea room located in the old station building will be open from 10:00 - 16:00 for light lunches, tea, coffee, cream teas, cakes & cold drinks.

Our younger visitors can be kept amused at the two play tables while the grownups enjoy a coffee!

Please take a look in the Gift Shop (once the waiting room) on Platform 2 where they have a wide variety of gifts, souvenirs and a lovely selection of ice cream.

Well behaved dogs on a lead are welcome on site and on the heritage railway train providing they don’t sit on the seats. Small dogs are generally able to be accommodated on the miniature train.

There is no need to book, just turn up on the day where tickets for the Lavender Line train are available from the gift shop. Cab rides available for an additional supplement.

There is plenty of free parking located in the old goods yard right next to The Laughing Fish, a lovely traditional Sussex village pub.

The nearest mainline railway stations are at Lewes and Uckfield, however a taxi or the 29A bus operated by Brighton & Hove buses will be required for the rest of the journey. This service stops directly outside Isfield Station and runs regularly and daily between Brighton, Lewes, Uckfield and Heathfield. The timetable can be found at https://www.buses.co.uk/services/BH/29.

Can’t make this date? Don’t worry, our remaining public open days for 2026 are as follows with the Lavender Line’s traction type also shown:

•Sunday, June 7th - Diesel
•Sunday (Father’s Day), June 21st - Diesel
•Sunday, June 28th - Steam - Isfield Summer Fete
•Sunday, July 19th - Diesel
•Sunday, August 2nd - Steam
•Sunday, August 16th - Diesel
•Sunday, August 30th - Steam
•Monday (Bank Holiday), August 31st - Diesel
•Sunday, September 13th - Steam - plus Southern Classics Society - Classic Car Show
•Sunday, September 27th - Diesel
•Sunday, October 11th - Steam - plus Model Railway Exhibition and Miniature Day
•Sunday, October 25th - Diesel
•Saturday, October 31st - Diesel - Halloween Special - timings TBC
•November - CLOSED

The Lavender Line will aim to operate the advertised traction, however reserve the right to substitute with alternative traction if required for operational reasons.

If a date is not shown there are no public trains or site access and the tearoom is not open.

Further information on the Lavender Line can be found here: https://www.lavender-line.com or by visiting the Lavender Line’s page.

Riley’s Miniature Railway is a not for profit set up and very proud to support the Evelina Children's Hospital in London (part of Guy's & St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust) by sending them a donation once every year collected from fares.



Address

Lavender Line, Isfield Station, Station Road
Uckfield
TN225XB

Telephone

+447793435428

Website

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