Building the railways
This section explores how industry, innovation, and the need for better transport set the stage for the railway age—and how those changes shaped the world we live in today.
Demand for better transport
By the time of the Industrial Revolution, Britain needed faster, more reliable ways to move people and goods. Horses struggled with heavy loads, and canals helped for a time, but it was the railways that provided the true solution.
Early railways
From the 1600s, horse-drawn wooden and iron “plateways” carried coal and iron, the first steps toward true railways. In 1803, the Surrey Iron Railway became Britain’s first public line, open to all who paid a fee—an innovation that paved the way for the railway revolution.
Poor roads
Sussex roads, once laid by the Romans, had become rutted and impassable. In 1749, Horace Walpole criticised them, and that same year Turnpike Trusts were set up to improve toll roads with coaching inns and milestones. Yet even these improvements could not keep pace with industrial growth.
Iron industry
The Weald produced iron from prehistoric times until the late 18th century, with a peak in the 1620s. The industry declined due to cheaper Swedish imports. A breakthrough came in 1709 with Abraham Darby’s coke-fuelled furnace, which moved iron production to coal-rich areas and drove demand for deeper mining. This in turn spurred the invention of water-pumping engines—an essential step towards modern steam power.
Brickmaking
The local Wealden clay proved perfect for bricks and tiles. As the railways expanded, millions of bricks were needed for bridges and tunnels, so temporary brickworks were often set up close to building sites.
The canal age
The Bridgewater Canal of 1764 transformed transport by carrying coal cheaply and efficiently, inspiring a nationwide boom. By the 19th century, over 5,000 miles of canals existed, including the Sussex Ouse.
