Devil's Dyke: a Victorian pastime

The Devil's Dyke, a deep gorge in the South Downs five and a half miles north west of Brighton, began life as a tourist attraction as early as 1818 when a small wooden hut was erected on the adjacent Dyke Hill. In the 1830s a Mr. William Thacker built a hotel on the site, and in later years an adventurous proprietor named James Hubbard took over and increased the facilities to include a bicycle railway, roundabouts, swings, a brass band and all the fun of the fair. He also opened two unusual enterprises; an Aerial Cableway and a Funicular Railway. An essential part of a day out at the Devil's Dyke was the ride on the Brighton and Dyke Railway. The standard gauge line enabled visitors easy access to the Dyke, and during the 1890s James Hubbard's amusement park was one of the most important tourist attractions of South East England.

Cast

Narrated by John Huntley

Genres

History

Language

English