Southern Water is constructing a new 1.9km water main along Iden Road. The existing sewer, built to carry the waste water from Iden village more than 50 years ago, is no longer fit for purpose, bursting a number of times recently. The work, which started on July 7 and will be completed by September 10, 2017, obviously must be done, but the thought of all the diverted traffic flowing down Coldharbour Lane was a real concern. Residents of Iden Lane could, however, access their properties and a few hardy souls try to make their way round by this route, not altogether wisely.
The closure, from the junction with A268 Rye Road to the junction with Playden Lane, has also affected local businesses, as the passing trade has dropped off. A notice saying businesses as usual has now been placed on the junction of Coldharbour Lane and A259, from the Peasmarsh direction, which has hopefully helped.
The diversion route is another of the difficulties facing people new to the area, who are not familiar with the Military Road in Rye and left turn then right fork at Houghton. The proper diversion takes people on a grand tour of the East Sussex countryside, offering a chance to visit Smallhythe House – Ellen Terry’s home and a National Trust property – on the way from Wittersham. Or what about a glass of wine at Chapel Down? The problem in arranging diversions in this part of East Sussex is the terrain, beautiful to see, but hard to get around.
It transpires that, as there is no other diversion signage except the long route, there has been very little extra traffic going through Coldharbour Lane, which is narrow, with passing places, and all seems to be going as smoothly as can be expected. Following a small blue Fiat car the other night, whose driver wanted to go to Iden, I turned down the Lane to see him disappearing into the far distance in search of the diversionary route. I duly arrived at “Jazz in the Barn”, which you can read about in this edition of Rye News. I wondered if the Fiat and its driver ever arrived in Iden.
Photo: Gillian Roder