The Brighton Tram 53 Society’s Open Weekend for 2026 in less than a month away and you can book your timed slot now to visit the current home of their two trams – no. 53 and Works Car 1. The Open Weekend will take place on Saturday 11th and Sunday 12th April 2026.
The Open Weekend takes place close to Chanctonbury Ring car park, with directions clearly signposted from there to get to the location where work has been underway on restoring the last tram built in Brighton in 1936 for the past 16 years. The group of dedicated volunteers have also recently started restoration work on Works Car 1. Together these are the last two surviving trams which once ran in Brighton.
The trams will be on show both days between 1100 and 1600, and this year to control access and make sure it doesn’t get too busy you will need to book a timed slot on the hour. This can be done by emailing the group as tram53project@yahoo.com.
53 was built at Lewes Road Depot in 1936, and would have a painfully short operating life with Brighton Corporation Tramways abandoned just three years later. It became one of probably thousands of trams across the UK which were sold on for further use, with it ending up on a West Sussex farm which is where it remained until the 1970s.
The Brighton Tram 53 Society was formed in 2010 and over the past 16 years they have spent over £90,000 on restoring the tram. They also have ambitious plans to take it back to Brighton with pleas of local politicians to help get it to Stanmer Park, where one day it may operate again.
To locate the tram you will need to go Chanctonbury ring car park (what three words: “bugs positive converged”), off the A283, north of Steyning. From there it will be signposted. Turn left out of the car park and head towards the ring. On the left is a sign for a monastery, go down that road.
As well as the chance to view progress on the restoration, there will be other displays, sales stand and free refreshments!