insideKENT Magazine Issue 26 - May 2014 | Page 106
DAYSOUT
© Hugh Nightingale
Trains, Countryside and Castles
THE KENT & EAST SUSSEX RAILWAY AND BODIAM CASTLE
Looking for a fantastic day trip that gives you a unique mix of history, fun and the great
outdoors? I recently had the pleasure of enjoying just this as I travelled the Kent and East
Sussex Railway to the beautiful Bodiam Castle. BY BRIAN MILLER
I started my journey in Tenterden, the
headquarters of the Kent and East Sussex
Railway. The railway was frequently used for both
freight and passengers for 75 years before
reopening as a heritage steam railway in
1974. The station itself is a beautifully austere
reflection of yesteryear, with a number of older
buildings that harken back to the days when a
train was the formal means of travel.
Walking around the station immediately made
me feel as if I were waiting for a train eighty years
earlier. Upon departure from the station, we went
at a fairly steep decline toward the marshes and
were surrounded by the captivating scenery of
Kent’s countryside.
The train’s first stop: Rolvenden Station, the
original location of the Kent and East Sussex
main station. Rolvenden is a charming village,
and home to a number of pleasant cottages as
well as the home of the Rolvenden windmill which
is recognized as one of Kent's oldest. Heading
toward the next station, Wittersham Road, had
me travelling past crayfish and wild boar farms
and dense woodlands sprinkled with willow trees
along the tracks. The Wittersham Road station
is seemingly far from any signs of civilization,
which for me simply added to the appeal of
seeing Kent in a light I would not normally have
seen.
From Wittersham Road the train climbs and twists
through more gorgeous countryside to Northiam
Station which for many years was the end of the
line. From Northiam station on, the line closely
follows the River Rother for another three miles
to the current terminus at Bodiam. The Bodiam
station is another beautifully restored and
maintained station, reflecting the elegance of the
rail ݅