Kent & East Sussex Railway, Tenterden

The Kent & East Sussex Railway is a preserved heritage line running for around 10.5 miles between Tenterden Town station in Kent and Bodiam in East Sussex, close to the National Trust's Bodiam Castle. Originally opened in 1900 as one of Colonel Holman F. Stephens' light railways, it was built to serve rural communities across the Rother Valley and closed to passengers by British Railways in 1954. Volunteers began reopening sections from 1974, and the line has been steadily extended westwards ever since.

Trains are hauled by a mix of restored steam and heritage diesel locomotives, and carriages include Victorian and Edwardian stock as well as later Pullman-style vehicles. The journey passes through the gentle farmland and hop country of the Kent Weald, with stops at Rolvenden, Wittersham Road and Northiam. Tenterden Town station retains its period atmosphere with a signal box, engine sheds and a small railway museum covering the line's light-railway heritage.

Special events run through the year, including Pullman dining trains, wartime weekends and family favourites at Easter, Halloween and Christmas. A day out can easily be combined with a visit to Bodiam Castle, reached on foot from Bodiam station across the River Rother. Tenterden itself sits at the Kent end of the line and its High Street is a short walk from the station.