KENTSTAYCATION
On the Right Track :
KENT BY RAIL
OUTDOORS IN KENT
KENT HAS FOREVER BEEN A DESTINATION TO VISIT DUE TO ITS COASTAL LOCATION , BEAUTIFUL LANDSCAPE AND DRAMATIC SCENERY . A PERFECTLY BLENDED MIXTURE OF SEASCAPE AND COUNTRYSIDE COMBINED WITH A UNIQUE HISTORY AND WONDERFUL ARCHITECTURE , ONE OF THE BEST WAYS TO WITNESS KENT ’ S BEAUTY AND TRAVEL FROM PLACE TO PLACE IS BY TRAIN .
Characterised by the Industrial Revolution , ‘ The Golden Age of Steam Trains ’ was famous for transporting our predecessors , the Victorians , back and forth across Britain . Before the word staycation was even invented , these seaside-loving folk adored a British holiday away from home and were the first big users of train lines and transport in the history of the United Kingdom . At a time when motor cars were considered a luxury and not as able to make long distance journeys , the luxury and convenience of a steam locomotive would have seemed a truly marvellous invention and thus created the opportunity to explore Britain , by making all corners of the country gradually more accessible to the masses over time .
It therefore comes as no surprise that Kent , with its close proximity to London and an array of spectacular beaches , quickly became lined with railway tracks running like veins across its countryside and towns , transporting tourists from the big cities to the picturesque coastlines and seaside resorts of the day . Today , major lines still run from the capital to lots of the seaside destinations that were made famous by the Victorian boom ; Margate , Ramsgate , Folkestone and Dover all now benefit from Southeastern ’ s high-speed service , with a trip from St Pancras to Margate taking just over an hour . Sadly , many of these coastal lines did not survive the evolution of the motor car and the foreign holidays craze that came about at the end of the 1970s , so many of these ancient lines remain long lost features of the past . Although these trains would come in handy today due to the rapid rebirth of the UK staycation and our need to be more friendly to the planet , the only remains left of these times gone by are brick built bridges over roads , tunnels leading to nowhere and a smattering of old stations that have now been turned into private homes or museums and experiences to honour our steam locomotive past .
One of these historical lines is the Elham Valley Line , which originally connected Folkestone directly with Canterbury via the stunning Elham Valley . Closed in 1947 , after running for 58 years , today , those wanting to find out more about this historical line can visit The Elham Valley Line Trust ’ s ( www . elhamvalleylinetrust . org ) Railway Museum and Countryside and Craft Centre in Peene near Folkestone . The Elham Valley Line Trust was formed in 1984 , it is dedicated to preserving railway history , countryside crafts and providing educational facilities . A registered charity run solely by volunteers , it is a great day out for all ages looking to find out more about Kent ’ s railway history , where visitors can even be transported back to a 1930 ’ s railway station , just as it would have been on the Elham Valley line years ago . Wander around the charming station building and look at the historical local and railway memorabilia , or watch the model train sweep along the Elham Valley from Canterbury to Folkestone .
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