Before I start this section of the East Kent pages I should give the following warning. I am not presently living in Kent, I actually live in Canada, and as a result I cannot guarantee that all information is up to date. Also, some locations only open in the Summer and not all year round. Where I am fairly certain that places are only open in the Summer I will mark them accordingly.

As a trip to East Kent is not complete without a visit to Canterbury and the Cathedral, I would suggest that anyone visiting for the first time go to the information centre at 34 St. Margaret's Street, Canterbury where mounds of current brochures are available. Tel: 01227 766567 They also have an E-mail address which is 101523.510@compuserve.com.

Finally, many of the towns and villages in the area are worth a visit, particularly if there is a genealogical connection for you. There is a separate section for this information which you should refer to.

Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway.

Click on either picture if you want to see the full sized view.

If you want an easy and fun way to see the Romney Marshes this is it, on the World's smallest public railway with its 15 inch gauge track. It's for kids of all ages, my children usually make an annual pilgrimage, something they have been doing since they were two and three - and I still enjoy it. You can see the thousands of sheep that made the Marshes famous and even if you visit on a dreary day you can almost imagine the lines of smuggler's pack horses still trudging slowly up from the sea-shore. You can see the Church of SS. Peter and Paul, the parish of the fictional character, Dr. Syn or 'The Scarecrow', made famous by Russell Thorndike and the Walt Disney movie.

The train runs from Hythe, through Dymchurch and New Romney to the point of Dungeness where the Channel waves still crash and grind on the pebble beach. The scenery has unfortunately been spoilt in recent years by the addition of a power station to the West of Dungeness but look the other way and with the rough sea grass and sea holly bending in the wind the sinister days of the past can easily be conjured up in the mind's eye.

The railway was started by an English millionaire, Captain Jack Howey, (who made his money in Melbourne, Australia), with his friend, Count Louis Zobrowski. (Count Zobrowski, the racing driver and owner of the original "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" has several associations with East Kent. To find out more about the Count, click here). The Railway is still used on a daily basis to enable the Marsh children to get to and from their schools.

For a full description of the location and the railway I am again indebted to Mark Dewell for his page which you can find here.

For up to date and full information on the current activities of the railway, have a look at their "official" pages which are here.

Sarre Windmill.

Location: Canterbury Road, Sarre. (Between Canterbury and Margate)

Click on this picture for a larger view.

Smallhythe Place (The Ellen Terry Museum).

Location: Rye Road, Smallhythe, Nr. Tenderden.

Click on this picture for a larger view.

Spitfire and Hurricane Memorial Pavillion.

Location: Directly opposite the main entrance to R.A.F. Manston.

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