Tenterden

Tenterden is a High Weald market town built along a broad, tree-lined High Street with a Georgian character and an independent food and drink offer that keeps the street functional rather than purely decorative. The town's main draw is the Kent and East Sussex Railway, a preserved heritage line that runs south through the Rother Valley to Bodiam in East Sussex, 10.5 miles and around 50 minutes away.

The railway adds something that most market town day trips lack: a linear journey through hop-garden country with a destination at the other end. Bodiam Castle -- a 14th-century moated fortification managed by the National Trust -- is a 10-minute walk from Bodiam station. There is no public car park at the station, which means the only practical way to reach Bodiam without a car is the train from Tenterden. The Colonel Stephens Museum at Tenterden Town station documents the history of the railway and takes around 20 minutes to cover properly.

The railway runs year-round with reduced winter timetables; the full service of up to five trains per day operates April to October. Summer school holidays see the highest demand; booking online before midnight the night before secures a discounted ticket. The High Street at Tenterden works in all seasons and does not require the railway to justify a visit, but the combination of town, train and castle makes for a complete day.