The WME family holiday for 2025 will be an early autumn getaway to Kent whereby the coastal village of Dymchurch happily awaits us. Apart from a Faversham foray in 2016, I've barely set foot in the Garden of England so my photographic eye will be on the lookout for pubs, Cinque Ports and seaside scenery...
- Martello Tower, Dymchurch Seafront -
Monday 8th September commences with the long drive down south, meaning we endure five and three quarter hours of almost constant motorways (M5, M40, the dreaded M25 and then the M20) until the turning for Hythe brings some welcome respite. I say that but the approach into Dymchurch actually passes an army firing range with red flags waving due to the use of live ammunition, hence a chunk of the coastal path being cordoned off on safety grounds. We nevertheless check into the holiday camp undeterred, settle into our lodge caravan and then see about getting the usual initial bearings. The village basically boils down to one long street with a stretch of seafront featuring the expected assortment of cafes, amusement arcades and fish and chip shops. A trio of Martello towers add the kind of character you don't see at home in the West Midlands - they're defensive fortifications that were built during the Napoleonic Wars when Kent and nearby counties were wary from the threat of French invasion.
- A Rocking Good Pub? -
Had the military presence of varying persuasions created an ominous feeling, this might be offset by the local hostelries although a couple of them don't seem to be open on this specific Monday evening. The City of London (Sea Wall Tavern) gains our custom almost by default for a quick drink amidst a succession of musician portraits - I'm pretty sure I spotted David Bowie and Amy Winehouse - then it's over to the Ship Inn as a refined refreshment setting which has five rooms for bed and breakfast accommodation. Keen to partake of local Kentish ales where possible, I'm pleased to see that Romney Marsh Brewery's Best Bitter is on tap at £4.80 a pint (relatively cheap for the area), enjoyably hoppy with the resident rocking horse watching on!
- Well Cottage -
Tuesday 9th September is promising the best weather of the entire week with wall-to-wall sunshine that should provide ideal conditions for my intended coastal walk. A smattering of additional Dymchurch pictures are what I'm after first of all, including the quaint church of St Peter & St Paul which is notable for its use of slate and shingle. A couple of local properties have connections to the children's author Edith Nesbit and one has links to Noel Coward so you’re never far from a blue plaque it seems, Well Cottage looking especially beguiling as another fine example of Kent's distinctive county architecture.
- Romney Hythe & Dymchurch Railway at St Mary's Bay -
Having run its first services on 16 July 1927, the Romney Hythe and Dymchurch Railway is an eccentric operation which is nearing its centenary. Over a narrow (15 inch) gauge, it offers a light railway connection between Hythe and Dungeness, a line that covers some 13 and a half miles. Using dinky steam locomotives and compact carriages, it makes for quite a sight and is rightfully proud of its passenger and freight provision, having historically been involved in the distribution of fish; during the Second World War it even became armoured! My walk enables me to visit three of the line's stations, namely Dymchurch, New Romney and the quiet little halt at St Mary's Bay. It's an absolute joy sitting on a bench waving as the train trundles by.
- St Nicholas Church, New Romney -
After a St Mary's Bay dalliance with a mobile library and a Bailiff's Sergeant (the latter being a Shepherd Neame pub where I happily remind myself how nice Master Brew can be as an ale), I sweep into New Romney. Along with Dover, Hythe, Hastings and Sandwich, this was one of five original Cinque Port towns which together founded a medieval confederation to supply the Crown with ships. Although now an entirely ceremonial grouping, their military and trading role is something they are collectively keen to both remember and celebrate. My thirst for history means I insist on getting photographs of St Nicholas's Church, looking resplendent in its own landscaped square, before my thirst for cask beer leads me to the Warren Inn for another cracking glass of the aforementioned Master Brew.
- Folkestone Memorial Arch -
If Tuesday had been blessed by the elements, the forecast for Wednesday 10th September is altogether mixed. One heavy shower has already been and gone by the time we catch the No. 103 bus to Folkestone, the route working alongside the 102 to give a half-hourly frequency via Hythe, Seabrook and Sandgate. It's grey and breezy when we touch down at Folkestone Bus Station and my first sweep of this well-regarded seaside town is a windswept one. Breakfast in the Samuel Peto Wetherspoons - named after a civil engineer, railway contractor and church benefactor - gives blue sky chance to arrive, after which I can ponder the impressive Memorial Arch and the wider Road of Remembrance: "May Their Deeds Be Held In Reverence".
- Folkestone Harbour -
A dashing duo of Good Beer Guide 2025 micropubs are next on the agenda so here's a shout out to the Firkin Alehouse (pouring an excellent glass of Bristol Beer Factory's Satisfaction, an ale that could hardly be more aptly titled) and the Bouverie Tap. The latter of those adopts a wartime theme with conscription memorabilia and flags of the Allies, not to mention a cracking example of Kent Brewery's Black Gold. After those indulgences I descend Parade Steps to the regenerated harbour area, spotting the Grand Burstin Hotel as a hulking presence. A railway used to run onto the jetty arm when connecting up with ferry services to Boulogne and Calais, but was effectively made redundant by the Channel Tunnel with the station ceasing passenger operations in 2009. Since 2014 the site has become a vibrant creative and cultural hub with restaurants, microbreweries and comedy seagull models to investigate. Wonderful!
- Royal Military Canal -
Thursday 11th September is our last full day in Kent so we've picked Hythe as our destination of choice, being my second original Cinque Port of the week. The 103 is again on hand and the morning rain is heavy until patches of brightness gradually take hold. Alighting at Red Lion Square, we call into Costa Coffee to let the worst of the showers subside, then I brace myself for solo exploring along Hythe's enchanting long High Street, home to a range of independent shops such as Home & Hobby and Eakin's Chemist. Linking Seabrook (near Hythe) with Cliff End (near Hastings), the Royal Military Canal is a historic South Coast waterway which was constructed between 1804 and 1809 as part of the nation’s defences against any invading Napoleonic forces. Of its 28 mile course I walk but a short stretch around Town Bridge.
- Spotting Seagulls at Hythe -
Kent could be seen as the cradle of the modern micropub movement with the Butcher's Arms in Herne recognised as having set that ball rolling back in 2005. Hythe's offering is the Potting Shed, an unassuming place in many ways that simply serves quality local beer, wines and cider; I partake of Long Man's Old Man dark ale with a soft delicious malt profile whilst Dad waxes lyrical about the Tonbridge Amber - it's as clear as a bell. A seafront walk is essential, reaching the far end of the beach where the working boats are chained up but making sure to avoid the firing range. Alas another nasty squall howls in, drenching me in thirty seconds flat and making my drying-out stop in the Red Lion (for Harvey's Sussex Best) most necessary!
- A farewell pint, by Neptune! -
I'm still somewhat soggy by the time I return to Dymchurch for the final word on the week's holiday. Those three and a bit days have flown by - things always do when you're enjoying yourself - but there's scope enough to nip into the Neptune for a pint of Beardsmore Bleach in supposedly 14th century surroundings (most of it looks far more contemporary to me but they do carveries alongside a standard pub menu). Friday morning then brings the long slog home although the motorways are kind and we make good time, even with Beaconsfield Services breaking the journey momentarily. Goodbye to the Garden of England!
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