Elham Valley Railway Museum
This is another of those sites that we've driven past for the majority of our lives and have never stopped to take a look inside. However, the site was offering a Traditional Apple Pressing weekend with freshly pressed apple juice available to sample, a BBQ, and access to the museum and it caught Ren's eye. Obviously we ended up attending and it made for an adorable couple of hours.
The museum is an ode to the decommissioned railway line that connected Folkestone to Canterbury via Elham. It was never poplar due to it running through primarily rural locations and it had competition with the London-Dover line. Sadly the Elham Valley line fell out of favour and was removed however where the line ran is still a popular walking trail to this day and the bridges and arches that remain are quite impressive.
The museum is located in Peene which never had a station...but it was supposed to. The village were told if they wanted a station then they would have to raise the funds for it, which they did, but after the money was collected the treasurer took a holiday and the station never came. You can put two and two together here cant you!
Peene's replica station started life as a pigsty and was converted into the 1930s era station modelled after the Elham Valley line's stations. Inside the station is lots of railway memorabilia including bits from the war. There is even a carefully cultivated model railway line and a ticket booth complete with wax ticket master.
Outside of the station is a miniature working recreation of the Folkestone to Canterbury line which you can ride for a small fee. Surrounding the working line is the actual railway line section complete with steam engine that you can board and THE WHISTLE WORKS. One of us got a bit excited about this, clue, they were male.
Complete with engine sheds, crossing gates, funeral carts, and other recreational sites from the era, the railway section is an adorable site and fun for all the family, even the dog! There's a telephone box which tells you the story of the line, signal boxes where you can have a go at pulling the levers and ticket office, all in the same style as the main station.
Following on from the giftshop which sells model railway bits and railway books, there's a section dedicated to the nearby Eurotunnel with a model recreation and memorabilia from its construction. This was interesting, but also within our lifetime so we remember the hype. The model was the most impressive part, but we're steam train enthusiasts so 'nuff said.
Aside from that, historically, there is a great emphasis on the war and how the railway played a part. A fair few sections are dedicated to this morbid era but it was really the height of the railway's usefulness so it is important to note.
Now this is the sort of vibe straight out of a 1930s set film. It was nostalgic for an era we never lived in and we were influenced by the magic, but that isn't all there is. Walking back to the carpark you have a pond and wildlife area, then a carriage from the Leas Lift which is being restored to working order back in Folkestone, and George's Barn which houses demonstrations from bygone eras like craft work (you can also buy bits), joined to this is the cafe which does a nice slap up breakfast, plus there is free mini golf outside. So plenty to do here and we look forward to coming back!
Nearby is a couple of walking trails which we are hoping to go on later on this year or early next, so watch out for further adventures in the area. This however, has been a relatively short post due to the lack of history of the site, we can only tell you about what is here and as its but an ode so that no one forgets the rural line, that is what we've got to say. But hopefully soon we will walk the old line and then we can tell you more on the history of the railway as we've been itching to branch into historical transport for a while.
No hauntings those who follow us for the spook factor will be sad to hear. Not that we are aware of anyway. This site is run by volunteers and its all about the trains for them, but there are plenty events throughout the year. We look forward to learning more and sharing it with you!
DISCLAIMER: Now for the official bit. This blog does not receive any paid promotions from the places mentioned above. We have not been approached to promote or act as spokespersons for any attraction mentioned within this post and this is simply a post intended to act as a day in the life of a couple on a cute date. All photos included are taken by ourselves and as such the rights for these images our ours, no links, brands, or companies mentioned otherwise belong or are associated with Phantom Adventures UK. We are responsible only for this blog. Opinions are our own and not influenced by any third party source..
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