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The Cooden Beachcomber
Holiday brief

Our country is blessed with many areas of outstanding natural beauty, is steeped in history, and enjoys an unsurpassable abundance of rural and coastal attractions. Nowhere is this profusion of attractions more prominent than the south coast region of East Sussex and Kent. So join us “down south” for an unbeatable summer tour.
The Taj Mahal, Brighton!
Motor Museum. We’ll have to drag you away for the early evening return to Cooden Beach.

Thursday – How’s this for an interesting and varied day out? Depart hotel by coach for a 20 odd mile journey to Uckfield. Then it ’s onward by rail, covering two lovely rural branch lines from Uckfield via Oxted to East Grinstead. A short coach journey and we join the flower of the south – The Bluebell Railway. From little seeds sown many years ago, has grown “the” premier tourist attraction south of London. We will enjoy our visit to the full. From atmospheric Horsted Keynes we take a round trip and partake of a ploughman ’s lunch as well! The original Royal Greenwich Observatory, which was moved to Herstmonceux, is our fascinating visit en route back to Cooden Beach. A great day out!

Friday – Four cracking days have preceded today, so this needs to be good, and it is. We go by train from Cooden, via Hastings, and then on one of the south ’s few un-electrified routes to Appledore, near New Romney. Here we join the absolutely wonderful Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway. Railway enthusiast or not, you cannot fail to be enchanted by this 13 mile long “main line” small gauge railway operating over Romney Marshes. Inside Track’s special arrangements here will ensure you enjoy a fitting finale to your south coast experience. Homeward bound train journeys commence from nearby Ashford at about 15.00hrs.
 
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Southern Steam
Date & Price

Tour Ref: CB5/1 

Monday July 7th (5 days)  
£519.00

Price Variation

Single supplement £15.00 per night
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Inside Track Railway Holidays 2008     telephone 01442 872995 or e-mail info@inside-track.net for bookings or brochures
OUR HOTEL

The Cooden Beach Hotel, Cooden Beach
The privately owned Cooden Beach Hotel is perfect. What we have is a hotel on the beach and adjacent to Cooden Beach Railway Station. This hotel features all the usual room amenities expected of a 3 star rated establishment, plus a sea view lounge, bar and restaurant, and a 4000 square mile swimming pool! For a summer railway holiday by the seaside this is a joy.

OUTLINE ITINERARY

Monday – We meet at Haywards Heath (on the main London-Brighton line) about 13.00hrs. An afternoon sapping up the nostalgia of Victorian and Georgian times begins with the classic trip to Devils Dyke. A refreshment break next, then we go into Brighton to visit one of the country ’s most interesting buildings – The Royal Pavilion. Later, it’s down to the seafront as no visit to Brighton can be complete without a ride on the “oh so Victorian” Volks Electric Railway. We round off the day with a coastal and South Downs drive to Cooden Beach.

Tuesday – Today is spent in Kent and East Sussex, and appropriately the highlight of the day is at Colonel Stephens ’ Kent and East Sussex Railway. We begin by exploring Hastings, and in particular the two cliff railways. On then to Northiam, where we join the steam railway, and our programme allows for plenty of time at Tenterden, a full round trip on the railway, Rolvenden works and the Colonel ’s intimate museum. We return to Cooden Beach by coach and train.

Wednesday – One of the most enjoyable journeys on the south coast is the downs and coastal route; so today we are off by train from Cooden via Eastbourne, Brighton, Hove and Worthing to Ford (near Littlehampton). Here we change for Amberley where we find the charming Amberley Chalk Pits Museum. Doesn ’t sound much, but there is something here for everyone. A narrow gauge railway, vintage buses, arts and crafts, working artisans and more. Soon after lunch, our coach picks us up, and a cross-country route takes us to Shortgate where we we ’ll enjoy a late afternoon browse amongst wildfowl and vintage motorcars at the Bentley Wildfowl and