A DESTINATION AT EVERY STATION!

Royal TunbRidge Wells, HigH Rocks, gRoombRidge & eRidge

Take a ride Through The high Weald counTryside by sTeam or heriTage diesel in hisToric 1960s carriages!

The Spa Valley Railway operates wonderfully restored steam and heritage diesel trains every weekend from the beginning of February to the end of October. We also operate on Thursdays from June to the beginning of September with additional Tuesday & Wednesday services in August.

Our five-mile restored line, running through the glorious High Weald countryside, is lucky to have a destination at every station. You can board our classic and beautifully restored 1960’s heritage trains from the National Rail network at Eridge, some even include our award winning bar car, ‘Kate’. The station itself is also the location of a wonderful public house, The Huntsman!

From Eridge you can take a journey to Royal Tunbridge Wells stopping off on route at Groombridge or High Rocks.

At Groombridge why not alight and pay a visit to the famous Groombridge Place Gardens & Enchanted Forest as well as the historic village.

Alternatively stay on board to enjoy the glorious views and alight at High Rocks where you can visit the magnificent rocks, the delightful inn plus access the High Weald countryside and its vast network of woodland footpaths.

Arriving at Royal Tunbridge Wells you can disembark from the train and visit the Victorian engine shed, gift shop and buffet car. Furthermore, you can take a relaxed walk into the Spa town and visit the world famous Pantiles and High Street.

A wonderful day out for everyone!

Seven Sisters Country Park, a series of seven hills in the chalk cliffs between Seaford and Eastbourne. Footpaths and trails range from 40 minutes to four hours, and you can grab a trail map at the visitor centre.

Just east of the last peak is Birling Gap, and beyond that is the famous Beachy Head, which is the UK’s highest chalk sea cliff, and one of the most famous. Several films have been shot there, including The Living Daylights, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire, and Notes on a Scandal. You can even stay in the lighthouse there, which has been beautifully restored and renovated.

Iconic Views

If you like your walks with a glass of wine, then a tour of Rathfinny Wine Estate is a must. It was established in 2010 and is now one of the largest vineyards in Europe, producing over one-million bottles of Sussex sparkling wine a year. You can take a guided walk through the vineyard and learn about winemaking, followed by a lunch or afternoon tea, complete with stunning country views.

If the weather’s good enough, while away a few hours at Pells Pool in Lewes. It’s the oldest freshwater, outdoor public swimming pool in the UK, and is spring-fed. There’s also a paddling pool for little ones, and lots of grass to lounge on, making it the perfect place for picnics.

One of the best ways to see the South Coast is from a kayak. Get down to Eastbourne Kayak and Surf Hire, where you can hire single or double kayaks and spend an hour or so on the water. Or why not try the increasingly popular sport of stand-up paddle boarding? It’s a great work out!

If towering dunes and swathes of golden sand are what you’re after, make for Camber Sands, near Rye, one of the most beautiful beaches in Sussex. This fabulous stretch of unspoilt beach extends for almost five miles, but it’s busiest at the western end, by the mouth of the River Rother.

Across the river from Camber Sands is the Rye Harbour Nature Reserve, which has a variety of wildlife and landscapes, from woodlands and salt marshes to meadows and wetlands. With such a massive range of ecosystems, this is a top spot for little nature enthusiasts to record and identify the creatures you encounter.

For something a bit different, why not treat the family to a ski or snowboard taster session at Knockhatch Ski and Snowboard Centre in Hailsham? Open since 2001, its dry slope is 360ft long, with a vertical drop of 100ft. There is also a nursery slope and Ringo Run, where you can bomb down the slopes on large inflatable rings.

Spend your holiday in East Sussex and you can fill your days with stunning seascapes, wild walking trails, fun-filled adventure parks and a whole host of fantastic country houses and majestic castles.