Green Goddess at New Romney Station

Another of those days of days for the memory banks, that's two in a row.

Today we went on a cycle ride around Romney Marsh, a regular place for us. Leaving Maidstone it was warm but cloudy despite the forecast and we wondered what the weather would be like on the coast. But we need not have worried, as we descended towards West Hythe and the car park, the skies cleared although you could still see the clouds billowing inland all day.

First off it was to Lathe Barn on Donkey Street, one of our traditional watering holes, just 2 miles from the beginning for lunch. Then it was back in the saddle to wander the meandering lanes of the Marsh through Burmarsh, Newchurch, Ivychurch, Snargate, Brookland and Old Romney before fetching up at the tea room at the station of the Romney Hythe and Dymchurch Railway at New Romney where this shot of the Green Goddess was taken.

The RHDR was the dream of millionaire racing drivers Captain J.E.P. Howey and Count Louis Zborowski and was constructed during the 1920s and opened on 16 July 1927. As well as being a tourist attraction, this railway provides a public service between the small towns and villages between Hythe and Dungeness and is under contract to the local council to transport children to and from The Marsh Academy in New Romney.

The engine shown here is No. 1, the Green Goddess a 4-6-2 loco built by Davey Paxman & Co. 1925 and finished in LNER Apple Green. All the steam engines are based on full scale locomotives and not on designs specifically for narrow guage. For more information go to the RHDR site.

After a restorative cup of tea and flapjack we completed the final leg of the ride along the seafront from New Romney via St Mary's Bay and Dymchurch back to West Hythe covering a total distance of 33 miles in the day.

This memorable day ended with the first barbeque using the new Outback barbeque and our evening meal outside. After one or two failed attempts at using the "barbeque chimney" I finally got a bed of glowing hot coals and cooked vegetable kebabs, corn on the cob and cajun chicken. And very good it was too, all washed down by a pint of Bacardi and lemonade. A great end to a great day.