Back on the trains today with the Romney Hythe and Dymchurch (RH & DR) being the main feature.
This diminutive railway is described as Kent’s Mainline in miniature.
Built to run on a fifteen inch gauge the RH & DR runs between Dungeness and Hythe some thirteen and a half miles distant.
We were to board at the southern end at Dungeness across Romney Marsh from the decommissioned Magnox nuclear reactor.
We made good time and arrived with enough time to grab a few caches and some AdLab locations.
Departure time came upon us as we boarded the 10:20, bagging seats in the front carriage next to engine number 1, The Green Goddess.
A fair few years ago, the last time that we were down here, the whole family rode this train and as can be seen in the photo, not everyone was enthralled by the experience. Today, I managed to squeeze into Vicky’s seat to try and recreate that happy feeling.
On the trip we were trying to complete the RH & DR Adventure Lab with each station being a location. Luckily we were able to answer all of the questions from the comfort (?) of our carriage (being multiple choice did help a little).
One arrival at the far end, we called in to the station cafe for light refreshments before grabbing a MINI SideTracked cache just outside of the terminus.
Passing through the shop to get back to the platform Sue just had to buy a teddy (or two) along with a few other bits. The guy behind the counter offered us a timetable and was trying to explain which trains we need to catch but I threw him by explaining our travel arrangements – 12:30 to Dymchurch – a look around – 13:45 Dymchurch to Hyde and, finally, the 14:30 all the way back to where we started).
Oddly, he was somewhat taken aback with our level of detail, “Most people couldn’t work that out!”
Well, we could – and did.
Back at Dymchurch, we started the Dymchurch Blue Plaques Adventure Lab, with locations at the railway station, down the high street and along the promenade. With all five locations visited we had some numbers to take us to a bonus cache.
After doing the sums, we discovered that the bonus was about a kilometre away at the other end of the sea front walk. With an eye on the time we strolled briskly to the bonus which, luckily, was quickly found. With no time for dawdling, we hot footed it back to the station with under five minutes to spare.
We boarded the train which took us back to Hythe where we watched as the loco (No.9, Winston Churchill) was swung around on the turntable in preparation for hauling us back to Dungeness.
The train halted at New Romney for about half an hour which gave me time to nip out and grab a cache. That was the plan but I couldn’t find it so had to log it as a DNF.
Back at Dungeness, after making a few small purchases at the railway shop, we did a couple more caches, including an earth cache which did involve a fair bit of retracing our steps to get all the answers.
Finished in this area, we picked up another cache or two on the way back.
The most notable was “not quite offa’s dyke’. We parked near to GZ when a woman approached us.
Oddly, she asked if I come to sell her a car seat. “No!” followed by, “Are these your sheep?” She asked pointing at a flock that had run across the field on our approach. Again, “No”. She then asked us what we were doing to which I replied’ “Geocaching”.
“I did a bit of that when I was in London” she claimed then asked where this one was. I read out the hint which was “Behind the concrete sign”. We all pondered for a bit before I pointed to a hydrant sign, “Just there, behind you”. We retrieved the cache and chatted as the log was signed.
From here we drove back to Hasting with the intention of eating at the Casa de Pier where we’d enjoyed a cracking meal a couple of days previously. Unfortunately, road works and temporary traffic lights put paid to that idea and we ended up dropping in Sainsbury’s to pick up some grub.
kevbaldry