Kent & East Sussex Railway - (Northiam Station)

Steam trains still run here, which alone makes the journey to Northiam Station worth the drive. The Kent & East Sussex Railway operates vintage locomotives and beautifully restored carriages, most of them genuine survivors from the steam age. You board at this proper working station and rattle through the Sussex countryside for about an hour - past hop fields, through woodland, stopping at stations that look like they've barely changed since the 1950s.

It's the kind of place that hits differently depending on who you bring. Families with younger kids tend to go mad for it - there's something magnetic about actual steam billowing from the engine, the rhythmic clacking of wheels on track. Adults who remember travelling by train find themselves getting properly nostalgic. Railway enthusiasts, obviously, will be in their element identifying locos and discussing restoration work with the volunteers.

Allow a solid three hours minimum - you'll want time for refreshments at the station buffet and a look around before departure. Check their website for running dates, as it's seasonal and volunteer-dependent. There's a small admission fee and the train ride itself costs extra.

Robertsbridge is just a few miles away, handy for supplies or a pub lunch. If you're staying at one of the nearby parks - The Original Hut Company's glamping is excellent and only 3.6 miles off, or Seven Acre Woods if you want full campsite facilities - this fits perfectly as a rainy-day activity or a proper nostalgic half-day out.