16 Dismantled Railways in Kent You Can Still Trace Today (Local’s Guide)

I’ll admit it, playing a dismantled railways detective is one of my favourite ways to spend an afternoon. There’s something fascinating about following an old trackbed through the Kent countryside, spotting a bridge here, a platform edge there, and piecing together where the trains used to run. Once you start noticing the signs (suspiciously straight footpaths, embankments in odd places, brick abutments in the middle of nowhere), you can’t unsee them.

Kent had a busy railway network at its peak, but Dr Beeching’s axe in the 1960s wasn’t kind to it. The good news is that some of these lost lines are now walking and cycling routes, so you can follow in the footsteps of the old trains.

I’ve rounded up 16 of my favourite Kent dismantled railways (that’s really all of them…) worth seeking out.

I found out that following these old railways is a wonderful way to see a different side of Kent – you end up in villages and corners of the countryside you’d never normally visit.

I’d recommend taking an Ordnance Survey map (the trackbeds are often marked on the map or show up as dead-straight footpaths or oddly curved field boundaries) and doing a bit of research before you go. I’ve also found mapy.com as a great online resource, because the trackbeds are visible and you can easily plan which path or road to take to cross them.

But my favourite resources are of course books! The book Lost Railways of Kent by Leslie Oppitz is a brilliant starting point if you want to read more about the local history. The author has written similar books about most counties in England and Wales and I have them all!

1. The Elham Valley Line

Running between Canterbury and Folkestone, this beautiful 16-mile route opened in 1887 and was built by the South Eastern Railway largely to block the rival LCDR from getting to Folkestone.

It closed to passengers in 1947, which was quite early compared to most Beeching closures. The closure was because wartime damage and dwindling traffic made it eventually unviable.

During WWII the line had a fascinating secret role, hiding two enormous 18-inch railway guns (“Boche-Buster” and “Scene-Shifter”) in Bourne Park tunnel, which were rolled out to shell the French coast.

You can still walk lovely sections around Lyminge and Etchinghill, and the old viaduct at Lyminge has been preserved as a great viewpoint. The Elham Valley Way long distance trail pretty much copies the original railway line and in some places even takes you on the actual railway track bed, like between Elham and Lyminge.

And just before the line disappears in the modern Folkestone Channel Tunnel area, you can also visit a little Railway Museum run by the The Elham Valley Line Trust. The trust was set up back in 1984 and the museum is great way to learn more about the Elham Valley Line. They also run regular events through the year, like vintage, car fairs and festive markets.

• Location: Best access points at Lyminge village and Etchinghill, CT18

2. The Hawkhurst Branch

This little 11-mile branch line ran from Paddock Wood down to Hawkhurst via Horsmonden, Goudhurst, and Cranbrook.

It opened in stages between 1892 and 1893, mainly to serve the hop fields of the Weald. At harvest time it was packed with hop-pickers coming down from London.

The line closed in 1961, just before Beeching closure act. What I find interesting, that none of the stations actually served their villages properly. Cranbrook station was 3 km from Cranbrook itself, outside a little village of Hartley, which probably didn’t help passenger numbers. At Goudhurst the station was only about 1.5 km but you had to climb quite a bit hill to get to the town!

The old Goudhurst station building survives as a private house and you can easily trace the trackbed through the countryside (but there is no public access). Saying that the High Weald Landscape Trail follows the line loosely and at one point (close to Goudhurst) even crosses the line. You can also easily drive or wall around the country lanes and spot the obvious railway signs, like bridges and straight lines leading away from the road.

• Location: Trackbed visible near Horsmonden and Goudhurst, TN12

3. The Crab & Winkle Line (Canterbury & Whitstable Railway)

Now this one is a proper piece of railway history! It opened in 1830 and it was one of the very first passenger railways in the world, even older than the Liverpool & Manchester by just a few months.

Built by George Stephenson himself (yes, that George Stephenson!), it ran for 6 miles between Canterbury and Whitstable harbour.

The line used a combination of steam locomotives and cable-hauled inclines because the gradients were too steep for early locos. When I was reading up on the history of this railway line I love the descriptions of the first day opening.

The carriages at the time were open, so when the train went through a short tunnel everyone got so much coal sot on them, they had to stop the train and allow people to wash their faces in the nearby stream! Another incident happened at the next tunnel when they realised that the locomotive chimney (funnel) was too high to fit into the tunnel and they had to dismantle it to continue with the journey!

It closed in 1953 after a long, slow decline, but the route is now a wonderful walking and cycling path called the Crab & Winkle Way. Last time I walked it, I really enjoyed the section through Clowes Wood, peaceful and full of bluebells in spring. This section is also the original part of the railway line trackbed, otherwise the cycling path doesn’t actually go on the original line that much. It’s a fairly easy walk (little bit uphill, but on a good surface) and you can always take a bus back from Canterbury or Whitstable back (depends which way you walk it).

If you walk all the way to Canterbury West (where this line would have ended) you can visit my favourite foodie place in Canterbury – the Shed. It has a restaurant, but also daily farmers stalls with fresh fruit and vegetables, bread and homemade cakes.

• Location: Full route from Canterbury West to Whitstable Harbour, CT2 to CT5

4. The Allhallows Branch

A real curiosity, this one. The Allhallows-on-Sea branch opened in 1932, which was incredibly late for a new line. It was a speculative venture by the Southern Railway hoping to create a new seaside resort on the Hoo Peninsula.

The grand plans involved a huge hotel, holiday camps, and a pier, but the resort never really took off and most of the development was abandoned. The line struggled on until 1961 when it closed completely.

What’s super cool is that you can still see the old trackbed running across the marshes. The branch line was only about 3 km long and connected to the large railway running to Grain at the end of Hoo Peninsula. You can also visit Allhallows, which is still there and remains a strange, half-finished resort that never quite was.

• Location: Hoo Peninsula, near Allhallows-on-Sea, ME3

5. The Gravesend West Line

Built by the LCDR and opened in 1886, this branch ran from Fawkham Junction down to Gravesend West Street, with the idea of competing for cross-Channel traffic via a pier at Gravesend. Passenger services were never that busy and ended in 1953, with goods continuing until 1968.

The fascinating bit is that the line crossed under the A2 via a beautiful brick tunnel that’s still there today, and parts of the route near Longfield have become walking paths. You can easily trace and walk the route from Springhead to Perry Street on the outskirts of Gravesend.

The old Gravesend West station site is now built over, but you can still find traces of the pier where boat trains once connected with continental steamers (behind the newbuilt houses close to the Town Pier linked by the England Coastal Path).

• Location: Best traced near Longfield and Southfleet, DA3

6. The Folkestone Harbour Branch

Not technically fully dismantled (the rails are still there in places), but no trains have run since 2009 and it’s now one of the most beautiful walking routes in Kent.

Opened in 1849 by the South Eastern Railway, this incredibly steep branch dropped down to Folkestone Harbour to connect with the cross-Channel ferries. The famous viaduct over the harbour is a wonderful piece of Victorian engineering, and trains used to need extra locomotives just to manage the 1-in-30 gradient.

The line saw its busiest days during both World Wars, with thousands of troops passing through to and from the front.

Today the viaduct has been brilliantly converted into a public walkway with planting, benches and great views over the harbour. You can also follow the railway line to where it connects to the main line if you walk on the Tram Road from the harbour (or Dyke Road on the other side).

• Location: Folkestone Harbour, CT20

7. The Westerham Valley Railway

A lovely little 5-mile branch from Dunton Green to Westerham, opened in 1881 and closed in 1961. It was one of those classic rural branches that connected the villages of Brasted and Chevening.

There was a real fight to save it, the locals proposed running it as a preserved railway, which would have been one of the earliest preservation attempts in Britain. Sadly the M25 stopped that idea, as the planned motorway route cut straight across the trackbed near Chevening.

You can still trace bits of the line around Westerham, but the old Westerham station site is now a car park. Parts of the route from Dunton Green to the M25 motorway are still visible and the start of the Darent Valley Walk cuts through the line there.

• Location: Best traced near Dunton Green or Westerham, TN16

8. The Kent & East Sussex Railway (Northern Extension)

While the southern section is preserved (and covered in my heritage railways post), the northern part of the original Colonel Stephens line from Tenterden up to Headcorn closed in 1954 and was lifted shortly after. This 10-mile stretch was always the quieter end of the railway, serving tiny halts like High Halden Road and Biddenden.

The trackbed is now hard to follow in places, but the old station building at Biddenden survives as a private house and there are some great earthwork remains if you know where to look. There are public right of ways paths and local roads crossing the railway trackbed in many places, but there is no official right of way on the actual railway line.

Just outside Tenterden in the village called St. Michaels, the line can be walked as part of the national cycle path, but only for a short while. The Kent & East Sussex Railway preservation society does occasionally talk about extending back to Headcorn one day — fingers crossed.

• Location: Best traced between Tenterden and Headcorn, TN27

9. The Chatham Dockyard Branch Line

A proper piece of industrial railway history, this one. The Chatham Dockyard branch opened in 1877, built by the South Eastern Railway to serve the enormous naval dockyard that was one of the most important shipbuilding sites in the country.

At its peak the line carried thousands of workers, tons of materials and even Royal Navy personnel into the dockyard, with its own internal network of sidings stretching across the site. The branch closed to passengers in 1966 and to freight in the early 1980s when the dockyard itself shut down in 1984, which was a huge blow to the local economy.

What’s fascinating is that bits of the old track still survive within Chatham Historic Dockyard (now a brilliant museum), and you can trace the route of the connecting line through parts of Chatham. The dockyard’s own demonstration railway runs on a small section of the original network, so in a way the line isn’t entirely dead.

• Location: Chatham Historic Dockyard and surrounding streets, ME4

10. The Davington Light Railway

One of the shortest-lived and most secretive railways in Kent. Built in 1916 during WWI to serve the Cotton Powder Company explosives works at Uplees near Faversham, this 2.5-mile line carried workers and munitions during the war effort.

The factory had suffered a devastating explosion in 1916 (the Great Explosion at Faversham, which killed 105 people), and the railway helped rebuild operations. Once the war ended demand collapsed and the line closed in 1919 with just three years of operation.

You can still trace bits of the trackbed across the marshes north of Faversham and the whole area is lovely for easy walks. From Faversham you can follow the Swale Heritage Trail to Oare and then walk on a local not too busy road to Uplees. The explosives factory is long gone, but you can walk pretty much pass it to connect to Saxon Shore Way and return back Faversham.

• Location: Marshes north of Faversham, near Oare and Uplees, ME13

11. The Dungeness Narrow Gauge Fishermen’s Lines

These are a real curiosity and one of my favourite things to look for at Dungeness. From the late 1800s onwards, the fishermen of Dungeness built their own informal narrow-gauge tramways to haul boats, nets, and catch across the shingle beach (which is impossible to walk on with heavy loads).

Each fisherman had his own little line running from his hut down to the sea, using old bits of track and hand-built wagons. Some are still in use today, while others lie abandoned and rusting amongst the shingle. Walking around Dungeness you’ll spot dozens of these old tramways, it’s a super cool industrial archaeology hiding in plain sight.

I also love seeing the old railway carriages (practically given to people, when the local railways were closed back in the day), which were made into huts and cottages and people still use them as homes today.

• Location: Dungeness beach and headland, TN29

12. The Martin Mill Military Railway

This was a fascinating WWI railway built in 1915 to serve the massive coastal gun batteries above Dover. Branching off the main line at Martin Mill station, this military line wound its way across the cliffs to supply huge railway-mounted guns that defended the Channel from German naval attack.

During WWII it was reactivated and extended, with even bigger cross-Channel guns mounted on the line and finishing close to the Deep Fan Shelter. The railway closed after the war and most was lifted, but you can still find concrete gun emplacements, old sleepers, and earthworks across the clifftops near St Margaret’s Bay.

A wonderful walk if you combine it with visit to South Foreland Lighthouse with a fab tearoom or the Deep Fan Shelter (both National Trust). It’s best to park at the National Trust White Cliffs Visitor’s Centre as it’s the closes to the end of the original train line and there are facilities, shop and another good tearoom.

• Location: Clifftops between Martin Mill and St Margaret’s Bay, CT15

13. The New Romney Branch Line

Not to be confused with the miniature RH&DR, this was the proper standard-gauge branch from Appledore to New Romney, opened in 1884 by the South Eastern Railway.

It served the Romney Marsh villages and at New Romney connected with the famous miniature line, which you can still ride today. The branch closed to passengers in 1967 as part of the Beeching cuts, though a short stub still survives and is used by the Dungeness nuclear power station to carry nuclear flask trains. I think, that’s definitely one of the most unusual surviving freight train lines in Britain.

You can trace the old route across the marsh, although none of the railway line is a public path. If find it easiest to walk or drive around and you can easily see where the line was before. The original New Romney station building still stands and is used by the miniature RH&DR as a train station, shop and a little museum and definitely worth the visit.

• Location: Best traced between Appledore and New Romney, TN29

14. The Sandgate Branch Line

This is a very short 3.5-mile branch that ran from Sandling Junction down to Sandgate and was opened in 1874. There were grand plans to extend it along the coast to Folkestone and even Hythe, but the unstable cliffs and landslides made this impossible.

The line struggled through its whole existence with subsidence problems and closed to passengers in 1931, with goods freight limping on until 1951.

The old Sandgate station site is now houses, but you can follow parts of the route through Saltwood as the train track used to run behind the Saltwood Castle and St. Peter’s & St. Pauls Church. The Saxon Shore Way cuts through the line close to the Sandling Junction and you can also visit the Brockhill Manon Country Park nearby.

And since you are already in the area, I think it’s also worth walking from the Saltwood on the promenade to visit the seaside town of Hythe. When I went last time, I found out that right next to the promenade, there is a course of an old tram line. I even found the original tram stop with a little waiting hut. At the end of the line in Hythe you can also see the original tram depo house, which still has the high doors for the trams to fit in.

• Location: Best traced between Sandling Junction and Saltwood, CT21

15. The Sheppey Light Railway

Another Colonel Stephens special, opened in 1901 on the Isle of Sheppey with stations at Queenborough, Eastchurch, Harty Road and Leysdown. It was built as cheaply as possible (classic Stephens) with light rails, basic halts and quirky little locomotives.

The line was used by the early aviation pioneers at Eastchurch, the Royal Aero Club had its airfield there and the Short brothers (of Short Sunderland fame) built their first aircraft factory at Leysdown, all reached by this little railway.

It closed in 1950 and the trackbed across the marshes is amazing to walk if you fancy something genuinely off the beaten path. You can easily trace the line from Queenborough (through Minster Marches) to Minster and then around Eastchurch. By the way, the Harty Road station was at the end of the road to Harty Ferry, which was an old ferry connection to Oare and Faversham on the other side.

• Location: Across the Isle of Sheppey, between Queenborough and Leysdown, ME12

16. The East Kent Light Railway (Lost Extensions)

While the Shepherdswell to Eythorne section is preserved (and you can even ride on this section), the original East Kent Light Railway was much more ambitious.

The Kent coalfield was expanding, so Colonel Stephens built branches from Eythorne out towards Wingham, Richborough Port and Sandwich Road to bring the coal Dover and the main train line.

Most of these closed in the 1950s when the collieries declined, with the final freight workings to Tilmanstone Colliery ending in 1986.

You can still find old bridges, trackbed visible from country lanes and the wonderful surviving Eastry station building.

• Location: Best traced between Eythorne and Eastry, CT3

This blog post was originally published on 10 June 2026 and last updated on 10 June 2026