Friday 21st August 2026

We woke to a little more rain. After all, every little helps!

I say we woke, I should say Jools was up at five, fed the cats, while I slept on, only waking when Jools drove out of the drive to her yoga class, I had somehow slumbered for ten hours.

I made coffee, put out the last of the bins, and looked at the state of the world on the interwebs.

Hmmmm.

The rain cleared, just as well as Andy was coming down from Faversham, as I was going to show him the remains of the Dover Mineral Railway, later the Dover Military Railway, which began at Martin Mill, then ran beside the main line towards Guston, but climbed instead of falling towards the tunnel, then sweeping round to cross the Deal road at Swingate before crossing to Langdon Hole, before descending down to the cliff face, where a large ledge was carved to allow the line to drop to near where Jubilee Way is now. This was to bring material for the new Harbour Arm, rather than bring it by sea.

There is little to see to the untrained eye, but on Google maps, the route is marked by hedges and embankments, and where is crossed the roads to Guston village and East Langdon, there is the abutments of two overbrdges that carried the line.

The cutting and bridge that took it under the Deal road have been mostly filled in, but we would investigate.

Jools brought the car back at eight, so we had a brew and breakfast. All ready for her to walk to the library at half nine for another knit and natter.

I went to Priory station to meet Andy, then take us to Martin Mill to show him the tiny signal box, and where the line branched off a little way up the line to Dover.

Then to see the remains of the two overbridges, and Andy explored what was left of the trackbed at the second bridge.

Next was to look at the remains of the underbridge on the Deal road. A friend took shots about a decade ago, and the bridge was intact. But now its all hidden behind vegetation, and too dense to risk exploring on foot in case you couldn't get back up.

We managed to park at Langdon Hole, at the dogwalkers layby, and were rewards with fine views down the trackbed to the Cliff Road, and the port, then to the Channel beyond, and France on the horizon.

Back to Chez Jelltex for a brew and a meet up with Jools, before we retired to the Chance Inn in Guston for a pint of Harvey's best and a chat with the barmaid.

Somehow, five hours had passed, and Andy had to get back hoe, so I dropped him back at Priory, then made my way back home to relax, then cook dinner.

Being a Friday there was the quiz. I came seventh, then settle down on the sofa with Scully to watch the first Premier League game: Arsenal v Coventry, which ended up an easy win for the Gunners.