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Separated from Folkestone by the massive earthworks of the Channel Tunnel,
HYTHE
is a sedate seaside resort bisected by the disused waterway of the Royal Military Canal, built as a defensive obstacle during the perceived threat of Napoleonic invasion. Hythe's receding shoreline reduced its usefulness as a port and the nearby coast is now just a sweep of beach punctuated by
Martello towers
, part of the chain of 74 citadels built along the southeast coastline for the same reasons as the canal.
There's little to do in Hythe other than enjoy its tranquil antiquity, although a ride on the world's largest toy train - or smallest public railway - the
Romney, Hythe & Dymchurch Railway
(R, H & DR), a fifteen-inch-gauge lsine which runs the fourteen miles from Hythe to Dungeness, makes a fun day out. Built in the 1920s as a tourist attraction linking the resorts along the shore, its fleet of steam locomotives is now maintained by volunteers (Easter-Sept daily; March & Oct Sat & Sun; plus school holidays throughout the year; E9.20 full return fare; tel 01797/362353,
). The station is to the west of the town centre, on the south bank of the canal by Station Bridge.
Hythe's
tourist office
is, bizarrely, situated in the old toilets in Red Lion Square (April-June & Sept daily 9am-5.30pm; July & Aug daily 9am-7pm; Oct-March Mon-Sat 9am-5.30pm, Sun 10am-4pm; tel 01303/267799,
). For
accommodation
check out the secluded
White House
, 27 Napier Gardens (tel 01303/266252; E50-60), overlooking the cricket green just a couple of minutes from the sea, or the
Swan Hotel
, a friendly pub on the High Street (tel 01303/266311; under E40). The
Capri
, 32-34 High St (tel 01303/269898) serves good Italian
food
.
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