Enjoy Music, Dancing and Great British Beer at the second annual CAMRA Real Ale & Cider Festival

Celebrate the arrival of summer at CAMRA's Real Ale & Cider Festival on Saturday 12 June between 10:30am and 11:00pm.

Taking place at Tenterden station the annual festival, in partnership with the Ashford, Folkestone and Romney Marsh Branches of CAMRA, The Campaign for Real Ale, promises to be an entertaining event.

On Saturday visitors can wind down after a long week and indulge in a diverse range of some of the finest Ale, Cider and Perry around supplemented by a selection of delicious food from a BBQ or the stations licenced refreshment rooms. The festival will get into full swing from midday with the first of four exciting bands performing live on a purpose-built stage that spans the railway track!

This year's line-up of bands includes Kelly Bourne, Origami Dinosaur and The Self Preservation Society. Carnelian, who wowed crowds at last year's event, is back for a second year. Morris dancers are booked to perform around tea-time.

This great British tradition is the perfect way to celebrate England's first World Cup match and visitors need not worry about missing kick off, as there will be a giant TV screening of the England V USA game on Saturday at 7:30pm.

At Northiam Station the fun continues where celebrations will mark 20 years since the reopening of the line to there in 1990. Visitors can enjoy performances by the Jon Hamilton Big Band on Saturday and the Cranbrook Town Band on Sunday.

A full steam and diesel service will be running throughout the weekend, tickets are: Adult £12.80, Senior Citizen £11.80, Child (3 - 15 years inc.) £7.80 and Family (2 adults + up to 3 children or 1 adult and up to 4 children) £34.00.

For more information and train times please visit www.kesr.org.uk or telephone 01580 765155.

For press images or more information on the railway please contact Caroline Edmunds at Pennington PR on

01892 616647 e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Tenterden and Northiam are situated on the A28 between Ashford and Hastings and both stations have spacious car parks which are free. Please note that there is no parking at Bodiam Station so passengers are advised to park and ride from Tenterden or Northiam.

Notes to Editors

Camping at the Festival
Pitches for camping and caravans etc are available from The Rother Valley Caravan Park at Northiam 01797 253997. A special rate for this weekend has been negotiated of £6 per pitch, £3 per person per night - mention the railway's website when booking.

Groups are very welcome on the railway and the staff are happy to help organise eventful days out in the area. The railway also caters for disabled and elderly visitors and has special carriages fitted with ramped wheel chair access, wide aisles and moveable seating. There are toilets for the disabled at all three stations and allocated parking spaces at the Tenterden town and Northiam station.