For me the best has to be Ashford to Brighton along the coast. Involves some beautiful scenery including the flat beauty of the Romney Marsh, beach huts and the sea at St Leonards, the striking South Downs and of course the marvellous view of over the London Road viaduct into Brighton (where approaching trains often used to helpfully stop at signalls so that we could observe what looked like the whole of Brighton stretching out into the distance). This line was my escape throughout my teenage years, including from a railway point of view the fascinating triangular station at Lewes with it's disused platforms, the excellent Southern Railway booking hall at Hastings (now sadly demolished in a monstrous act of state sanctioned vandalism) and of course the trainshed at Brighton.
Of course, this would involve a journey on a lovely Thumper to Hastings, then a change to an equally lovely, albeit quiter CIG to Brighton (usually with a change at Lewes). I even managed to adapt it as a sort of prolonged pub crawl later on with my school mates involving a dash across the car park at Lewes between trains and fish and chips at Hastings. Even now it's still an enjoyable journey, though much quicker and without CIG's and Thumpers.
I can seel the need for a daytrip coming on soon!
Of course, this would involve a journey on a lovely Thumper to Hastings, then a change to an equally lovely, albeit quiter CIG to Brighton (usually with a change at Lewes). I even managed to adapt it as a sort of prolonged pub crawl later on with my school mates involving a dash across the car park at Lewes between trains and fish and chips at Hastings. Even now it's still an enjoyable journey, though much quicker and without CIG's and Thumpers.
I can seel the need for a daytrip coming on soon!
