The Kent & East Sussex Railway has made it to the regional finals of the Muddy Stilettos Awards in the Best Family Experience category for the second year in a row.
The much-loved heritage railway, based in Tenterden, won the title last year in what was a new category in the coveted awards for independent lifestyle businesses in the UK.

The awards cover 21 lifestyle categories and are run across 35 counties. They are totally free to enter and offer customers/visitors the opportunity to say a massive ‘thank you’ to their favourite local businesses.

Having come through a nomination and initial voting process, the K&ESR is now going head-to-head with nine other local attractions to claim the title of Best Family Experience in Kent, with the ultimate winner being decided by public vote. Voting is open from now until 1pm on 26 May via the Muddy Stilettos website:-

https://kent.muddystilettos.co.uk/awards/vote/

“We are delighted that for the second year running our visitors have voted us into the regional finals of this prestigious Award,” said K&ESR Chairman Derrick Bilsby. “The goal of everyone involved in running our railway is to give each and every passenger an authentic, fun and memorable day out. It is therefore wonderful to know that we are bringing that full heritage railway experience to a new generation who will love it and therefore want to cherish it as much as we do.”

The K&ESR’s Visitor Experience Manager Heather Packham said: “In current challenging times, we are also focussing our efforts on providing as much value for money as we can to ensure families can continue to enjoy a day out with us. This includes initiatives such as our Kids Go Free offer during school holidays, additional kids’ activities at the stations and on the trains, and our Local Residents Season Ticket offer which allows multiple trips for those living within many TN postcodes.”

Regional winners in each category will be announced on the Muddy Stilettos website on Tuesday 16 June 2026. They will then automatically go through to the prestigious National Finals, when the Muddy Stilettos Editors will judge who is the ‘Best of the Best’ in each category and announce the roll call of National Winners in July.

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Photo: The Life Narrator