Author Topic: TR - The Street and Ancient Woodland  (Read 934 times)

WhitstableDave

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TR - The Street and Ancient Woodland
« on: 19:08:33, 29/01/20 »
I wouldn't usually write up a local walk that I've done variations of many times before, but it was sunny so I took lots of photos and I had a target to try and beat!

I collect my two grandsons from school on Wednesdays so I limit myself to a morning walk of up to about 15 miles. Today, I decided to walk along the coast to Herne Bay and return through Blean Woods. Before setting off, I checked the tide times because there's a shingle strip at nearby Tankerton that's only exposed at low tide and I like to see how far out to sea I can get. Low tide was at the ideal time of 9.29am and so a record was on the cards!  :)



It's about a mile-and-a-half to the coast at Tankerton and as I arrived at the top of the grassy slopes I could see that the tide was a long way out...



The Street, as the shingle strip is known, is about half-a-mile long. I could see someone kite-surfing and someone on the shingle taking photos of them...



I reached the end of The Street at 9.24am. I thought I had 5 minutes before the tide would be as low as it would get, but after about 2 minutes I realised it was actually coming in!...



There was nothing for it but to splosh out as far as I could in a desperate attempt to beat my previous best distance. My Salomon walking shoes did surprisingly well but there was a brisk wind and the waves were coming over my ankles. I turned back and took a photo...



When I later checked the distance, I found that it was identical to my previous best attempt. Oh well, another time...

Further down the coast I crossed Long Rock, which is an SSSI and popular with bird watchers. I took the photo looking back to Tankerton Slopes, which are visible in the distance.



This is the promenade between Long Rock and Herne Bay, the outskirts of which can be seen ahead. Also visible are the forlorn remains of a pier a long way out to sea:



The seafront at Herne Bay - gardens, pavilion and clock tower all looking good in the January sun!



This is the Amy Johnson Bronze statue on the promenade. Amy Johnson died when her plane crashed off Herne Bay in 1941.



At the far end of Herne Bay is another statue - Sir Barnes Wallace tested the 'bouncing bomb' here...



Leaving Herne Bay, I headed inland to the village of Herne. This is Herne Mill:



The centre of quaint Herne:



About a mile past Herne I reached Blean Woods, which I would be walking through for about the next 5 miles. The South East of England has more woodland than any other region, and Kent has more Ancient woodland than any other county - by definition, Ancient woodlands have existed for at least about 400 years and are very different from the northern conifer plantations that some call forests!  ;)  The Ancient Blean Woods covers about 11sq miles and I'm extremely lucky to have it right on my doorstep.



The conifers here don't grow in perfectly straight lines...



A nice open track lined with silver birch and broom:



Less than a mile to go. This track leading to/from a farm has to be my favourite walking spot, simply because about half of all my walks start or end here.  :)



The walk was quite excellent - a little over 15 miles in 3h 44m in lovely crisp sunshine and I was back in time for an early lunch.  :)
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Mel

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Re: TR - The Street and Ancient Woodland
« Reply #1 on: 21:42:29, 29/01/20 »
Great stuff! Yet another trip report of a little/unknown area.  It looks a lovely, varied walk  O0


Good luck with beating your "The Street" personal best next time  :)


Thanks for posting.

GnP

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Re: TR - The Street and Ancient Woodland
« Reply #2 on: 08:17:56, 30/01/20 »
Great photos and looks like it was indeed a superb walk. Bad weather never used to bother me, but nowadays it is rejuvenating to walk in sunshine such as on your day. O0
A night under silnylon. Doesn't have the same ring to it.

fernman

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Re: TR - The Street and Ancient Woodland
« Reply #3 on: 10:29:18, 30/01/20 »
Lovely photos and interesting text, for which thanks, but 15+ miles in 3 hr 44 min? That's 4 m.p.h.! Unless you ran back off The Street to beat the incoming tide!

Wasn't The Street featured in a recent 'Britain At Low Tide' tv programme, when they set out to find why it was there?
 
« Last Edit: 10:34:02, 30/01/20 by fernman »

WhitstableDave

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Re: TR - The Street and Ancient Woodland
« Reply #4 on: 11:04:29, 30/01/20 »
Lovely photos and interesting text, for which thanks, but 15+ miles in 3 hr 44 min? That's 4 m.p.h.! Unless you ran back off The Street to beat the incoming tide!

Wasn't The Street featured in a recent 'Britain At Low Tide' tv programme, when they set out to find why it was there?

My average moving speed was actually 4.2mph, but I waited at the end of The Street for a few minutes and I stopped a couple of dozen times to take photos...  ;)

I didn't know about 'Britain at Low Tide' so I'll try to find it - thanks!  O0

(And thanks too to Mel and G+T for the nice comments.)
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vghikers

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Re: TR - The Street and Ancient Woodland
« Reply #5 on: 12:10:54, 30/01/20 »
A grand local leg-stretcher with lovely photos, a brisk pace too.  O0
At least somebody is getting a sunny day occasionally of late.

Dovegirl

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Re: TR - The Street and Ancient Woodland
« Reply #6 on: 13:25:22, 30/01/20 »
Very good photos    :)   


We are indeed lucky to have the woodlands in the south east of England.  The woods in the area of the Kent/East Sussex border, near Groombridge and Tunbridge Wells, are good spots for seeing bluebells, wood anemones and wild garlic.

sunnydale

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Re: TR - The Street and Ancient Woodland
« Reply #7 on: 06:58:25, 31/01/20 »
I enjoyed your photos & write up, thanks O0
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WhitstableDave

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Re: TR - The Street and Ancient Woodland
« Reply #8 on: 10:47:04, 12/03/20 »
A quick update on my attempt to get as far out to sea as I can... on Tankerton Street.  8)

This morning, I noticed that low tide at Whitstable would be very low at 0.1m - just what I would need to break my record!

The problem was that the tide would be at its lowest at about 8.45am. Despite my best efforts, I arrived at the start of the Street just as the tide was turning and it was clearly coming in fast by the time I'd reached the end.

Looking back towards land...



From the end of the Street, I could see a shingle island perhaps 50m further out. I'd worn my boots in case I'd needed to wade, but there was no chance today. When I do get out there one day, the record will be well and truly smashed!



Heading back to shore, I enjoyed walking on the sloppy sands (or perhaps it's mud)...



An attempt at an arty photo, with someone out on the Street:



It was totally unexpected, but when I looked at the track on Google Earth, I could see that I had actually beaten my previous best by a few yards. That must have been entirely down to the very low tide this morning. If only I'd got there 15 mins earlier...
Walk, Jog, Run : our YouTube video channel.

 

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