Author Topic: Completely covering Kent  (Read 38025 times)

WhitstableDave

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Re: Completely covering Kent
« Reply #165 on: 15:41:41, 28/02/21 »
This morning, my wife and I did our first walk together in 2021.  :)

In line with the official guidance, common sense and consideration for others, we did a local walk directly from home. The route was planned to minimise the risk of encountering people, being mostly through woods and across fields. On the way, we managed to find a couple of woodland paths that I'd not walked before, which meets my criteria for doing a walk report. In fact, it's been so long since I last posted one that I'm including lots more photos than I usually do!



Setting off down a local lane called Golden Hill and pausing briefly for a selfie in someone's mirror. The weather stayed quite misty until we were about 20 minutes from the end of the walk:



In the distance, sheep in the field we'll be crossing on the way back:



We spotted our first primroses of the year!



Where Golden Hill becomes Bogshole Lane, we left the road and set off across the muddy fields and up to the local woods:





Arriving at Clowes Wood (part of the vast Blean Woods), we saw a tractor spraying the field where rape was beginning to grow:



We avoided the main paths through the woods, which have become very popular over the last year, and stuck to delightfully quiet, twisty tracks where we saw nobody at all...



...although we did come across signs of human habitation:



Here, we realised that we were in a part of the woods that we hadn't been before and it's perfect for trail running, so we'll be back!



We walked beside a small stream for much of the way. As far as I know, the stream is nameless, but I can trace it for several miles from some high woods to where it reaches the sea at Swalecliffe.  :)



The second main area of woodland was Tong Wood followed by Ellenden Wood (again parts of The Blean) and the first bit was very muddy:



My wife left her shoe in the mud and I asked her to wait for me to get a photo before she sorted herself out...  ;)



A pond in Ellenden Wood:



We left the woods and began to head back towards home. I'd chosen to wear my non-waterproof HigherState trail shoes with non-waterproof Smartwool socks today, because I'd imagined the ground would be at least dry-ish. Instead, it was very wet and often muddy, but although my feet felt damp at times, it was never a problem. Who needs Gore-Tex boots anyway?



And finally, with a low hill to crest and less than a couple of miles to go, the sun came out!



We both agreed that our self-imposed isolation is at an end and that we'll go out for walks and runs at weekends from now on. We won't be driving anywhere to exercise just yet though...

(Incidentally, that was the 999th walk (or run) that I've recorded on Garmin Connect since October 2016  :) )
Walk, Jog, Run : our YouTube video channel.

Mel

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Re: Completely covering Kent
« Reply #166 on: 19:37:57, 28/02/21 »
Blimey!  Can't believe the difference in the weather you had today compared to the wall to wall sunshine here  :o


Woodlands are always nice to walk through - always something different going on through the seasons.


..and the shoe?  How chivalrous  ;D   :D




WhitstableDave

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Re: Completely covering Kent
« Reply #167 on: 17:26:19, 25/04/21 »
I like to limit my posts to this topic to those that include an area of Kent that I've not walked before.

Today's short walk is pushing things a little, because less than a mile of it was new. But, with times as they are, beggars can't be choosers!  ;)

We decided to pay a visit to Go Outdoors in Canterbury to treat ourselves. This was to be only my second time in a shop for well over a year - and my other shop visit was to... Go Outdoors. To make a walk of it, we drove to the delightful little village of Harbledown just outside Canterbury and did a circular walk across country to Go Outdoors and back.

On the way is a footpath that lost its purpose as a useful link between places when the A2 Canterbury dual carriageway bypass cut through it. However, this footpath links up with another footpath that also lost its purpose, but which loops back again, making an unnecessarily long diversion with no other purpose than to allow walkers to enjoy its meander through some wonderful orchards.  :)

We parked on a road outside Harbledown (right) and set off up a hill across the first of several orchards:



It wasn't long before we arrived at the previously unwalked path. It was surprisingly clear, which suggests others enjoy an unnecessary diversion...



We went through another orchard, then we crossed a railway line, and then we went through another orchard!



The path through the orchard above led us to a medieval building called Tonford Manor, which is surrounded by orchards.  :)



At Tonford Manor, we rejoined our usual route between Harbledown and Canterbury. We followed the Great Stour (river) towards the city and crossed it to get to Riverside Retail Park and Go Outdoors. My wife bought herself a nice Buff buff and I treated myself to a Mountain Equipment super-lightweight base-layer top.  :)

We returned to Harbledown by recrossing the Great Stour and Hambrook Marshes, before briefly joining the North Downs Way and doing a short orchard walk back to the car.

Photo taken from the NDW towards Harbledown:



Only a 5 mile walk, but a bit of an adventure all the same!
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WhitstableDave

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Re: Completely covering Kent
« Reply #168 on: 16:00:32, 23/07/21 »
It's been far too long since I last updated this topic. Back in the good old pre-pandemic days, I would boldly go to parts of Kent that I'd not been to before and report back, whereas nowadays I've got into the habit of staying local and revisiting my favourite spots. However... I figure that if a walk includes even a little bit that's new - as in, a path I've not taken before - then it fits the criteria.  :)

With restrictions eased and the weather fine, we've got back into the routine of weekly walks with the family. My daughter enjoys seeing places that are just a few miles from where she lives, but which she has never visited - and my grandsons just like rushing around enjoying themselves!  :) 

This morning, we took them to Bridge, near Canterbury, for a 6 mile circuit through some of our favourite countryside and somewhere we've passed through several times recently on much longer walks and runs. We parked in a spacious, convenient lay-by just outside Bridge and headed off across the fields to Patrixbourne. From there, we passed Higham Park and went through Highland Court Farm and on to Bishopsbourne. Then we crossed Bourne Park to Bridge and walked up the high street back to our cars.



My daughter and me crossing a field of wheat on the way to Patrixbourne:



One of three fords that cross the Nailbourne river in Patrixbourne. My grandsons are trying to decide if it's worth risking the wet way, my daughter is taking the footbridge, and my wife is just watching proceedings...



Walking beside one of the many orchards near Highlands Court Farm:



For some reason, the boys climbed every gate along the way. The imposing building in the distance is Bourne House - most places and things around here are called 'bourne'-something-or-other!



If only more landowners maintained such excellent paths (cows were in an adjacent field):



As I've mentioned once or twice before, the Nailbourne is an intermittent river. Here, in Bourne Park it has retreated underground once more...



...although in some places the crystal-clear water is still flowing:



And it's also still gurgling along nicely on its way through Bridge:



A brilliant walk in a beautiful area - and a couple of hundred yards along footpaths I'd not walked before!  :)

(Incidentally, the 'parks' I've referred to here are of the stately home variety, not the other sort.  ;) )
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WhitstableDave

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Re: Completely covering Kent
« Reply #169 on: 17:00:48, 20/08/21 »
Wye Downs, the Devil's Kneading Trough and the Wye Crown


(Still photo taken with a video camera from above the Wye Crown)

Although we've walked along the high ridge at Wye Downs many times, and along the foot of the Downs once or twice before, as well going up one side of the Devil's Kneading Trough and down the other, we'd never actually walked through the spectacular valley itself. 

So for today's walk with our daughter and two grandsons, I contrived a slightly convoluted route which took us in a straight line across fields from Wye to the foot of the Downs. We climbed up one steep side of the Devil's Kneading Trough, then down through the iconic valley that was formed during the last ice age, and up to the top again on the other side. We followed the North Downs Way to the Wye (chalk) Crown and continued along it all the way back to Wye:



For this brief report, I'll stick to the highlights...

...heading down the steep path through the Devil's Kneading Trough:



Looking back to the way we came:



We'd already climbed to the top of the downs once and this was the climb on the other side. There were a lot of steps!



The information board asks: "Could this be the best view in Kent?". I think it probably is. Today wasn't especially clear, but I could still make out Dungeness almost 20 miles away.



Walking along the high ridge to the Wye Crown, we passed some friendly cattle:



The Crown was created to celebrate the coronation of Edward VII. The first thing you do is go to the bottom of it...



...to find out just how big it is!  :)



The walk was 6 miles and involved a fair amount of ascent - quite a challenge for a 6 and an 8 year old. We're trying to get them interested in becoming ultra runners or triathletes when they get older!

My wife took her new video camera on the walk, which meant she didn't take any photos with her phone today - and that's why I'm not in any. But she's working on the video and I'm hoping to be featured on that instead...  :)
Walk, Jog, Run : our YouTube video channel.

Dodgylegs

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Re: Completely covering Kent
« Reply #170 on: 23:41:41, 16/11/21 »
Started to load my walking challenges onto Google Earth Pro, now it takes ages for it to load!
Unticked all the routes uploaded to get Google Earth to start.


Just wondering what version of Google Earth you use Dave?

WhitstableDave

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Re: Completely covering Kent
« Reply #171 on: 07:49:20, 17/11/21 »
Started to load my walking challenges onto Google Earth Pro, now it takes ages for it to load!
Unticked all the routes uploaded to get Google Earth to start.


Just wondering what version of Google Earth you use Dave?
I'll get back to you later on that. I had the same problem with GE grinding to a halt as the number of tracks grew. I discovered how to avoid the problem and make my hundreds of tracks load very quickly.  :)
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WhitstableDave

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Re: Completely covering Kent
« Reply #172 on: 15:22:16, 17/11/21 »
The solution to the loading time problem is simple, but it might take a while if you already have lots of routes in Google Earth. From then on though, everything will work much faster.

I use Garmin Connect and after every activity, I give it a name then I click on the little cog icon and export it to Google Earth. Google Earth opens and the new activity appears under ‘Temporary Places’ - as in 1. below:

I right-click and cut the activity, then right-click on the folder where I want to store it and paste it. The activity consists of three parts which appear automatically at this stage: Track, Laps and Track Points - see 2. below:

You do not need Laps or Track Points and it’s these that are causing Google Earth to slow down - and the more you have, the slower things get! So simply delete Laps and Track Points, but leave Track - see 3. below:



Presumably, since Google Earth has slowed down, you already have a good many Laps and Track Points to delete and the only way to do that (as far as I know) is to manually expand each activity in turn and delete them. I remember having to delete a couple of hundred of them, but it was certainly worth it. I’ve now got about 1,000 activities in Google Earth and they all appear in about one second. Adding a new activity is very quick - basically it’s a matter of ‘cut / paste / delete / delete’!

I found the default thickish red line too thick when there are a lot of tracks, so I changed the ‘Style, Colour’ setting under ‘Properties’ for each of my groups (Walks Year 1, etc.) to a yellow line thickness of 1.

This is the current state of my Kent Walks Map (the tracks to the left are North Downs Way walks):



Nearer Whitstable, I’ll have walked or run many tracks a great many times. This zoomed-in map shows an area roughly 10 miles by 6 near around where I live:



I hope that helps.  :)
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Dodgylegs

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Re: Completely covering Kent
« Reply #173 on: 18:34:10, 17/11/21 »
Thanks Dave for taking the time to help.


Things are a little different for what I'm seeing ... on Google Earth Pro on iMac.


As I do not have the use of any electronic tracking device, I manually enter walking routes on Mapometer, originally to find out how many miles I'd walked, but wanted to see these walks altogether.... Northern section of Pennine Way, Hadrians Way, Weardale Way, Teesdale Way, South & North Tyne 'Daft as a Brush' & English Coastal Path.


Thought I'd have a go at putting these on Google Earth... after recalling your impressive walks!


What I discovered was I could export the Mapometer file via GPX, but this would not load directly to GE, so used a file converter (first free one I found, miconv.com, although I've been advised there are much better ones available), to convert to KLM file. Right click on this downloaded file and click open with Google Earth. Images appear almost immediately.


Entered long distant walks either completed or in progress which all appeared under 'My Places' 'GPS device...' There a quite a few more than those shown below. Note yours appear in 'Temporary Places', which might be the difference as I cannot open them at all, unlike  your stage 2.



Have just discovered if I untick the top box for 'My Places', all the other boxes relating to my routes untick and routes disappear from GE map. If I now closedown GE,  reopen occurs quickly then all I need to do is zoom into Northern England area, tick 'My Places' and routes are back, although still relatively slow to move around not as slow as when starting up with routes shown.

I'll guess I'll keep 'learning' how to use Google Earth.

Attempted to produce screenshot of walking challenges, but Postimages didn't like it and would not convert!



« Last Edit: 20:22:21, 17/11/21 by Dodgylegs »

WhitstableDave

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Re: Completely covering Kent
« Reply #174 on: 08:23:36, 18/11/21 »
What do you see (if anything!) when you expand an entry by clicking the little arrow ( > ) plus any more that appear?

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Dodgylegs

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Re: Completely covering Kent
« Reply #175 on: 15:01:56, 18/11/21 »
Thanks once again Dave, really appreciate your help!


Discovered 'Tracks' by ticking the little '>' Then 'Points'


Route checked was walk up Cheviot & onto the Schil ... just 962 points!
Unticked 'Points' box, leaving just the route shown in blue.

Looks like I'm going to be busy doing the rest now!

Unfortunately still cannot copy screenshot, via Postimage, message 'server responded with 0 code'.


Do you just 'screenshot' route map onto here?


Walkingforum became unavailable whist attempting to reply, with screenshots of what I did... so lost it all.
« Last Edit: 15:14:38, 18/11/21 by Dodgylegs »

WhitstableDave

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Re: Completely covering Kent
« Reply #176 on: 15:14:41, 18/11/21 »
Thanks once again Dave, really appreciate your help!
...
Do you just 'screenshot' route map onto here?

You're most welcome.  :)

Some forums do allow images to be uploaded (as attachments), but not this one I'm afraid.

Like others, I upload my images to an image hosting website then link to the images in my posts. My preference is for ImageShack, which I think is excellent (although not free).
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Dodgylegs

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Re: Completely covering Kent
« Reply #177 on: 18:53:56, 18/11/21 »
Dave just to let you see the results... took a bit of fiddling!


I can easily see where the gaps to walk are!


« Last Edit: 19:06:56, 18/11/21 by Dodgylegs »

WhitstableDave

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Re: Completely covering Kent
« Reply #178 on: 19:03:27, 18/11/21 »
Dave just to let you see the results... took a big of fiddling!

I can easily see where the gaps to walk are!

Brilliant!  O0

Being able to see where I hadn't been yet was my main reason for putting all my tracks on Google Earth too.  :)
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WhitstableDave

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Re: Completely covering Kent
« Reply #179 on: 17:46:21, 19/11/21 »
This morning I decided to do a walk from home to Graveney Marshes, a very flat, low-lying area between Whitstable and Faversham.

I chose this area because, at this time of year, the Swale - the shallow stretch of sea between the mainland and the Isle of Sheppey - attracts vast flocks of Brent Geese that enjoy feeding on the eel grass and seaweed here.



Heading out to the coast along the raised sea wall:



I passed several bird-watchers - there’s one in the photo I took looking back towards Whitstable (me, not the bird-watcher!):



On previous visits, I’ve seen (and heard!) thousands of geese, but today there were only a few hundred, and these were well spread out. Oh well, I’ll try again sometime soon.



There are some really cool-looking sheep on the marshes:



A picturesque bit of the coast. In addition to geese, I saw oyster catchers and turnstones along the coast and elsewhere along the way I saw a hen harrier, moorhens and ducks. I know almost nothing about birds, so I’ve done well to name some of those I saw!



Leaving the coast, I headed inland across fields and returned home along quiet lanes. 16.1 miles in total.  :)
Walk, Jog, Run : our YouTube video channel.

 

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