Walking Forum

Regions - Trip reports, destination advice, recommended routes, etc. => Rest of England => Topic started by: WhitstableDave on 16:25:43, 03/09/19

Title: Completely covering Kent
Post by: WhitstableDave on 16:25:43, 03/09/19
 I live near Whitstable on the North Kent coast, which is where I do most of my walking.
 
Kent, also known as the Garden of England, is situated in the far south-east of the region known as the Rest of England. I think that’s because Kent doesn’t have any mountains or even really big hills and, of course, ups and downs are very important to serious walkers.  ;)
 
I’m quite new to walking for leisure, having started just under three years ago when I was given a GPS watch for my 64th birthday. I immediately began to record my walks and I set myself endless targets involving combinations of distance, periods of time and speed. I wanted to explore every footpath and lane in my area, and then those further afield.
 
I’ve recorded about 600 walks in Kent so far and the track for each one has been added to Google Earth. Initially, I did that mainly to be able to see at a glance the areas I hadn’t been to yet, but as time went on I developed the aim of walking in every part of the county. My map shows that I’ve quite literally still a long way to go, but that’s the great thing about aims – there’s always something to aim towards!

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Kent_walks_Sept_2019.jpg)

My usual routine is to do five walks a week, at least one of which is somewhere I’ve not been before. My other walks are local coast and countryside routes. I’ve walked some of the tracks on the map hundreds of times, others only once, and the rest somewhere in between.
 
But to get to the point at last: I’ve been writing up many of my walks on my own blog, but I’m not here to get people to visit it because it seems wrong to me to use this forum for that purpose (each to their own though!). Instead, I thought I might post occasional updates about my walks in order to give a flavour of what the Rest of England has to offer – starting with a walk I did yesterday…
 
 
I parked in lovely medieval Lenham (where the source of the River Stour is), a town about halfway between Maidstone and Ashford, and followed the Stour Valley Walk from its start until just north of Egerton. I picked up the Greensand Way in Egerton and followed it to Ulcombe, then made my way back to Lenham via Fairbourne (not shown on the map) and Harrietsham. I planned the route to link up with my previous walks in the surrounding areas.
 
(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Lenham_to_Ulcombe_walk_map.jpg)
 
Looking back soon after leaving Lenham on the Stour Valley Walk. The Stour is a trickle in the hedges on the left and the Lenham chalk cross is just visible on the far hillside (it's a lot bigger than it looks!):
 
(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Lenham_to_Ulcombe_walk_1.jpg)
 
Here the Stour makes a wonderful water feature in someone's garden:
 
(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Lenham_to_Ulcombe_walk_2.jpg)
 
Cattle are probably the most vexing things on any walk. Bogs, exposed mountain ridges, midges - bring them on, they're nothing compared to having your way blocked by cattle (and they always seem to congregate at the very point where the path exits the field)... 
 
(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Lenham_to_Ulcombe_walk_3.jpg)
 
...but on this occasion I was able to bypass them by trespassing slightly on an adjacent field.  :) 
 
Some time later I joined the Greensand Way, which left Egerton through a nice orchard with a welcome from a walker-friendly notice. I must have been tempting fate, because I'd just been thinking that one of the great things about walking through orchards is that I never encounter dogs - only to meet three (all off their leads) in the next hundred yards!  >:( It's so much nicer being out of dog-walking range (which equals 'most-people-walking' range).  ;)
 
(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Lenham_to_Ulcombe_walk_4.jpg)
 
Not much later, I approached cattle guarding a gate for the second time today. This time I had no option but to go past them very carefully - I bravely took a photo from the other side of the gate.  8)
 
(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Lenham_to_Ulcombe_walk_5.jpg)
 
I always like to take photos of crops. Here the Greensand Way heads up the hill through a field of beans:
 
(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Lenham_to_Ulcombe_walk_6.jpg)
 
Sheep, and a nice view:
 
(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Lenham_to_Ulcombe_walk_7.jpg)
 
I liked that there was no doubt about the route through this hop field:
 
(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Lenham_to_Ulcombe_walk_8.jpg)
 
I passed an area where there were lots of sunflowers. There were too few to be a crop, so I'm not sure why they're there (unless it's for photo-ops?).
 
(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Lenham_to_Ulcombe_walk_9.jpg)
 
The Greensand Way passes through a great many orchards, which makes for a fantastic walk at this time of the year:
 
(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Lenham_to_Ulcombe_walk_10.jpg)
 
I see a lot of alpacas on my Kent walks. However, never has a path gone through a field where they are and I'm not sure why because they always seem friendly. Looking at the photo, these alpacas seem to have been sheared recently, but not on their heads:
 
(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Lenham_to_Ulcombe_walk_11.jpg)
 
I'll finish with a photo taken in the tiny hamlet of Fairbourne. Rural Kent in a nutshell!  O0
 
(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Lenham_to_Ulcombe_walk_12.jpg)
 
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: Jac on 18:09:59, 03/09/19
Lovely :)

I think you should link to your blog/website - so other can enjoy the walks you've discovered
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: gunwharfman on 18:52:21, 03/09/19
Much appreciated, I grew up in Kent and always wanted to retire to Cranbrook, I'll never do it though. Cranbrook was the place I hop and apple picked with my family, met my first girlfriend and I'm sure started my love of alcohol as well.

In the photo, when you walked through the orchard, does it lead to the pub in Little Chart? If it does I've walked that route as well. It's hard to better Kent at this time of the year, lots of scrumping to do.
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: WhitstableDave on 18:53:31, 03/09/19
Lovely :)

I think you should link to your blog/website - so other can enjoy the walks you've discovered

Thanks Jac. Okay, you've talked me into it - I've put a link in my signature.  :) 
(Despite the name, it's a forum about cruising. But I'm not very interested in cruising nowadays, so I added a walking section!  ;) )
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: WhitstableDave on 19:06:08, 03/09/19
Much appreciated, I grew up in Kent and always wanted to retire to Cranbrook, I'll never do it though. Cranbrook was the place I hop and apple picked with my family, met my first girlfriend and I'm sure started my love of alcohol as well.

In the photo, when you walked through the orchard, does it lead to the pub in Little Chart? If it does I've walked that route as well. It's hard to better Kent at this time of the year, lots of scrumping to do.

I love Cranbrook and the surrounding area; I've done four circular walks from there and they look like a battered clover leaf on my map!

The path certainly does continue to Little Chart from that orchard, but it's about a mile in the other direction. Another fantastic part of Kent - along with nearby Pluckley.  :)
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: Jac on 08:10:59, 04/09/19
Thanks Jac. Okay, you've talked me into it - I've put a link in my signature.  :) 
(Despite the name, it's a forum about cruising. But I'm not very interested in cruising nowadays, so I added a walking section!  ;) )

Great and reminded me that my maternal grandfather's family were from Charing - surname of Hyder. I've not visited but understand there several buried in the churchyard there.
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: Slowcoach on 08:18:00, 04/09/19
Great report, thanks. I started my walking in Kent in my teens firstly around Eynsford and then along the Canterbury Way, Kemsing, Otford and then the Kent border areas with Sussex. I haven’t been to those aeas in years, perhaps time to revisit.

Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: WhitstableDave on 15:45:23, 07/09/19
Just a very brief update from today's weekend walk with my wife...

We parked in the lovely old village of Eastry, a few miles west of Sandwich. We did a circuit through Finglesham, Northbourne and Betteshanger, following the White Cliffs Country Trail for much of the way, with the return to Eastry being along a bridleway on the line of a Roman Road.

The weather was overcast with occasional drizzle, so we didn't take many photos.

In fact, I wouldn't have bothered with this post at all... except that we finally found the legendary signpost!   8)

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Ham_Sandwich.jpg)
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: WhitstableDave on 18:59:54, 09/09/19
I'd hoped to do a circular walk today between Tonbridge to Tunbridge Wells but it's a long drive and the weather forecast was for rain so I decided to wait for a sunny day when I can take nice sunny photos!

Instead, I found an area closer to home with villages I've not passed through before, which include Tilmanstone, Eythorne and Elvington. I'd also spotted somewhere called Knowlton on the map that looked intriguing being a hamlet at the end of a no through road.

I didn't mind the prospect of rain. I bought a new waterproof jacket a few weeks ago (a Rohan Vertex), which had only seen a little drizzle so far and I was looking forward to testing it some more.   :)   So I parked in Eastry, where my wife and I started our weekend walk from on Saturday, and set off on the 15.5 mile loop...

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Knowlton_Court_walk_map.jpg)

The walk was mainly on quiet country lanes, which was just as well. I wore my non-waterproof walking shoes (Merrell Cham 7 Slam Luna, since I'm mentioning gear for once - what a mouthful!) and within seconds of taking this track my feet were soaked. And I'd decided not to bother with overtrousers so my legs were soon soaked too.

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Knowlton_Court_walk_3.jpg)

I always like to do a lap of churchyards and there were a few on this walk. I always take photos as well - the top two are of the church at Tilmanstone (the yew tree is enormous), bottom-left is the church at Elvington, and bottom-right is the one at Chillenden:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Knowlton_Court_walk_2.jpg)

At Eythorne, I passed a railway station of the East Kent Railway. Trains run between here and Shepherdswell where the station is right by the North Downs Way.

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Knowlton_Court_walk_4.jpg)

Although not much evidence remains, this area was an important coal mining region and The Miners' Way Trail is a circular heritage walk of about 27 miles:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Knowlton_Court_walk_5.jpg)

I was very pleased that I paid a visit to Knowlton Court. The estate is full of quite amazing properties and I believe it's owned by the Fox-Pitt family (of equestrian fame). There were lots of trees and I couldn't get a very good photo of the big house, but this might give an idea of what the place is like...

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Knowlton_Court_walk_1.jpg)

Not far from Knowlton is Chillenden Windmill - apparently it's an open-trestle post mill and the last one built in Kent. I went up the stairs but the door was locked.

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Knowlton_Court_walk_6.jpg)

The rain came down incessantly for over two hours before easing to a fine drizzle, but it was a very good outing all the same. My feet might have been wet, but the jacket was great - the most breathable one I've had yet!   :)
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: One F on 16:29:38, 10/09/19
Just a very brief update from today's weekend walk with my wife...

We parked in the lovely old village of Eastry, a few miles west of Sandwich. We did a circuit through Finglesham, Northbourne and Betteshanger, following the White Cliffs Country Trail for much of the way, with the return to Eastry being along a bridleway on the line of a Roman Road.

The weather was overcast with occasional drizzle, so we didn't take many photos.

In fact, I wouldn't have bothered with this post at all... except that we finally found the legendary signpost!   8)

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Ham_Sandwich.jpg)


Blimey, there's a blast from the past - Ham Sandwich  :)


In the early to mid 60's I spent many weeks  visiting family and staying in Faversham, Seasalter and then Eastry. In fact if not for a twist of fate I may have stayed there a while longer. Quite a few of the families in and around Eastry were from Durham and had moved to Kent to work in the mines at Betteshanger, Tilmanstone and Snowdon (iirc). My first ever job (after leaving school in Yorkshire) was at a farm in Eastry.  Happy days and I remember that road sign well.
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: WhitstableDave on 19:06:14, 10/09/19
I'm delighted you liked the photo One F.

And it's nice to have confirmation that the signpost is indeed legendary!  O0
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: WhitstableDave on 19:07:56, 10/09/19
In addition to my explorations of Kent, I do at least three walks each week from home. I rarely mention these because they mostly cover the same old ground and I hardly ever take photos - and I do like to put photos into a walk report!

But I'll make an exception today. I noticed this morning that, since I began recording my walks less than 3 years ago, I'd reached 7,999 miles. So almost as soon as I set off I would pass a significant milestone, and I decided to celebrate by taking photos and reporting an otherwise entirely typical local walk.

Doing a local walk doesn't need a reason, but I'm always happy to have one. Yesterday, I discovered that I needed to replace the heater in my aquarium and since there's a garden centre with a fish section about 7 miles away, that was good enough for me. Even better was that 6 miles of that is through wonderful woodland.

My route is shown on the map below with the garden centre being south of Herne Common. The return part of the route is convoluted because I have targets to meet(!) and I wanted to do over 15 miles today:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Herne_loop_map.jpg)

Exactly 0.6 miles into the walk I reached Brooklands Farm and the cycle path south to Canterbury. I love this spot because most of my local walks head towards the woods from here before going their various ways. The woods in question are collectively known as The Blean, which is one of England's largest areas of ancient woodland. The Blean covers over 11 square miles and is about 18 miles across east to west. We'll be there in another half-mile...

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Herne_loop_walk_1.jpg)

There are several claimants to the title of being the first passenger railway in Britain, including the Crab and Winkle Line that opened in 1830 and ran between Canterbury and Whitstable. The tracks went straight through these woods and I'm following a path where trains once ran...

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Herne_loop_walk_2.jpg)

After about a mile of a gentle uphill gradient the path reaches a winding pond. There was a stationary engine here that helped pull trains up the slope, but only the pond remains. Well, except for the rubbish left by some indescribable, er, person.

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Herne_loop_walk_3.jpg)

A lovely waymarked trail called the Big Blean Walk passes through The Blean for about 27 miles. I've walked it all, but piecemeal during other walks.

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Herne_loop_walk_4.jpg)

I took this photo because I like this spot, especially in winter. It's a great place for holly...

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Herne_loop_walk_5.jpg)

And I took this photo because I remember someone saying they love heather - here's some heather!

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Herne_loop_walk_6.jpg)

This is the view along the very long and very straight path that can be seen on the map. Despite it being designated as a footpath, it has a name: New Road. Perhaps it was a road once (animals used to be driven through the woods to the coast a long time ago), but I'm not sure about the history of this path. It's very nice though. I was going to say that I hardly ever meet anyone along here, but about halfway along I passed a group of Woodland Trust volunteers drinking cups of tea!

Just before the end of New Road, the path passes the side of a wildlife park called Wildwood and animals can sometimes be seen through the undergrowth. The park has two bears and their enclosure is close to the path. As I passed by once, I saw a bear through the trees. I knew there were bears there, but I've often wondered what someone who didn't know they were passing a wildlife park might think... (Incidentally, Wildwood was in the news recently for breeding Scottish wildcats.)

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Herne_loop_walk_7.jpg)

The garden centre is only a short way along a busy road near Wildwood but walking along the road involves a blind bend which is dangerous, so I went the slightly less dangerous way in the opposite direction to make my way across fields and arrive at the garden centre from a lane behind it. Someone has made a feeble attempt at blocking the path across the field:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Herne_loop_walk_8.jpg)

There's a really nice house on the aforementioned lane so I took a photo.

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Herne_loop_walk_9.jpg)

I bought an aquarium heater then went back down the lane towards a small wood near the village of Herne. I walked through the wood...

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Herne_loop_walk_10.jpg)

...and arrived in the village:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Herne_loop_walk_11.jpg)

Returning towards home, I followed lanes but crossed farmland whenever possible. One of the few remaining crops in fields at this time of the year is corn - I love corn fields despite getting quite lost in one once!

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Herne_loop_walk_12.jpg)

From here, a solar farm can be seen. We have a lot of them around here and although I'm generally in favour, they have their downsides too.

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Herne_loop_walk_13.jpg)

And finally - one of my favourite buildings in nearby Chestfield. It's called The Barn and it's an ancient building that's been converted into a posh restaurant and it's surrounded on three sides by Chestfield Golf Course. I'm not a fan of golf, but I do enjoy crossing golf courses on public rights of way.  ;)

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Herne_loop_walk_14.jpg)
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: BrionyB on 13:22:53, 14/09/19
Nice photos, especially the woodland ones. I was pleasantly surprised by the lovely deciduous woods when I moved 'down South'; it's something we tend to lack in the North, where it's often conifer plantations or nothing.


Planning a Greensand Way walk myself sometime soon, perhaps getting the train down to Sevenoaks and heading towards the Chart area.
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: WhitstableDave on 14:00:04, 14/09/19
Nice photos, especially the woodland ones. I was pleasantly surprised by the lovely deciduous woods when I moved 'down South'; it's something we tend to lack in the North, where it's often conifer plantations or nothing.

Planning a Greensand Way walk myself sometime soon, perhaps getting the train down to Sevenoaks and heading towards the Chart area.

Hi Briony

I've walked a fair bit of the Greensand Way in Kent on circular walks, but by no means all of it. It's a brilliant trail though and I'm keen to do more.

The section you mentioned passes through idyllic 'Darling Buds of May' countryside near Pluckley and the path goes through a great many orchards. It's just a thought, but I think the area is best in spring for the blossom or late summer / early autumn for the fruit. I reckon you've still got a few weeks left of this year...  ;)
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: Rob Goes Walking on 12:53:41, 15/09/19
I liked the woodland pictures best too.

I suppose I kind of am a serious walker based on my attitude to it and even miles covered per week if you include my mostly repetitive walks for fitness, albeit something of a novice. Ups are important to me because I like being up high, the views and the physical aspects of getting there. Downs are a necessary nuisance!

I really wanted to disagree with your assertion ups and downs are important to serious walkers as I know it's not always true, your Kent excursions being an example but people who do a lot of walking do seem to like ups and downs.

With all that walking you've done in Kent you could start a regional section all on your own!

It was interesting to read about and see photos from a different part of the country. Thanks for posting here.


Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: Lazar on 14:49:09, 15/09/19
Fantastic photo's after a bit of advise, we are looking for somewhere next year for our annual 5 day walk. Over the last couple of years we have looked at having a base instead of moving on every day, could you recommend somewhere to base our self's looking for walks of about 14 miles a day circular or finishing where we can use public transport to get back to base. We will be travelling by train from our home town. Thanks
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: WhitstableDave on 16:25:28, 15/09/19
Fantastic photo's after a bit of advise, we are looking for somewhere next year for our annual 5 day walk. Over the last couple of years we have looked at having a base instead of moving on every day, could you recommend somewhere to base our self's looking for walks of about 14 miles a day circular or finishing where we can use public transport to get back to base. We will be travelling by train from our home town. Thanks

Hi Lazar

I'm not sure I can be much help, but I'll have a try...

My wife and I did something like what you're planning in April this year. We wanted to do circular walks using the part of the North Downs that's in neighbouring Surrey, so we rented a cottage near the NDW and about halfway along the Surrey bit for a base. The cottage is in Westcott and is called Deerhurst Cottage (it was excellent!); the map shows roughly where it is relative to the NDW (in green):

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Westcott_map.jpg)

If you prefer Kent, it's very easy to plan circular walks based on the excellent North Downs Way. The Pilgrim's Way, which mostly follows quiet, narrow lanes runs roughly parallel to the North Downs Way and usually less than a mile away from it. (I'll be posting more about this shortly!)
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: WhitstableDave on 16:39:03, 15/09/19
...
I really wanted to disagree with your assertion ups and downs are important to serious walkers as I know it's not always true, your Kent excursions being an example but people who do a lot of walking do seem to like ups and downs.
...

Hi Rob. My assertion was only intended as a tongue-in-cheek observation about the emphasis that this forum seems to place on hillwalking as opposed to lowland walking. I think the Regions list on the forum menu supports this, as does (for example) the amount of discussion about boots (instead of shoes!).  ;)

Of course hills and mountains are great - I love Scotland, Wales and other bumpy regions - and reaching a deserted cairn and basking in the views (when not in the clouds) is fantastic. But, for me anyway, hillwalking is just another aspect of walking!

And just to show that I like ups and downs as much as anyone - here's my selfie from the summit of Cul Beag (in the Assynt) taken last month...  8)

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Cul_Beag.jpg)

But back to Kent in a moment!  ;)
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: sunnydale on 16:47:25, 15/09/19
A lovely selection of photos Dave & interesting reading too O0
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: WhitstableDave on 17:33:22, 15/09/19
Thanks!  :)

Here's a brief account of today's Weekend Walk with my Wife...

The forecast was for blue skies and a temperature around 24C and that's how it turned out - a lovely last bit of summer here in the deep south. While I was scanning the map for ideas for a short walk, I spotted a place called Broad Street on a few miles of the Pilgrim's Way I'd not been along before. I also noticed that, although I've often claimed to have walked all of the North Downs Way in Kent, there was a 200m bit of the path nearby that I'd previously bypassed. Oh no! That needed fixing!

For those who aren't familiar with the Kent landscape, the North Downs Way (mostly) runs along a high, undulating ridge of chalk hills. The Pilgrims Way runs roughly parallel to the NDW and is the actual route to Canterbury that pilgrims once took. Pilgrims probably weren't particularly interested in undulating hills and so the PW follows a low-level path between delightful villages and hamlets - mostly on byways and quiet lanes. Nowadays, pilgrims and other walkers use the more demanding but extremely scenic high path - the NDW. The great thing for walkers is that together they make for excellent circular walks.

Today's shortish circular walk was as follows: Park at the White Horse Country Park at the top of Detling Hill; descend the steep hill past a castle ruin to Thurnham; follow the Pilgrim's Way to Hollingbourne where it meets the NDW at the Dirty Habit(!); and follow the NDW up a steep hill and back to the start.

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Broad_Street_walk_map.jpg)

We took only a few photos today. Soon after setting off down the hill and crossing the NDW to begin the circuit:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Broad_Street_walk_1.jpg)

The hamlet of Broad Street was quite idyllic, with about a dozen very, very nice houses in a leafy setting. Further on, we reached the Dirty Habit Inn at Hollingbourne where the PW and the NDW merge for a while. (We've stopped for coffee at the inn twice before on previous walks and it's very quaint.)

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Broad_Street_walk_2.jpg)

We passed a small herd of cattle on the NDW - always a pleasant surprise!:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Broad_Street_walk_3.jpg)

It was very warm in the sun, so we stopped for a sandwich in the shade and enjoyed the view:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Broad_Street_walk_4.jpg)

A fairly typical bit of NDW woodland. What I can't show though (because I didn't take the relevant photos) is the switchback nature of the trail for the next couple of miles - the path goes steeply down then steeply up then steeply down... and so on. But at least it's nice and shaded!

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Broad_Street_walk_5.jpg)
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: WhitstableDave on 18:46:50, 17/09/19
I made a big stride today in my quest to cover Kent when I finally linked up Royal Tunbridge Wells with my network. I'd previously got as far as Tonbridge, so I wanted to start from there, and I was waiting for a really nice day to make the walk worth the tedious hour-long drive each way. I couldn't have asked for better weather - blue skies and temperatures in the low twenties!

I'd noticed that Tunbridge Wells has a waymarked circular route called... The Tunbridge Wells Circular Walk. Actually, it's more like a four-leaf-clover shape with four shorter circular walks making one long one around the perimeter. One of these 'leaves' is called the Pembury Circular (I know, this is getting tedious!) and it served my purpose perfectly.

I parked in the first car park I came across in Tonbridge and made my way across town to get to my planned route. Then I headed out of town to join the Pembury Circular at the nearest point. I'd decided that the clockwise direction looked the most immediately scenic so that's the way I went. Strangely, the circular walks disappear in Tunbridge Wells itself, with a note on the Explore Kent website saying to 'take the train' (from one end of TW to the other!). I don't do trains! Anyway, I like walking through towns, and especially ones as posh as Tunbridge Wells. Arriving back in Tonbridge, I realised I needed to get to the castle (to join this walk with the others) and that I had no idea where I'd left the car. So I used the 'return to start' function on my watch, which is proving quite useful...

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Tunbridge_Wells_walk_map.jpg)

I joined the Pembury Circular just outside of Tonbridge and the path immediately took me into the grounds of The Schools at Somerhill - that's three private schools in the beautiful grounds of Somerhill House, the second largest house in Kent (after Knole House in Sevenoaks). This is a gatehouse and the way in...

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Tunbridge_Wells_walk_1.jpg)

...and this is a lake!

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Tunbridge_Wells_walk_2.jpg)

The sun was behind the big house and I couldn't see all of it, but you'll get the idea. I've said it before and I'll say it again: I do like walking though the grounds of stately homes and golf courses on rights of way that are only for walkers.

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Tunbridge_Wells_walk_3.jpg)

I left the Somerhill grounds on a path through some lovely woods that led out onto farmland. This is the view looking back from the middle of a field:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Tunbridge_Wells_walk_4.jpg)

Woods were quite a feature of this walk, which by the way, shared some of the way with the High Weald Landscape Trail. I took a few photos like this one along the way:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Tunbridge_Wells_walk_5.jpg)

I walked through the grounds of another private school (Kent College) where girls were playing hockey (as they do in such places), then out through a really nice churchyard. Saint Peter's Church at Pembury dates back to Norman times:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Tunbridge_Wells_walk_6.jpg)

Orchards were another feature of the walk. I've posted photos of apple trees before, but not of trees with fruit like this. I've no idea what it is...

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Tunbridge_Wells_walk_7.jpg)

Still heading for Tunbridge Wells I emerged from some woodland and was treated to this view - wonderful! So I took a photo...

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Tunbridge_Wells_walk_8.jpg)

I didn't bother with photos on my way through the town and I took hardly any on the way back to Tonbridge. But I did like the sunlight reflected from a stream that I crossed just before I finished the Pembury Circular...

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Tunbridge_Wells_walk_9.jpg)

And finally, a photo (albeit slightly blurred) of Tonbridge Castle - just to prove I got back!

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Tunbridge_Wells_walk_10.jpg)

This is an excellent route with a great deal to recommend it. There's a nice balance of woodland, farmland, orchards, meadows, sleepy hamlets and posh towns. The route is surprisingly up and down, with very few level bits, which provides regular scenic views over the rolling countryside. One thing I must mention though is that the final third of the Pembury Circular (between TW and T) is less impressive and a lot more overgrown than I was expecting. I think that's because it's not part of the outer Tunbridge Wells Circular Walk and isn't often walked. Starting from Tonbridge made for an 18.4 mile walk, but the loop part is advertised as 13 miles - if you take a train through Tunbridge Wells that is!
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: Dovegirl on 21:11:15, 17/09/19
I was interested to read of your Tunbridge Wells Circular (TWC) walk.  I've found some very good walking in the area to the west of Tonbridge and Tunbridge Wells. When this spring I walked the TWC from Tunbridge Wells to Groombridge, which features in both the Speldhurst and Sussex leaflets on the Explore Kent website, the woodlands were carpeted with wonderful displays of wild garlic. 

I know it's Kent you're covering but it's well worth following the TWC just over the border in East Sussex, taking in Eridge Park, where I've been lucky enough to see a herd of deer, and the amazing sandstone outcrops of Harrison's Rocks and Eridge Rocks.
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: WhitstableDave on 21:33:46, 17/09/19
I was interested to read of your Tunbridge Wells Circular (TWC) walk.  I've found some very good walking in the area to the west of Tonbridge and Tunbridge Wells. When this spring I walked the TWC from Tunbridge Wells to Groombridge, which features in both the Speldhurst and Sussex leaflets on the Explore Kent website, the woodlands were carpeted with wonderful displays of wild garlic. 

I know it's Kent you're covering but it's well worth following the TWC just over the border in East Sussex, taking in Eridge Park, where I've been lucky enough to see a herd of deer, and the amazing sandstone outcrops of Harrison's Rocks and Eridge Rocks.
I'd love to go further afield into East Sussex but it's a matter of having the time - the further I drive, the longer it all takes. I should add that my wife works and I like to get home before she does!

Having said that though, today as I was enjoying those faraway border places it occurred to me that we might stay overnight sometime. Definitely worth considering...
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: Bigfoot_Mike on 20:10:32, 18/09/19
I know it's Kent you're covering but it's well worth following the TWC just over the border in East Sussex, taking in Eridge Park, where I've been lucky enough to see a herd of deer, and the amazing sandstone outcrops of Harrison's Rocks and Eridge Rocks.
Harrison’s Rocks are definitely worth a visit.
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: Agentorange on 21:22:46, 19/09/19
Re the fruit: Pears of some sort, or maybe quinces ?
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: WhitstableDave on 21:45:34, 19/09/19
Re the fruit: Pears of some sort, or maybe quinces ?

They weren't pears... and my wife agrees that they're quinces.  O0
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: Agentorange on 21:48:09, 19/09/19
I had quince and pear crumble once, very enjoyable.
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: Bigfoot_Mike on 22:11:16, 19/09/19
They weren't pears... and my wife agrees that they're quinces.  O0
If you’d had a runcible spoon in your pack, you could have eaten some.
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: WhitstableDave on 16:18:02, 21/09/19
I spent a good couple of hours yesterday planning our weekend walk - 12 miles, to include a stretch of the Medway Valley Walk and a visit to Hadlow to see the incredible Tower that I've only ever seen from a distance, with an hour's drive each way. But when my wife got home from work she reminded me that we're looking after our baby granddaughter all day Sunday, so perhaps a less time-consuming Saturday walk would be better! Hmm, how about an 8 mile walk around nearby Faversham instead?

So I came up with a sort of theme - we'd visit some heritage sites in the area and try to use paths and roads we've not walked before.

Faversham was once an extremely important producer of gunpowder. Although a mile or so inland, two creeks link the town to the River Medway and the Thames Estuary making the transportation of gunpowder to nearby naval bases relatively easy. There are reminders of Faversham's explosive history all over the area - mills, testing areas and huge brick walls (to protect residents!).

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Faversham_heritage_walk_map.jpg)

I'd seen signs to the Oare Gunpowder Works but hadn't been there. Checking the map, I discovered it's in some dense woodland and has a small car park, so that's where we started. We decided to look inside when we got back...

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Faversham_heritage_walk_1.jpg)

Chart Mill is by a stream in the middle of a housing estate. It's the oldest mill of its kind in the world and is where the gunpowder ingredients were ground and mixed. Sadly, it doesn't open until 2pm and the walls had suffered from graffiti. Oh well, moving on...

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Faversham_heritage_walk_2.jpg)

This was very much a town and countryside walk and, presumably because Faversham was once the wealthy centre of the nation's explosives industry, the town has some very elaborate buildings. These are alms houses:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Faversham_heritage_walk_3.jpg)

Heading out of Faversham, we walked through the very pleasant churchyard of St Catherine's at Preston-next-Faversham:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Faversham_heritage_walk_4.jpg)

Then we walked for more than two miles alongside the busy A2. Not the most appealing of ways perhaps, but we'd never walked along there before and we wanted to visit Maison Dieu. This was a heritage walk after all!

Maison Dieu is a hospital, monastery, hostel, retirement home and royal lodge commissioned by Henry III in 1234 (according to Wikipedia!) and the A2 was formerly Watling Street. A fascinating building to see - but only from the outside today because it too opens at 2pm!

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Faversham_heritage_walk_5.jpg)

Just before we returned to quiet country lanes, we went into a field to visit Faversham Stone Chapel - and this was definitely open. ('Stone' refers to the area, not what it was built with.) It might not look much, but this is the only Christian building in England that incorporates a Roman mausoleum in its structure. Roman brickwork can be seen just to the right of my wife's right elbow.

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Faversham_heritage_walk_6.jpg)

After some field walking we arrived at Luddenham Court where the farm has a de-consecrated church dating from the 12th century in the middle of the farmyard. It's called St Mary's Church and it was open, so we had a look around!

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Faversham_heritage_walk_7.jpg)

We left Luddenham Farm by way of a corn field and headed back to the gunpowder works.

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Faversham_heritage_walk_8.jpg)

We had a quick look around the gunpowder works, which was very interesting, then drove home in time for lunch. Perhaps we'll do Hadlow next weekend...
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: WhitstableDave on 16:37:42, 27/09/19
The Darent Valley Path follows the River Darent from the banks of the River Thames near Dartford to the Greensand Hills near Sevenoaks.

I'd previously walked the southern part of the path, where it passes through some lovely Kent countryside, and I wanted to complete it all. Studying the map, I decided to split the unwalked section into two circular loops - one of which would be in the Dartford area, and that's the bit I did today.

I parked in the Darenth Country Park which is near the A2, although getting there proved more difficult than I'd expected. I left the A2 and was only two minutes away when a slight misunderstanding between my satnav and me resulted in me rejoining the A2 and heading for the Dartford Crossing. I narrowly avoided Essex (and the toll!) and, with a fair amount of luck, eventually found the country park.

The Darent Valley Path starts in a remote and desolate spot and getting to it without actually using the path itself involved walking through built up areas and along an unappealing track across Dartford Marshes. I reached the path near a huge flood barrier and headed south along the river, going through the centre of Dartford, and getting as far as Brooklands Lakes before heading back to the car.

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Dartford_DVP_walk_map.jpg)

The weather wasn't too bad to start with, but it began to drizzle as I reached the marshes. This is Joyce Green Lane, which ends at a shooting range and becomes a rough track to the Thames. I passed a quarry and lots of derelict buildings along the way:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Dartford_DVP_walk_1.jpg)

Here I'm at the start of the Darent Valley Path, although there was nothing to confirm that. I was pleased that no shot fell from above as I took a photo of the Dartford Crossing (the Queen Elizabeth II bridge) to the east:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Dartford_DVP_walk_2.jpg)

Heading west along the path I soon reached the flood barrier. The waterway is described as the Dartford Creek, so I've no idea where it becomes the River Darent (or perhaps it's both?).

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Dartford_DVP_walk_3.jpg)

The path alongside the river is on the top of a high bank, which was nice because I had good views across the marshes but I was walking into a strong breeze, which was less good. I crossed a dual carriageway as I left the marshes behind and immediately saw an impressive display of fly-tipping...

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Dartford_DVP_walk_4.jpg)

Looking back to the riverside development I'd just passed - as the rain decided to get serious!

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Dartford_DVP_walk_5.jpg)

Then I went through some industrial areas and crossed Dartford's town centre. While the high street wasn't looking especially attractive today, the huge Central Park beyond was extremely impressive (but I forgot to take a photo of it).

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Dartford_DVP_walk_6.jpg)

The River Darent flows through the park and under a busy road on the other side through some rather nice tunnels. There was even music playing inside the path tunnel!

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Dartford_DVP_walk_7.jpg)

I emerged from the tunnel into an area called Brooklands Lakes, but that's as far as I was going along the Darent Valley Path today. My next and final walk along the DVP will be between Lullingstone and these lakes and I'm certain that the route will be a lot more picturesque!

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Dartford_DVP_walk_8.jpg)

Speaking of picturesque... On the way back to the car, I took a photo of where I was earlier when I missed my turning and found myself heading for the Dartford Tunnel!

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Dartford_DVP_walk_9.jpg)
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: WhitstableDave on 17:36:35, 28/09/19
Two updates in two days!

Following my drab, wet and windy solo walk yesterday, the sun came out for today's weekend walk with my wife. Well, for some of the time anyway.  :)

Three months ago I was walking beside the River Medway on my way to Tonbridge when I saw an impressive tower in the distance. I learned that it was the Hadlow Tower - built as a folly in the grounds of Hadlow Castle in the village of Hadlow. The tower was badly damaged in the storm of 1987 but later restored at a cost of about £4,000,000. It's the tallest folly in the UK and is now used as luxury holiday accommodation.

I'd originally seen the tower from a mile-and-a-half away and wanted to see it up close on a walk with my wife. Today's route also included a particularly pleasant stretch of the Medway Valley Walk. We parked in East Peckham and set off in an anticlockwise direction...

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Hadlow_and_Medway_walk_map.jpg)

We passed some lovely houses along the way, including this huge converted oast house:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Hadlow_and_Medway_walk_1.jpg)

Walking through fields of what we decided was a salad vegetable farm, we were puzzled by the pinkness of some of the crops in the distance. The pink turned out to be protective netting, but the red was definitely red lettuce!

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Hadlow_and_Medway_walk_2.jpg)

Arriving in Hadlow by the church, we had our first proper sighting of Hadlow Tower - well, the top part anyway:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Hadlow_and_Medway_walk_3.jpg)

We were a little disappointed that views of the tower are limited because it's in private grounds. Probably the best views were from the churchyard, and we could see some of the castle as well...

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Hadlow_and_Medway_walk_4.jpg)

After a quick look around the village, we headed south across the fields to the River Medway. There are ten locks between Maidstone and Tonbridge and we passed three today. We didn't see a single pleasure boat on the river, but there were lots of canoeists and a couple of walkers at one of the locks:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Hadlow_and_Medway_walk_5.jpg)

This photo gives a good idea of what the Medway Valley Walk is like between Yalding and Tonbridge...

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Hadlow_and_Medway_walk_6.jpg)

Another lock...  :)

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Hadlow_and_Medway_walk_7.jpg)

An excellent walk which contributed a fair amount towards my never-ending quest to completely cover Kent.  8)
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: Agentorange on 18:43:19, 28/09/19


 

The path alongside the river is on the top of a high bank, which was nice because I had good views across the marshes but I was walking into a strong breeze, which was less good. I crossed a dual carriageway as I left the marshes behind and immediately saw an impressive display of fly-tipping...

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Dartford_DVP_walk_4.jpg)





Did you cross the dual carriageway or go through the little tunnel ?
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: WhitstableDave on 18:51:10, 28/09/19
Did you cross the dual carriageway or go through the little tunnel ?

I crossed the dual carriageway and when I got to the other side I noticed I could have used a little tunnel!  :-[
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: Agentorange on 18:40:08, 29/09/19
I crossed the dual carriageway and when I got to the other side I noticed I could have used a little tunnel!  :-[

Yeah, it's not so obvious from the north side, can be rather muddy and in extreme cases has been known to flood. On the other hand you're not taking your life in your hands like you do crossing the road.
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: gunwharfman on 19:04:47, 29/09/19
I know the area well but not the footpaths. At Hadlow did you cross the Medway, where in Victorian time loads of hop-pickers drowned when the original bridge collapsed. My mother always made a once a year visit there for many years because one of them was one of her relatives.

When I started the GR10 walk in 2015 on the first day I met a young man who had just lost his wife in childbirth, she is buried in Hadlow Church and he was hiking the route to try to recover from his grief. His parents were looking after his baby. I often wonder what happened to him?

Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: WhitstableDave on 19:15:41, 29/09/19
I know the area well but not the footpaths. At Hadlow did you cross the Medway, where in Victorian time loads of hop-pickers drowned when the original bridge collapsed. My mother always made a once a year visit there for many years because one of them was one of her relatives.

When I started the GR10 walk in 2015 on the first day I met a young man who had just lost his wife in childbirth, she is buried in Hadlow Church and he was hiking the route to try to recover from his grief. His parents were looking after his baby. I often wonder what happened to him?

I didn't pass the spot where the hop-pickers drowned on this walk, but I did pass it a few months ago when I walked along the Medway path from Yalding to Tonbridge (and back). I didn't know how it happened until you just mentioned it though.

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/HopPickers.jpg)
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: WhitstableDave on 19:22:44, 30/09/19
I hadn't intended to do a walk report today, because I wasn't planning to visit anywhere I'd not been before.

I wanted to do just over 18 miles today, so that I would reach 300 miles for the month. (My monthly target is 250 miles and I don't often get to 300.)  So I thought I'd just head for Reculver by country lanes and paths and return along the coast.

As I was passing Broomfield I decided to investigate a narrow lane to the south that I'd previously ignored. I was glad that I did, because I came across a deserted BMX circuit which in itself wasn't very exciting, but it's owned by the council and was therefore open to explore. It's on a low hill that provided excellent views across farmland and I discovered that I could get to a path on the far side that I've walked before. Links like these can be useful when planning future walks!

As I left the BMX track to head for Reculver I noticed that my average walking speed was 4.2mph - a touch faster than usual. A couple of weeks ago I did 16 miles at 4.2mph (my middle distance PB!) so I decided to keep up the pace for the whole 18 miles and beat it. A bit further on I realised I'd probably get to 20 miles following my BMX diversion and later, as I was nearing 20 miles I decided to keep the pace going for the marathon distance. That meant going into Whitstable towards the end and doing lots of zigging and zagging and even a couple of loops, but I arrived home on exactly 26.2 miles. The walk took 6hrs 10mins making the overall average speed 4.25mph - a new long distance PB!  :)

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/September_Marathon_map.jpg)

I didn't stop to take many photos... this is the BMX track - quite impressive!

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/September_Marathon_1.jpg)

I'd just passed through lots of orchards and then on to a quiet lane when I thought a photo of the scene with a house with a bell-tower was worth taking:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/September_Marathon_2.jpg)

I love the view of Reculver Towers looking back from the clifftop path:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/September_Marathon_3.jpg)

Whitstable Harbour, with an unusually high tide. It was beginning to look like rain, which I wouldn't have minded in the slightest by then!

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/September_Marathon_4.jpg)

I was extremely chuffed by doing an unplanned marathon in a good time. And not only did I pass 300 miles for September quite comfortably, but I also reached 3,200 miles in the previous 365 days for the first time ever.  :)
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: WhitstableDave on 19:00:22, 03/10/19
The aim of my walk today was to complete the Darent Valley Path between the southern end of Dartford and Lullingstone. Last week, as part of a circular walk, I did the first (or last?) bit of the DVP which is in the Dartford area and, to be honest, it wasn't very attractive. Some weeks previously, I'd headed south from Lullingstone and that part was extremely pleasant, so I wasn't sure what the missing bit would be like.

One reason I joined English Heritage was to use their car parks and today I parked at Lullingstone Roman Villa near Eynsford. I walked along the quietest roads I could find to get to where I left the DVP last week and then followed the path all the way back to Lullingstone:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/DVP_Eynsford_Walk_Map.jpg)

There were few highlights on the outbound road section, but the picturesque village of Eynsford was certainly one - I love fords and (appropriately) this one is across the River Darent:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/DVP_Eynsford_Walk_1.jpg)

The other highlight was passing a field where radio-controlled planes were being flown. I think that was it!

There are a lot of major roads in the Dartford area and I went under several on this walk. My collage includes the M25, the M2 and the A2.  :)

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/DVP_Eynsford_Walk_2.jpg)

I had hoped that since I was joining the Darent Valley Path south of Dartford I'd be away from noise and busy-ness and into the countryside almost immediately. However, the walk didn't become properly rural until I had passed South Darenth. Here are a few rural photos...

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/DVP_Eynsford_Walk_4.jpg)

I passed two very impressive viaducts - the first was in South Darenth (big photo) and the other was near Lullingstone. I also passed what I guess was once a mill and now seems to be a retail complex; I could see the chimney from a long way off on the outbound leg and was looking forward finding out what it was.

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/DVP_Eynsford_Walk_5.jpg)

The village of Farningham was a real treat. The structure in the two upper photos is thought to be a cattle screen - to keep cattle on track as they forded the river.

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/DVP_Eynsford_Walk_6.jpg)

The walk was 15.5 miles and I have to admit it didn't quite live up to my hopes and expectations (especially considering the hour's drive each way!). I enjoy walking alongside rivers but the Darent Valley Path only becomes properly delightful south of South Darent which is where the rural scenery and villages and castles and fields of lavender begin. So (and it's purely a personal view), should anyone be considering walking the DVP, I'd recommend sticking to the southern end.  :)
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: Agentorange on 22:21:35, 05/10/19
it has to be said the section from South Darenth down to Otford is without doubt the most pleasant section to walk. As I've already mentioned Shoreham especially has a number of nice routes converging on it.

Did you look in on Eynsford castle at all ? It's free and worth a few minutes of your time. I often go there if I have a couple of hours to spare and it's good weather. just simply crash out on the riverbank with a good book, a cold drink and a cheese and pickle sandwich  O0

I also like the fact that the DVP runs straight through the beer garden of the Lion in Farningham. The scond hand and antiquarian bookshop in Farningham is worth looking at. he often has a good selection of walking books and is strong on local history etc.
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: WhitstableDave on 10:33:53, 06/10/19
On a previous walk, I went through Shoreham on the Darent Valley Path towards Otford and walked along the high street on the way back to see more of the village. I agree that it's really nice. It's a long drive to get there, but I'll do a walk from Shoreham one day.

I didn't visit Eynsford Castle but I could see it in the valley below as I returned along Sparepenny Lane. I like castles!

I saw the bookshop in Farningham and even took a photo for my wife who loves old bookshops.  :)

Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: WhitstableDave on 18:14:00, 07/10/19
I love the White Cliffs of Dover and I've walked along the clifftop many times, but not for a few weeks. So I decided to do a walk from Dover today and I devised a circuit where at least half of the route would be new to me by taking lanes I'd not used before across the countryside to Deal.

I used my National Trust membership to park at the White Cliffs Visitor Centre, which overlooks the ferry terminal. I passed Dover Castle and went through some historic villages, including Guston, East Langdon and Martin, before arriving in a part of Walmer I'd not seen before. A footpath beside the railway line took me on to Deal and I returned along the coast to Dover. Although I hadn't planned to, I followed a cycle route called the Skylark Trail all the way from Dover to Walmer.

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Dover_Deal_walk_map.jpg)

The Dover area is full of castles, forts and other military remains. Clockwise from top-left are: Dover Castle, Fort Burgoyne (not open to the public), Walmer Castle and Deal Castle. I love castles and Deal is probably my favourite!:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Dover_Deal_walk_1.jpg)

I mentioned historic villages... I bagged a few information boards.  8)

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Dover_Deal_walk_2.jpg)

If you've ever sailed into or out of Dover, you'll probably have seen South Foreland Lighthouse perched high on the cliff:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Dover_Deal_walk_3.jpg)

Horses are often seen grazing along the clifftop in the many National Trust areas; I passed two small herds today. Below to the left is St Margarets Bay:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Dover_Deal_walk_4.jpg)

That's the ferry port in the distance, with the cruise port behind. Three cruise ships were in today:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Dover_Deal_walk_5.jpg)

This is Fan Bay. Just in front of me is the top of the steepest slope I've climbed in Kent. I went the long way round today!

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Dover_Deal_walk_6.jpg)

This dip is called Langdon Hole, which is easier to cross than Fan Bay!

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Dover_Deal_walk_7.jpg)

It was an excellent and varied walk at a touch under 18 miles, which I highly recommend! I think it's worth mentioning that I actually prefer the clifftop to the west between Dover and Folkestone, mainly because there are far fewer people around. The advantage of the eastern side that I did today is that it's much more open and offers a wide variety of routes - both moderate and challenging!  :)
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: WhitstableDave on 17:32:08, 14/10/19
Today is a special day for me because I've been recording my walks for exactly 3 years to the day.  :)

When I got my first GPS watch on 15th October 2016, I went for a short walk and viewed the results on Garmin Connect when I got home. I also discovered that I could export the track to Google Earth and see exactly where I went. I've been uploading and recording my walks ever since!

Although my wife and I have had lots of walking holidays both in the UK and abroad, something like 90% of my walks have been in Kent. As time has gone by, Google Earth has become an increasingly important tool to help me decide where I need to go as I work towards covering the whole county. I know I can never achieve that, but having something to aim at helps keep me motivated. Of course, the problem is that I need to drive ever further to do walks in the empty spaces.

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Three_years_of_Kent_walks_1200.jpg)

Covering Kent is my long-term aim, but targets provide my daily motivation. Within a few months of starting to record my walks, I thought that 10,000 miles in 4 years might just be possible - with a great deal of good fortune! - and that led to monthly and weekly targets. Other targets include doing a total of 30 miles on Monday and Tuesday because that gets the week off to a good start, and beating the distance for the same month the previous year. Occasionally, I also try to beat my personal best for distance in a day or speed over a certain distance. Targets are very important things!

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/First_three_years_of_walking_stats.jpg)

So far, so good. Fingers crossed!  :)

One more thing...

I gave up smoking in May 2016 after about 45 years as a 20-a-day smoker. Back then, I walked occasionally and thought that 6 miles was quite a distance, and I'd stop a couple of times along the way for a fag - just to relax and admire the view of course. In 3 years, I reckon I've saved at least £10,000 (at 2016 prices - I've no idea what cigarettes cost now!) and at 67 (later this week) I've honestly never been fitter in my life than I am now. Obviously, the lesson I've learned is... walking is much cheaper than smoking!  ;)
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: WhitstableDave on 17:06:07, 15/10/19
Today's circular walk linked a previous route near Bethersden, which is to the south-west of Ashford, with walks to the south when I was doing the Royal Military Canal and Saxon Shore Way near Romney Marsh.

I parked in Hamstreet and followed the Greensand Way for a couple of miles through very muddy woods and fields before using roads and byways to visit Bromley Green, Shadoxhurst, Woodchurch and Kenardington - none of which I'd seen before.

As walks go, this one was okay. Things got off to an irritating start when I got stuck in a terrible traffic jam in Ashford where it took me 20 minutes to get from one side of a roundabout to the other! The weather wasn't as good as I'd hoped it would be and some of the roads after Woodchurch were too busy for my liking. Having said that, the first few miles were excellent and I enjoyed sploshing through the mud, and the villages I saw were all really nice. I didn't chance returning through Ashford, instead I went via Hythe which made for a long but pleasant drive home.

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Hamstreet_walk_map.jpg)

I didn't know that the large wood outside Hamstreet is a National Nature Reserve...

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Hamstreet_walk_1.jpg)

I was wearing my brand new trousers for the first time and they were soon covered in mud, which is a good thing! My almost new Salomon GTX shoes had a good workout too and they coped perfectly.  :)

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Hamstreet_walk_2.jpg)

Most of the Greensand Way is much clearer than this...

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Hamstreet_walk_3.jpg)

This is an unrestricted byway I walked along some time later; it looks as though some people have had fun in their 4x4s...

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Hamstreet_walk_4.jpg)

The rain prevented me from taking many more photos, but I always like to bag churches. This is the cute little church in Shadoxhurst...

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Hamstreet_walk_5.jpg)

...and this is the big impressive church in Woodchurch.

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Hamstreet_walk_6.jpg)

That was the first walk of my fourth year exploring Kent on foot.  :)
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: gunwharfman on 18:14:05, 15/10/19
I'm impressed, I'd like to walk more in Kent and Sussex but at the moment family responsibilities are a bit dominant. I've earmarked Thursday to cycle along part of the South Downs Way for a day so I'm just hoping for a bit of reasonable weather.

I was in Maidstone on Monday, a couple of hours to get there (normal) but it took me 3.5hrs to get home! I sat in stationary traffic on the M25 for such a long time, my car and everyone else's pumping out all of the usual fumes and as I looked around me it still surprises me how many people still smoke. Not only smoke but they keep their windows closed as well. I took the advice of a R4 programme that I heard a few weeks ago, I opened my windows a few times to let the outside air flow through. According to a researcher, the air pollution inside our cars is worse than being on the outside and children in the back breathe in the worst air because their windows on balance are rarely opened.

I like your maps, a good way of displaying your walks.
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: WhitstableDave on 19:14:27, 15/10/19
...
I like your maps, a good way of displaying your walks.

Thanks GWM.  :)

I record walks with my Garmin Vivoactive 3 watch and sync to Garmin Connect and from there I export the tracks straight to Google Earth. I'm sure other GPS watches and handhelds can do likewise...
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: WhitstableDave on 17:33:49, 31/10/19
I recently entered my fourth year of trying to walk everywhere in Kent without once setting foot in the Medway towns of Rochester, Chatham, Gillingham and Rainham. The big hole in my walks map needed filling, so that was today's challenge.

For those unfamiliar with Kent, the Medway towns form a conurbation with a unitary authority independent from Kent County Council, but, whether I like it or not, it's still a part of Kent and it had to be walked!

My plan was to link a previous walk that had just touched Rainham in the east with my walk along the North Downs Way that crossed the M2 Medway Bridge to the west. I decided to park at Riverside Country Park so that I could follow the Saxon Shore Way from there to the Medway Bridge, then come back through the towns along urban streets and the busy A2 to just past Rainham before heading up to the river and back to the car. The outbound section was surprisingly interesting - the return less so!

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Medway_Towns_walk_map.jpg)

The Saxon Shore Way passes through the country park and I was on the path in minutes. The last place on the signpost is Horrid Hill, but I don't remember passing it. The tide was out as I set off but all of the marsh was completely submerged when I got back:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Medway_Towns_walk_1.jpg)

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Medway_Towns_walk_2.jpg)

I can see buildings in the distance!

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Medway_Towns_walk_3.jpg)

The Medway towns have a long naval and military history and there are signs of it everywhere. This is the Royal Engineers Museum...

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Medway_Towns_walk_4.jpg)

...and this is a statue of Lord Kitchener:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Medway_Towns_walk_5.jpg)

I think that the most attractive and interesting part of Medway is Rochester. This is Eastgate House on the High Street, which dates from the 16th century and apparently features in at least two Dickens' novels:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Medway_Towns_walk_6.jpg)

This is Rochester Cathedral - the second oldest cathedral in England:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Medway_Towns_walk_7.jpg)

And this is the magnificent Rochester Castle:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Medway_Towns_walk_8.jpg)

The biggest second-hand bookshop in England. It's an amazing place - more like a book-filled maze than a shop!

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Medway_Towns_walk_9.jpg)

Walking alongside the River Medway towards the big bridge in the distance. I suppose it's only a matter of time before the opposite bank is developed...

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Medway_Towns_walk_10.jpg)

I followed a rough path to the underside of the bridge hoping to find the North Downs Way which I remembered coming down from the bridge somewhere around here. I found it!

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Medway_Towns_walk_11.jpg)

The long and quite tedious trek to Rainham had nothing much worth photographing, with the exception of Foord Almshouses near Borstal. Very posh!

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Medway_Towns_walk_12.jpg)

The walk was 18 miles, with the first half being surprisingly interesting - a really nice waterside walk and lots of impressive buildings. The return through residential streets and several miles along the straight and busy A2 (a Roman road) was just exercise!  :)
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: gunwharfman on 20:31:09, 31/10/19
When I was 18 I did a 6-week placement in a Borstal that used to be right on the edge of the tidal Medway very near to the straight section as shown on your map. When the tide was out the mud was very slimy and sticky. The home had a tennis court-sized lawn to the rear which ended at the water's edge, no fence just grass and then a drop down into the mud. The staff and residents used to play 5 a side football or rugby there and many of the kids who were nasty, aggressive and so on often 'fell' into the mud, the nicer kids either rarely or never. I always liked Rochester but havent been there for many years.
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: Dovegirl on 21:19:50, 31/10/19
Great photos    :)    It's many years since I went to Rochester
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: WhitstableDave on 18:36:04, 01/11/19
When I was 18 I did a 6-week placement in a Borstal that used to be right on the edge of the tidal Medway very near to the straight section as shown on your map. When the tide was out the mud was very slimy and sticky. The home had a tennis court-sized lawn to the rear which ended at the water's edge, no fence just grass and then a drop down into the mud. The staff and residents used to play 5 a side football or rugby there and many of the kids who were nasty, aggressive and so on often 'fell' into the mud, the nicer kids either rarely or never. I always liked Rochester but havent been there for many years.

Hi GWM. Your post got me thinking about the name 'Borstal' so I did some reading... I'd assumed that the name of the village just happened to be the same as that for a young offenders prison, but I learned that the village of Borstal is where the first YOI was established back in 1870 and the name came to be used for all such places. Fascinating - thanks!

Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: WhitstableDave on 18:58:55, 05/11/19
For today's walk, I explored the area around Sittingbourne. I'm not sure how to describe Sittingbourne's location - it's sort of near the North Kent coast by the Swale, which is a strip of sea separating mainland Kent from the Isle of Sheppey. The Swale is shallow, muddy and marshy, and is visited by huge numbers of birds but not by many people. Despite being close to the large town of Sittingbourne, the creeks and marshes to the north can feel like a desolate wilderness.

I have to admit that I've never liked Sittingbourne, which is why it's taken me so long to do a walk there. I've driven through it on the A2 many times and I've visited the shopping areas occasionally, and I've always thought it to be a scruffy, industrial, grotty place. I didn't change my mind about the town centre or the industrial northern part today, but I discovered that the area to the south of the A2 is really nice and the villages just outside the town, such as Borden, Tunstall and the wonderfully named Hearts Delight are extremely pleasant. And the section of my walk between Sittingbourne and the Sheppey bridges along Milton Creek and the Swale was quite fascinating.

I parked in the centre of town and headed north, following Milton Creek to the Swale and on to (and under) the old and new Isle of Sheppey bridges. Then I made my way to the village of Iwade and out into quite empty countryside following quiet lanes to Chestnut Street. From there I walked through Borden, Hearts Delight and Tunstall and back into Sittingbourne from the south. The distance was 16.25 miles.

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Sittingbourne_circuit_walk_map.jpg)

The first challenge was to find the path out of the industrial area to the creek. I was relieved when I spotted it...

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Sittingbourne_circuit_walk_1.jpg)

The path led to Milton Creek. Looking back I could see a sign down by the creek showing 'The Mouth' and 'The Head'...

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Sittingbourne_circuit_walk_2.jpg)

I went towards the mouth...  :)

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Sittingbourne_circuit_walk_3.jpg)

The path followed the creek and the Swale for about 6 miles and there were nearly always high industrial fences to my left. I passed sewerage works, power stations, cement works and the like, but no people. The path was clearly very rarely used so I was surprised to come across a picnic table. It was a nice spot, but at least 3 miles from civilisation!

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Sittingbourne_circuit_walk_4.jpg)

I thought this was worth a photo - it's a power station that burns rubbish, and it looks good too!

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Sittingbourne_circuit_walk_5.jpg)

Further on I passed another power station (it's in the distance here). This one had big piles of what looked like scrap wood nearby, so I guess it's also a rubbish-burner:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Sittingbourne_circuit_walk_6.jpg)

The path took me inland for a while along an embankment where cattle had churned the path to mud very recently. I was happy to see them some way off to the side of the path!

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Sittingbourne_circuit_walk_7.jpg)

I passed a derelict railway track. The new Sheppey bridge is in the distance...

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Sittingbourne_circuit_walk_8.jpg)

This is a narrow part of the Swale with Sheppey across the water. That part of the island is Elmley Marshes, the site of one of the largest nature reserves in England and (I think) the biggest privately-owned one.

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Sittingbourne_circuit_walk_9.jpg)

Looking towards the Sheppey bridges - the old lift bridge (closest) is still in use.

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Sittingbourne_circuit_walk_10.jpg)

I took most of today's photos during the wilderness part of the walk, so there are only a few of the last two-thirds. This is typical of the lanes I walked between Iwade and Borden:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Sittingbourne_circuit_walk_11.jpg)

The church and a pub at Borden:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Sittingbourne_circuit_walk_12.jpg)

An oast house and thatched cottages at Tunstall:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Sittingbourne_circuit_walk_13.jpg)

The thing I really liked about this walk was that it changed my mind about Sittingbourne. Okay, lots of the area is pretty grotty, but I like desolate marshes and discovering charming old villages. And Sittingbourne itself has some extremely nice parts too.  :)
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: WhitstableDave on 16:05:21, 09/11/19
The aim of today's Weekend Walk With my Wife was to see some wild animals.  :)

The OS map shows a public footpath going straight through Howletts Wild Animal Park near Canterbury. A bit of research found that Howletts had tried to have the footpath closed some time ago, but without success. This was definitely worth investigating...

I worked out a circular route starting at a park and ride on the Dover Road outside Canterbury. Most of the walk was across farmland and through farmyards and we went through the lovely village of Patrixbourne on the way back.

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Howletts_walk_map.jpg)

The long lane leading to Woolton Farm passed through apple and cherry orchards. As we neared the farm, there were redcurrants to our left and strawberries to our right:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Howletts_walk_1.jpg)

Autumnal trees...

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Howletts_walk_2.jpg)

We found the path and almost immediately saw elephants in the distance.

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Howletts_walk_3.jpg)

It seemed that we were much closer to the elephants than those who'd paid to see them!

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Howletts_walk_4.jpg)

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Howletts_walk_5.jpg)

There were two footbridges along the path that made excellent viewpoints - one near the elephants and the other overlooking an enclosure for Red River Hogs (I googled them!)...

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Howletts_walk_6.jpg)

Although we didn't see other animals today, we thought the free visit to Howletts was a tremendous success! Heading off across the fields we passed the ruins of a chapel:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Howletts_walk_7.jpg)

I've walked through Patrixbourne many times (it's on the North Downs Way), but I hadn't arrived from today's direction before. We added alpacas to the animals spotted list...

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Howletts_walk_8.jpg)

A bit of Patrixbourne:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Howletts_walk_9.jpg)

This was actually our second 'free visit' to a wildlife park this year. In the summer we explored footpaths going through Port Lympne - a large animal reserve near Hythe. We saw giraffes and other animals a fair way off, but we got close to Eland and Hyenas.  :)
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: sunnydale on 20:24:42, 12/11/19
Some lovely photos there Dave O0
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: WhitstableDave on 23:00:09, 12/11/19
Some lovely photos there Dave O0
Thanks sunnydale!  :)
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: WhitstableDave on 16:18:48, 16/11/19
For today's Weekend Walk With my Wife, I worked out a route in a previously unvisited area between Canterbury and Sandwich and made use of free parking at the English Heritage site of Richborough Castle. Actually, the 'castle' is the remains of a Roman fort that once guarded the southern end of a sea channel between mainland Kent and the Isle of Thanet. The channel no longer exists and Thanet is now joined to the mainland.

The plan was to go across fields and along lanes to the village of Ash and loop back to Richborough Castle in a similar fashion. Almost all of the route was new to me, the exceptions being a short bit of the Stour Valley Walk which we followed for about a mile near the start, and a few hundred yards of the main street in Ash.

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Richborough_Castle_walk_map.jpg)

Not long after setting off, we crossed a boggy field with cows in. I must have tempted fate because I'd just remarked that by now cattle will have gone indoors for the winter! Anyway, we were about halfway across the field when we noticed that one animal was a very chunky bull; he didn't pay us much attention though...

In the distance, the unimpressive low hill to the right is the site of a Roman amphitheatre.

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Richborough_Castle_walk_1.jpg)

The area is very flat and is criss-crossed with drainage channels: 

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Richborough_Castle_walk_2.jpg)

Nearing Ash, we went through a field of pumpkins that were past their best...

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Richborough_Castle_walk_3.jpg)

Ash was once on the main road between Canterbury and Sandwich on the coast, but a bypass has left it a lovely, quaint, quiet village...

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Richborough_Castle_walk_4.jpg)

We finished with a visit to the huge Roman fort and the small visitor centre.  :)

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Richborough_Castle_walk_5.jpg)

It was rather cold and grey today and I didn't take many photos, so I'll include my up-to-date Kent walks map:  8)

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Kent_Walks_Nov_19.jpg)
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: gunwharfman on 17:58:07, 16/11/19
I can fully recommend The High Weald Trail route from Horsmonden, to Goudhurst, to Cranbrook, to Biddenden to Tenterden, one of the best walks I've done in Kent.
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: WhitstableDave on 18:48:37, 16/11/19
I can fully recommend The High Weald Trail route from Horsmonden, to Goudhurst, to Cranbrook, to Biddenden to Tenterden, one of the best walks I've done in Kent.

I suspect you meant Benenden rather than Biddenden (which is to the north), but yes, what I've seen of the High Weald Landscape Trail is excellent. I've done much of the Kent part, but I still need to do the section between Goudhurst and Pembury - it's a long drive so it'll have to be next spring...  O0
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: WhitstableDave on 16:33:24, 19/11/19
Today's walk was a very important one for me. At 12 miles into the walk I would clock up 3,000 miles in 2019, meeting my target for the year with about 6 weeks still to go. So I worked out a 13+ mile route just to be sure!   :)

I found a space that needed filling on my Kent walks map in the area to the north-west of Hythe in the south of the county. I parked in a small car park at Farthing Common which is right on the North Downs Way and serves as a fantastic viewpoint. My circuit was to take in Postling and Lympne, both of which I'd walked through previously, and Stanford, Newingreen, Sellindge and Monks Horton, which would be new to me.

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Stanford_walk_map.jpg)

The view from Farthing Common. I was a bit surprised to see cows still out in the fields, and I noted that I'd be coming back across that field later...

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Stanford_walk_1.jpg)

I have a thing about the communications tower at Tolsford Hill near Postling and I've walked by it many times. It stands at the meeting point of three trails: the North Downs Way, the Saxon Shore Way, and the Elham Valley Way. The views from there are amazing, but today I went around the bottom of the hill:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Stanford_walk_2.jpg)

It was a cold, crisp morning. There was still frost in the shade and ice on puddles. 

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Stanford_walk_3.jpg)

Looking back along the byway on the way to Stanford with the tower clearly visible:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Stanford_walk_4.jpg)

Between Stanford and Newingreen I spotted a racecourse, which I looked up when I got home. It's Folkestone Racecourse, which closed about seven years ago and has apparently been left to decay. I'm not a fan of horse racing, so I hope some other purpose will be found for the place...

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Stanford_walk_5.jpg)

Near Monks Horton, I saw an impressive building which I later learned is Horton Priory. Apparently it was owned by both Henry VIII and Elizabeth I, and it was sold a few years ago for around £5 million.

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Stanford_walk_6.jpg)

A goose on a pond:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Stanford_walk_7.jpg)

That's 3,000 miles so far this year - woo hoo!  :)
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: gunwharfman on 18:02:27, 19/11/19
Well done. I've just spent a couple of hours going through all of your pages and I'm very impressed. I have never bothered with Google Earth before, obviously, I've missed a lot. Without demanding too much of you, how do you create your maps? I've downloaded Google Earth and at the moment its mumbo-jumbo to me.
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: WhitstableDave on 19:21:21, 19/11/19
Well done. I've just spent a couple of hours going through all of your pages and I'm very impressed. I have never bothered with Google Earth before, obviously, I've missed a lot. Without demanding too much of you, how do you create your maps? I've downloaded Google Earth and at the moment its mumbo-jumbo to me.

I'd love to help, but the method I use is specific to the hardware and software I use and probably won't match what you have. I record my walks with a Garmin GPS watch and the data it collects is copied to Garmin Connect. Garmin Connect can export a track as a .kml file to Google Earth (.kml is the format Google Earth uses). The track then appears on Google Earth and it can be formatted with colour and thickness.

I don't know how much help that'll be. I've been using Google Earth for years and it does take a lot of practise!
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: gunwharfman on 21:26:09, 19/11/19
Thank you, you have been very helpful, I'll just continue to play around with it.
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: sunnydale on 16:47:31, 20/11/19
More nice photos Dave 8)
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: WhitstableDave on 18:17:23, 30/11/19
It's been a while since my last update which I'll put down to the weather - we've had a lot of rain! I've still been walking as much as ever, and I like walking in rain, but I don't take many (if any) photos and I do like to illustrate my posts (mainly because I don't need to write as much).

For this weekend's walk with my wife I worked out a route to visit a tiny hamlet we'd not seen before. The hamlet is Nackington and it's just outside Canterbury on a road that goes nowhere else. As usual, I tried to use paths and bridleways that I'd not walked before and luckily they mostly turned out to be perfect.

We parked at a park and ride outside Canterbury on the Old Dover Road and headed south to reach a point that we'd been to on the Canterbury Outer Ring walk in the spring. Then we turned north towards Nackington and crossed farmland to Canterbury before doing some town walking along the Old Dover Road back to the car park. (We needed to keep the walk to a shortish 7 miles because we were going back to Canterbury later to buy a new car for my wife...  :) )

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Nackington_walk_map.jpg)

We crossed lots of open farmland, then a vast covered area of strawberries, followed by orchards:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Nackington_walk_0.jpg)

Next was woodland where my wife took a nice photo with her new phone (Samsung S10) using a 'best shot' setting (centre) - plus a couple of less good shots!

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Nackington_walk_1.jpg)

My wife's 'best shot' photo looking south from the edge of the woods...

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Nackington_walk_2.jpg)

...and my poorer effort from nearby:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Nackington_walk_3.jpg)

A frosty field before Nackington. This was the only bit of the walk where the path was non-existent. Crunchy soon turned to muddy!

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Nackington_walk_4.jpg)

Nackington was as nice as we could have hoped - a few big posh houses, some quaint cottages, a neat green and a small church:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Nackington_walk_5.jpg)

An extremely pleasant outing!  :)
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: Jac on 18:47:33, 30/11/19
Delightful little hamlet. Did you go into the church? The tower looks oddly aligned to the knave.
The project is progressing well.
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: WhitstableDave on 22:42:24, 30/11/19
Delightful little hamlet. Did you go into the church? The tower looks oddly aligned to the knave.
The project is progressing well.

We did a lap of the churchyard but didn't go into the church. The church is very lopsided but I don't know why, other than that it's suffered a lot from subsidence since as far back as the C12th and there have been a great many alterations and additions over the centuries.
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: richardh1905 on 17:29:11, 01/12/19
Been reading through this thread - there appear to be a lot of nice corners in Kent, a county that I have only ever passed through on my way over the Channel. Particularly like the woodland and orchards.
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: Flanners on 09:02:17, 02/12/19
What a great thread, some brilliant photos and some great walks! I am in T Wells and walk a lot in Kent/E Sussex; been out 3 times this week, chilly and as you're well aware horrendoulsy muddy. Keep up your efforts, few spots for you to fill over in W Kent! I did the TW Circular a couple of years ago and I was totally shattered at the end.
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: Jac on 09:33:41, 02/12/19
Been reading through this thread - there appear to be a lot of nice corners in Kent, a county that I have only ever passed through on my way over the Channel. Particularly like the woodland and orchards.

Wasn't it once called The Garden of England?
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: WhitstableDave on 17:18:41, 02/12/19
What a great thread, some brilliant photos and some great walks! I am in T Wells and walk a lot in Kent/E Sussex; been out 3 times this week, chilly and as you're well aware horrendoulsy muddy. Keep up your efforts, few spots for you to fill over in W Kent! I did the TW Circular a couple of years ago and I was totally shattered at the end.

Thank you, I really appreciate that. It's a long drive, so walks in the far west will have to wait for longer days - but I'm very aware that I've got to do more in the wonderful Tunbridge Wells area, including the rest of the TW Circular.  :)
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: WhitstableDave on 17:19:12, 02/12/19
Wasn't it once called The Garden of England?

It still is!  :)
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: WhitstableDave on 17:19:45, 02/12/19
My walk today was in the Kent Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty between Ashford and Canterbury. I've walked in the area many times before, but there were lots of small villages and hamlets I hadn't yet visited, so I worked out a route to take me through as many of them as possible.

I parked outside the lovely village of Wye at a viewpoint near the Devil's Kneading Trough. The first 16 miles of my route were entirely along quiet lanes while the final couple of miles were off-road along the North Downs Way. The area is very hilly (at least, for this part of the world!) and the weather was perfect - icy cold with the sun very low in a clear blue sky.

I took lots of photos along the way, but I think this one sums up the area nicely:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Wye_Panorama.jpg)

This is the view of the Devil's Kneading Trough from the North Downs Way, although unfortunately I had to take the photo into the sun. These valleys were formed at the end of the last ice age by glacial action. (Kent is not flat!)

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Wye_Downs_walk_1.jpg)

The route: An excellent walk through a beautiful landscape!

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Wye_Downs_walk_map.jpg)
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: WhitstableDave on 15:23:19, 07/01/20
It's five weeks since I last updated this topic and I'd hate for anyone to think I've given up exploring Kent, so I must post something - no matter how unexciting!  :)

The problem is of course, that short winter days aren't conducive to driving long distances to do walks, so I stick mainly to familiar local routes.

Today though, an opportunity arose to do several miles of previously unwalked paths. My wife was driving to a meeting in Sittingbourne, so I went with her and walked home. The route was simple: alongside the A2 (London Road), alongside the A299 (Thanet Way) and alongside the A2990 (Old Thanet Way).

The novel part was that I'd not walked the first seven miles of the A2 between Sittingbourne and Faversham before! After Faversham I could have taken quiet, scenic routes, but I decided to make this a Major Road Walk. Well, why not?

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Sittingbourne_to_home_map.jpg)

A rare peaceful moment on the A2:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Sittingbourne_to_home_1.jpg)

Path alongside the A299 dual carriageway:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Sittingbourne_to_home_2.jpg)

The A2990 - nearly home!

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Sittingbourne_to_home_3.jpg)

The walk was 17.5 miles, it took just over 4 hours and, except for a short detour needed to cross the dual carriageway via a bridge, the whole walk was alongside mostly busy roads. But despite that, it was an enjoyable morning. I've driven that route dozens of times, but walking provides a completely new perspective - it's more 'real' than when whizzing past in an insulated box!

My photos aren't very exciting, but I took this much nicer one on my walk yesterday. I did a familiar 20+ mile loop between home and Reculver Towers - here they are from the eastern side...

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Reculver_Towers_in_Jan.jpg)
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: WhitstableDave on 16:56:34, 28/01/20
I've walked 294 miles so far this month, but today's was the first walk where I've driven to the start and driven home afterwards. It really is the time of year for local walks!

Today though, I needed to go to the garden centre near Ramsgate and I also wanted to visit a store at Westwood. So I parked at the garden centre, took a less than direct route to Westwood, then did a circuit to visit Thanet's other main towns - including Margate and Broadstairs.

The Isle of Thanet (or just Thanet!) is a place of real contrasts. There are extremely posh areas, with some of the most expensive houses I've seen, not far from some of the most deprived areas I've seen (in the UK of course). There are farms that are surrounded by urban streets. There are wonderful sandy beaches and impressive chalk cliffs and tacky amusement arcades. There are lighthouses, forts and castles, and grotty industrial areas. I could go on!.. But despite all that (or perhaps because of it) it's a fascinating place to explore and my route was mostly new to me.

Where I parked is marked on the map with a green disc. The 'extension' near Westgate-on-Sea was added to ensure the walk was of a reasonable length.

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Thanet_Towns_walk_map%7E0.jpg)

The agriculture on Thanet isn't particularly diverse - the crops are mostly cabbages and cauliflower, especially at this time of year. Most of the walk was on pavements and good paths, but I crossed some muddy cabbage fields too (or perhaps they were cauliflower fields...).

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Thanet_Towns_walk_1%7E0.jpg)

Arriving at the North Kent coast near Westgate:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Thanet_Towns_walk_2%7E0.jpg)

Margate: The Turner Contemporary art gallery is on the far left. The brown blocky building on the right is the entrance to Dreamland, Margate's popular amusement park. The huge sandy beach is quite amazing!

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Thanet_Towns_walk_3%7E0.jpg)

A smaller beach near Kingsgate, with a chalk arch in the centre of the photo:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Thanet_Towns_walk_4%7E0.jpg)

At the top of the hill beyond the field of brassica is North Foreland lighthouse, the twin of South Foreland lighthouse that can be seen from the sea at Dover.

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Thanet_Towns_walk_5%7E0.jpg)

The walk was 16.6 miles and very satisfying because of the sheer variety of sights on offer.  O0
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: sunnydale on 07:41:22, 31/01/20
More nice photos Dave O0
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: WhitstableDave on 16:21:08, 08/02/20
We needed to take my wife's car to a garage in Canterbury this morning, so we did our weekend walk together from there.  :)

The garage is right at the eastern end of the city so I planned a short walk to Westbere Marshes, which form part of a large area of wetlands about 4 miles E-W by 1 mile N-S. Canterbury's river, the Great Stour, winds its way through the marshes and between ponds and lakes and is navigable as far as Fordwich, about 2 miles from the city centre. 

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Westbere_walk_map.jpg)

We took paths alongside a railway line for about 3 miles before detouring into Westbere Village then crossing the line and heading into the very wet wetlands. We reached the river and followed it to Fordwich, then made our way along roads back to the garage. It was a rather grey morning but we still took a few photos...

Westbere is a delightful little village with some beautiful old houses:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Westbere_walk_2.jpg)

This photo is looking back to Westbere in the distance on the far side of the lake:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Westbere_walk_3.jpg)

A lot of the path through the marshes was as soggy as this...

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Westbere_walk_4.jpg)

Drier land at last!

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Westbere_walk_5.jpg)

Picturesque Fordwich, England's smallest town. The river is beyond the grass - some boats can just be made out:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Westbere_walk_1.jpg)

We are extremely lucky to have such an amazing variety of places to walk in our part of the 'Rest of England'. Within walking distance from home, there are coastal marshes, Ancient woodlands, beaches and cliffs, orchards and farms, idyllic villages, and wetland nature reserves - wonderful!  :)
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: gunwharfman on 22:08:02, 08/02/20
I really like your presentation of your walks, its vet clear and visual.
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: WhitstableDave on 22:28:06, 08/02/20
Thanks GWM. And I must admit I'm a big fan of your slightly quirky posts.  ;)
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: WhitstableDave on 17:40:04, 21/02/20
The problem with winter is that I tend to stick to local walks, but with the days getting longer I need to get back into exploring further afield. Dover's only about 30 miles away and I thought that a walk from nearby Samphire Hoe would get me back into the swing of things!

I worked out a 16 mile route in the area between Dover and Folkestone of which half would be new to me. The new bit would be inland, while the familiar bit would be along the high clifftop overlooking the sea. I've tilted the map to show Samphire Hoe and the cliffs more clearly...

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Samphire_Hoe_walk_map.jpg)

I've mentioned Samphire Hoe before, but to recap: it's a nature reserve at the foot of 400ft chalk cliffs that was created using the 'diggings' from the Channel Tunnel. There's an information centre, a cafe and all-day car parking for only £2 - which is the main reason I've started lots of walks from there!

Samphire Hoe is reached by means of a single lane tunnel through the cliff - the tunnel is just visible on the right of the photo. The Channel Tunnel runs directly under the site.

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Samphire_Hoe_walk_1.jpg)

The Dover area is very hilly and today's walk was made tougher than usual because of the strong westerly wind. I'd expected the return to be easy with a following wind, but it was so strong that it was more of a hindrance. The mud didn't help either!

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Samphire_Hoe_walk_2.jpg)

The weather was cloudy and dull so it wasn't a great day for photos. I took this to show a lane that was typical of the countryside here...

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Samphire_Hoe_walk_3.jpg)

I said the area is hilly and that can be seen from my 'glamping' photos...

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Samphire_Hoe_walk_4.jpg)

I spotted my first flowering primrose of the year!  :)

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Samphire_Hoe_walk_5.jpg)

I also came across a small slow worm on the path. I moved it to a safer spot (not that anyone else was out walking today!).

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Samphire_Hoe_walk_6.jpg)

The path along the clifftop is part of the North Downs Way, and this is easily one of the best sections. A view of Folkestone from a trig point...

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Samphire_Hoe_walk_11.jpg)

Further along and down below is a wooded area called The Warren - it's a fascinating place; the paths in and out are very steep so it's rare to see anyone there, and it has its own microclimate and feels like a jungle.

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Samphire_Hoe_walk_7.jpg)

Just after I took the last photo, the wind changed gear as if a huge fan had been switched on. Suddenly, it was difficult to walk, although coming up the cliff and from behind at least the wind wasn't a danger, just a pain!

Every so often, the path went through a thick mass of undergrowth that provided welcome shelter...

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Samphire_Hoe_walk_8.jpg)

...although the sheltered bits came with their own challenges - mud! This was the kind of mud that's too slippery to walk through, while trying to walk on one side of it means that you slip down to the middle, so it becomes a matter of straddling the path with one foot on either side - and the wider the path, the more silly you look!

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Samphire_Hoe_walk_9.jpg)

The England Coast Path offers two choices here: inland to the left, or what is one of my very favourite paths - straight on along the cliff edge. There's a handrail for safety and today I had to hang onto it to stay upright in the wind.

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Samphire_Hoe_walk_10.jpg)

A sound mirror high up on the cliff..

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Samphire_Hoe_walk_12.jpg)

I had planned to follow the cliff-edge path back to Samphire Hoe, but the wind became too strong and I couldn't prevent my walk turning into a run, so I went a short way inland to follow a cycle track back.

The tunnel down to Samphire Hoe:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Samphire_Hoe_walk_13.jpg)

Despite the less than desirable conditions, I thoroughly enjoyed this walk. Actually, I suppose a little adversity adds to the fun, and it's always good when there's no one else about. The walk was a fraction over 16 miles and it took 4 hrs 9 mins, slower than usual but not bad considering the conditions.  :)
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: Dovegirl on 09:18:11, 22/02/20
Enjoyed your TR and photos    :)   I loved the fabulous views over the Warren when I walked the coast from Hythe to Dover last summer. I'd have liked to explore down in the Warren but kept to the clifftop path for the views.
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: pleb on 10:15:27, 22/02/20
Excellent mud and slow worm  O0
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: WhitstableDave on 15:08:23, 22/02/20
Enjoyed your TR and photos    :)   I loved the fabulous views over the Warren when I walked the coast from Hythe to Dover last summer. I'd have liked to explore down in the Warren but kept to the clifftop path for the views.

Thanks Dovegirl - I remember you saying you'd walked from Hythe to Dover.  :)

I've walked through the Warren twice, the first time on my own and the second with my wife. Here are three photos from each visit...

I was walking along the clifftop when I noticed a steep path descending, so I investigated:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/The_Warren_walks_1.jpg)

The path wasn't well used and zigzagged a long way down the cliff:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/The_Warren_walks_2.jpg)

At the bottom the way was very overgrown:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/The_Warren_walks_3.jpg)

On that occasion, which must have been late winter or early spring, I found my way to the beach then headed back up the cliff at the Folkestone end.

With my wife, we did things differently. The weather was perfect and we'd stopped at the excellent little café at Capel-le-Ferne. It's at the top of the cliff and a path from there winds down into the Warren and, after coffee, that's where we went. We followed any paths that seemed to lead towards Folkestone...

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/The_Warren_walks_4.jpg)

Looking up at the cliffs:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/The_Warren_walks_5.jpg)

The Warren is extremely undulating and there are a great many steps...

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/The_Warren_walks_6.jpg)

On the way, we met someone who told us he lives in the Warren - presumably sleeping rough because there's nothing habitable there!


Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: Dovegirl on 18:29:59, 22/02/20
Interesting to see the photos of the Warren. Looks quite an adventure!    :)   It reminds me a bit of the Hastings to Fairlight coast in East Sussex
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: WhitstableDave on 18:25:03, 25/02/20
Today's walk was in an area that was mostly new to me - the rural North Downs between Maidstone and Sittingbourne. I parked at the White Horse Country Park at the top of Detling Hill where I was pleased to find the ticket machine still not working. The country park is high up on the North Downs Way and I've started several walks from there before, but never towards the north-east.

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Bicknor_and_NDW_loop_map.jpg)

As you can tell from my map, the walk got off to a shaky start. I wanted to take a path across some fields towards Friningham but there was no sign of it and the ground was extremely muddy, so I tried to follow a couple of other paths - only to come to fences topped with barbed wire. So I headed down to Thurnham, followed the Pilgrim's Way for a while, before crossing a relatively easy field (but again with no sign of a path) up to where I wanted to be. So I'd added a couple of miles to my walk and a fair amount of ascent before I'd really got going!

Anyway, here's a photo I took before I realised I'd need to take a detour...

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Bicknor_and_NDW_loop_1.jpg)

Heading down the hill towards Thurnham, I passed the North Downs Way on my right:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Bicknor_and_NDW_loop_2.jpg)

...and here I'm crossing the field that finally took me back up to the top again - my first photo was taken from that field up in the top-right!

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Bicknor_and_NDW_loop_3.jpg)

The area is very sparsely populated with just the occasional farm. Heading north-east, I had the wind behind me and the way always seemed to be going downhill. I imagined that the return section would be harder going (and it was). There's a lot of flint on the North Downs!

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Bicknor_and_NDW_loop_4.jpg)

Near Deans Bottom, I passed an impressive living fence:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Bicknor_and_NDW_loop_5.jpg)

Deans Bottom is one of the larger hamlets in the area; I took the photo of it looking back from the top of Deans Hill...

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Bicknor_and_NDW_loop_6.jpg)

This is Bicknor Church - the only church I passed today:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Bicknor_and_NDW_loop_7.jpg)

The Hucking Estate, which is owned by the Woodland Trust, occupies a very large part of this area and visitors are welcome. I went along this lane to get there...

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Bicknor_and_NDW_loop_8.jpg)

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Bicknor_and_NDW_loop_9.jpg)

My plan was to cut through the Hucking Estate to get to the North Downs Way, which I would follow most of the way back to the country park. Just before I reached the NDW I saw a signpost to a viewpoint and a NDW link, so I set off to investigate. The problem was that there were no further signs (and no viewpoint marked on the map), so I simply followed paths that would at least get me back on track. I never found the viewpoint, but along the way I came across a family of wild boar - it was a bit surreal because I could see what looked like large animals from a long way off...

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Bicknor_and_NDW_loop_10.jpg)

I like this photo because it's very North Downs-ish.  :)

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Bicknor_and_NDW_loop_11.jpg)

The next five miles or so were quite tough! I joined the North Downs Way at what is probably its most challenging section - with a seemingly endless series of steps up followed by long flights of steps down, which you know will be followed by yet more steps up! 

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Bicknor_and_NDW_loop_12.jpg)

And, of course, the path was extremely muddy and slippery after all the rain we've had, and of course it started to rain quite hard... (I like this photo because you can see streaks of rain.)

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Bicknor_and_NDW_loop_13.jpg)

There isn't a lot to see of Thurnham Castle (and I've seen it before), but I hadn't taken this route until today. The slopes were steep and the mud was slippery!

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Bicknor_and_NDW_loop_14.jpg)

As I arrived back at the country park, the rain stopped and the sky cleared. I had a great view across much of southern Kent from the trig point:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Bicknor_and_NDW_loop_15.jpg)

I thoroughly enjoyed walking in this area (and I always love walking on the North Downs Way), but it was relatively tough going. I did 17.2 miles - much of which was on very muddy paths - and the ascent totalled over 2100ft, which is quite a lot for a walk in Kent.  :)
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: sunnydale on 12:15:27, 26/02/20
More nice photos there Dave O0
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: WhitstableDave on 12:35:04, 26/02/20
More nice photos there Dave O0

Thank you!  :)
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: WhitstableDave on 16:30:29, 03/03/20
Last Tuesday, I parked at the White Horse Country Park at the top of Detling Hill and did a circular walk in the lovely rural area between Maidstone and Sittingbourne. This very scenic bit of Kent is bisected by the busy A249 road that connects the M2 to the north with the M20 to the south. I stayed to the east of the A249 last week, so today I did a walk on the west side.  :)

I followed the North Downs Way west in order to cross the A249 at Detling where there's a footbridge called Jade's Crossing - named in memory of a girl who was killed crossing the road (several other people have also died crossing here) - then I set off for Stockbury, a village I'd not visited before. I looped around to just north of Boxley where I joined the Pilgrim's Way and followed it back to Thurnham. I did a bit of sightseeing in Detling along the way and ended with the very steep climb up to the country park.

The walk was exactly 18 miles. The route as planned was 17.2 miles, but before I set off this morning I discovered that an 18 mile walk would get me to the very neat figure of 3,333 miles in the last 365 days. That's why I visited the church in Detling and did a lap around the car park at the finish!

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Detling_to_Stockbury_loop_map.jpg)

Almost the same photo as last Tuesday when I passed the North Downs Way. Today though I followed it. It's nice and dry just here, but it soon became very muddy and slippery.

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Detling_to_Stockbury_loop_1.jpg)

Taking a breather at the top of a long, steep flight of steps: Detling in the distance:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Detling_to_Stockbury_loop_2.jpg)

A horse...

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Detling_to_Stockbury_loop_3.jpg)

Quite some time later on the way to Yelstead. This area is quite close to the Medway Towns conurbation but the M2 motorway acts as a barrier and the countryside here is very quiet - a mixture of woods and farms on rolling hills. The ground in this photo of coppiced woodland is covered in bluebells - it'll be a fantastic sight in a few weeks...

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Detling_to_Stockbury_loop_4.jpg)

One of many really nice properties I passed...

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Detling_to_Stockbury_loop_5.jpg)

Stockbury is very pleasant:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Detling_to_Stockbury_loop_6.jpg)

An example of the rolling landscape - this was between Stockbury and Farthing Corner:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Detling_to_Stockbury_loop_7.jpg)

Much later, I took this photo from the Pilgrim's Way. I like neat rows...  :)

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Detling_to_Stockbury_loop_8.jpg)

Two photos of the church in Detling:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Detling_to_Stockbury_loop_9.jpg)

And finally, a panoramic shot of Thurnham - just before I started climbing the steep hill back to the car:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Detling_to_Stockbury_loop_10.jpg)

Edit: I almost forgot - the screenshot from Garmin Connect:  :)

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/3333_miles_in_365_days.jpg)
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: gunwharfman on 19:31:03, 03/03/20
I know Detling when I was a teenager I used to go out with a girl from there. I also know the narrow road that goes to Thurnham and I've visited the ruins of the old Roman fort many a time with her. There is (if it's still there) a pub in Thurnham, two sisters used to run it in the 60s and they only allowed certain 'high class and/or important' people in and a scandal there once made it to the Daily Mirror. A high up Police officer was involved but I just can't remember the details of it? I'm going to see if I can find the details on the internet.

When I was very young Mum and Dad used to go cherry picking in Boxley with us four children in tow. I have one memory of it, having to stay in a dark old shed for days whilst they worked, I had the measles but we still needed money to live. I remember my Dad having to cut down a route through tall stinging nettles to get to the doorway. Those were the days! I expect if they did this today they would have been arrested for 'child cruelty' or something similar?
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: WhitstableDave on 22:09:10, 03/03/20
Hi GWM, that was interesting - thanks!

My final photo shows the pub in Thurnham; it's called the Black Horse Inn. I've not visited it though.

I could see the church in Boxley from my walk today and I remembered passing through the village last year on a circular walk from Detling Hill and going through Mote Park in Maidstone.
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: WhitstableDave on 17:16:12, 09/03/20
I had an excellent walk this morning - so good that I took loads of photos. I wanted to include as many as possible here, so I've grouped them where appropriate in order to save space. I know how tedious it can be to have to scroll through interminable lists of photos!

Studying Google Earth yesterday, I found an unexciting area that I still needed to visit -  the housing estates of Sturry and Hersden, a couple of miles east of Canterbury. To make the walk a little more desirable, I parked at Grove Ferry Picnic Site by the Great Stour (river) and did a circuit taking in some of the most attractive villages I know. These are Wickhambreaux, Ickham, Littlebourne, Fordwich and Westbere. Although I've visited them all before, I worked out a route that used some lanes I'd not walked before and I made a point of seeing parts of the villages I'd not seen before.

Going clockwise meant that the housing estates would come near the end of the walk. A circuit was particularly appropriate today because it went all the way around the outside of the Westbere and Stodmarsh marshes. The Great Stour runs through the marshes between Fordwich and Grove Ferry, as does a railway line, making the area impossible to cross north-to-south. So that's explained that!

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Stodmarsh_Villages_walk_map.jpg)

Looking across the marshes from the area near Grove:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Stodmarsh_Villages_walk_1.jpg)

Some photos of Wickhambreaux. The river here is the Little Stour, which runs roughly parallel to the Great Stour for a while. There are a number of large, old watermills along the Little Stour:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Stodmarsh_Villages_walk_2.jpg)

Not far from Wickhambreaux is Ickham. Ickham is very quiet and boasts some magnificent houses. There's also an excellent pub called the Duke William where my wife and I stopped for coffee a few years ago.

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Stodmarsh_Villages_walk_3.jpg)

I left Ickham by a small lane and ignored the Road Closed: Flood warnings. The road really was flooded! Even if I'd been wearing waterproof shoes, I wouldn't have chanced it, so I backtracked. (A couple of cyclists arrived at the water at the same moment as I did and they backtracked too... I thought that was a bit over cautious!)

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Stodmarsh_Villages_walk_4.jpg)

Next was Nargate Street on the edge of Littlebourne. Another converted mill stands by the Little Stour - there's an information sign here that tells how the water is exceptionally clear due to the chalky ground. Interestingly, the intermittent river called the Nailbourne, which runs through the chalk but rarely over it, becomes the Little Stour when it flows above ground.

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Stodmarsh_Villages_walk_5.jpg)

A lovely old thatched house and oast-houses at Elbridge:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Stodmarsh_Villages_walk_6.jpg)

The cattle are out in the fields again! I passed lots of cows with new-born calves - and one bull with a ring in his nose...

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Stodmarsh_Villages_walk_7.jpg)

I spotted my first flowering wood anemones of the year. And I spotted my first flowering cow parsley too.  :)

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Stodmarsh_Villages_walk_8.jpg)

Two photos from Fordwich, England's smallest town. The building on the left is the town hall, England's smallest town hall.  :)

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Stodmarsh_Villages_walk_9.jpg)

If these photos look familiar, it's because I walked through Westbere a few weeks ago with my wife. Today, I arrived at and left the village by lanes I'd not previously used.

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Stodmarsh_Villages_walk_10.jpg)

Arriving back at Grove Ferry. The Great Stour is higher here than I've ever seen it.

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Stodmarsh_Villages_walk_11.jpg)

The housing estates at Sturry and Hersden weren't worth photographing but at least I've been and seen them. The walk was 15.6 miles and about half of the route was new to me. An excellent outing!
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: WhitstableDave on 16:58:06, 16/03/20
On a walk last year I touched on the Hoo Peninsula for the first time, passing through High Halstow to the north and Hoo St Werburgh to the south (Google labels it Hoo). Today I delved deeper into this mysterious part of Kent.

My Kent walks all have to touch (it's a thing I have!), so I parked in Hoo St Werburgh near the Medway estuary and set off for Allhallows by the Thames estuary. I planned my route to stick to the farmland and villages in the centre of the peninsula and leave the marshes to the north and south for another day. At the eastern tip of the Hoo Peninsula is the Isle of Grain - an industrial area in the marshes that I also intend to visit.

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Hoo_to_Allhallows_walk_map.jpg)

I didn't know what to expect of the area, but I did know about the industrial bits and I'm familiar with other parts of Kent that border marshes, so I went with lowish expectations. It turned out to be much nicer than I'd imagined, with some lovely hamlets and small villages, and wide open farmland with extensive views in all directions. Hoo is also extremely quiet and peaceful - a benefit of being a peninsula is that there's no through traffic!

A field of onions:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Hoo_to_Allhallows_walk_1.jpg)

The view in the opposite direction towards marshland and industry:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Hoo_to_Allhallows_walk_2.jpg)

St Peter & St Paul's Church, Upper Stoke:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Hoo_to_Allhallows_walk_3.jpg)

All Saints Church, Allhallows. Incidentally, Allhallows means All Saints...

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Hoo_to_Allhallows_walk_4.jpg)

After having passed through several sleepy, picturesque villages, Allhallows was disappointing being a bit like Leysdown on the Isle of Sheppey - but with more houses and fewer caravans. But I walked through it and out the other side because this was where I would reach the Thames... across some fields, over this stile, then onto the sea wall!

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Hoo_to_Allhallows_walk_5.jpg)

The Thames, with Southend-on-Sea in the distance:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Hoo_to_Allhallows_walk_6.jpg)

I took some quiet lanes after leaving Allhallows and came across this strange sight in a field. There's nothing on my maps, but it looks a bit like the nuclear bunker on a hill near Whitstable...

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Hoo_to_Allhallows_walk_7.jpg)

There's a lot of rapeseed on Hoo and some is already starting to flower:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Hoo_to_Allhallows_walk_8.jpg)

And finally, the church at High Halstow. High Halstow is famous for having a great many herons (and makes a big thing about it), but, as on my other walk through the surrounding area, I didn't see a single one. 

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Hoo_to_Allhallows_walk_9.jpg)

This was an interesting area to explore and I thoroughly enjoyed my 16.2 mile walk - a reconnaissance really, because I was checking out areas that need further exploration!

Oh, and it's been a while since I included the latest map of my Kent walks, so here it is...  :)

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Kent_Walks_16_Mar_20.jpg)

The west and south-west is still in need of attention!
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: WhitstableDave on 15:40:23, 17/05/20
It's been about 8 weeks since I last reported on a walk in an area that I'd not walked before or that I'd driven somewhere to do, so it was wonderful to get out this morning and go exploring again!  :)

Actually, we didn't go very far - just a 20 minute drive to a deserted car park off the Thanet Way (the major road that bypasses Whitstable on its way to the Thanet towns of Margate et al). And I know the area quite well too, but I managed to work out a route of which about 7 of the 10+ miles were previously unwalked. My wife particularly likes looking at nice houses in quaint villages, so we went through some of North Kent's quaintest: Minster, Monkton and St Nicholas At Wade.

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Minster_walk_map.jpg)

Free at last!  :)  (Note the budget walking gear: Mountain Warehouse shirt, trousers and backpack!)

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Minster_walk_1.jpg)

Although we've driven past this spot many times, we didn't realise there was a nature reserve here. Apparently they have dinosaurs and fairies, but sadly it was closed.

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Minster_walk_2.jpg)

We passed Thanet Earth, which is a truly incredible place. Covering a staggering 220 acres, Thanet Earth is the largest greenhouse complex in the UK and the site produces approximately 225 million tomatoes, 16 million peppers and 13 million cucumbers a year. The greenhouses are lit 24 hours a day and seeing the glow in the evening is a strange sight.

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Minster_walk_3.jpg)

It was wonderful to see wildflowers again, even if we have missed this year's bluebells:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Minster_walk_4.jpg)

We only brushed the outskirts of Acol, but it was enough to see the very cute St Mildred's Church:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Minster_walk_5.jpg)

Our route took us between the end of mothballed Manston Airport and some of its lights. The flag had NHS written on it. BTW, Manston Airport is well-known for its possible role as a vast lorry park during Brexit:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Minster_walk_6.jpg)

Minster is a lovely old village which dates from the 7th century. In fact, St Augustine landed in England very near here in 597AD and a monument marks the approximate spot. Minster Abbey is a working priory of Benedictine nuns, one of whom walked past just before I took the photo. Apparently, the abbey grounds are the site of the oldest continuously inhabited house in England. Normally, it's possible to enter the grounds, but not today.

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Minster_walk_7.jpg)

Minster and Monkton are villages that aren't on the way to anywhere else, so they're very quiet and have the feeling of belonging to a bygone age. Another photo of Minster:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Minster_walk_8.jpg)

Between Minster and Monkton, we passed a holiday park which seemed incongruous since we were nowhere near the sea. Anyway, as we stopped to admire the front garden we realised that there was a real live flamingo in the pond!  :) 

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Minster_walk_9.jpg)

This is Monkton and I have fond memories of this spot. It was right here, more than 7 years ago, that I was left in sole charge of my first grandchild. My daughter had business in the village and I had the privilege of taking baby Oscar for a walk around the area for an hour - and we visited this church.  :) 

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Minster_walk_10.jpg)

My final photo is of the church in St Nicholas At Wade - another sleepy village steeped in history.

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Minster_walk_11.jpg)

So that's it - our weekend walks are back!
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: gunwharfman on 11:30:56, 18/05/20
Manston Airport, memories from my youth. I had a Norton ES2 single-cylinder 500cc motorbike and I chatted up a young lady in Maidstone who told me that her mum and dad lived near Manston airport. I volunteered to take her home and it was fine until I was driving around the Canterbury ring road. I crashed, we were both thrown off the bike and it slid between the wheels of a large lorry. She was bruised, grazed and shocked but I managed to slide on the tarmac, so much so that the road surface ripped the material on my buttocks to shreds! I had large grazes especially on one cheek which bled a lot and I always remember being in so much pain. My knee came up like a balloon and I felt bruised and battered all over. We were very lucky. We ended up in the local hospital and her parents collected us. The relationship didn't last! I managed to get my bike back a few days later, the repairs were costly!
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: WhitstableDave on 12:55:11, 18/05/20
Thanks for the interesting story GWM.  O0 (But how did you happen to crash?)

Motorbikes were my main form of (motorised) transport between the ages of 23 and 61. I had 8 in all, including one with a sidecar (a nightmare!). I came off many times but only ever had superficial injuries and when I parted with my last one I felt a tremendous sense of relief that I'd lived to tell the tale!  :)



Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: gunwharfman on 14:02:24, 18/05/20
I just can't remember now, just too long ago. Years later when I commuted to London from Portsmouth, I always knew to be wary of diesel on the road and 'slippery' metal manhole covers, etc.

In my Norton era, I wore a 'pudding basin' crash helmet and my visor was a circular plate-sized see-through perspex disc that spun at high speed, designed to whisk and rain and condensation away. Do you remember them?
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: WhitstableDave on 16:25:34, 18/05/20
I just can't remember now, just too long ago. Years later when I commuted to London from Portsmouth, I always knew to be wary of diesel on the road and 'slippery' metal manhole covers, etc.

In my Norton era, I wore a 'pudding basin' crash helmet and my visor was a circular plate-sized see-through perspex disc that spun at high speed, designed to whisk and rain and condensation away. Do you remember them?

I bought my first motorbike (a horrible MZ150!) in the early 70s not long after helmets were made compulsory. I've only ever worn full-face helmets and I'd never heard of the 'disc' system you've described, although it sounds intriguing! Having said that though, I had ridden pillion on friends' bikes (I recall a Norton 600 something and a Lambretta) without a helmet when I was younger.
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: gunwharfman on 21:42:48, 18/05/20
It did work, there were vanes on the disk to help it to spin very fast. If the edge of the disk was too near your chin though, it could cut you badly.
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: gunwharfman on 21:45:20, 18/05/20
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=13&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwjKzfe1o77pAhUAQRUIHU-0AX4QFjAMegQIBRAB&url=https%3A%2F%2Fmotorbikewriter.com%2F50-year-flashback-helmet-safety%2F&usg=AOvVaw10JaoZlS43yrUBW7t8zRrG

I remember it well!
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: WhitstableDave on 14:53:16, 22/05/20
We were supposed to be starting a holiday in the Peak District today, but we've postponed it for a year. And that explains why my wife (who is working from home at the moment) was on holiday today and why we were able to go for a walk together this morning.  :)

We wanted to go somewhere flat, where we could see anyone coming a long way off, and only a short drive away. So we went to Chislet Marshes, which is where the sea channel between mainland Kent and the Isle of Thanet once was. The area is at sea level and is criss-crossed by a great many drainage channels and waterways - and it's only a 20 minute drive away.

The first half of our walk was across the marshes to the Wantsum Channel - a river-sized channel that's now all that separates Thanet from the mainland - then along narrow lanes through Chitty, Chislet and Marshside.

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Marshside_marshes_walk_3.jpg)

For a fairly short walk, there were a lot of footbridges!  :)

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Marshside_marshes_walk_1.jpg)

Not surprisingly, there's a lot of wildlife in and around the waterways. We passed a pair of swans with a cygnet, and a channel called North Stream was positively teeming with large carp. More surprising was spotting a pair of Rhea in a small field at Marshside:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Marshside_marshes_walk_2.jpg)

There are several paths across the marshes with names like Snake Drove and Gilling Drove. The paths are raised and I wonder if these were routes once taken by drovers taking livestock from the Canterbury area to ports in Thanet.

A fantastic area for walking in the present situation!
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: WhitstableDave on 14:48:52, 24/05/20
We're still venturing out on local walks while trying to avoid other people as much as possible, and today we did a circuit of my favourite local countryside - mostly on country lanes, with a little off-road walking where the track was wide enough.  :)

I wouldn't normally post about a local walk, but I managed to include a short section of footpath that I'd not walked before. Basically, I've long wondered about the big house in the distance that I could see from 'my favourite road'. (Centre of photo, a long way off!)

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Boughton_Hernhill_walk_8.jpg)

It turned out to be Nash Court and a footpath crosses the field in front of it. So we paid a visit...

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Boughton_Hernhill_walk_1.jpg)

This is quite a well-off area. Not far from Nash Court is this little property - complete with three supercars. The third one along doesn't show up very well, but it's my favourite - a bright green Lamborghini that I sometimes see out and about: 

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Boughton_Hernhill_walk_2.jpg)

Just along the road is another nice place - Mount Ephraim. The gardens are normally open to the public, but not today of course. However, a public footpath runs straight through the grounds so we made use of it. A few of Mount Ephraim's magnificent oaks:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Boughton_Hernhill_walk_3.jpg)

More of the gardens - from the footpath:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Boughton_Hernhill_walk_4.jpg)

Next to Mount Ephraim is the lovely village of Hernhill, with ancient pub, church, lovely old houses... and the obligatory stocks:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Boughton_Hernhill_walk_6.jpg)

My first photo above was taken from Dawes Road and this is another from nearby - I call it Green Photo with Pheasant:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Boughton_Hernhill_walk_7.jpg)

A llama, with Blean Woods behind:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Boughton_Hernhill_walk_9.jpg)

On our way home, we passed through the normally quiet village of Rough Common. Today it was absolutely full of cars - we've never seen anything like it. As we passed by the entrance to the woods, where there's a car park, we noticed the track was blocked and the car park was closed. We wondered... how is closing the 'out of village' car park a good idea, when it should be obvious to anyone that people would simply park on the roads in the village instead?
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: gunwharfman on 15:57:28, 24/05/20
My son's school friend James Batchelor works for Autocar. He tested a Lamborghini, I'll look it up.
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: WhitstableDave on 15:28:04, 26/05/20
My wife is on holiday this week, so once again we drove to Minster to begin a walk.

Minster is in the far east of Kent and was once on the coast of the Isle of Thanet facing mainland Kent across the Wantsum Channel. Now the area is low-lying farmland and marshes and the River Stour runs through it from Pegwell Bay (just south of Ramsgate) to Canterbury and beyond. This is where St Augustine arrived in England, and the stone for building Canterbury Cathedral was taken up the river to the town of Fordwich, which served as a river port for Canterbury.

This area - the Monkton Marshes and Minster Marshes - is the perfect place to walk without seeing a soul. And even if there should be someone around, they can be seen miles away... literally!

From Minster, we did a circuit through Monkton and Gore Street and joined the Stour at Plucks Gutter. Then we simply followed the river all the way back to Minster.

Actually, it wasn't quite as simple as I'd expected. I walked along the north bank of the river a couple of years ago and I remembered the path being moderately clear. Today though, there were a great many nettles and my wife was wearing shorts. She was very quickly stung a lot!

She said that rubbing dock leaves on her legs didn't help.  :(

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Stour_and_Minster_Walk_5.jpg)

Photos from the riverbank:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Stour_and_Minster_Walk_3.jpg)

More photos from the riverbank. We saw a lot of cattle which, happily, were all on the other side of the river.  :)

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Stour_and_Minster_Walk_4.jpg)

A rickety old bridge leading to a patch of nettles!

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Stour_and_Minster_Walk_1.jpg)

It can probably be seen from the photos that there isn't much of a path here. In fact, a long distance path called the Stour Valley Walk runs along the opposite bank, so that's what the few walkers who do come this way would tend to use. But it's on this rarely walked path that St Augustine trod... although I'm not exactly sure how anyone knows...

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Stour_and_Minster_Walk_2.jpg)

Here's a photo of me - just to prove I was there too.  :)

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Stour_and_Minster_Walk_6.jpg)

I said the area is flat, however, the OS map shows a number of named hills, including Coxon's Hill (5m), Docker Hill (5m) and Boxlees Hill (3m)!  :)

And finally: the riverside section was the only bit of this route that I'd done before so about half of today's walk was new to me and has therefore been added to my Kent Walks map. This is the updated version:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Kent_Walks_May_20.jpg)
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: gunwharfman on 18:06:35, 26/05/20
Being from Kent we were always bought up on the idea that Dock Leaves stop stinging nettles from stinging. As an adult I'm not convinced. I've always found the best way to stop the stinging is to avoid touching or scratching the area, if you can of course!

Dock leaves were also suggested as an alternative to toilet paper, and when dried and crumpled some people used to 'roll their own' and smoke them, I tried it once, dreadful!
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: SteamyTea on 22:51:02, 26/05/20
Manston Airport, memories from my youth.
Me too, we had a caravan near there.  Two summers we spent in it, my Father, who was rebuilding Shellhaven Refinery after the fires, always managed to have to work.
Got my cousin's husband to tow the van to the South of France (Port Grimaud).  He fell asleep and totalled it.
So new van in France.
Funny, my Father always managed to turn up there.
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: gunwharfman on 11:03:36, 27/05/20
In the 80s and 90s my wife and I had a 6 berth Pioneer motor caravan and I nearly wrote it off in France! In the early hours, whilst parked in the gloom of an Antibes seafront car park, I drove it down a flight of pedestrian steps! I thought it was the exit. Every human body, tin cans, and everything else besides went everywhere! The van and the people survived it thank goodness!  :-[
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: WhitstableDave on 15:02:33, 28/05/20
Following our walk two days ago that included a nettle-infested riverbank, my instructions for today were for "no nettles" as well as the usual "no hills". So Thanet it was then...

Almost the entire walk was off-road and across arable land - completely hassle-free rambling under blue skies!  :)

Crossing one field, we saw a farmer, with a dog, doing something by a hedge. It looked as if a number of birds the size of geese were watching him, as they were all facing him. The 'birds' appeared to be moving slightly but very intent on the farmer. Then, one fluttered a little way into the air and we realised the 'birds' weren't real after all. But what was going on? We've no idea...

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Brooksend_walk_1.jpg)

This one's easier... potatoes are being watered.

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Brooksend_walk_3.jpg)

I didn't give my wife time to compose herself for this photo taken in a field of corn...

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Brooksend_walk_4.jpg)

A highlight of today's walk was going through the vast land of Thanet Earth (which I talked about in a recent post above). This place is quite incredible and actually feels futuristic and a little surreal. 220 acres of greenhouses producing 225 million tomatoes a year, yet there's hardly ever anyone around.

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Brooksend_walk_5.jpg)

Looking through the windows...

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Brooksend_walk_6.jpg)

This was a field of mature corn when I first came this way about three years ago and then, just as now, there was no sign of a path where one really ought to be. The crop is wheat this year, so we were able to reluctantly head across the field along the correct line. That time when corn grew here, I got lost for an uncomfortably long time and I even began to wonder when my body would be found...

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Brooksend_walk_7.jpg)

I don't think anyone else ever crosses these fields by Thanet Earth, but we eventually came to a way that was recognisable as a track and we followed it almost to where we'd left the car. This is me, a bit of Thanet Earth, and lots of poppies growing in the wheat:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Brooksend_walk_2.jpg)

I'd walked very little of this route before (just the greenhouse bit), which is why I'm adding the account to my explorations of Kent topic!
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: WhitstableDave on 13:03:35, 04/06/20
This will probably count as one of my shortest contributions to this topic, but for me it's a highly significant one!  :)

I live in an area called South Street, which is so named because it's on a road called South Street. When I walk in the direction of Canterbury, I usually walk along South Street to Brooklands Farm where I turn off onto a track that goes through woods and farmland. But when I drive to Canterbury, I continue past the farm along South Street to its end.

So, although I've driven and cycled to the end of South Street countless times, I'd never actually walked all the way along it. The problem has mainly been the blind bends that people often drive too fast around (me included), and the lack of walkable verges.

But today the road was closed, so I could have it all to myself!  :)

Heading off into the unknown - just past the farm:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/South_Street_walk_1.jpg)

Looking over the small humpback bridge half-way along the road, where if you drive fast enough you can experience a bit of lift-off (a motorbike is much better for doing that though):

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/South_Street_walk_2.jpg)

Looking across to the woods (part of Blean Woods) where the path to Canterbury goes:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/South_Street_walk_3.jpg)

And looking back from the other end of South Street - about half-a-mile from where I began my adventure.

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/South_Street_walk_4.jpg)

Then I continued along a route that I've done many times and won't bother mentioning.  ;)
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: WhitstableDave on 15:24:57, 06/06/20
This morning, my wife and I did a local-ish walk in one of our favourite areas. We drove to Chilham, which is a few miles west of Canterbury, followed quiet lanes to Chartham, then returned to Chilham along one of my favourite sections of the North Downs Way.

The village of Chilham, with the castle gates right on the square, is as quaint and picturesque as Kent villages get!  :)

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Chilham_NDW_walk_1.jpg)

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Chilham_NDW_walk_2.jpg)

We saw a toad and a young rabbit:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Chilham_NDW_walk_3.jpg)

Chartham, on the River Stour, is very nice too - and it has a vineyard (bottom-right):

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Chilham_NDW_walk_4.jpg)

I like the point where we joined the North Downs Way, because the trail goes straight through someone's property. I remember feeling very awkward the first time I went this way. Then, sometime later, the owners created their own diversion around the property, but the original route has been re-established.  :)

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Chilham_NDW_walk_5.jpg)

A few photos from the North Downs Way - clockwise from top-left: 1. Orchards cover much of the land here and there's a very smart caravan site for fruit-pickers in the photo. 2. That young crop is flax, but I'm sure you knew that. 3. Going down a hill... 4. ...and looking back to the same hill from the top of a wheat field.

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Chilham_NDW_walk_6.jpg)

Although most of the walk was along familiar ways, at least a couple of miles were along previously unwalked lanes - which is a very important consideration!  ;)

Oh, I almost forgot to mention... I started recording my walks 3 years and 7 months ago. On this walk I passed the 10,000 mile mark!  :)
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: WhitstableDave on 14:54:54, 10/06/20
(Another area close to where I live that I hadn't explored before.)

This morning, I set off intending to do one of my regular local walks - along the coast to Herne Bay, inland to Herne, and back along lanes. I've been avoiding this section of coast for months now, because the sea wall between Whitstable and Herne Bay is popular with dog walkers and runners. But I thought the time had come to start returning to some sort of normality.

Before I left home, I checked the tide times and noted that low tide today would coincide with me being near what's described on the OS map as Tidal Pond. This is a large area of shingle islands that are exposed at low tide and I've often wondered if it's possible to walk out to them. Today seemed like the day to try!

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Tidal_Pond_map.jpg)

While the OS map shows a possible circuit (with the islands being connected), the reality was different and there was only one way out and back on this occasion. Perhaps when the tide is at its very lowest...

The view from the sea wall:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Tidal_Pond_1.jpg)

Setting off. A little further on I came to a bit that needed splashing across. The tide wasn't fully out yet so I was confident I could return the same way if necessary:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Tidal_Pond_2.jpg)

A view from the outermost shingle island, looking towards Herne Bay:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Tidal_Pond_3.jpg)

As above, but from the easternmost tip:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Tidal_Pond_4.jpg)

This photo was taken at the point where I tried to work out if I could get back by a different route. I couldn't see a way, so I went back the way I came:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Tidal_Pond_5.jpg)

From here I could see that I'd done the right thing - there would have been quite an expanse of water to cross:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Tidal_Pond_6.jpg)

The bit I had to splash through out and back... but my Salomon Sandford shoes were up to the challenge!

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Tidal_Pond_7.jpg)

And finally, a sort of watery maze back to the beach and the rest of my walk...  :)

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Tidal_Pond_8.jpg)

There really is nothing like a bit of variety when it comes to walking.  ;)
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: gunwharfman on 19:21:44, 10/06/20
Thanks for those. Your photos, to my eyes, always seem so clear, do you use any special camera or is it just personal skill?
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: WhitstableDave on 20:12:31, 10/06/20
Thanks for those. Your photos, to my eyes, always seem so clear, do you use any special camera or is it just personal skill?

Thanks GWM. I rarely think my photos are up to much, so your comment surprised me. I use an ageing Samsung S7 phone, which my wife gave me when she bought a new one.  :)
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: WhitstableDave on 15:51:48, 14/06/20
We did something a little bit different today.  :)

My wife took up running less than a year ago, beginning with the 'Couch to 5K' scheme and going on from there. She's met various targets so far and her next target is to run a half-marathon. She wants to run in the Canterbury half-marathon this summer (assuming it takes place).

On our walk yesterday, with three miles still to go, my wife began to run while I did my usual brisk walking pace. It worked very well - with us compromising on a speed of 4.2mph, which we kept up for the rest of the way home.

This morning, we decided to try our novel approach on the Canterbury half-marathon route to find out if my wife could run that distance, with me alongside her walking it. Starting just south of Canterbury, the route passes through typically wonderful, and quite hilly, Kent countryside. According to the official website, "The course is challenging and covers the quiet country lanes on the outskirts of the city."

We parked about a quarter of a mile before the start of the route, so we actually did 13.6 miles. Our plan worked perfectly; my wife ran 99% of the way, stopping only for photos or to let vehicles pass in the narrow lanes. I walked briskly! Our moving speed was 4.2mph and our overall speed was 4.1mph.

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Canterbury_Half_Marathon_map.jpg)

Some photos of the countryside south of Canterbury. Top-right is a field of oats, which isn't a common crop here.

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Canterbury_Half_Marathon_1.jpg)

More countryside, going through Petham, and arriving at Waltham:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Canterbury_Half_Marathon_2.jpg)

A signpost near the start/finish. I love the name Thanington Without. And of course, the fungus is Dryad's Saddle... :)

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Canterbury_Half_Marathon_3.jpg)

I'm in awe of my wife and her achievement today. A year ago I complained that she walked too slowly; now I have to ask her to slow down!  ;)
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: WhitstableDave on 16:22:46, 16/06/20
I'm getting back into doing normal local walks again, which basically means going off-road much more than I have been doing - and exploring a bit too.

Today, I chose a variation of a route I like to do when I fancy a longish walk. I walked to Seasalter and followed the coast by Graveney Marshes as far as Faversham Creek. Then I went inland for the return, following country lanes but also lots of footpaths.

I did a few short detours towards the end in order to get the distance up to 20 miles.  :)

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Faversham_Circuit_map.jpg)

Looking across to the Isle of Sheppey : looking ahead along the sea wall, with the marshes below...

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Faversham_Circuit_1.jpg)

A drainage channel on the marshes : Faversham Creek and the tide is high...

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Faversham_Circuit_2.jpg)

Near Faversham, I crossed a field of rape - tough stuff at this time of year!

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Faversham_Circuit_3.jpg)

I'd done most of the route many times before, but I managed to find a couple of paths I'd not previously walked - including this one. It began really well, but it fizzled out after about half-a-mile.

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Faversham_Circuit_4.jpg)

Passing through orchards between Hernhill and Dargate...

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Faversham_Circuit_5.jpg)

I don't know what it is, but I love this plant growing on soggy ground by a small stream:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Faversham_Circuit_6.jpg)

A path that was far too overgrown to attempt today! : Looking back at a path I really ought not to have used - my legs are still stinging!

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Faversham_Circuit_7.jpg)
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: gunwharfman on 17:00:29, 16/06/20
I really do like your walks display method, to my colour blind eyes it's so easy to see and understand. You should do a slot on that 'How do they do it' programme.

IGN French app map routes are marked in dark blue (or is it purple?) and I can follow their routes easily. I can also follow 'gps-routes.co.uk as well, they are marked in bright red, at least I think it's red, it could be brown but at least I can see them clearly.

The most problematic site for my eyes is the National Trails site, their routes are highlighted in what I think is silver, for me so hard to see.

Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: WhitstableDave on 18:54:09, 16/06/20
I really do like your walks display method, to my colour blind eyes it's so easy to see and understand. You should do a slot on that 'How do they do it' programme.

IGN French app map routes are marked in dark blue (or is it purple?) and I can follow their routes easily. I can also follow 'gps-routes.co.uk as well, they are marked in bright red, at least I think it's red, it could be brown but at least I can see them clearly.

The most problematic site for my eyes is the National Trails site, their routes are highlighted in what I think is silver, for me so hard to see.
Thanks GWM, I always appreciate your replies.  :)
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: SteamyTea on 21:39:34, 16/06/20
I always like you TRs.
Remind me of being young, not that I want 2 weeks holiday in Broadstairs, with my family (excpet Father), my Aunt and her family (only 4 kids then), my Grandparents, Grand Uncle and his daughter (still around and still see her), her kids, only one around now, out of 3, and then the Great Aunts.
All crammed into 2 beach chalets as it rained for two weeks, always.


I took my Grandmother down the for a day in 1989, 20 years after I had last been, it was still in black and white.
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: WhitstableDave on 22:36:07, 16/06/20
I think that Broadstairs is one of the nicest areas in East Kent and I always enjoy looking down to the beach from the cliff top. You can see the beach huts...   :)

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Broadstairs_view.jpg)
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: SteamyTea on 08:21:23, 17/06/20
Don't remember the beach huts.
But the chalets are still there.
I still struggle to read any Dickens.
My memory is more like this.
(https://i.postimg.cc/MG8Wf8fJ/Broadstairs.jpg)
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: gunwharfman on 13:11:17, 17/06/20
Your reference to Charles Dickens has reminded me that I watched the film 'The Personal History of David Copperfield' two days ago. I really enjoyed it. I thought it was filmed down south but a lot of it was filmed in Hull and nearby. Some wonderful flat landscapes.
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: WhitstableDave on 17:48:47, 19/06/20
This afternoon I did a short walk with my daughter and two grandsons at Victory Wood, about three miles from Whitstable.  :)

Victory Wood is owned by the Woodland Trust and to save me paraphrasing what it says on the website, here's an extract...  ;)

The wood is the Flagship site for the Trafalgar Woods Project of 2005 to commemorate the bicentenary of the Battle of Trafalgar (1805) organised by the Woodland Trust and the Society for Nautical Research. The Trafalgar Woods Project established 27 new woods, one wood for every boat which took part in the British fleet at this battle. All around Victory Wood there are a number of interpretative structures which are themed around the Battle of Trafalgar, and also are linked to the importance of trees/woodlands and how different tree species were traditionally used. Look out for the full scale footprint of the HMS Victory marked out using oak posts, and the ‘Discovery Trail’ that leads to eight of the enemy fleet, each marked out by evergreen oaks. At the top of the ridge (approx 1.4 km from the car park) is the Link Sculpture, a panoramic viewfinder –well worth the climb!

If you're wondering where the trees are in most of my photos, I should point out that Victory Wood is still very young!

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Victory_Wood_Bex_Boys_1.jpg)

Left: the Panoramic Viewfinder; although it's not obvious from my photo, the views from here are wonderful.
Right: This is a cold war bunker, from where exploding nuclear bombs could be observed (unless they exploded too close!):

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Victory_Wood_Bex_Boys_2.jpg)

There are some areas of mature woodland and the entire site is part of Blean Woods - one of the largest areas of ancient woodland in the UK.

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Victory_Wood_Bex_Boys_3.jpg)

Heading back to the car park. The viewpoint and nuclear observation post are on the hill behind:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Victory_Wood_Bex_Boys_4.jpg)
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: WhitstableDave on 15:46:51, 20/06/20
Last Sunday, my wife and I followed the course of the Canterbury half-marathon with her running and me walking. The route was along tarmacked lanes and I noted a number of footpaths along the way that looked well worth trying, so today we parked in the same place and did a walk in the same area. This time though, we used footpaths almost exclusively.

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Stuppington_walk_map.jpg)

Although Kent is known for hops, it seems that there are more vineyards than hop fields nowadays. This one we passed through early on is impressively big!

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Stuppington_walk_1.jpg)

Three photos of a rape field near Lower Hardes and one of a field with sheep in:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Stuppington_walk_2.jpg)

Passing the church in Lower Hardes:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Stuppington_walk_3.jpg)

A lot of soft fruit (other than grapes) is grown in the area. This is either loganberry or blackberry...

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Stuppington_walk_4.jpg)

Just a few nice field photos:  :)

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Stuppington_walk_5.jpg)

Another big vineyard; this one is near Garlinge Green:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Stuppington_walk_6.jpg)

This is Swarling Manor. The fourth photo is the view from the hamlet towards Chartham Downs:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Stuppington_walk_7.jpg)

A nameless intermittent stream, common on chalky land:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Stuppington_walk_8.jpg)

My favourite photo of the day. This is Kent!  :)

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Stuppington_walk_9.jpg)

And lastly, some photos with poppies in them...

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Stuppington_walk_10.jpg)

A fantastic walk in a beautiful area!  :)
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: WhitstableDave on 15:57:56, 26/06/20
It was very hot again as I set off for my morning walk.

I headed in an easterly direction with no particular route in mind. After a while it occurred to me that I hadn't seen any coltsfoot yet this year. I've only ever found coltsfoot growing locally on some sea cliffs about 8 miles east of Whitstable, so that's where I headed. I was on a quest!  :)

I turned towards the coast and crossed a field of onions. I like straight lines (who doesn't?) and I liked the way the onions drew the eye to Reculver Towers, which can just be seen in the distance...

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Hillborough_walk_1.jpg)

I reached the cliffs and walked west for a mile or two in search of coltsfoot. I didn't see a single one.

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Hillborough_walk_2.jpg)

I was sure it was about this time of year that I'd found them last year, but when I checked last year's photos I discovered I was about three months too late! Three months!! I'm suffering from season lag!   ::)

Oh well, never mind. I took this photo last year - and I'll include it here for anyone who doesn't know what coltsfoot looks like.  ;)

It's actually quite a challenging wildflower to spot because it resembles a dandelion at first glance. So when looking for coltsfoot, it's necessary to check every dandelion in order to discount it.  :)

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Hillborough_walk_6.jpg)

A mini canyon with a tiny stream and sandy cliffs:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Hillborough_walk_3.jpg)

After about 10 miles I finally reached the sea and was able to soak my hat, fill it with water, and put it on. Wonderful! I repeated the process three more times using beach-side cold taps in Herne Bay and Whitstable.

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Hillborough_walk_4.jpg)

Crossing the nature reserve at Long Rock. There was something out there once...

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Hillborough_walk_5.jpg)

The walk was just over 17 miles. In addition to 4 hat-fulls of cold water, I got through 4 bottles of drink (2 bottles, each refilled once). Heat is less of a problem when water is plentiful!
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: WhitstableDave on 14:41:48, 28/06/20
This weekend's walk with my wife was a woods and farmland stroll straight from home. We're extremely fortunate in having a swathe of woodland (the Blean) covering much of the area between us and Canterbury to the south, so we can cross some farmland to get to the woods, do some woods walking, then return across more farmland.  :)

The farm track that leads to the woods...

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Woods_walk_with_Fred_1.jpg)

There are still lots of orchids around, but most have been straggly this year. These two are in good shape though:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Woods_walk_with_Fred_2.jpg)

A lovely farmland footpath that I've only used once before. The first photo shows my wife sanitising after touching the gate.  :angel:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Woods_walk_with_Fred_3.jpg)

A very freshly mown field (mowing was in progress!) and some friendly, inquisitive cattle:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Woods_walk_with_Fred_4.jpg)

Some of the different woods we went through. We passed through Clowes Wood, Victory Wood, Tong Wood, Ellenden Wood and Coombe Wood.

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Woods_walk_with_Fred_5.jpg)

A thoroughly enjoyable 11 miles and home in plenty of time before lunch!  :)
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: WhitstableDave on 14:33:17, 06/07/20
Studying the map yesterday, I noticed there were a couple of miles' worth of footpaths near Boughton-under-Blean that I'd not walked yet. So the aim of my morning walk from home today was to check them out.  :)

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/hops_map.jpg)

After about 7 miles, I left my familiar route and followed the new paths. And very pleasant they were indeed.

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Hops_0.jpg)

Nearing Boughton-under-Blean, I arrived at a hop field. I love seeing hops!

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Hops_1.jpg)

I took several photos...

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Hops_2.jpg)

The other side of the hop field, complete with oast houses:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Hops_3.jpg)

The walk was a little over 16 miles in one of my favourite areas. Lovely!  :)
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: WhitstableDave on 15:07:20, 13/07/20
This morning, I did a walk that I planned a couple of weeks ago, but wasn't particularly keen on doing. The problem is that, unlike almost every other person in Kent, I'm still reluctant to use my car and I don't want to drive far when I do.

However, now that the lockdown has eased, I'm trying to get back on track with my aim of walking in every part of Kent and there was an unappealing part of Thanet I still had to do. So I filled up my car with petrol for the first time in about six months and drove to a small car park about 20 minutes away to begin the walk.

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Thanet_roads_and_fields_map.jpg)

It's not that this part of Thanet isn't pleasant enough, but that there are very few footpaths and my route had to include a lot of road walking.

The walk started well enough - with paths across fields of peas and corn:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Thanet_roads_and_fields_1.jpg)

Many of the roads were like this though. Lots of traffic meant that I had to walk on high verges and field edges for several miles.

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Thanet_roads_and_fields_2.jpg)

In the right-hand photo, the verge is about 6ft above the road, but I couldn't continue any further on the verge and had to take my chances on the busy road below and a blind bend:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Thanet_roads_and_fields_3.jpg)

Having had enough of facing traffic, I started to choose fields and hope I could get through the hedges and back onto the road later...

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Thanet_roads_and_fields_4.jpg)

It wasn't all like that though - only the first six miles or so. Most of the second half of the walk was on quiet lanes and bridleways like this one:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Thanet_roads_and_fields_5.jpg)

Another reason for being unenthusiastic about this route was that I had to use a byway that would take me past a farm where a small dog ran out and bit my ankle a couple of years ago. I'm pleased to report that this time there was no sign of the little darling.

BTW, I've noticed that facemasks are becoming a popular choice for things to throw out of a car window.

I added a pleasing number of miles to my Kent walks map, but I certainly wouldn't recommend this area to anyone. Despite being quite rural, much of Thanet is not very walker-friendly!
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: WhitstableDave on 15:26:26, 15/07/20
For my walk this morning, I did what I often do - I looked for an area that I'd not walked yet and worked out a walk to do there.  :)

There was an empty space on my Kent Walks Map to the south of Teynham, which is a village between Faversham and Sittingbourne on the A2. I knew I could park in Teynham and it's only a 25 minute drive away, so that's what I did. The plan was to do a loop using only country lanes, trying to avoid using any I'd walked before. As it turned out, the walk was a little over 13 miles and at least 12 miles of it was new to me. A bit more of Kent has been covered!  :)

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/South_of_Teynham_map.jpg)

This really is an idyllic part of Kent. Most of the countryside is covered in orchards, with the occasional vineyard or cereal crop. I saw one field with sheep and no cattle at all, but lots of horses.

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/South_of_Teynham_2.jpg)

I love seeing old houses, especially thatched cottages, and there are plenty to admire here:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/South_of_Teynham_1.jpg)

This more modern house is quite appealing...

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/South_of_Teynham_3.jpg)

...but I think this one has more potential:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/South_of_Teynham_4.jpg)

I'd noticed a farm on the map called Bumpit Farm. Sadly, although I walked past it, I didn't see a sign for me to photograph.  :(
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: WhitstableDave on 17:11:20, 24/07/20
I planned today's walk before the lockdown and put it on hold until it was okay to drive a moderate distance to exercise. My wife is still working from home and was allowed to spread her summer holiday over several weeks in the form of long weekends, so we were able to do a walk together today.  :)

We parked at Trosley Country Park near Vigo Village. The area is very wooded and the North Downs Way passes through the country park. I planned the 16 mile route to fill a big gap on my Kent Walks Map in the area south of Dartford and Gravesend. I wasn't sure what to expect and I was surprised to discover how delightful this part of Kent is.

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Vigo_walk_map.jpg)

This is Stanstead War Memorial. Apparently, the memorial is a replacement for the original, sculpted in 1923 by Alois Stroebl and cast in Budapest, that was stolen and never recovered.

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Vigo_walk_1.jpg)

St Mary's Church, Stanstead:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Vigo_walk_2.jpg)

A very unusual and striking church in Hartley: St Francis de Sales Roman Catholic Church:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Vigo_walk_3.jpg)

We passed a great many very nice houses, but only one had WW2 fighter on the lawn...

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Vigo_walk_4.jpg)
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: WhitstableDave on 14:18:46, 26/07/20
This morning, my wife and I went for our third run-walk together. Again, we did at least 6.2 miles because that's 10km which is a standard running distance.   :)

We parked at Chilham and followed the North Downs Way (marked in blue) for a couple of miles. Then we crossed the Godmersham Estate to meet the Stour Valley Walk (right - not marked), which we followed for most of the way back to Chilham.

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Chilham_run_walk_map.jpg)

I ought to make it clear that, while I do a run-walk, my wife runs without stopping - including the long, steep climb up to Kings Wood just before we left the NDW, which I walked! The reward was a very long downhill section across the Godmersham Estate with its wonderful views...

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Chilham_run_walk_1.jpg)

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Chilham_run_walk_2.jpg)

The Chilham area is extremely picturesque, but the mill on the Great Stour is exceptionally photogenic.  :)

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Chilham_run_walk_3.jpg)

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Chilham_run_walk_4.jpg)
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: Lazar on 16:54:37, 26/07/20
Hi we are heading to Kent for 5 days of walking in September, we are getting the train and thinking of getting off at Selling and walking into Canterbury where we are staying. Could you recommend a walk of about 10 miles on our first day to from Selling to Canterbury. Thanks
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: WhitstableDave on 18:15:22, 26/07/20
Hi we are heading to Kent for 5 days of walking in September, we are getting the train and thinking of getting off at Selling and walking into Canterbury where we are staying. Could you recommend a walk of about 10 miles on our first day to from Selling to Canterbury. Thanks

Now that's the kind of request I like!  O0

I've just worked out what I think is the perfect route from Selling Station to the centre of Canterbury. I'll give it as a description, but I can put it on OS Maps for download if that makes things easier.

From Selling Station, join the start of a well-waymarked path called the Big Blean Walk. The start of the BBW is on Fox Lane about 150m SE of the station. If you want to see Selling (which is very nice!) you can take Selling Road from the station to Fox Lane and the BBW starts just past the bridge. Alternatively, there's an unofficial path on the north side of the railway that goes directly there.

Follow the BBW as far as Selling Tunnel. You'll know you're there when the railway tracks disappear! Take a sharp right onto a footpath that goes south through a farm and past a few houses (Upper Ensign). At the road, turn left towards Old Wives Lees.

The North Downs Way goes through Old Wives Lees and you'll join it at the centre of the village where five roads meet. You'll follow the wonderful NDW eastwards...

This is one of my favourite stretches of the NDW - I love it! The best bits are during the last couple of miles before you leave it just before reaching a bridge over the A2 near Harbledown. At Chartham Hatch you might see reindeer in a wood opposite a playground; then you'll go through No Man's Orchard and Bigbury Camp.

Turn right onto Faulkners Lane just after you've passed Bigbury Camp. After about 100m, turn left onto Tonford Lane and follow the lane all the way down to the Great Stour. Here you'll join the Stour Valley Walk which runs alongside the river all the way to Canterbury. You'll arrive by Westgate Gardens (which is the best way to arrive!) and then it's only a short walk to the city centre.

The walk is a little over 9 miles.  :)
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: gunwharfman on 19:07:09, 26/07/20
Hey, that looks good. I'm due to visit an elderly cousin who's in St. Johns 'Hospital?' in Canterbury around September and one of her sons lives in Chilham. I'll keep that description myself thank you, I've looked at it on my OS map and I may do it myself. My first thought was to get to Ashford and then walk to Canterbury from there. I always like something to look forward to and its great to have a choice of routes.

I notice that around Chartham Hatch the map is marked with some orchards, do they still exist? So many of the orchards which I remember around Maidstone as a youngster have been cut down for other uses. My mother used to pick cherries (her favourite job and time of the year) on a farm at East Farleigh, the trees at that time were about 80-100 years old, now all gone!
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: WhitstableDave on 19:51:25, 26/07/20
Hey, that looks good. I'm due to visit an elderly cousin who's in St. Johns 'Hospital?' in Canterbury around September and one of her sons lives in Chilham. I'll keep that description myself thank you, I've looked at it on my OS map and I may do it myself. My first thought was to get to Ashford and then walk to Canterbury from there. I always like something to look forward to and its great to have a choice of routes.

I notice that around Chartham Hatch the map is marked with some orchards, do they still exist? So many of the orchards which I remember around Maidstone as a youngster have been cut down for other uses. My mother used to pick cherries (her favourite job and time of the year) on a farm at East Farleigh, the trees at that time were about 80-100 years old, now all gone!

There are a great many orchards along the route I've described - everything from vast ones stretching off into the distance to the ancient one I mentioned called No Man's Orchard, which is well worth seeing.  :)

I've walked from Ashford to Whitstable via Canterbury on four occasions. My wife used to work in Ashford and she'd drop me off so as I could walk home. All of the routes were different and I'd be happy to suggest possibilities.  :)
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: SteamyTea on 19:58:27, 26/07/20
I have forgotten how nice it is around Chillham.
Had to sing in St. Mary's church before they dropped.
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: Lazar on 16:41:32, 28/07/20
Thanks for the route much appreciated will be using it.
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: WhitstableDave on 18:29:27, 31/07/20
This morning, my wife and I met up with our daughter and two grandsons for a safari walk.  :)

Port Lympne is a large safari park near Hythe in Kent with its southern edge lying along the Royal Military Canal. Two public right of way footpaths cross the park making it easy to go animal-spotting for free!

We parked in a small car park right by the canal at West Hythe. Then we followed the canal to the furthest footpath and headed up the steep hill to Lympne. Just before we reached Lympne, we turned onto the Saxon Shore Way which took us along the high ridge. Finally, we took the other path back down to the canal and on to the car park.

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Port_Lympne_walk_map%7E0.jpg)

The Royal Military Canal is quite beautiful and there's an excellent 28 mile trail all the way alongside it which I did in three circular walks a couple of years ago. This photo has the boys browsing the information board...

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Port_Lympne_walk_1%7E0.jpg)

This is a fantastic viewpoint from beside the canal. Looking up the hillside, we can see both Lympne Castle at the top and the remains of a Roman fort halfway up the hill. The path that we returned on passes close to the fort...

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Port_Lympne_walk_2%7E0.jpg)

It's very much a matter of pot luck as to what animals might be seen on this route. In the past I've seen giraffes and rhinos, but they weren't in sight today. We did see red lechwe, Przewalski's horses, bison and various antelope-like animals though.

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Port_Lympne_walk_3%7E0.jpg)

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Port_Lympne_walk_4%7E0.jpg)

Walking along the top path our way was partially blocked by some horses' heads!

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Port_Lympne_walk_5%7E0.jpg)

The view over Romney Marsh from the Saxon Shore Way. The nuclear power stations at Dungeness can just be made out in the distance:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Port_Lympne_walk_6%7E0.jpg)

As we came down the hill we passed an enclosure where African painted dogs were enjoying the shade (at the time we thought they were hyenas - they were very big!). The temperature reached 35C today so even they were staying out of the sun.

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Port_Lympne_walk_7%7E0.jpg)

This was only a short walk at about 3.5 miles, but perfect in today's heat and the kids really enjoyed the adventure!  :)

Edit: I almost forgot to mention... today I finished the month with more than 8,000,000 steps recorded over the last 12 months. That's a daily average of nearly 22,000 steps.  :)
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: WhitstableDave on 17:21:40, 03/08/20
Our walk this morning was in the area between Alkham, near Dover, and Denton, a village between Folkestone and Canterbury.

The area is extremely walker-friendly, with footpaths and by-ways criss-crossing all over the place. But it's also very hilly. This part of the Kent Downs is like a giant sheet of corrugated iron, with many ridges and valleys creating lots of ascents and descents.

We parked in Alkham, from where we've done a couple of walks previously, and headed towards Denton (near Wootton on the map) to explore some new places and fill a gap on my Kent Walks map.  :)

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Alkham_to_Denton_walk_map.jpg)

Somewhere between Alkham and Swingfield:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Alkham_to_Denton_walk_1.jpg)

We're just about to descend a steep hill to the road below:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Alkham_to_Denton_walk_2.jpg)

We met a lot of sheep on the way. This lot were very friendly:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Alkham_to_Denton_walk_3.jpg)

The Church of St Peter at Swingfield, with a very impressive tower:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Alkham_to_Denton_walk_4.jpg)

I like farm machinery...  :)

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Alkham_to_Denton_walk_5.jpg)

Heading across fields towards St John's Commandery, a flint-walled 13th century chapel and hall of a 'Commandery' of Knights Hospitallers:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Alkham_to_Denton_walk_6.jpg)

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Alkham_to_Denton_walk_7.jpg)

More sheep:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Alkham_to_Denton_walk_8.jpg)

It wasn't all wide open spaces though and some of the footpaths were rarely used:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Alkham_to_Denton_walk_9.jpg)

Alkham nestles in a valley and returning there always provides some wonderful views:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Alkham_to_Denton_walk_10.jpg)

About a quarter of a mile to go:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Alkham_to_Denton_walk_11.jpg)

This was a brilliant walk in a fantastic area. We'll be back!

One more thing... it's been a while since I posted my Kent Walks map, so here's the current state of play as of today:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Kent_Walks_August_2020.jpg)
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: WhitstableDave on 16:53:04, 08/08/20
It was forecast to be very hot again today, so for our walk I planned a route that would be mostly in the shade.

As I'm sure everyone knows by now, Kent has the greatest area of ancient woodland in England and we're extremely lucky to live close to The Blean, one of the largest areas of ancient woodland in Kent.  :) 

Setting off from home, we did a 14.25 mile-long 'wood crawl', taking in Ellenden Wood, Victory Wood, Blean Wood, Claypits Wood, High Wood, Bossenden Wood, North Bishopden Wood, and finally our local - Clowes Wood. There were some unshaded stretches between some of the woods, but we were mostly in among the trees!  :)

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Hot_woods_walk_map.jpg)

Across a meadow and up a hill with excellent views behind towards Whitstable, we're about to enter The Blean:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Hot_woods_walk_3.jpg)

Me on a path through the woods:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Hot_woods_walk_5.jpg)

This is Clay Hill. It's in Victory Woods, which is in the process of being re-established - hence the lack of trees here. More of The Blean can be seen in the distance:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Hot_woods_walk_7.jpg)

A couple of hundred yards further on and we're heading down a steep path through a lovely beech wood - my favourite variety:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Hot_woods_walk_4.jpg)

Here we're in a large wood called Bossenden Wood and following the Big Blean Walk for a while. The stream is bone dry:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Hot_woods_walk_8.jpg)

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Hot_woods_walk_9.jpg)

Heading into 'our' woods - Clowes Wood:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Hot_woods_walk_10.jpg)

In Clowes Wood, within the space of about 200 yards, there are no fewer than five totally unnecessary footbridges. The path they're on runs parallel to a more popular gravel track about 20 yards away, so the 'five bridges path' is rarely used. And they don't even cross water for 99% of the year - only very shallow ditches. I can think of much better ways for the council to spend money on public footpaths!

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Hot_woods_walk_1.jpg)

Having a drink at the top of the hill where the tarmacked cycle track goes down and out of the woods. I was very annoyed when the track was tarmacked a couple of years ago - I thought it was pointless and, being very steep, dangerous for cyclists in icy conditions.

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Hot_woods_walk_6.jpg)

Leaving the woods - and we're almost home!  :)

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Hot_woods_walk_2.jpg)

Edit: I almost forgot to mention... no navigational aids of any kind were used in the following of this route.  ;)
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: WhitstableDave on 17:19:31, 21/08/20
For our walk today, I worked out a route in the far south-west corner of Kent in an area that we'd never walked before. In fact the route was so far away that most of it was in East Sussex!

We parked by a church near the village of Sandhurst and set off across farmland to join up with the Sussex Border Path. The excellent border path took us through the grounds of Bodiam Castle, past Bodiam Station on the Kent & East Sussex Railway, and on to a lovely, quiet village called Ewhurst Green. We looped back to Bodiam Castle then followed the River Rother east, before heading back to Sandhurst.

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Sandhurst_Bodiam_walk_map.jpg)

Setting off across the fields to join the Sussex Border Path. The weather began overcast and windy, but gradually improved as the day progressed:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Sandhurst_Bodiam_walk_3.jpg)

We were still in Kent when we went through a large hop field with lush, green, mature hops...:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Sandhurst_Bodiam_walk_2.jpg)

...and just a few yards further on, we were in a vast vineyard:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Sandhurst_Bodiam_walk_4.jpg)

This is where we joined the Sussex Border Path:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Sandhurst_Bodiam_walk_5.jpg)

We'd just crested the top of a hill by a path that runs alongside a vineyard when we were greeted by a fantastic sight - Bodiam Castle in all its glory. Wow!

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Sandhurst_Bodiam_walk_6.jpg)

Bodiam Castle is possibly, no almost certainly, the most castley castle in Britain. It's simply the perfect castle!

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Sandhurst_Bodiam_walk_7.jpg)

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Sandhurst_Bodiam_walk_8.jpg)

We were hoping to see a steam train of the Kent & East Sussex Railway go puffing past today, but it was always a faint hope given the current circumstances. We gather that only one train ran today and that had gone by the time we arrived. Never mind though, at least we saw Bodiam Station...

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Sandhurst_Bodiam_walk_9.jpg)

From the station, we had a very pleasant walk up the hill to Ewhurst Green and back to the castle across fields.

We followed the River Rother for a while (L) and crossed the Kent Ditch (R), which I believe marks some of the border between Kent and Sussex:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Sandhurst_Bodiam_walk_10.jpg)

This is the Sandhurst Clock Tower, which was built in 1889 to honour a resident of the village. It stands close to a cottage we've considered renting and we took the opportunity today to take a closer look. The setting is excellent, but we were less keen on the cottage.

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Sandhurst_Bodiam_walk_11.jpg)

And finally, the church next to where were were parked:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Sandhurst_Bodiam_walk_12.jpg)

This is a brilliant area for walking and we'll be back soon - of course I need to link up today's walk with my others, so I have to return anyway. It's a long drive from Whitstable though!
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: gunwharfman on 19:10:56, 21/08/20
That view of Bodium Castle from the top of the hill is quite something. I hiked from Rye on the Sussex Border Path last year. Camped about a mile away but was able to get a full veggie breakfast in the Bodium pub the next morning. I've often thought that the routes (Greensand Way, High Weald Trail, and the Sussex Border path) in Kent and Sussex are really very good. I particularly liked the High Weald Trail. The hops always stir memories in me of my youth.
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: WhitstableDave on 20:04:43, 21/08/20
... Camped about a mile away but was able to get a full veggie breakfast in the Bodium pub the next morning. ...
Would that be the Park Farm campsite? I noticed a footpath called 'Park Farm to Bodiam Castle Footpath' on the map.
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: gunwharfman on 20:10:46, 21/08/20
I came to the bridge and turned left along the edge of the river, the site was about one mile away. Very nice, the lady only charged me £5. It's mostly caravans and motor caravans but well looked after. After my breakfast, I did a complete circle of Bodium Castle and then strolled off to Hawkhurst and then camped the next night at a site near Bewl Water. A great site there as well.
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: WhitstableDave on 16:09:41, 24/08/20
When it became clear that we wouldn't be having a normal summer holiday this year, my wife spread her allocated days over a much longer period meaning that we've had four-day weekends for several weeks now. As a result, we've been doing walks every Monday with daughter and grandsons.  :)

I'd normally call 5.6 miles a short walk but, with two of the party being aged 5 and 7, I reckon that's quite a decent distance!

We parked by the village of Chilham and walked up a steep hill to nearby Kings Wood. Then we descended into the amazing Godmersham Park and explored a bit before heading back along the North Downs Way to Chilham.

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Chilham_and_Godmersham_walk_map.jpg)

Kings Wood. In the spring, the woodland floor here is carpeted with an incredible display of bluebells:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Chilham_and_Godmersham_walk_1.jpg)

Heading down through the Godmersham Park estate. The large house in the distance was once owned by the brother of Jane Austen and she spent a lot of time here. Apparently, Mansfield Park is based on Godmersham Park.

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Chilham_and_Godmersham_walk_2.jpg)

The house at Godmersham Park is also used on the £10 note that features Jane Austen. I just happened to have one with me...  :)

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Chilham_and_Godmersham_walk_3.jpg)

The Great Stour - the river that flows through Canterbury - meanders its way through Godmersham Park and nowhere is it more picturesque than from the bridge here. Because it flows over the chalk of the North Downs, the water is crystal clear. After our visit to the church, we stopped for lunch on the way back beneath the large oak tree to the left:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Chilham_and_Godmersham_walk_4.jpg)

The plaque says that Jane Austen attended the church regularly...

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Chilham_and_Godmersham_walk_5.jpg)

A rather idyllic scene, with a charming cottage, a dovecot and (in the distance) a Greek-looking folly:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Chilham_and_Godmersham_walk_6.jpg)

Arguably, the adjacent Chilham Castle Estate is even more impressive than Godmersham Park while Chilham village is probably the most picturesque village in Kent. But one can have too much of a good thing, so perhaps another time...  :)
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: WhitstableDave on 14:59:54, 16/09/20
I wasn't planning to post a report of this morning's local walk that I've done many times before, but I'd never been overtaken by a Thames Barge at Faversham Creek before so I will...  :)

I reached the North Kent coast at Seasalter and walked along the sea wall beside the marshes to Faversham Creek before looping back towards home through some of my favourite rural bits. A very pleasant 17.1 miles before lunch! 

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Faversham_Creek_loop_map.jpg)

Somewhere along the sea wall - a couple of photos to show that I don't always take detours to avoid cattle...  ;)

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Faversham_Creek_loop_1.jpg)

Faversham Creek crosses the marshes on its way to Faversham. The tide was high and I saw a few boats heading out to sea. Then I noticed a Thames Barge coming up the creek towards me, so I went down to the water's edge to take some photos.

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Faversham_Creek_loop_2.jpg)

I assumed this was Greta 1892, the barge that's usually moored at Whitstable Harbour, but it was one I hadn't seen before named Ironsides. I googled it and found it was built in 1900 (so younger than Greta) and has sides made of iron!

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Faversham_Creek_loop_3.jpg)

And finally, a couple of shots from a bridge near Graveney:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Faversham_Creek_loop_4.jpg)
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: Agentorange on 08:45:31, 17/09/20
I was walking out at Reculver yesterday, just a short walk 4.5 miles - east from the church , down the Rushbourne sea wall PROW back up to the coastal path and then back to Reculver.

Anyway I was driving and  saw the sign to Yorkletts and thought ( as i always do ) that it's wasted  as a place name. it really should be the name of some kind of baked good, a bit like crumpets:

" I bought this lovely strong cheddar, havent we got a packet of Yorkletts in the cupboard ? We could have toasted cheese.... "
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: WhitstableDave on 14:51:19, 17/09/20
I was walking out at Reculver yesterday, just a short walk 4.5 miles - east from the church , down the Rushbourne sea wall PROW back up to the coastal path and then back to Reculver.

Anyway I was driving and  saw the sign to Yorkletts and thought ( as i always do ) that it's wasted  as a place name. it really should be the name of some kind of baked good, a bit like crumpets:

" I bought this lovely strong cheddar, havent we got a packet of Yorkletts in the cupboard ? We could have toasted cheese.... "

Since you drove past Yorkletts and was intrigued by the name, I wondered if you might like to stop there one day.

The place itself isn't much more than a road full of nice houses, but behind that is a wonderful spot called Victory Woods. It's owned by the Woodland Trust and is completely open access (so you won't be trespassing!) and the neighbouring woodlands are also walker friendly.

There's a big car park at Victory Woods, just a very short distance from the Thanet Way (A299), and there's lots to see - including a nuclear bunker at the top of the hill. The views there are fantastic too.

If you're interested, I did a piece in this very topic about Victory Wood not long ago... HERE! (http://www.walkingforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=39012.msg584537#msg584537)
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: Warbler on 15:27:19, 17/09/20
Ref the Thames Barge......What a wonderful sight to see on a random local walk  O0


And thanks for the derivation of Ironsides  ;)
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: WhitstableDave on 22:24:49, 17/09/20
We're off to Devon tomorrow for a week's walking holiday, so there won't be any updates here for a while. Instead, I'll post a mini-trip report from the other day when we dropped my car off at a garage in Canterbury and walked back to Whitstable...  :)

It's only a 7 mile walk home from the garage and to make the most of it we included a few short detours.

With just a couple of miles to go, we decided to take a path across a local farm but, cresting a hill, we saw that the field ahead was full of cows. My wife doesn't like cows so, rather than retrace our last half-mile, she suggested we try to take a short cut into the nearby woods and find our way back from there.

I pointed out that we'd be trespassing until we were actually safely in the woods, then reluctantly followed her as she ignored a 'private' sign...

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Detour_1.jpg)

We headed along the field edge alongside the woods looking for a way in. Eventually, I spotted a bit that looked promising, so in we went. The brambles made a half-hearted attempt to stop us, but they were past their best and we prevailed. We eventually found a path, which fortunately led to a path I recognised and we were back on track. Who needs maps?:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Detour_2.jpg)

An unexpected bit of adventure!  :)
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: WhitstableDave on 15:03:24, 10/10/20
I normally put my trip reports for outings that involve running in the Hikers Bar, but today's adventure was further afield than our usual local runs and it might be that the area we visited will be of interest to some...  :)

This morning, my wife and I drove to the White Horse Country Park car park on Detling Hill near Maidstone to do a 10k road and trail run, with the odd bit of walking thrown in.

We descended the steep hill down to Thurnham, where we joined the Pilgrim's Way. Then we ran along this very quiet country lane through Broad Street and on to the next farm. We climbed the very steep track up to the North Downs Way, which we followed back to the start.

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Thurnham_10k_map.jpg)

The elevation chart shows the variety of slopes we encountered... the steep descent to Thurnham, a fairly level section before the farm, a very steep climb up to the NDW where the going was level-ish before turning extremely undulating for the final stretch!

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Thurnham_10k_elevation.jpg)

We began with an easy run down to Thurnham:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Thurnham_10k_1.jpg)

The Pilgrim's Way and one of several lovely houses at Broad Street:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Thurnham_10k_2.jpg)

The track leading up to the North Downs Way. My wife ran most of it, while I walked the entire climb!

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Thurnham_10k_3.jpg)

Fantastic views to the west and to the south from the easier bit of the North Downs Way:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Thurnham_10k_4.jpg)

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Thurnham_10k_5.jpg)

A short, but very steep climb to begin the final quarter of the route - again, my wife ran it while I walked. And a view from the top:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Thurnham_10k_6.jpg)

Next followed what is probably the most challenging section of the entire North Downs Way. This part has a seemingly never-ending succession of staircases going up and down. Having got to the top of one long climb, there's an equally long steep descent that you know is completely pointless because when you get to the bottom there'll be another steep climb ahead. And again and again!

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Thurnham_10k_7.jpg)

This is a bit of the final long down before the final long up. I learned one thing today though... my wife might be much better than me at running uphill, but I'm better at running down!  :)

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Thurnham_10k_8.jpg)

A final note for anyone considering a walk or run involving the North Downs Way: for much of its length in Kent, the NDW runs roughly parallel to and never very far from the  Pilgrim's Way, which is usually a quiet country lane or byway at the foot of the hills. This makes planning circular routes extremely easy, because tracks link the two ways at frequent intervals.
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: gunwharfman on 17:40:30, 10/10/20
When I was young I used to go out with a girl from Detling and 'our' place was the Roman lookout building in the wood as you drop down to Thurnham.

In the late 50s and early 60s there was (it could still be there?) a pub in Thurnham run by a couple of sisters. A scandel made it to the front page of the Daily Mirror and a few other papers at the time. A very Senior Policeman was caught, with Council pals, drinking after closing time. If my memory serves me right the Mirror found it was a common occurance and the Policeman soon resigned.

Its a very nice area though and I'm sure ideal for your run/walk.
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: WhitstableDave on 15:51:22, 11/10/20
Stodmarsh National Nature Reserve is an extensive area of wetlands a few miles east of Canterbury. There is very little in the way of dry land, just some raised pathways that cross reed-covered marshes. There are several large lakes and the River Stour flows along the northern edge. This is an amazing place for peace and tranquillity and water birds! It's become something of a regular weekend feature to take our grandsons and their mum on a walk to visit somewhere local they've not seen before and today our son-in-law was able to come too.  :)

We parked at Grove Ferry, right next to the river. Our route was one that is popular in Kent walking guides; we followed a path across the marshes and went into the lovely village of Stodmarsh for a spot of sightseeing and lunch. We returned along the side of a lake (which looks green in the satellite view), then along the riverbank back to Grove Ferry.

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Stodmarsh_family_walk_map.jpg)

Crossing the marshes:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Stodmarsh_family_walk_1.jpg)

Some delightful wet woodland just before Stodmarsh:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Stodmarsh_family_walk_2.jpg)

Checking the sundial in Stodmarsh, followed by a picnic lunch on the village green:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Stodmarsh_family_walk_3.jpg)

The attractive church:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Stodmarsh_family_walk_4.jpg)

Some views of the lake:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Stodmarsh_family_walk_5.jpg)

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Stodmarsh_family_walk_6.jpg)

Returning along the riverbank:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Stodmarsh_family_walk_7.jpg)

This really is an enjoyable route - just 5.3 miles and almost no ascent. Highly recommended.   O0
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: Dodgylegs on 16:03:42, 11/10/20
Great to see your grandkids enjoying themselves.
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: WhitstableDave on 17:14:51, 11/10/20
Great to see your grandkids enjoying themselves.

Thank you.  :)

My daughter just posted this family selfie on Facebook...  8)

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Stodmarsh_family_walk_8.jpg)
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: WhitstableDave on 16:22:19, 17/10/20
This morning, my wife and I drove the short distance to a local woods car park to do a woodland and farmland circuit. The drive was to allow us to explore an area between Tyler Hill and Broad Oak (just north of Canterbury), and to include some paths and tracks we've not walked before. The squiggle to the right on our route was us backtracking to find an entrance into the woods. 

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Beyond_Tyler_Hill_walk_map.jpg)

Setting off into Blean Woods : Me posing by a cycle route sign, with my brand new body cam attached to my backpack strap.  :)

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Beyond_Tyler_Hill_walk_1.jpg)

I hadn't intended to do a write up on this rather dull day, but we came across a very photogenic area of sunflowers where we took lots of photos.

Here are a couple of them...

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Beyond_Tyler_Hill_walk_2.jpg)

Sunflowers aren't uncommon in this area, but we've never before seen them covering such a large area:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Beyond_Tyler_Hill_walk_3.jpg)

Wonderful as sunflowers are, it was the combination with purple tansy flowers that really made for a fantastic sight:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Beyond_Tyler_Hill_walk_4.jpg)

The squiggle on the map was all down to these mushrooms. We spotted them as we crossed a field, went over and took some photos, then walked along the side of the field looking for a way into the woods. With our way blocked by a barbed-wire fence, we eventually gave up and retraced our steps.

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Beyond_Tyler_Hill_walk_5.jpg)

Nearing the end of our very pleasant 10 mile countryside amble, we found a nice group of Fly Agaric toadstools:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Beyond_Tyler_Hill_walk_6.jpg)

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Beyond_Tyler_Hill_walk_7.jpg)
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: WhitstableDave on 18:46:43, 18/10/20
For today's walk with daughter and grandsons, we parked in the lovely village of Wingham a few miles east of Canterbury. My daughter once worked in nearby Ash, but had only driven through Wingham on her way to work. So today was partly about her seeing more of this delightful part of Kent.

The route was as follows: take quiet country lanes and a woodland path to the Little Stour river. Walk alongside the river to the villages of Wickhambreaux and then Ickham, and return across farmland.

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Wickhambreaux_walk_map.jpg)

Setting off through leafy Wingham:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Wickhambreaux_walk_1.jpg)

The entrance to the woods was through a very big gate!

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Wickhambreaux_walk_2.jpg)

We emerged from the woods and crossed a footbridge to join the riverside path to Wickhambreaux:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Wickhambreaux_walk_3.jpg)

Cows on the other side; playing by a ford; and just playing...

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Wickhambreaux_walk_4.jpg)

The weir where we stopped for lunch and played a version of Pooh sticks:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Wickhambreaux_walk_5.jpg)

The charming village of Wickhambreaux...

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Wickhambreaux_walk_6.jpg)

...and the church in equally charming Ickham:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Wickhambreaux_walk_7.jpg)

Me racing my 5 year old grandson and being very determined to win, while my 7 year old grandson carried my backpack:  :)

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Wickhambreaux_walk_8.jpg)
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: WhitstableDave on 15:25:20, 24/10/20
Just a very quick account of a very short walk this morning.  :)

We're looking after the boys today and we decided to investigate a local field that's been full of cattle for months, but which I thought might be safe to cross now that autumn has arrived. There wasn't a cow in sight - let alone a bull! 

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Local_farm_walk_1.jpg)

This particular field is quite big at about half-a-mile to the stile at the far side. The OS map shows a footpath crossing the middle of the field from end to end, but several 'official' finger-posts attempt to direct walkers around the edge of the field. On this occasion we chose the farmer's route. We came across some very circular fairy rings:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Local_farm_walk_2.jpg)

Investigating a big water trough covered with duckweed. Note the 'official' sign that's nowhere near the actual footpath...

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Local_farm_walk_3.jpg)

Arriving at the stile at the far side of the field:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Local_farm_walk_4.jpg)

From there, we followed an unnamed stream for a while, and looped our way back across a couple more fields. A short outing, but a very pleasant one.  :)
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: gunwharfman on 18:45:01, 26/10/20
I had one of those 'funny little moments' this morning. I went for my daily off-road run and was running along a twisting woodland route when I almost fell over a couple of young teenagers kissing and canoodling sitting on a log. I was surprised and they were even more surprised. All we could do was laugh and I ran on. The shock on their faces when I came charging through was priceless.   ::)
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: WhitstableDave on 14:54:56, 07/11/20
My wife and I are taking part in the 'Run in the Dark Virtual 5k' later this month and we plan to try out our route this evening, so we chose to do a relaxing and shortish local woods walk this morning straight from home.

Although we know the general area well, we decided to make things a little more interesting by finding our way through an unfamiliar part of the woods for about a mile where no paths at all are shown on the map - and using only the sun to navigate.  :)

We began by crossing the farmland between home and nearby Chestfield...

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Golf_and_Woods_1.jpg)

...where we followed a small stream for a while...

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Golf_and_Woods_2.jpg)

...before crossing some more farmland. The 'White Oak' got its name after the tree was struck by lightning: 

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Golf_and_Woods_3.jpg)

From Chestfield, we crossed the golf course - which we had entirely to ourselves for the first time ever!  :)

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Golf_and_Woods_4.jpg)

From the highest point on the golf course, we had some wonderful views. About 5 miles behind us on the North Kent coast is Herne Bay:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Golf_and_Woods_5.jpg)

Entering Thornden Wood (part of the larger Blean Woods) where we followed a promising path:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Golf_and_Woods_6.jpg)

It's good fun trying to head in a certain direction on woodland paths that start well but then twist and turn and head entirely the wrong way. Sometimes you just have to head off through the trees and undergrowth in the hope of finding another path before too long!

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Golf_and_Woods_7.jpg)

One of the nicest spots we came across - and one we recognised from previous walks. Even so, it took some trial and error before we were confident that we were headed the right way out of there...

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Golf_and_Woods_8.jpg)

It was a lovely 7-and-a-bit mile walk. The weather was perfect and, being off the beaten track, we hardly saw a soul. And, of course, the woods are always at their very best at this time of the year.  :)
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: cpjmathieson on 18:10:10, 08/11/20
Some great walks, do you have a website or blog? Or access to GPX files please. I have walked all of the Kent Coast and much of inland, but still I am surprised by some of your walks O0
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: WhitstableDave on 18:57:36, 08/11/20
Some great walks, do you have a website or blog? Or access to GPX files please. I have walked all of the Kent Coast and much of inland, but still I am surprised by some of your walks O0
Thanks Chris.  :)   I do have a blog of sorts, and there's a link to it in my signature. I haven't made many GPX files public, but I'd be happy to email you with any that you'd like. (Sadly, it seems that file attachments aren't possible here - unless anyone knows otherwise...)
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: cpjmathieson on 19:08:11, 08/11/20
Thanks Chris.  :)   I do have a blog of sorts, and there's a link to it in my signature. I haven't made many GPX files public, but I'd be happy to email you with any that you'd like. (Sadly, it seems that file attachments aren't possible here - unless anyone knows otherwise...)


Thank you, I'll check out the blog. I put a link to my blog and link to a GPX Site I upload to; http://www.haroldstreet.org.uk/routes/map-area.php? (http://www.haroldstreet.org.uk/routes/map-area.php?)  
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: WhitstableDave on 22:50:24, 08/11/20

Thank you, I'll check out the blog. I put a link to my blog and link to a GPX Site I upload to; http://www.haroldstreet.org.uk/routes/map-area.php? (http://www.haroldstreet.org.uk/routes/map-area.php?)

I've registered as WhitstableDave and uploaded GPX file named 'Devil's Kneading Trough'. I've done lots of walks near there, so I hope it's the one you meant!  :)
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: WhitstableDave on 16:36:29, 19/12/20
We're sticking to local weekend walks for several reasons: we don't like to drive anywhere at the moment, we don't want to encounter other people, the weather isn't great in December, and (most importantly!) we've got into the routine of doing a cross country run on Sundays so an undemanding Saturday is a Good Thing.

Today, I decided to take my wife to see a nature reserve about 2 miles south west of Whitstable called Wraik Hill Nature Reserve. I've walked through it just the once - and that was at least 3 years ago - but my wife had never been there. Actually, Wraik Hill is one of those 'secret' places that most people in the area don't even know exists. The entrances aren't obvious: the one to the south off Wraik Hill (the road) is unwelcoming, with a broken steel rail blocking access to what was once a small car park, and the one to the north is via a gate off a rarely used footpath. There's another gate to the west off Pilgrim's Lane, which simply looks like a typical gate to a farmer's field. It's no surprise then that I didn't see anyone in the reserve last time and we didn't see a soul there today either.

But, having said all that, Wraik Hill Nature Reserve is well worth a visit for the views as well as the tranquillity of the place. From the top of the hill, there are wonderful views of Whitstable, the marshes toward Seasalter, and the Isle of Sheppey beyond.

To make a walk of it, we took a round-about route...

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Wraik_Hill_walk_map.jpg)

...that included crossing a very muddy field. We don't usually go that way because it's not really on the way to anywhere we go locally, but my wife had put on her waterproof socks and gaiters and I was wearing my waterproof socks and trail shoes, so we quite fancied wading through a spot of mud (photo left).

Reaching the far side of the field we found the next footpath to be impassable. This path is so seldom used that hawthorn is growing through the gate, making it impossible to open, while the path beyond has also been taken over by that nasty plant. There was no (real) choice but to use the field edge (photo right):

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Wraik_Hill_walk_1.jpg)

This information sign is set well back from the quiet Wraik Hill lane at the far side of an ex-car park which is now returning to nature. I took a photo because it gives a clue as to the location of another nature reserve nearby called Foxes Cross Bottom - the likely destination for our next outing!

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Wraik_Hill_walk_2.jpg)

And here's the view from the top of the hill. Whitstable is to the right; the Isle of Sheppey is just behind my head; and the area to the left is called Seasalter Marshes. If I recall the story correctly, the only battle on English soil during WWII happened on the marshes when there was a gunfight between the crew of a crashed German plane and a local garrison. Apparently, the enemy surrendered and the aircrew were taken for a drink at a pub on the coast. Even more interestingly, that same pub has been frequented by Bob Geldorf who lives/lived near Faversham further along the coast:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Wraik_Hill_walk_3.jpg)

Wraik Hill is very undulating and muddy, and has a lot of gates. The last part of the nature reserve on our walk was through some very pleasant woodland:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Wraik_Hill_walk_4.jpg)

Just as an aside... we passed a building site on the way back, where some lovely fields with wonderful sea views are in the process of being covered in tarmac and brick. Believe it or not, the track in my photo is a public right of way that continues down to the town. I'm not certain, but I would have thought the construction company has a duty to ensure they don't make the PRoW totally unusable?

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Wraik_Hill_walk_5.jpg)
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: gunwharfman on 12:27:52, 20/12/20
My location app is Real-Time GPS tracker 2 and I wonder, now that you have you new treadmill can you download such apps and then follow another person's progress? I know you can run a route already filmed but could you virtually run with others in real-time?
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: WhitstableDave on 14:21:38, 20/12/20
My location app is Real-Time GPS tracker 2 and I wonder, now that you have you new treadmill can you download such apps and then follow another person's progress? I know you can run a route already filmed but could you virtually run with others in real-time?
Good question.  :)

There's a system called Zwift (https://www.zwift.com/uk/run (https://www.zwift.com/uk/run)) where runners have avatars and can 'see' and race against each other in races such as the London Marathon. It's not something I've tried yet though.
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: WhitstableDave on 21:23:08, 31/01/21
Having taken the government's directive to stay home literally during the current strict lockdown, I've not been out walking and consequently I've not added any more walks to this topic for quite some time.

This afternoon, I formulated a plan that I wasn't sure I could carry out - partly because the process looked incredibly tedious (and it was!). But I persevered and... created a short video (lasting less than 90 seconds) that shows every one of my 995 walks in Kent (so far!) being added to to Google Earth - one at a time.  :)

In the video, every Kent walk I've recorded since October 2016 appears on the map in order from first to most recent. The adding of routes appears to slow down with time for the simple reason that I've walked the same paths over and over again - and the closer they are to Whitstable, the more I've walked them. Also, I venture further afield in the summer months than in the winter and, of course, I've hardly ventured anywhere at all since last April.

Anyway, here's the video. Just click the image...

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/995_Kent_Walks.jpg) (https://youtu.be/3oBhDttV6Ds)

...or use this link: https://youtu.be/3oBhDttV6Ds (https://youtu.be/3oBhDttV6Ds)  :)
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: Dodgylegs on 19:54:54, 05/02/21
Impressive stuff! Is that easy to do Dave?


Mapping my 'walks from front door', out in constant rain again today... I thought, 'try and keep out of that mud!'
Discovered a footpath I hadn't yet walked, had to do it, Ah loads & loads of mud!
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: WhitstableDave on 09:56:43, 06/02/21
Impressive stuff! Is that easy to do Dave?


Mapping my 'walks from front door', out in constant rain again today... I thought, 'try and keep out of that mud!'
Discovered a footpath I hadn't yet walked, had to do it, Ah loads & loads of mud!

Thanks.  :)  It's not difficult to do, but it's incredibly tedious. I wasn't going to bore anyone with the details, but, since you asked...

I have all 995 walks in Google Earth, grouped by year. I listed all of the walks for the first year with the checkbox for each unticked (so they didn't appear on the map). I had a screen capture frame placed over Kent (MS Expression) and started recording. Then I ticked every walk one by one as fast as I could so they appeared in the video being recorded. I did this for each of the five years I've recorded walks for, so I ended up with five videos. I resized the videos and joined them together in Windows Video Editor and increased the speed by x8 so it wouldn't take too long to watch. Finally, I uploaded the finished video to YouTube.  :)

I think my explanation was more tedious than the actual process!  ;)
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: WhitstableDave 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!

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Lockdown_Local_Walk_Map.jpg)

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:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Lockdown_Local_Walk_1.jpg)

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

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Lockdown_Local_Walk_2.jpg)

We spotted our first primroses of the year!

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Lockdown_Local_Walk_3.jpg)

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

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Lockdown_Local_Walk_4.jpg)

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Lockdown_Local_Walk_5.jpg)

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

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Lockdown_Local_Walk_6.jpg)

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...

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Lockdown_Local_Walk_7.jpg)

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

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Lockdown_Local_Walk_8.jpg)

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!

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Lockdown_Local_Walk_9.jpg)

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.  :)

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Lockdown_Local_Walk_10.jpg)

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:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Lockdown_Local_Walk_11.jpg)

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...  ;)

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Lockdown_Local_Walk_12.jpg)

A pond in Ellenden Wood:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Lockdown_Local_Walk_13.jpg)

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?

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Lockdown_Local_Walk_14.jpg)

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

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Lockdown_Local_Walk_15.jpg)

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  :) )
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: Mel 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



Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: WhitstableDave 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:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Harbledown_to_GO_1.jpg)

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

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Harbledown_to_GO_2.jpg)

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

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Harbledown_to_GO_3.jpg)

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

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Harbledown_to_GO_4.jpg)

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:

(http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/coppermine/albums/userpics/10054/Harbledown_to_GO_5.jpg)

Only a 5 mile walk, but a bit of an adventure all the same!
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: WhitstableDave 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.

(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/img922/9458/kav0rg.jpg)

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

(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/img923/1451/4Pz0AV.jpg)

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...

(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/img923/2038/cMN5QM.jpg)

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

(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/img923/2075/dGf5DN.jpg)

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!

(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/img924/1734/zsuBWz.jpg)

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

(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/img922/2988/XNgc33.jpg)

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

(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/img923/542/zNx1Cr.jpg)

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

(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/img922/1292/SOTahi.jpg)

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

(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/img924/6748/Dm2LF1.jpg)

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.  ;) )
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: WhitstableDave on 17:00:48, 20/08/21
Wye Downs, the Devil's Kneading Trough and the Wye Crown

(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/img922/4601/YksKvt.jpg)
(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:

(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/img923/2870/B0908n.jpg)

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

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

(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/img922/1221/VAWDdv.jpg)

Looking back to the way we came:

(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/img923/1005/w9OMrR.jpg)

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!

(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/img924/2227/yrEj1G.jpg)

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.

(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/img922/7219/Uuqcf5.jpg)

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

(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/img924/5664/z82r8B.jpg)

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

(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/img923/300/luX4WQ.jpg)

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

(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/img924/6974/sGNM5P.jpg)

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...  :)
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: Dodgylegs 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?
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: WhitstableDave 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.  :)
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: WhitstableDave 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:

(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/img924/7408/3RBd5B.jpg)

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):

(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/img924/9696/rVtG66.jpg)

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:

(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/img922/6357/Q5WlFI.jpg)

I hope that helps.  :)
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: Dodgylegs 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.


(https://i.postimg.cc/5Ns5hyFs/Screenshot-2021-11-17-at-16-29-20.png) (https://postimg.cc/kBtt8nsS)
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!



Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: WhitstableDave 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?

(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/img923/5918/tIky5e.jpg)
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: Dodgylegs 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.
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: WhitstableDave 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).
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: Dodgylegs 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!


(https://i.postimg.cc/bvTjVDqL/GE-Challenges.png) (https://postimg.cc/cKrjrJg8)
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: WhitstableDave 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.  :)
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: WhitstableDave 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.

(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/img922/9199/ISzd7q.jpg)

Heading out to the coast along the raised sea wall:

(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/img922/7504/JkEejo.jpg)

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

(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/img924/8020/p1KszA.jpg)

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.

(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/img923/5238/ohqT4T.jpg)

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

(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/img923/6647/6sftbH.jpg)

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!

(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/img924/9336/BMZk9Y.jpg)

Leaving the coast, I headed inland across fields and returned home along quiet lanes. 16.1 miles in total.  :)
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: WhitstableDave on 15:12:33, 20/11/21
Just a few photos from our 7 mile circuit around the woods, orchards and villages in the beautiful area between Faversham and Canterbury this morning…

This is Bossenden Wood near Dunkirk. The autumn leaves were wonderful:

(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/img923/1886/Q7Su21.jpg)

Me posing by an apple tree in one of the many orchards in this part of Kent:

(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/img924/7516/10s9u3.jpg)

Passing through more orchards between the picturesque villages of Hernhill and Dargate:

(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/img924/899/6fKhYX.jpg)

Going through leafy Dargate before heading back into the woods for the long uphill return to Dunkirk:

(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/img922/2879/RJsKv5.jpg)

Such a quiet, peaceful area!  :)
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: ManofKent on 20:45:56, 21/11/21
Just a few photos from our 7 mile circuit around the woods, orchards and villages in the beautiful area between Faversham and Canterbury this morning…



Hernhill is a lovely village. My problem is voiding the temptation of a pint in the Red Lion and maybe a stop off at The Three Horseshoes...  ;D
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: WhitstableDave on 15:35:31, 09/12/21
I enjoy doing indoor workouts as well as outdoor walks and runs but, at this time of year, the former can prove a little too tempting. So this morning I took advantage of the blue skies and gentle breeze to do a late-autumn walk of a respectable distance around some of my favourite spots.

(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/img924/6783/thqArt.jpg)

I took a photo of my favourite tree. I imagine I’m not alone in having a favourite tree - for me, this oak is magnificent. But adding to that is its setting in a clearing a little way up a hill where there are wonderful views. There are usually lots of pheasants beneath it, although there was only one today. Again for me, the tree is special because I pass it often and I’ve taken more photos of it than of any other!

(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/img922/2614/v85LNB.jpg)

In a video I linked to recently (North Downs Way: Wye to Canterbury (https://youtu.be/YW4mI1U97Q8)), my wife mentions that we sometimes see goats on a particular section of the North Downs Way near Chartham Hatch, but not on that occasion. Actually, it’s been quite a while since we’ve seen them, but today I discovered them in a sunny spot at the top of a hill.  :)

(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/img924/1333/Egep6Z.jpg)

I did 18.3 miles with 1,300ft of ascent in 4hrs 27mins and no running. Back to the treadmill tomorrow!  ;)
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: ManofKent on 15:52:48, 09/12/21
That's quite a distance. I've done bits of that route, but not all of it by any means.
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: WhitstableDave on 16:55:59, 09/12/21
That's quite a distance. I've done bits of that route, but not all of it by any means.

I don’t know if this will be of any use or interest, but…

(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/img923/1124/yF6bIA.jpg)

The yellow lines show parts of the last three routes I followed, which all just happened to be in the area between Hernhill, Dargate and Dunkirk. It’s not really a coincidence, because I love this area and the tracks that I’ve labelled are especially excellent.

My favourite tree is near my favourite road - Dawes Road. I love this quiet lane because it has woods on one side and fantastic views on the other. The three bridleways I’ve highlighted are wonderful woods walks - especially the ones to Dargate and Crockham Road. Thread Lane is a twisty, undulating narrow road that passes lots of orchards. Speaking of orchards, one of the best orchard paths on the map is the one near Hernhill village hall.

Of course, you might know all of these routes anyway…    ;)


Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: ManofKent on 17:22:44, 09/12/21
For non-drivers there's an occasional bus service from Faversham and Whitstable (638) that stops at Hernhill and Dargate (better in week than weekends).


The view from Dawes Road is great, although I've been caught out with black ice at the top where it turns the corner a couple of times in winter -it can hang around to quite late morning and I'm hopeless walking on ice.
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: WhitstableDave on 13:19:16, 12/12/21
For this weekend’s 10km outing, we decided to go straight from the door to Clowes Wood - our local woods.

There are two paths that we can take to Clowes Wood. There’s the Crab & Winkle Way cycle path, which is nice and gravelly and runs from Whitstable in the north to Canterbury in the south. And then there’s the footpath from Bogshole Lane that crosses four fields before reaching the woods.

The latter is usually preferable for several reasons, including that it rises to a few hundred feet and provides fantastic views, but mainly because I’ve never yet seen another person on that path…  :)

(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/img924/6595/xdnE3c.jpg)

However, for much of the year there are cows in the first field, that tend to congregate around the gate. And that means that we then continue along Bogshole Lane and take the long way round to the woods. So basically, it’s simpler to forget about the fields route until the cows go inside again.

One thing I like about the autumn is the cows disappearing from fields. There are three herds near us and they’ve all gone in now - including this lot…

(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/img922/6631/FYVJE2.jpg)

At this point I have to mention that my wife really doesn’t like wet mud. As in really, really, really doesn’t like it!

I didn’t fancy the detour so we set off across the first field. It didn’t look too bad, but it was like a very shallow lake covered with grass.

The second field was just as wet, except there wasn’t any grass and there was a bit more sloppy mud:

(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/img923/3324/Onze0i.jpg)

Progress was slow! I got to the third field quite quickly by sort-of skipping across the sloppy stuff, then I waited a while. The third field is quite steep and I didn’t get a photo because we were walking into the sun, which was just over the brow of the hill. Being sloped, you might think the third field would be drier, but it wasn’t.

(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/img924/4200/KW97Vr.jpg)

We passed the farm buildings (visible on the map) and crossed the last field before the woods. Here the path was under water. This is where I mention that we were both wearing non-waterproof trail-running shoes!

(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/img922/8849/fXNJVt.jpg)

Finally we were there and we set off along some of our favourite trails through the woods. Twisty, turny, ups and downs and absolutely fantastic. And although we spotted some people on the main tracks, we had our trails completely to ourselves.

(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/img924/2923/3hegox.jpg)

(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/img924/8603/bMgoqY.jpg)

We missed a turn somewhere along the way (the route was in my head!) and we knew that a very short extension would be needed before we got home if we were to do the desired 10km/6.2miles, so we turned down this road where I used to live about 15 years ago…

(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/img923/5218/NHGZe5.jpg)

There weren’t nearly as many houses back then - and the residents all contributed to the upkeep of the road. This morning it was a river!
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: Dodgylegs on 17:23:09, 12/12/21
Looks like you've had similar issues as me! Walking ECP sign pointed straight across recently ploughed field, previous feet had travelled across so walked in their footsteps... by the far side I was about 2 inches taller and much heavier, due to all the 'claggy muck' being attached to boots!
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: WhitstableDave on 18:20:07, 12/12/21
Looks like you've had similar issues as me! Walking ECP sign pointed straight across recently ploughed field, previous feet had travelled across so walked in their footsteps... by the far side I was about 2 inches taller and much heavier, due to all the 'claggy muck' being attached to boots!

You've reminded me of a couple of photos from the same field (the second one above) - in the days when I still wore boots...   ;)

(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/img922/861/PWWzeg.jpg)

It got to the point where I couldn't lift my feet until I'd knocked some of the clay off!
Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: Dodgylegs on 00:11:33, 13/12/21
You've reminded me of a couple of photos from the same field (the second one above) - in the days when I still wore boots...   ;)

(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/img922/861/PWWzeg.jpg)

It got to the point where I couldn't lift my feet until I'd knocked some of the clay off!


Got it in one there Dave, only it was more like clay! The next ploughed field was also signposted for straight across, no footprints seen going across, just a long detour around field!... I ended up walking back up the river estuary, tide was out, thankfully!

Title: Re: Completely covering Kent
Post by: WhitstableDave on 12:27:30, 14/05/22
I rarely do any Kent walks in places that I’ve not been before anymore, but I did one this morning.  :)

My wife is a member of Vegan Runners and does a parkrun every Saturday. The group likes to descend en masse more-or-less at random on a Kent parkrun once a month. This morning they chose Ashford and, since that’s not too far away, my wife joined them and I went for an hour’s walk.

(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/img923/9776/iBzvan.jpg)

The parkrun took place in Victoria Park, which I discovered is really very nice. The Great Stour flows along the park’s northern border and is little more than a stream here:

(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/img922/2810/j8RfuZ.jpg)

I set off well before the runners and stopped to take a photo as my wife went past (she’s a fraction left of centre with her hand raised):

(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/img923/1897/JN2ujt.jpg)

I’d looked at the map beforehand and decided to follow the river to Singleton Lake, do a circuit, and head back on different paths wherever possible. For the middle of a big town, the area is wonderfully tranquil:

(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/img924/1918/MVnl2j.jpg)

A family of geese that's obviously used to people being very close:

(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/img922/4324/PH6e15.jpg)

I gather there were 47 Vegan Runners out of a little over 300 parkrunners. My wife’s in there somewhere!

(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/img922/8694/R0z09T.jpg)

This shows the current state of my GPS-recorded walks (and runs) in East Kent. Today’s contribution is the tiny green smudge towards the bottom-left!

(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/img923/6473/eLypkY.jpg)