Walks Oh l
around you, it’s quite easy to take it for granted. The furthest point in England away from the sea is in Derbyshire, a farm which is 70 miles away from the nearest piece of the coast. Granted, that’s small fry compared
W
to Te Gurbantünggüt Desert, on the border of China and Kazakhstan, which is some 1,600 miles away from the shore. Here in Kent, we have no such problems, with more than 200 miles of coastline to feast our eyes upon. And thanks to the Kent Coastal Path, by 2020, we’ll be easily be able to walk the whole lot. Some 66 miles of it is already complete, and work is ongoing to
hen you have coast all
the seaside… edi
There is more to our magnificent coastline here in Kent than just the beaches – and the Kent Coastal Path is making sure that it can be taken advantage of. Jon Phipps takes a stroll along the first part to be completed…
identify the routes for the rest, with the area through Whitstable and around the Isle of Sheppey currently in the process of being drawn up. For now though, the south and east
of the county are open and ready for walkers to see the sights – and there’s plenty of them.
Te path, which starts just over the
border in Camber and stretches up to Ramsgate, is mostly level, and the surface is good, making this a pleasurable walk on the feet – and that’s without even taking into account the breathtaking views on offer as you stroll along the shore. In that aspect, though, things get off to a somewhat slow start. Te first section, as split up by the Kent Ramblers in their
guide book, is a 9.2-mile stretch from Camber to Dungeness. In fact, just a few miles in, you might be forgiven for thinking this isn’t quite what is advertised as aſter a stroll along the coast to Jury’s gap, walkers are diverted away from the coast and through Walland Marsh. It’s probably not a bad idea, mind, given that the route is designed to avoid the Lydd Firing Ranges, a military training range is in use for 65 days a year.
Te range-avoiding route brushes the outskirts of Lydd, before heading down to the coast and around the Dungeness Power Station. Tere’s more to the area than just nuclear power – the RSPB Centre and Old Lighthouse can also provide something to liven up the walk.
26 Mid Kent Living
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