Walks
Te next section encompasses seven miles straight up the coast from Dungeness to Litlestone-on-Sea, along the Romney Sands. Aſter that, it is not long until Dymchurch comes into view, with its fine sands and the Martello Tower, the only one fully restored and now in the care of English Heritage. Te Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway is also close by, and if you are nostalgic for old- time seaside life, the arcades and small funfair in the resort certainly provide that feel. More training ranges – at Hythe – follow (if the red
flags are flying, make sure and head away from the coast) before you reach the biggest town to date, Hythe. Te town itself is quaint, with small streets and just a handful of big-name shops, but the beach is an unspoilt treat. You can spy the remains of Sandgate Castle as you make the move from Hythe to Folkestone, at 4.5 miles the shortest section to date, and you may also notice a nursing home called Wells House, and the name is no coincidence as it was the home of H G Wells from 1899 to 1909. As you walk the eight miles to Dover, there is a choice of route, either along the Saxon Shore Way or plod along with the coast route, but beware of some “dizzying” drops – although there are railings to keep you safe. As you head past Samphire Hoe, you can even on a clear day make out France, as well as enjoy the views of cross-channel ferries coming and going from the UK’s most famous ferry port. Castles are a theme here – you’ve already gone past Dover, and now Walmer and Deal await, the later two built by Henry VIII and now in the ownership of English Heritage. Walmer is also home to the Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports (see Personality Profile, Pages 7-9). Deal of course has its pier, but as you walk, leaving that behind you, the Ramblers offer two routes into Sandwich, one, leaving the coast behind, cuting out around four miles of the walk.
Once you reach Sandwich, you are in land for a while
but as you move along towards Pegwell Bay you will see Richborough Port and the remains of the Roman fort in an area famed in Roman times for its oysters.
Te replica Hugin – scene of another of my school trips – means that you are close to the end of the first section, which ends in Ramsgate at a large obelisk, erected in 1822 to commemorate George IV’s trip to Hanover via Ramsgate. Sixty-six miles down, 140 to go…
Te Kent Coastal Path is part of a national scheme to create a trail along the whole of England’s coastline. Since 2009, work has been ongoing on the plan and Kent is among the trailblazers in terms of having a path. Kent Ramblers carried out much surveying work, with coastal access officer Ian Wild walking the entire coast twice to produce a detailed survey which was sent to Natural England.
There were issues – the stretch by Richborough Quay was objected to – but the section between Camber and Ramsgate was opened on July 19 2016.
Explore More To find out about other walks in Kent including other summer walks in Kent and events at Kent Country Parks, please visit the Explore Kent website www.explorekent. org. Follow @explorekent on Twiter and Facebook.
Key
Contains Ordnance Survey data © Crown copyright 2017
Route in Development Proposals Published Route Finalised Route Open
0 5 10 15 20 miles
Mid Kent Living 27
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