Walking to Canterbury Cathedral has
been my long-term objective for several years. Reaching it by my 75th
birthday and as my last of the 19 LDWA National Trails was my idealised target.
The Covid pandemic put pay to that plan but when an autumnal opportunity arose
to complete the North Downs Way (NDW), a trail I had started just before last
autumn’s lockdown, I put together a five-day programme to not just reach the
cathedral but also to include the Wye – Dover – Canterbury – Wye loop. A great
excuse to explore the beautiful county of Kent.
Of the options that I considered,
I chose one that I had never tried before: operating from a single base, using
public transport each day and carrying only a day pack rather than my normal 40
litre rucksack. The thought of living out of a city hotel for a week was not
very attractive. Then I came across details of an Airbnb in a small village
near Canterbury, close to rail and bus links to east Kent. I was destined to
spend five nights with Nicole and Alex in Chartham, travelling out each morning
to the route of the NDW. On a quiet Sunday afternoon I drove down the M40 and
round the M25 to arrive in Kent in the early evening. There was just time to have
a pint of Master Brew at the village pub, the Artichoke, and then pack a small
sack ready for a Monday morning start.
Monday 13th September 2021 Hollingbourne - Wye
Pilgrim’s Progress Continued
My kind hosts, who lead very busy
lives, left a table of cereals, bread and homemade jams for my breakfast. I
walked down to the station and caught the 09.08 train to Hollingbourne, back to
where last year’s expedition had terminated. I took a slightly different path
to the one I had used last year, passing Allington Farm to attain the top of
the downs. A short excursion took me the ‘wrong way’ along the NDW back to
Broad Street Hill, the point where I had left the route last year. Here I
turned around and retraced my steps and beyond to recommence my pilgrimage. I
was soon down in Hollingbourne although I saw little of the village except for the
Dirty Habit pub. The walking was easy and rapid, on lanes and wooded tracks
along the foot of the downs. In no time I was passing Lenham and its light
industry. A monk sat in a very wooden manner on a road-side bench, and a white
cross was carved into the chalk hillside overlooking another bench and spring.
A milestone informed the pilgrims of the miles they had come and still had to
go. On and on went the trail until it was time for a break and some food. A gap
in a hedge led out into a field with views over the A20 as it approached the
roundabout at Charing. I lay on the grass for half an hour and dozed in the
sunshine.
The path crossed the A252 half way
up Charing Hill. The continuation was on a long section of tarmac that
eventually led to another wooded trackway. After passing the hamlet of Dunn
Street, I descended a grassy field beside a strip of woodland, then crossed open
land to Eastwell Park. The lake was visible to the south but I could see no
sign of the hotel at the centre of the estate. Boughton Lees has a large
triangular green at its core with a busy road up on side and an enticing pub,
the Flying Horse, at the far end. This looked closed so I passed on up a lane
which led to a rather innocuous looking signpost, but one that was key to the
whole week. If I headed north, it was 34 miles to Dover via Canterbury. I chose
the other alternative, 27 miles east to Dover via Folkestone. Wye Station was
only two miles along this path and a train to Chartham brought me to the end of
my first day.
Hollinbourne Station dep. 09.48, Wye
Station arr. 16.25
GPS 18.25 miles in 5hrs 58mins 27secs
walking time plus a 35-minute break near Charing. It was 1.7 miles and 36
minutes from the station to the start at Broad Street Hill.
Neither pub in Chartham did food
on Mondays or Tuesdays. Thankfully I had the car to drive to Chilham, where I ordered
ham & leek pie in the White Horse followed by syrup sponge and custard. The
Mad Goose (4.2%) from Purity was nearing the end of the barrel so my second
pint was Landlord (4.3%) from Timothy Taylor’s.
Tuesday 14th September 2021 Wye – Folkestone (A260)
The Crown of Wye Down
Yesterday’s sunshine had
disappeared. It was a grey and damp morning and rain was in the air as I walked
to the station and caught a train for the short journey back to Wye. As I
walked into the village, the rain was getting heavier. A lovely coffee shop provided
tuna and mayo butties for my lunch together with the obligatory carrot cake.
The church was a sight to behold as it dominated the view down Church Street
with its lovely door and yew tree. The route slanted through the graveyard and
out passed the agricultural college buildings, some no longer in use. It was
too warm and humid for my raingear so I chose to get wet instead as I followed
a track under an avenue of trees and across a field to the base of the downs. A
steep climb up the wooded slopes gained the crest and then the path emerged
onto a open grassy edge with fine views of the town below. I rested momentarily
at the low concrete monument, the Wye Crown. Then it was off and away over the
glorious Wye Downs, a national nature reserve, with the sea in the grey and murky
distance.
The rain had started again as the
trail dropped down the road into Stowting, passing the Tiger pub. Too early for
a pint. The start of the climb up Cobb’s Hill was hard to find. A lovely lady
with umbrella showed me the gap in the thorn hedge. The climb was steep and led
to a large field that gently dropped down to a very busy road. The signed path
ran on the field-side of the hedge parallel to the road so the lives of walkers
were not threatened until the road had
to be crossed to regain the edge of the downs. The next roller-coaster section was
hard to follow and poorly signed. I ended up dropping into Posting village and had
a half mile of tarmac to regain the official line. Another big climb was to
follow but I broke this up by choosing a lunch spot half way up and enjoying my
delicious butties and great views to the north.
I lost all this height again descending
into Etchinghill by-passing the village to reach a field path leading back up
to the top of the downs. From this vantage point, the huge complex of the
Channel tunnel opened up. Keeping to the edge of the plateau, the route broke
out onto narrow lanes. A path ran on the other side of the hedge but was so
overgrown that I took my chances with the odd vehicle and stayed on the tarmac.
The NDW is taken around the earthworks and ramparts of Folkestone Castle and it
was here that I met Gyan, a retired Gurkha soldier, out for his daily run. A
sharp pull over Sugarloaf Hill brought me to the A260, a bus stop and the end
of the day’s walk. A no.16 bus took me back to Canterbury where I jumped onto a bus to Chartham, my home for the week.
Wye Station dep. 09.20, Folkestone
arr. 16.00
GPS 17.07 miles in 6hrs 18mins 29secs
walking with a 25min lunch stop above Etchinghill.
That evening I return to the White
Horse in Chilham where I ate Hunters chicken and chips. I retried the syrup
sponge for dessert, just to check it was as good as last night. The Mad
Goose (4.2%) was in good form tonight
and it seemed rude to stick to just one pint.
Wednesday 15th September 2021 Folkestone A260 – Shepherdswell Station
White Cliffs of Dover
The weather had improved overnight. The sun was threatening to break
through a thin layer of cloud as I once more started the walk to the station.
An earlier start was needed as I was heading the opposite way today, north to
Canterbury. By 9am I was walking through the Westgate and along High Street
trying to find the optimum route to the bus station. Time for a coffee and onto
a 16 bus for the return journey to Folkestone. Alighting at the Alkham Valley
stop just beyond Hawkinge, I was soon en-route from the A260 along Creteway
Down Road towards the Valiant Sailor at Capel-le-Ferne. Across the main road, a
narrow path ran between high hedges onto the clifftops of Folkestone Warren.
Within minutes, the footpath opened out onto the beautifully manicured lawns at
the Battle of Britain Memorial.
A brief look at the silver painted spitfire and the wall of names, and it
was back to hedged walkways with fabulous views ahead of the white cliffs. A
familiar figure was walking towards me. It was Gyan, this time out for a walk
with his wife. The trail was now on grassy tracks running parallel to the busy
road heading for Dover. Passing the listening ear, a first world war structure
to detect enemy aircraft, I gradually descended into a roller-coaster section
of white cliffs which eventually led to the outskirts of Dover. A complex
section over the Western Heights proved difficult to follow. All paths seemed
to bear the acorn logo whichever way they were heading. After getting lost among
more wartime forts, I abandoned acorn-following and marched down North Military
Way into the town centre. A community café in a small shopping centre was
perfect for a bacon bap and a cappuccino.
I have always maintained that the most challenging navigation issues on
long-distance footpaths are to be found in the towns and their suburbs. For the
only time in the trip, out came the compass and the roads heading north were inspected.
The map showed a church with a spire but, when I found the church, the spire
was so small that the I had my doubts about my route choice. But then I saw
Connaught Park ahead and the worries disappeared. A long lane of tarmac led up
onto the downs and NDW signs began to reappear. A long diversion to cross the
A2 was a very noisy drag, but eventually the traffic din was behind me and I
was back on quiet fields on a dry and flat plateau. At Ashley, I estimated that
I might miss my intended train so I broke into a gentle jog along the downhill
sections. In the heat of the afternoon, I arrived at Shepherdswell Station in a
muck sweat and was relieved that few people on the train were sitting close to
me. I need not have bothered pushing the pace as, on crossing Canterbury
between stations, I missed the connection at Canterbury West and had the best
part of an hour to wait for the train to Chartham.
Folkestone A260 dep. 10.07, Shepherdswell Station arr.16.15
GPS 17.49mls in 5hrs 49mins 53secs
walking time plus 35mins in a community café in Dover.
My host Nichole had been whetting
my appetite all week with stories of curries at the Local Pub. I was therefore
disappointed to find that it was fish night so I made do with fish and chips
and tartar source washed down by a couple of pints of Timothy Taylor’s Landlord.
Thursday 16th September 2021 Shepherdswell – Chartham Station
Another early start. Another sunny morning. I drove down to the station
and left the car in Station Road just near the A28. This would be the perfect
place to finish if the day went according to plan. The morning train to
Canterbury was on time so I was able to amble through the streets of the city,
noting the entrance to the Cathedral which is hidden behind the rows of old
buildings. I was beginning to acquaint myself with the geography of the city
and I found Canterbury East Station in good time for my train back to
Shepherdswell. This train was a few minutes late so it was gone 10am when I
emerged from the station and into the local coop store. Clutching chicken and
bacon butties, I walked up Church Hill to the point where I had left the NDW
yesterday afternoon.
After crossing the East Kent Line, the route ran along a delightful
length of strip woodland then bypassed Woolage Village before arriving at the
peaceful old church at Womenswold. The next four miles were not quite so
tranquil. Over dry open fields in increasing heat, the path ran parallel with
the A2, carrying as it does thunderous amounts of heavy traffic. The road got
closer and closer until I was walking along the edge of the embankment. Just
when the noise was unbearable, the way turned sharp right and across the lush
grassy slopes of a shallow valley heading for the village of Patrixbourne. But
first, time for a quick break and those welcome butties.
Patrixbourne village, its church and old cottages, looked a picture in
the midday sun. But the last three miles in Canterbury were a drag. A
shade-less tarmac lane ran dead straight towards the city with farm and industrial
buildings on either side. It was a relief to reach the suburbs, especially the
school playing fields busy with afternoon activities. Stopping briefly to look around
St Martins, supposedly the oldest church in England, I then proceeded toward
the city entering the walled centre via Northgate and the famous school. I
entered the shop at the entrance to the cathedral, was welcomed as a pilgrim,
given a stamped pilgrim’s pass and ushered into the cathedral close. A security
man, dressed in police uniform, took charge of me, taking me around the nave
and then left me to contemplate at the spot where Beckett was murdered. My
pilgrimage, my walk along the North Downs Way, was over. As the finish of my 18th
National Trail, as the target of 5 years of long-distance walking since my
retirement, I had arrived.
A quick look round the crypt and the treasury, a visit to the tombs of
Henry IV and the Black Prince and it was time to move on. A cappuccino and
Victoria sponge in a High Street café was the prelude to my last phase of this
trip, walking back to Wye and the completion of the loop. The usual problems of
finding the route out of the city were solved when a charming gentleman,
pushing a bike, showed me the correct exit path. In no time I was back in the
countryside, this time on wooded hills heading for the downs. In Bigbury Wood, I
met a lady whose birthday it was this very day. She had been looking out for
the wild goats that roam these woods. All I saw were apple trees, which I
believe are community owned. It did not take long to reach Chartham Hatch where
I left the official route for the day and dropped down Hatch Lane to my car in
pole position by the main road. I was walking on air after a day of wonderful
experiences.
Shepherdswell Station dep. 10.04, Chartham
Station arr.17.15
GPS 16.30mls in 5hrs 34mins 09secs
walking time with a 15min break in a field near Patrixbourne, 1 hr in
Canterbury Cathedral and 15 mins in a café in High Street.
For my last night, I walked to the
Artichoke down near the station. The steak and ale pie came with chips. Apple
pie and custard completed a filling meal. Not having the car, I was able to
indulge myself on Main Brew from the Shepherd Neame Brewery
Friday 17th September 2021 Chartham Station – Wye Station
Completing the Loop
This was the last day. The aim was
to walk the last section in the morning and catch a lunchtime train back to
Chartham before starting the long and thankless task of getting the car back to
the North West. The earlier I could start, the easier should be the drive home.
I checked out of the Airbnb at 8am, drove down to the parking spot beyond the station
and rapidly marched up Hatch Lane to Chartham Hatch to rejoin the NDW. I
carrying nothing but a map and wore a pair of trail shoes instead of boots. On
getting round the first house, the route followed wide tracks through orchards
and farm buildings. Diving under a railway line and through more apple fields,
the path dropped from the downs and into the charmingly named village of Old
Wives Lees. Two miles of road took me back into the Stour Valley and the lovely
square in Chilham, passing the pub that fed me for two evenings earlier in the
week.
More tarmac was to come on the
steady climb up Mountain Street. At last the path turned to the right and onto
a strenuous climb back to the top of the downs. A two-mile stretch along the edge
of the high ground provided few views as the trees of King’s Wood hid much of
the panorama. A sharp descent to Soakham Farm heralded the end of the high
ground and the coda to my expedition. I spent a brief time in the peaceful
graveyard surrounding Boughton Aluph church before moving on to the signpost
where the NWD loop had started. I had covered every step of the North Downs Way
in all its diversity. All that remained was to return to Wye Station on the
paths I had used on the first day of my trip. I even had time to revisit the coffee
shop in Church Street before my train whisked me two stops back to Chartham and
my car and the long drive home.
Chartham Station dep. 08.16, Wye
Station arr. 11.30
GPS 11.05 miles in 3hrs 15mins 20secs.
Conclusion
So ended my 18th of the
LDWA National Trails, finishing my pilgrimage at one of the oldest cathedrals
in England, the alleged birthplace of Christianity in Britain. It should have
been my last national trail but I now only have to complete the Southern Upland
Way and I shall have met my retirement plan. Next year, God willing.
I recorded 80 miles of daily walks
en-route, but if one adds the various trips to the station and back and between
the Canterbury transport hubs, it was probably closer to 90 miles in total. The
extra miles were the price paid for using a central base and public transport.
But the advantages and pleasures gained were manifold. The joy of carrying just
a day sack and returning each night to my own room and welcoming hosts, far
outweighed the burden of a few extra miles. I shall try this again.
The drive home was the pain that I
dreaded, with delays on the M25 round London and the M42 round Birmingham. But
patience is a virtue and it was rewarded by a safe arrival home and the
pleasure of an evening meal with my wife.
