[For a ride along the Thames to the West, between Graveney and Gillingham, see this blog.]
[For a ride along the Thames to the East, between Sandwich and Dover, see this blog.]
Elsewhere in this blog, I describe a cycle ride around the coast of South East England, including the coasts of Kent, East and West Sussex. One segment I particularly enjoyed was the coast of North Kent. I followed promenades and sea walls to Reculver, then used the Viking Coastal Trail to Ramsgate. Since I did the ride, the first part from Whitstable to Reculver has been branded and signed as the Oyster Bay Cycle Trail, with most of the shoreside paths now officially opened to cycling (there were quite a few 'no cycling' sections before).
A friend and I recently repeated the ride. We had intended to do a ride in Cambridgeshire, but the forecast for there was for persistent rain, so we chose this ride as our 'Plan B' because the forecast, though overcast, was for only occasional showers.
We parked at Whitstable station, convenient for when we returned from Ramsgate by train. A map of our route is here.
It was a short ride down to the harbour where we grabbed a crab sandwich lunch in the fish market shed, and then got under way. For the most part, the trails follow the sea front promenades and sea walls in pleasing proximity to the sea: there was a strong onshore wind, and the tide was high, which meant waves crashing over the wall in places, which added a frisson of excitement. Here's more detail:
In spite of the rather dull weather, this was a very enjoyable ride: I know of few places in the UK where you can cycle for so long on good surfaces right beside the sea. The good Ramsgate/Whitstable train service makes a one way ride easy. This part of Kent has a reputation for being rather run down, and, although it shows in places, there are signs of regeneration: Whitstable is quite trendy now, and Margate is 'up and coming', with the recently opened Turner Contemporary, and young professionals moving out from London to snap up one of the big Georgian or Victorian houses at a bargain price (if that's a good thing). The sea air is bracing, and the sea views rewarding, and there are some surprisingly quiet and pretty sandy bays: one can understand why in its day this coast was popular with great artists like Turner.
We started riding around 1230 and finished around 1900, having cycled around 30 miles.
[For a ride along the Thames to the East, between Sandwich and Dover, see this blog.]
Elsewhere in this blog, I describe a cycle ride around the coast of South East England, including the coasts of Kent, East and West Sussex. One segment I particularly enjoyed was the coast of North Kent. I followed promenades and sea walls to Reculver, then used the Viking Coastal Trail to Ramsgate. Since I did the ride, the first part from Whitstable to Reculver has been branded and signed as the Oyster Bay Cycle Trail, with most of the shoreside paths now officially opened to cycling (there were quite a few 'no cycling' sections before).
A friend and I recently repeated the ride. We had intended to do a ride in Cambridgeshire, but the forecast for there was for persistent rain, so we chose this ride as our 'Plan B' because the forecast, though overcast, was for only occasional showers.
We parked at Whitstable station, convenient for when we returned from Ramsgate by train. A map of our route is here.
It was a short ride down to the harbour where we grabbed a crab sandwich lunch in the fish market shed, and then got under way. For the most part, the trails follow the sea front promenades and sea walls in pleasing proximity to the sea: there was a strong onshore wind, and the tide was high, which meant waves crashing over the wall in places, which added a frisson of excitement. Here's more detail:
- Good sea wall in front of Tankerton to Herne Bay, where the official route takes to the sea front road, before rejoining the sea wall beyond the pier.
- When the sea wall runs out at Bishopstone, the route climbs to and through the cliff top Country Park, with a good grassy descent giving good views over the ruined towers of St Mary's Church at Reculver. Reculver lies at the mouth of the now dry Wantsum Channel, which used to run through to Pegwell Bay, making Thanet a true island.
- From the ruins to Birchington, the sea wall is backed by more open marsh country.
- From Birchington round to Margate, the sea wall continues this time backed by low chalk cliffs, giving a surprisingly remote feeling. (There are short stretches in front of beach huts where no cycling is allowed and you should dismount.)
- From Margate, we followed the official route on paths along the grassy cliff top, but it looked like you could continue along the sea wall right round to Foreness Point if you wished (with a short push across the sand at Palm Bay). This stretch of coast has a succession of sandy bays below the chalk cliffs (Walpole, Palm, Botany, Kingsgate, Joss).
- At Kingsgate, the route is beside the busy B road for a short way, turning off just before North Foreland lighthouse on a quiet residential road overlooking the sea again and ultimately taking you down to the pleasant family resort of Broadstairs, in another fine sandy bay.
- At Broadstairs it started to drizzle a bit, but we pressed on along the coastal road to and through Ramsgate to finish our seaside excursion by riding along the clifftop gardens overlooking Pegwell Bay. We then turned away from the coast, and made our way to Ramsgate station for the train back to Whitstable
In spite of the rather dull weather, this was a very enjoyable ride: I know of few places in the UK where you can cycle for so long on good surfaces right beside the sea. The good Ramsgate/Whitstable train service makes a one way ride easy. This part of Kent has a reputation for being rather run down, and, although it shows in places, there are signs of regeneration: Whitstable is quite trendy now, and Margate is 'up and coming', with the recently opened Turner Contemporary, and young professionals moving out from London to snap up one of the big Georgian or Victorian houses at a bargain price (if that's a good thing). The sea air is bracing, and the sea views rewarding, and there are some surprisingly quiet and pretty sandy bays: one can understand why in its day this coast was popular with great artists like Turner.
We started riding around 1230 and finished around 1900, having cycled around 30 miles.
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| Whitstable harbour (still an active fishing port) |
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| Kite flying at Tankerton |
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| Tankerton Sailing Club |
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| Sea defences make for good cycle tracks |
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| Rounding the corner at Hampton |
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| Climb to Reculver Country Park |
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| Descent to Reculver |
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| Ruined towers of St Marys Church, built on the site of the Roman Fort which guarded the (now dry) Wantsum Channel. The towers were preserved because they served as navigational aids |
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| Sea wall leaving Reculver |
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| Approaching Birchington |
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| Minnis Bay |
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| High seas |
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| Undercliff sea defences |
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| Westgate Bay |
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| We stopped at Westgate Bay Cafe |
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| Margate brutalism |
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| Margate sands |
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| Old Margate |
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| Margate Harbour wall |
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| Turner Contemporary (its an art gallery, not a warehouse) |
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| Heights at Cliftonville |
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| Kinsgate 'castle' |
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| Field at North Foreland |
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| Cliff Promenade |
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| 'Bleak House', Broadstairs |
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| Broadstairs is Dickens Central |
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| Broadstairs Bay |
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| Ramsgate Harbour |
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