[For a ride along the Thames to the West, around the Hoo Peninsula, see this blog.]
[For a ride along the Thames to the East, from Whitstable to Ramsgate, see this blog.]
Today, following my 'taster' ride last week, I returned to North Kent for a further exploration of the Saxon Shore Way. This time, I parked at Gillingham station, intending to get the train to Whitstable, so that I could make a one way ride along the SSW between the two towns aided by the strong easterly wind. However, having purchased my car park and train tickets, I got onto the platform only to find that the trains were in meltdown 'following an earlier train breakdown'. So I made the best of it and got the next train which took me to Faversham, and I improvised my ride from there. Here is a map of my track.
I grabbed a brunch in a cafe in this attractive town before setting off, making my way on the NCN1 to the village of Graveney, then cycling up to join the SSW heading West beside the Swale from the Sportsman pub. It was a beautiful sunny day, but the wind kept the temperature down, being especially biting when the path headed north or east as it does occasionally when negotiating the various inlets along the way.
Essentially, I just followed the SSW as much as possible, making my way back to Faversham via Faversham Creek, then around the peninsula between Faversham Creek and Oare Creek. The surface was quite bumpy, and there were many 'kissing gates', requiring upending of the bike to get through, which was pretty tedious. From Oare, I retraced our route from our previous visit along the SSW via Conyer (sadly, it was between lunchtime and dinner time so the Ship Inn there was not doing food). Whereas last time we cut the ride short due to acrid plastic fumes from a fire, this time I was able to complete the ride along the Eastern bank of Milton Creek as far as the new bridge for the B2005 Sittingbourne relief road. I then worked back out along the Western bank of Milton Creek, which passes several major factories (paper mills, etc): hardly beautiful but impressive in their way. The huge paper mill at Kemsley is still operating, although the old Ridham Dock at the mouth of Milton Creek which used to serve the mill has now been redeveloped with other industrial plants.
This brought me to the A249 bridge over the Swale to Sheppey. A short way along the SSW on the far (Western) side of the bridge I was confronted by a very large 'No Cycling' sign. Why this explicit prohibition exists here but not previously, I don't know. But I retraced my path to the bridge. It was now 6.30pm and I was pretty tuckered out, so I made no further attempt to follow the SSW and, leaving the Swale, took to the road through Lower Halstow (where I finally and belatedly got something to eat in the Three Tuns pub) and Upchurch. Upon reaching the outskirts of Rainham, I entered the Riverside Country Park where I joined the good SSW track through the park beside the Medway estuary before finally cutting down to my start point at Gillingham station. It was a long day of some 42 miles, but very satisfying to ride beside the water for much of the way. The paths provided firm going, I suspect due to the very dry 12 months we have had: in more normal times I imagine they might get very muddy after wet weather and are best avoided. And later in the summer I think the tracks might get quite overgrown, especially the relatively narrow paths alongside Milton Creek.
[For a ride along the Thames to the East, from Whitstable to Ramsgate, see this blog.]
Today, following my 'taster' ride last week, I returned to North Kent for a further exploration of the Saxon Shore Way. This time, I parked at Gillingham station, intending to get the train to Whitstable, so that I could make a one way ride along the SSW between the two towns aided by the strong easterly wind. However, having purchased my car park and train tickets, I got onto the platform only to find that the trains were in meltdown 'following an earlier train breakdown'. So I made the best of it and got the next train which took me to Faversham, and I improvised my ride from there. Here is a map of my track.
I grabbed a brunch in a cafe in this attractive town before setting off, making my way on the NCN1 to the village of Graveney, then cycling up to join the SSW heading West beside the Swale from the Sportsman pub. It was a beautiful sunny day, but the wind kept the temperature down, being especially biting when the path headed north or east as it does occasionally when negotiating the various inlets along the way.
Essentially, I just followed the SSW as much as possible, making my way back to Faversham via Faversham Creek, then around the peninsula between Faversham Creek and Oare Creek. The surface was quite bumpy, and there were many 'kissing gates', requiring upending of the bike to get through, which was pretty tedious. From Oare, I retraced our route from our previous visit along the SSW via Conyer (sadly, it was between lunchtime and dinner time so the Ship Inn there was not doing food). Whereas last time we cut the ride short due to acrid plastic fumes from a fire, this time I was able to complete the ride along the Eastern bank of Milton Creek as far as the new bridge for the B2005 Sittingbourne relief road. I then worked back out along the Western bank of Milton Creek, which passes several major factories (paper mills, etc): hardly beautiful but impressive in their way. The huge paper mill at Kemsley is still operating, although the old Ridham Dock at the mouth of Milton Creek which used to serve the mill has now been redeveloped with other industrial plants.
This brought me to the A249 bridge over the Swale to Sheppey. A short way along the SSW on the far (Western) side of the bridge I was confronted by a very large 'No Cycling' sign. Why this explicit prohibition exists here but not previously, I don't know. But I retraced my path to the bridge. It was now 6.30pm and I was pretty tuckered out, so I made no further attempt to follow the SSW and, leaving the Swale, took to the road through Lower Halstow (where I finally and belatedly got something to eat in the Three Tuns pub) and Upchurch. Upon reaching the outskirts of Rainham, I entered the Riverside Country Park where I joined the good SSW track through the park beside the Medway estuary before finally cutting down to my start point at Gillingham station. It was a long day of some 42 miles, but very satisfying to ride beside the water for much of the way. The paths provided firm going, I suspect due to the very dry 12 months we have had: in more normal times I imagine they might get very muddy after wet weather and are best avoided. And later in the summer I think the tracks might get quite overgrown, especially the relatively narrow paths alongside Milton Creek.
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| Faversham |
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| Faversham Creek |
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| Red sails |
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| NCN1 heading out of Faversham |
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| Sportsman pub, where the Saxon Shore Way heads West beside the Swale |
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| From Western side of Faversham Creek |
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| Shipwrights Arms, a time capsule on the Hollowshore at the junction of Oare Creek and Faversham Creek |
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| The bar at said Inn |
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| The Swale |
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| Approaching Milton Creek |
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| New bridge over Milton Creek |
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| Industrial plant at Ridham Dock |
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| Jetty at Ridham Dock |
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| The Swale crossing (old and new) |
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| Under the Swale Bridge |
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| End of the road |
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| Riverside Country Park beside Medway |
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