Bicycling in Kent

Chavezravine said:

I'll be coming to England in late May and would love any personal information or suggestions on the the routes in Kent shown here:

Hey! That's my neck of the woods. I've not seen that website before but I know some of those routes, and I certainly know the area they cover well.

I would say that most of them require an off-road bike, even the ones that don't say they are off-road routes - most include at least some stretches of tarmac but most include some fairly rough-shod footpaths and bridlepaths too.

To be honest, I tend not to use these official cycle routes - I have used the Crab and Winkle way between Canterbury and Whitstable several times, as it's the flattest route from A to B (it partly follows a disused railway line) but apart from being quite rough in places it is also shared with a legion of dog-walkers intent on causing pile-ups, so I now prefer to fight it out with the cars on the much hillier main road instead.

Quoted message said:

In particular, I'm interested in the "Cathedral to Coast" route (Canterbury to Dover -- Route 16). Is it well marked? Scenic? Strenuous?

Scenic, definitely. Strenuous... fairly. Travelling from Canterbury to Dover takes you right up and over the North Downs, so while it's not exactly mountainous, it's certainly not flat either. I've not used the specific Cathedral to Coast route (so can't comment on the markings) but I've been at least halfway there and back on other roads in the area and I reckon it's a very pleasant area to ride through.

Fortunately, there are loads of excellent country pubs en route, so you have plenty of suitable places to stop for refreshment should you require it.

Dover itself is at the bottom of some big old cliffs, so going into town is fine but coming out is not so much fun - I've cycled up Jubilee Way in the distant past (for anyone who has been on the ferry from Dover, it's the main road from the port out of town) and it's several miles of relentless uphill slog - and if you time it badly you have to share the road with a convoy of thundering artics just come off a boat.

d.

davek <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Chavezravine said:

I'll be coming to England in late May and would love any
personal information or suggestions on the the routes in
Kent shown here:

Hey! That's my neck of the woods. I've not seen that
website before but I know some of those routes, and I
certainly know the area they cover well.

I would say that most of them require an off-road bike,
even the ones that don't say they are off-road routes -
most include at least some stretches of tarmac but most
include some fairly rough-shod footpaths and
bridlepaths too.

To be honest, I tend not to use these official cycle
routes - I have used the Crab and Winkle way between
Canterbury and Whitstable several times, as it's the
flattest route from A to B (it partly follows a disused
railway line) but apart from being quite rough in places
it is also shared with a legion of dog-walkers intent on
causing pile-ups, so I now prefer to fight it out with the
cars on the much hillier main road instead.

Quoted message said:

In particular, I'm interested in the "Cathedral to Coast"
route (Canterbury to Dover -- Route 16). Is it well
marked? Scenic? Strenuous?

Scenic, definitely. Strenuous... fairly. Travelling from
Canterbury to Dover takes you right up and over the North
Downs, so while it's not exactly mountainous, it's
certainly not flat either. I've not used the specific
Cathedral to Coast route (so can't comment on the
markings) but I've been at least halfway there and back on
other roads in the area and I reckon it's a very pleasant
area to ride through.

Fortunately, there are loads of excellent country pubs en
route, so you have plenty of suitable places to stop for
refreshment should you require it.

Dover itself is at the bottom of some big old cliffs, so
going into town is fine but coming out is not so much fun
- I've cycled up Jubilee Way in the distant past (for
anyone who has been on the ferry from Dover, it's the main
road from the port out of town) and it's several miles of
relentless uphill slog - and if you time it badly you have
to share the road with a convoy of thundering artics just
come off a boat.

A most helpful reply. Thank you. I'm a rather experienced
cyclist -- my wife is not. But I think we'll brave this
route, taking it easy, and stopping en route for
refreshments as you suggested.

Thanks again.

On 19 Mar 2004 17:50:53 -0800, [email hidden]

(ChavezRavine) said:

davek <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Chavezravine said:

I'll be coming to England in late May and would love any
personal information or suggestions on the the routes in
Kent shown here:

Hey! That's my neck of the woods. I've not seen that
website before but I know some of those routes, and I
certainly know the area they cover well.

I would say that most of them require an off-road bike,
even the ones that don't say they are off-road routes -
most include at least some stretches of tarmac but most
include some fairly rough-shod footpaths and
bridlepaths too.

To be honest, I tend not to use these official cycle
routes - I have used the Crab and Winkle way between
Canterbury and Whitstable several times, as it's the
flattest route from A to B (it partly follows a disused
railway line) but apart from being quite rough in places
it is also shared with a legion of dog-walkers intent on
causing pile-ups, so I now prefer to fight it out with
the cars on the much hillier main road instead.

Quoted message said:

In particular, I'm interested in the "Cathedral to
Coast" route (Canterbury to Dover -- Route 16). Is it
well marked? Scenic? Strenuous?

Scenic, definitely. Strenuous... fairly. Travelling from
Canterbury to Dover takes you right up and over the North
Downs, so while it's not exactly mountainous, it's
certainly not flat either. I've not used the specific
Cathedral to Coast route (so can't comment on the
markings) but I've been at least halfway there and back
on other roads in the area and I reckon it's a very
pleasant area to ride through.

Fortunately, there are loads of excellent country pubs en
route, so you have plenty of suitable places to stop for
refreshment should you require it.

Dover itself is at the bottom of some big old cliffs, so
going into town is fine but coming out is not so much fun
- I've cycled up Jubilee Way in the distant past (for
anyone who has been on the ferry from Dover, it's the
main road from the port out of town) and it's several
miles of relentless uphill slog - and if you time it
badly you have to share the road with a convoy of
thundering artics just come off a boat.

A most helpful reply. Thank you. I'm a rather experienced
cyclist -- my wife is not. But I think we'll brave this
route, taking it easy, and stopping en route for
refreshments as you suggested.

Thanks again.

Hi Chavez,

I live in Dover and while Dave is right about Jubilee way it
is in fact a modern construction designed to get traffic
into and out of the port - there are gentler ways to escape
the town itself!

As a suggestion perhaps you could look at some online maps
showing the local topography. I haven't the time to look at
the specific route you're thinking of following at the
moment but traffic from Canterbury following any kind of
scenic route will probably enter Dover via Lydden (which
passes Kearsney Abbey and Russell Gardens).

Other places of interest in Dover include:

Dover Castle - 12th century and HUGE with extensive
underground 'works' used by (among others!) Churchill during
WW2. Roman Pharos - built about 70AD (lies within the Castle
along with a Saxon Church) The "Roman Painted House", 3rd
Century I think - or mainly so - with mosaics etc.. Iron Age
fort (only the mound remains) Stone Age stuff such as burial
mounds have been flattened & I don't thing they show up on
maps any more. A Bronze Age boat which is the towns (older)
equivalent of the Mary-Rose. Napoleonic defenses on the
Western Heights. Oh - and the White Cliffs of course!

Must rush - hope the above will be of some use!

Regards,

--

John Latter

Model of an Internal Evolutionary Mechanism (based on an
extension to homeostasis) linking Stationary-Phase Mutations
to the Baldwin Effect.
members.aol.comTEM.htmlOpen ↗

'Where Darwin meets Lamarck?' Discussion Egroup
groups.yahoo.comevomechOpen ↗

John Latter said:

I live in Dover and while Dave is right about Jubilee way
it is in fact a modern construction designed to get
traffic into and out of the port - there are gentler ways
to escape the town itself!

Heh! yes, of course - I haven't tackled Jubilee Way since I
was a foolhardy 17-year-old with more bravado than sense (.
I would definitely advise taking one of the other routes
instead on the way out of Dover. However, coming *in* to
Dover that relentless uphill slog turns into a long,
straight downhill blast..... the alternative route into town
from that side is somewhat more "technical" in places.

Quoted message said:

As a suggestion perhaps you could look at some online maps
showing the local topography. I haven't the time to look
at the specific route you're thinking of following at the
moment but traffic from Canterbury following any kind of
scenic route will probably enter Dover via Lydden (which
passes Kearsney Abbey and Russell Gardens).

I've had a closer look and it seems to pass on the other
side of the A2 (through Coldred and Whitfield), taking
some very minor back roads and thus avoiding the hillier
parts around Lydden, crossing the A2 at Guston and passing
right by Dover Castle, then into town down Castle Hill
Road... Wheeeee!

You leave Dover by the old Folkestone Road, which has a
few nasty steep bits. It levels out a bit then goes
through another hilly section before Hawkinge. Apart from
that, the route seems to be generally designed to be as
flat as possible.

Quoted message said:

Other places of interest in Dover include:

Don't forget The Mogul public house! Best beer for
miles around.

d.

david kenning said:

John Latter said:

I live in Dover and while Dave is right about Jubilee way
it is in fact a modern construction designed to get
traffic into and out of the port - there are gentler ways
to escape the town itself!

Heh! yes, of course - I haven't tackled Jubilee Way since I
was a foolhardy 17-year-old with more bravado than sense (.
I would definitely advise taking one of the other routes
instead on the way out of Dover. However, coming *in* to
Dover that relentless uphill slog turns into a long,
straight downhill blast..... the alternative route into
town from that side is somewhat more "technical" in places.

Quoted message said:

As a suggestion perhaps you could look at some online
maps showing the local topography. I haven't the time to
look at the specific route you're thinking of following
at the moment but traffic from Canterbury following any
kind of scenic route will probably enter Dover via Lydden
(which passes Kearsney Abbey and Russell Gardens).

I've had a closer look and it seems to pass on the other
side of the A2 (through Coldred and Whitfield), taking
some very minor back roads and thus avoiding the hillier
parts around Lydden, crossing the A2 at Guston and passing
right by Dover Castle, then into town down Castle Hill
Road... Wheeeee!

You leave Dover by the old Folkestone Road, which has a few
nasty steep bits. It levels out a bit then goes through
another hilly section before Hawkinge. Apart from that, the
route seems to be generally designed to be as flat as
possible.

Quoted message said:

Other places of interest in Dover include:

Don't forget The Mogul public house! Best beer for
miles around.

d.

Hi Ramirez and Dave,

I've downloaded the pamphlet and had a look at the route - I
think I would be happier if I had an ordnance survey map to
follow! 🙂

As Dave says, you leave Dover by Folkestone Road and the
junction where you turn away from the "B2011" shown on the
map is easy to find cos its the only mini-roundabout on
that road.

You'll then be cycling along (and very slightly) up "Elms
Vale Avenue" which turns into a lane as you hit the
countryside again. About 3/4 of a mile along the lane you'll
come to a Y-junction, the left hand fork goes to Church Farm
but you'll want the righthand fork (going up the hill) - its
nice scenery along here with trees and bushes forming long
'tunnels' which can be quite refreshing on a hot day!

nb I cycle this part of the given route several times a
week, if you see half-a-dozen or so cows on the left-hand
side (who do nothing but mooch around under a clump of
trees) before you get to the Church Farm turnoff then
they're all named after the "Ladies" in a local social
club's darts team. At least, that's what I've named them
and I'm (currently) still around to tell the tale!

Rats - outa time again, afore I go however, the Mogul Pub
which Dave likes can be found close to the roundabout on the
street map of Dover in the bottom lefthand corner where York
and Snargate Streets meet. Its some 50 yards or so from the
roundabout at approximately 10 (or p'haps 11) o'clock.
Naturally, it's up a hill.. 🙂

Regards,

--

John Latter

Model of an Internal Evolutionary Mechanism (based on an
extension to homeostasis) linking Stationary-Phase Mutations
to the Baldwin Effect.
members.aol.comTEM.htmlOpen ↗

'Where Darwin meets Lamarck?' Discussion Egroup
groups.yahoo.comevomechOpen ↗