North Downs Way, Part 4

Apples ready for picking.

What, you thought I'd forgotten about this?  Not so, I have just been a bit busy.  Summer is drawing to an end though, so I've resolved to finish the thing in one four day block - around sixty-five miles of Way remain, plus ten or so to and from pubs and hotels.  Again I am joined by Sarah and Stuart, the three of us meeting up on the train to Charing.  We are quickly back on the Way, and find it easy going for most of the morning.  Eventually we find a hill, just before lunch at Chilham.  The afternoon shows why Kent is known as the garden of England, we pass many orchards, and indeed Polish apple pickers.  But before long we're in Canterbury, there to meet more friends, Clare and Dylan.  Much beer and Chinese food ensues.

Historic Canterbury.

We have Dylan and Clare along for the walk on the Saturday morning, so quite a group walk out of Canterbury beneath grey skies.  Sadly it seems my luck with the weather has finally run out.  Initial drizzle turns heavier, and heavier, and after trying to last it out in my normal clothes, I first put on my waterproof (sort of) hat, then my rain coat.  Dylan has a very cool poncho.  It is at least not cold, but the rain just keeps coming... we hear a report later describing it as monsoon conditions, which seems accurate enough.  It is a shame as the generally flat walking through fields of grain and meadows would be pleasant on a nicer day.  There is some entertainment when the rain passing through my bag emerges from the bottom as foam...  We're glad to reach Shepherdswell for lunch, although neither of its pubs do food - at least one of them lets us get some sandwiches from the co-op.

Clare and Dylan head back to London (they planned to, it isn't just because of the rain), and pretty much immediately the rain stops.  It was all their fault I am sure.  So we walk the remaining nine miles or so to Dover in better spirits, although the route is a fairly uninteresting tramp through farmland interspersed with woods.  Finally we make a steep descent into Dover and retire to the Premier Inn, where I eat massive amounts of food.

Delightful Dover.

Day three of our little holiday, and we head off on the Southern route - as per the South Downs Way, there are two alternates over the last section, and of course I want to do both.  Immediately it is clear that this route is a more impressive hiking path, as we clamber up to the Western Heights overlooking Dover, and walk along the top of the famous white cliffs, passing various defensive fortifications from WW2, Napoleonic times and beyond.  It certainly makes for fine walking, if a little strenuous, and after a rather late start we need to shift along - no time to stop at any of the pubs we pass, sadly.  In fact it is nearly 3pm when we pass the nine mile point and feel we can stop for a packed lunch, overlooking the strangely fascinating Eurotunnel rail terminal.  From here we follow a ridge inland, then detour off to our pub for the night, the Rose and Crown in Elham, over three miles off route but at least a nice walk along the Elham Valley Way.

The Eurotunnel rail terminal.

Last day and I am up early to eat a fine breakfast.  The other two are sensibly taking a taxi back to the NDW, I however am not sensible so head out for more walking while they're eating.  It is only an hour or so, and then we are back together for more ridge walking.  The 'Southern route' continues to be rather more scenic than the alternative, as we stride along an edge with views out towards the coast, and even pass an interesting landscape feature in the 'Devil's Kneading Trough' - vaguely reminiscent of High Cup in the Pennines.  Just above Wye we pass the Wye Crown, carved into the chalk in 1902 to commemorate the coronation of Edward VII, we then climb down into the village itself for lunch at the King's Head.  From here, just a mile or two through the fields remain until we reach the point at which we turned north a few days before.  We have now walked every mile of the North Downs Way... some friendly teutonic tourists take a group photo of us.  It isn't the end of the day though - we have a few miles yet through fields and along the river Stour to reach Ashford and its train station.  The less said about Ashford the better in all honesty... can't say I will return there in a hurry.  Overall though this has been a great walk - time to start planning the next one!

Devil's Kneading Trough.

Photos to go with this post can be found here.