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Autumn Walk, October 2015, Canterbury,
1/10/2015 - 4/10/2015
Thursday 1st October.
The weather was fine and warm (too good to travel but let’s hope it remains for the weekend).
Steve and Richard met at Dick’s to go in his car; Ian picked up Paul all leaving Luton around 09:30. The journey was uneventful though a bit stop/start on the motorways. We arrived at Canterbury Hostel around 12:00 where we met Andy who had driven across on his own. After parking and making ourselves known to the YHA staff we walked around the corner to the Phoenix for light refreshment. Whilst here Roland and Phil arrived having come on the train also Pete who had driven down on his own but nearly didn’t get here due to a mad lorry driver close to his home.
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Once refreshed we dropped the rest of the bags at the hostel to go for our usual warm up walk. The walk was along The Stour Valley walk to Fordwich, calling at the George and Dragon for a tea break where there were several old Rolls Royce and Bentleys in the car park, all very nice. Then it was back to the hostel via Moat Lane, Old Park Farm and St Martin’s. (5.5 miles)
After a wash and change it was off for dinner. We went to the Foundry an old Victorian building which as the name describes used to be a foundry which has been turned into a Brew Pub and Eatery, it was very pleasant with some unusual features on show. After our repast, it was on to the City Arms for a nightcap, where once again we were welcomed with open arms before returning to the hostel and bed. A good start to the weekend.
Friday 2nd October.
We woke up to a cloudless sky, which stayed with us for the day, getting very warm as the day progressed and staying fine throughout.
After breakfast a difference of routes was taken. Dick and Richard took the train from Canterbury East to Shepherdswell. Here they picked up the North Downs Way going through Woolage, Womenswold, and Barham Downs, (where they saw the others in the distance but could not be heard as they were by the A2) then onto Bridge where they stopped for lunch at the Red Lion. After lunch it was on to Patrixbourne, Hode Farm, then back into Canterbury and the hostel. (11 miles)
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Paul, Andy, Ian, Roland, Phil and Steve set out from the hostel to do a circular route. They left Canterbury via St Martin’s, Little Barton Farm, Palmstead Wood, Haystack Wood, Hode Farm joining the North Downs Way, Patrixbourne around Bridge to Barham Downs where they left the North Downs Way to go to Kingston and The Black Robin for refreshment. At Kingston they picked up the Elham Valley Way to Bishopsbourne, ( The Mermaid ) and on into Bridge and the Red Lion. After leaving Bridge they again joined the North Downs Way to Patrixbourne, Hode Farm and back to the hostel. (13.5 miles)
Pete went for a bike ride joining the 2nd party at Bishopsbourne and Bridge before returning to the hostel.
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Evening sustenance was taken at Wetherspoon’s The Thomas Ingoldsby then on to the Buttermilk Tavern (a Nicholson’s house) with the exception of Dick who had a case of Delhi Belly. Another great day’s walking.
Saturday 3rd October.
What a difference a day makes we woke up to a heavy mist which did not clear until 12:30 but when it did it was again fine and sunny.
Again a difference in routes, Paul, Andy, Ian, Roland, Phil and Steve set out to do a circular walk to Chilham and back (16.5 miles) their route was from the hostel to take the North Downs Way to Chilham via St Dunstan’s, Golden Hill, Gorse Meadow Farm, Bigbury, Chartham Hatch (tea break at the Charter inn), Chilham where lunch was taken at The White Horse. After lunch is was down to the Stour Valley Way to return to Canterbury calling in at Chartham and the Artichoke Inn for a tea break before returning to the hostel. Roland and Ian stopped walking at Chartham and went to get the bus but they had missed one so they went back to the train station as another bus went past so it was the train, not all bad news though as they managed to get a very good ticket offer.
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Pete again took to his cycle, meeting the others at the rest points.
As Dick was still feeling under the weather he and Richard walked into town to look around, being close to facilities if required. After taking in the city wall, castle, old buildings and Westgate Gardens with no ill effects it was decided to walk along the Stour Valley walk to Chartham stopping at the Artichoke for refreshment, before returning along the same route to Canterbury and the hostel. (11 miles)
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After returning and showering they went to go to a Best Western hotel which had advertised all Rugby World Cup games to get the second half of Scotland and South Africa, however as there was a wedding on they were not showing it, so it was on to the college bar for a cheap pint and rugby before moving on to Wetherspoon’s to meet the others for dinner and catch the England/Australia rugby game. Food and drink were fine but the rugby was dire it was also hard to watch as there was a constant flow of people walking past. Again we moved on to the City Arms watching the second half there before returning to the hostel at the end of the night.
Sunday 4th October.
Another fine day though clouds developed later still warm. As it was time to return home it was decided to do a circular walk around Wye based on the North Downs Way. (5.5 miles)
Pete took his leave at the hostel going directly to Whitstable for a look around before going home. The rest of us drove to Wye to walk. The walk took us along the North Downs Way past the Wye Crown and Devil’s Kneeding Trough down to a road and back across the fields to Wye. Andy took Roland and Phil with him to have a look around Whitstable before dropping them off at the train station and returning home. After changing out of our boots we took refreshment at the Tickled Trout, a very pleasant pub by the river, before returning home.
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All in all, it had been another great weekend and we kept dry on the outside at least.
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