Canterbury Circular via Bekesbourne and Sturry walk

Another visit to Kent and a 12.6 miler last done in 2012. The previous variant, however, started in Bekesbourne.

It was a grey day, with a chill breeze, but dry. The first 2 miles were through urban Canterbury, though the history improves this aspect, but the walker is soon on the North Downs way and into the countryside. Then, it's along the Elham Valley Way, along both quiet lanes and a busy minor road, into Patrixbourne. On through Bekesbourne to Littlebourne, with it's 13th century tithe barn, and then taking the option to Ickham for lunch at St John the Evangelist church.

Thereafter, it's along field edges to the attractive village of Wickhambreaux, and the audible sound of the season's first Cuckoo!

The next section is mainly polytunnels (used for strawberries and raspberries apparently) and a large field crossing prior to reaching the village of Stodmarsh and its church, St Mary's and village pub.

The finale is along a quiet country lane and a good section of woodland, which is coppiced sweet chestnut, apparently (the unidentified/blurred singing bird within this woodland is believed to be a Garden Warbler).

Soon passing through Fordwich, where refreshments can be had, it's a short walk to reach the station at Sturry.

A fine walk with lots of variety within it. Some sections could be very muddy at appropriate times.

This is a beautiful walk through a quiet corner of Kent, taking in a series of ancient villages, each with a similarly ancient church, and passing a series of charming rural pubs. The terrain is most flat, with only a few gentle hills. Their walk has a variety of landscapes, from woods to arable fields, and from a farm growing strawberries in polytunnels to fields with grazing cattle.

Distance: 10.1 miles (16.3 km)

Grading: Easy

Rating: 3 out of 10

Ascent: 200 m

Hiking time: About 5 to 6 hours of actual hiking

This walk is covered by our Club's insurance. Our Club is registered on The British Mountaineering Council (BMC)

© Club Hiking in London. Ltd (CASC) in collaboration with Saturday Walkers Club.

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#BMC #HikinginLondon #Drone4K

This is a beautiful walk through a quiet corner of Kent, taking in a series of ancient villages, each with a similarly ancient church, and passing a series of charming rural pubs. The village of Wickhambreaux in particular is so quintessentially English that it might be a film set.

The terrain is most flat, with only a few gentle hills, but there are still some good views just after Stodmarsh. Their walk has a variety of landscapes, from woods to arable fields, and from a farm growing strawberries in polytunnels to fields with grazing cattle.

© Club Hiking in London. Ltd (CASC) in collaboration with Saturday Walkers Club.

swcwalks swcwalk121

#HikingUK #HikinginLondon #BMC

The North-Eastern corner of Kent forms the basis of this week's 11 (12.7 per me) miler. Officially called a Bekesbourne Circular, this walker found it logistically better to start from Sturry; there was some minor deviation twixt Fordwich and Trenley Park wood.

Otherwise, this is a relatively straightforward, anti-clockwise map walk of some typically Kentish scenery - fields, orchards and woodlands.

The Westbere Marshes are now home to the elusive bittern, but it was neither seen nor heard today, unfortunately. Plenty of other bird song though, and my first Snowdrop/Crocus sightings of the year as well.

A very pleasant walk through a quiet corner of the county, near Canterbury. Well worth paying the supplement (though we really shouldn't have a two tier system!) and using the HST from London.

(Still issues with watching recent uploads in HD - Youtube advised).