Rye, Dungeness and Lydd-on-Sea walk

21.7 km (13.5 miles)

4 out of 10 (if hitting low tide at Dungeness, else tougher due to the expanses of shingle)

OS Explorer 125

This is a fascinating and most unusual walk, initially leading from the historic Cinque Ports Town of Rye along the Rother River to Camber Sands with its shallow and wide sandy beach lined by magnificent sand dunes and with a selection of lunch stops. After lunch you follow the coast along the beach or the seawall through the Lydd Firing Ranges (only open for about 65 days a year) into the desolate, vast expanse of shingle (one of the largest in Europe) that is the Dungeness National Nature Reserve and then past the Dungeness Nuclear Power Station (helping to save the world from Global Warming). You pass a couple of lighthouses (old and new) and a few tea options in Dungeness and then continue past Derek Jarman’s famed garden to The Pilot Inn in Lydd-on-Sea, from where buses take you back to Rye or on to Ham Street or Ashford stations.

Note: to shorten the exposure to the shingle do the walk on days when low tide is around early afternoon.

A circular option from Camber back to Rye through grassy marsh land cuts out all shingly sections and makes this an interesting all-year walk, even when the military range is shut to the public.

An alternative ending from Dungeness leads through the shingly Denge Beach area and a large RSPB Reserve to Lydd.

• Lydd Council - may have range opening times online
• Dungeness National Nature Reserve - info on flora and fauna
• Dungeness (wikipedia)
• RSPB Reserve
• Lydd Ranges - MOD
• Trip Reports : 1 and 2

• A Circular Walk back to Rye from Camber (from the easterly edge of the village through the marshes) is 17.6 km/11.0 mi long (1/10).
• An extension of that Circular Route to Romney Marsh Windfarm adds 2.3 km/1.4 mi.
• An extension of the main route to Lydd through the unique Dungeness National Nature Reserve and then through parts of the RSPB Dungeness Nature Reserve adds 5.6 km/3.5 mi.
• A Variation of the Extension further through the RSPB Dungeness Nature Reserve adds a further 3.2 km/2.0 mi to that.
• A Lydd-on-Sea – Dungeness – Lydd walk is between 10.3 km/6.4 mi and 20.1 km/12.5 mi long (the latter if first going all the way to the border of the military range (map-led), then back along the main walk to pick up the extension and then along the longer variation of the extension through the RSPB Nature Reserve and via the RSPB Visitor Centre).

The England Coast Path (ECP) opened in 2016 from Camber onwards past Dungeness to The Pilot Inn (and on towards Folkstone). However, the route detours inland around the Lydd Ranges. This section is not recommended, as it's a very long detour, and much of it is a slog along the Ranges' perimeter road. The ECP carries on north for 20 km towards Folkestone (which has a train station). This section of the coast is flat, backed by a '1 street' strip of bungalows and occasional caravan parks. It's all promenade, so would make a fine cycle ride, but would be a very monontonous walk. The Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway (a heritage 'toy train' railway) runs along this section of coast, from Dungeness to Dymchurch (near Folkestone), with many stops along the way.

If walking it in the other direction, be aware that you cannot cross the mouth of the River Rother at any state of the tide - you have to walk 3km inland to Rye and back again.

In Camber:

• The Owl 11 Old Lydd Road, Camber, Rye TN31 7RH (01797 225 284). The Owl is located 6.1 km/3.8 mi into the walk.
• The Rye Bay Café/Bistro 1 Old Lydd Road, Camber, Rye TN31 7XR (07793 393 186). The Rye Bay is located 6.3 km/3.9 mi into the walk.
• Coastal Café in Camber 15 Lydd Road, Camber, Rye TN31 7RJ (01797 227 777). The Coastal Café in Camber is located 6.4 km/4.0 mi into the walk.
• Dunes Bar & Restaurant Old Lydd Road, Camber, Rye TN31 7RH (01797 224 567). The Dunes is located 6.4 km/4.0 mi into the walk.

In Dungeness:

• The End of the Line Dungeness Road, Dungeness, Romney Marsh TN29 9NA (01797 362 353). Located near the old lighthouse in the former ticket office of the Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway station at Dungeness, 19.5 km/12.1 mi into the walk, 200m after the split-off of the Lydd endings, and 2.3 km from the end of the walk.
• The Britannia Dungeness Road, Dungeness, Romney Marsh TN29 9ND (01797 321 959). Open 10.30-18.00 Mon-Thu, 10.30-20.00 Fri, 10.30-22.30 Sat and 12.00-19.00 Sun. Food served 12.00-18.00 Sun-Fri and 12.00-20.00 Sat. The Britannia is located 19.7 km/12.2 mi into the walk, 400m after the split-off of the Lydd endings, and 2.0 km from the end of the walk.
• The Snack Shack at Dungeness Fish Hut Dungeness Road, Dungeness, Romney Marsh TN29 9NB (07825 598 921). Open Wed-Sun 11.30-15.30. The Snack Shack is located 1.3 km from the end of the walk.

In Lydd-on-Sea:

• The Pilot Inn Battery Road, Lydd-on-Sea, Romney Marsh TN29 9NJ (01797 320 314). Open 11.00-21.00 daily (-22.00 Fri/Sat). Food served 12.00-20.00 daily (-21.00 Fri-Sat). Bookings only taken for parties of 8 or more people. The Pilot Inn is located at the very end of the walk.

In Lydd:

• The Dolphin 11 South Street, Lydd, Romney Marsh TN29 9DQ (01797 320 259).
• The George Hotel 11 High Street, Lydd, Romney Marsh TN29 9AJ (01797 321 710).

In Rye:

• Too numerous to list here. See the pdf for details.

Take the train to Rye. Buy a return to Rye, which is valid for all the (non-heritage) stations mentioned below.

Saturday Walkers’ Club: Take a train no later than 9.40 hours if planning to lunch in Camber. Take an earlier train for lunch in Dungeness and/or if walking a long version of the walk.

To return:

• From The Pilot Inn (south of Lydd-on-Sea), take bus 11 (hourly, takes 15 mins) to Ham Street station (cheaper but hourly train) or stay on the bus to Ashford International Station (longer bus ride but more trains)
• From Lydd village, 1) on Dungeness Road take #11 bus to Ashford, or 2) from the High Street, take bus #100 back to Rye
• From Dungeness or Lydd-on-Sea (north of the Pilot Inn), take the heritage railway to the last stop (£12, summer, shoulder weekend, check the timetable). Then it's 2 km inland to Sandling station, or 6 km along the coastpath to Folkestone station.

By car

You could do 2 shorter walks either side of the ranges - a Rye Circular via Camber Sanda (the river estuary and sand dunes are the highlight, not the village), and a Lydd Circular via Dungeness (the eary Dungeness coastline is the highlight). Beware Camber Sands village has very expensive parking. Its free at Dungeness