Ramblers Routes

Ramblers Routes Ramblers Routes Britain’s best walks from the experts Britain’s best walks from the experts Southern England Southern England 09/02/2016 16:55 09 Dinton, Wiltshire 10 Sandwich to Dover, Kent l Distance 10km/6¼ miles l Time 3hrs l Type Country and valley l Distance 26km/16 miles l Time 7-8hrs l Type Coast NAVIGATION leVel FITNESS leVel NAVIGATION leVel FITNESS leVel walk magazine spring 2016 walk magazine spring 2016 Plan your walk Plan your walk l Bath WILTSHIRE SANDWICH l Canterbury l l Salisbury KENT Dover DINTON KENT l l Southampton Folkestone

WHERE Circular walk from WHERE Linear walk from Dinton around the Nadder PhotograPhy: FIoNa BarLtroP PhotograPhy: PhotograPhy: FIoNa BarLtroP PhotograPhy: Sandwich to Dover via Deal. Valley, Wiltshire. START Sandwich Railway Situated in the Nadder Valley, west provides excellent views of the A long-distance path, the 262km 1. START Once a major port – and START/END National Trust car Station (TR332576). Parking: of Salisbury, the lovely village of badges. The route also takes Saxon Shore Way runs from one of the original Cinque Ports, park just south of the church Quay car park, Sandwich Dinton makes an ideal base for you past two picturesque mill Gravesend in Kent to Hastings in along with Hastings, New in Dinton (SU090316). (TR333582). a variety of walks in the rolling sites, and goes through the park east Sussex, passing through the Romney, Hythe and Dover – TERRAIN River valley, wooded END Dover Priory Railway Wiltshire countryside that at the end. historic town of Sandwich and Sandwich is now a couple of miles hillside and parkland; field Station (TR313415); parking surrounds it. The village itself is the busy port of Dover. The from the sea. Two famous golf paths, tracks and quiet lanes. at station or in nearby Priory a most interesting place, with a 1. START Turn L out of the car section between these two towns courses occupy land that was once MAPS OS Explorer 130; Road car park. collection of fine historic buildings, park, walk up the road past the makes a highly satisfying day’s the port. With its narrow streets Landranger 184. TERRAIN Coastal plain and notably Philipps House, which is beautiful church (dating back to walk, with lots of historical and historic buildings, Sandwich is GETTING THERE Bus service coastal path, following the set in attractive parkland and the 13th century) and turn R along interest (described in information one of the best-preserved 25 from Salisbury to Tisbury via waymarked Saxon Shore owned by the National Trust. an enclosed footpath between panels along the route). Though medieval towns in the UK. From Dinton (Mon-Sat); railway Way – easy walking on the Although there’s no access to the Dinton Lodge and the Small relatively long, the first half of the railway station, walk along stations at Salisbury and flat for the first half of the house (at present), members of House. The path continues the route is very flat and easy. Delfside and turn R into St Tisbury, with services to walk, thereafter along grassy the public are welcome to explore through fields, passing NT-owned The only real exertion involved is George’s Road, then L down London and elsewhere chalk cliff-tops. NB: If using the park, which provides good land and, on the R, a vineyard along the famous white cliffs via Manwood Road. At the end, turn (Traveline ✆ 0871 200 2233, a mobile phone, watch out, views of the house. It’s well worth near which you may spot alpacas. South Foreland to Dover, and L, then R along the signed Saxon www.traveline.info). you may find yourself on allowing time for a leisurely Ignore paths to L and R. Go even that isn’t arduous. The Shore Way path to a T-junction EATING & DRINKING a French network! wander around the village. To the through a kissing gate in the navigation too is quite simple: (Quay car park on L). Turn R along Wyndham Arms, Dinton MAPS OS Explorers 150 & north and south of the Nadder corner of a field at the back of just keep the sea on your left the wide, surfaced pedestrian and (✆ 01722 716999); 138; Landranger 179. Valley, old drove roads run along houses and go straight on across once you reach the coast! On a cycle path on the south side of the Penruddocke Arms, Dinton GETTING THERE the top of the chalk ridges, the road, then across another field Trains clear day, the chalk cliffs along (✆ 01722 716253, www. Stour; soon turn L across a providing extensive views, but to East Farm and turn R down the from London to Dover via the coastline of France can be thepenruddockearms footbridge. At a junction – where to view the most notable feature lane to the B3089. Sandwich (National Rail seen. There are very regular trains dinton.co.uk). the Saxon Shore Way and Stour of the downs here, the Fovant Enquiries ✆ 0345 748 4950, from Dover back to Sandwich SLEEPING Excellent B&B Valley Walk part company – keep Badges – regimental badges 2. Cross carefully to a track beside www.nationalrail.co.uk). (about 25 minutes). For those and self-catering cottage straight on along the paved path. carved into the hillside above the a stone bus shelter, and follow the EATING & DRINKING based in london, it’s possible to

and ‘Shepherd’s Hut’ at Heading eastwards, the footpath village of Fovant – you need to be track/footpath to and across the Zetland Arms, Kingsdown do this walk as a day trip from Marshwood Farm, Dinton – a takes you across the golf course

below. This walk does just that, railway line. Continue to Dinton (✆ 01304 370114); Bluebirds the city (or two shorter days, of the Royal St George’s Golf Club

Grade II-listed house dating ▲

Tea Rooms on cliff-top, ▲ ▼ taking you along a path that Mill, turn R past the cottage, ▼ breaking the journey at Deal). to the coast. P5-5_WALK50_RR_OTHRN_rotated.indd 1 P5-5_WALK50_RR_OTHRN_rotated.indd 2 Ordnance Surveymapping©Crowncopyright2016Survey. Media037/16 Ordnance Surveymapping©Crowncopyright2016Survey. Media037/16 Continued... Continued... 2 near St Margaret’s Bay 1 from the 17th century ✆ ( 01304 852843). START (✆ 01722 716334, www. SLEEPING For options in marshwoodfarm.co.uk). Sandwich, Deal and Dover, see VISITOR INFORMATION www.whitecliffscountry.org.uk/ Salisbury Information Centre, stay. There’s lovely self-catering Fish Row (✆ 01722 342860, accommodation at Walnut 3 www.visitwiltshire.co.uk). 1 Cottage, near Dover (✆ 01580 GUIDEBOOKS Nadder Valley START 2 720770, www.kentandsussex Walks (two guides), produced FINISH cottages.co.uk, ref EK226). by the Tisbury Footpath Club, VISITOR INFORMATION Dover £3.50 each, and Walks in and TIC, Dover Museum, Market around Historic Dinton by Square (✆ 01304 201066, the Dinton Historical Society, www.whitecliffscountry.org. all available from the uk). There are also information Dinton Community Shop centres in Sandwich and Deal. 4 (✆ 01722 717482). GUIDEBOOK Pathfinder LOCAL RAMBLERS GROUP Guides: Kent – Walks by David South Wiltshire (✆ 01722 3 Hancock (£11.99, Crimson, 336642, www.wiltsswindon ISBN 978 1854585332) ramblers.org.uk). LOCAL RAMBLERS GROUP White Cliffs Ramblers (www. whitecliffsramblers.org.uk). 5 cross the footbridge over the mill pond and carry on along the drive 4 to the road. Turn R and continue 2. Here turn R. You can walk along to the church, St Michael’s, at the sand and shingle beach or along Compton Chamberlayne – worth the road at the top of the beach. FINISH a look inside. If you’re interested, Beyond the Sandwich Bay Estate, about a five-minute walk further continue along the path that runs along the road will bring you to parallel to the coast, with the Royal To download this route and hundreds of others, the Commonwealth War Graves Cinque Ports Golf Club course, on cemetery – the graves of 34 soldiers the other side, until you reach the visit www.ramblers.org.uk/routes from the First World War, with northern end of Deal seafront. information about them in a file. To download this route and hundreds of others, kissing gate (NT land) and continue NT visitor centre. You can see 3. This was the site of Sandown on down towards St Margaret’s Dover Castle ahead as you begin to 3. On the other side of the road, visit www.ramblers.org.uk/routes Castle, built by Henry VIII in 1539- Bay. Take a L fork down steps descend a surfaced path towards opposite the entrance to the 40 as part of his chain of coastal leading you directly to the bay. the port, which takes you under church, turn up a track/footpath. 4. When you reach a metal kissing round the edge of the property defences – which also included the A2. Carry on along the road, This leads along the edge of gate on your R, go through this and diagonally across a field, Deal and Walmer castles to the 5. Go a short way up the road to and continue in the same direction woodland to Home Farm, where and go diagonally down the grassy under the railway line and across south – to protect the coast and where it bends R, then straight on along East Cliff. Turn L at its end to you maintain your direction. To hillside to the road at the northern more fields to a stile and the the anchorage known as the along an access road, forking L. cross the dual carriageway at the your L, you can spot the Fovant end of Fovant. Turn R for about B3089. Cross straight over to Downs, the stretch of water This final stretch of the walk takes traffic lights. Go R along the Badges (though there are better 400m and, as the road bends R, another stile and enter Dinton sheltered by the Goodwin Sands. you past the NT’s South Foreland promenade for about 500m, then views further on). These were turn L on to a footpath and follow Park. Here bear diagonally R past Continue along the sea wall past Lighthouse and along the turn R past the Royal Cinque Ports carved into the chalk on the the waymarks carefully, heading the attractive lake (pictured on the pier to the impressive Deal spectacular chalk cliffs to Dover, Yacht Club; this will lead you to an hillside by British and Australian north through fields and previous page) to head directly Castle. A combined foot and cycle with views of the harbour. Keep to underpass beneath the A20. Turn R soldiers stationed at Fovant Camp woodland to Mill Farm and the back to the car park. path links Deal and Walmer Castles the higher path above Langdon along the A256 and L to the station. during the First World War. At the River Nadder (paths can be a bit Route devised by Fiona Barltrop along the seafront, and beyond Hole and beyond. Carry on past the Route devised by Fiona Barltrop end of the field the path bears R overgrown). Waymarks lead you the latter you come to Kingsdown. through a gap in the hedge (the waymark is easily missed) to 4. At the Zetland Arms, turn R to continue in the same direction the road and L along it to the start along the edge of the woodland. of the cliffs and head on uphill. At a crossing track turn briefly L, Just past the Bluebirds Tea Rooms, then R along Fir Hill, the path 09/02/2016 16:56 opposite the Dover Patrol bearing round L to head south Memorial, turn L through the towards Fovant.