The Contra Trail Boats, Birds & Bays Ramsgate to Pegwell Walk explore kent | 1 Ramsgate “Ramsgate’s at the Land’s End of the south-east; the to Pegwell getaway place with great scenery and the great Bay Walk outdoors. (And it’s just down the line from London.)” Nicholas Crane Presenter of the BBC Coast series A Royal Harbour with the common touch. An English monument to a Viking invasion. A nature reserve with wetland birds you’ll want to shout about. Beautiful bays and boats galore. Whatever you think you know about the South East coast, get ready to think again, because this is a route that’s brimming with fascinating contradictions. 2 | explore kent explore kent | 3 Bright lights & light bites The Contra Trail - a gentle 6.1 mile (9.8km) walk 1820 by King George IV, who was so moved by Along the way you will pass the beautiful marina that leads past the hustle and bustle of modern the warmth and hospitality he received from with its array of boats and yachts… with the Ramsgate, down the gently undulating Isle of his commoners, that he officially decreed the start of the walk just a stone’s throw from the Thanet Coastal path and into the natural peace harbour to be ‘Royal’. best chip shop in Britain. It’s official! A wealth and tranquillity of Pegwell Bay, is everything a of sights, old and new, all help create a perfect walk should be, and much more besides. And It will introduce you to a vibrant, modern backdrop to this perfectly British walk. thanks to the wonderfully diverse range of pubs, town steeped in history at every turn. Elegant restaurants and local attractions on the route, Georgian houses, traditional fishermen’s Savour every moment though, because you will it’s one you can enjoy with a full belly and a cottages, stylish terraced restaurants and busy soon be leaving the hustle and bustle of this spring in your step. pubs such as the Churchill Tavern, a local inn extraordinary harbour town behind as you make with an authentic country atmosphere, a wide- your way to the seclusion of the cliff top and Your walk begins in the heart of the only British ranging selection of quality real ales and a £5 begin the second stage of this inspired route harbour that can claim to be ‘Royal’ - a unique lunch menu on offer for all Active Ramsgate into a wetland haven for birds. honour that followed a visit to Ramsgate in walkers. (From 12pm, Monday to Saturday) 4 | explore kent explore kent | 5 Viking legends & English legacies Don’t be fooled. The route village blacksmith ‘Big Jim’ to it, merchants traded on it… between Ramsgate town and ply their dreadful trade. Call in Vikings even invaded on it! Pegwell Bay is a lot more than to the Belle Vue Tavern today The Hugin, a striking life sized just a beautiful distraction. It and you step into a tavern and faithfully replicated Nordic is a well trodden path steeped full of history and legend. It is longboat you will pass along in history of its own… you just a place where exiled royalty the route, explains how! need to know where to look. are thought to have stayed during the French Revolution You will wander ancient cliffs, Take the honeycombed and Charles Dickens regularly walk in the footsteps of royalty network of caves and tunnels enjoyed something delicious and raise a glass to villains and buried deep in the chalk to eat and drink. Today, it is heroes before arriving at your and rock of the cliff you are somewhere you can enjoy 2 final destination, Sandwich standing on. Tunnels that for 1 on anything you order and Pegwell Bay National still connect the Sir Stanley from the Bar Snack menu. Nature Reserve. Celebrated for Gray bar and restaurant to its mix of delicate orchids and the Pegwell Bay Hotel and Or what about the English beautiful wetland birds, the the Belle Vue Tavern to the Channel? It isn’t one of reserve is full of unexpected cottages across the road. the most famous stretches pleasures and, like the walk These once allowed notorious of water in the world for itself, designed to surprise and 17th century smugglers like nothing. Kings waged war on leave you wanting more. 6 | explore kent explore kent | 7 Eat, drink and support Take a look... Take a look at some of the cafés, bars and other attractions offering discounts and specials offers on this local business route - all offers are valid until 31st March 2014. Check out our Active Ramsgate Special Offers web page for more. Belle Vue Tavern Rib Request 2 for 1 on any sandwiches and 10% discount on bay and beach ciabattas, jacket potatoes, lite boat trips, seal and wildlife trips bites or hot paninis. The cheaper and wind farm trips. (Must book item will be free. Offer available in advance) Monday to Friday, 12 noon to 2.25pm The Royal 1 free soft drink with any Churchill Tavern food ordered from the menu (Monday - Friday, 12 - 6pm) £5 lunch menu on offer from 12pm Mon-Sat. (Child and dog friendly) Sea Searcher Boat Trips Miles Bar 25% discount on all day fishing 2nd bottle of same value wine trips and on seal and wildlife ½ price. (Monday - Friday, 5 - 7 trips. (Must book in advance) pm, except bank holidays) The Sir Stanley Gray Nice Things (in the 1 free soft drink with any Custom House) food ordered from the menu (Monday - Friday, 12 - 6pm) 10% discount on all purchases over £30 St Augustine’s Golf The Old Custom Club Coffee Shop and Twilight Fee, £12.50 after 1pm Carvery (Course is closed on specific dates due to large competitions) Why make walking hard work when you can Children eat free with full paying adult (child under 8, weekends follow one of the new Active Ramsgate routes only) Stonelees Golf Club and enjoy every step? Themed to be fun as well 5% off cold drinks at the bar as informative and supported by a wealth of local (includes wines, beers and soft drinks) businesses, each walk has been carefully created to surprise and reward. Go to www.ramsgatetown.org for more offers 8 | explore kent explore kent | 9 Our local National Treasure Grey Plover Sandwich & Pegwell Bay National Nature Reserve This National Nature Reserve (NNR) is home to an amazing variety of plants and animals making it nationally and internationally important for wildlife. You can find more habitats here than anywhere else in the south east. The mudflats, saltmarsh, beach, sand dunes, coastal scrublands and cliffs are home to dozens of rare species of plants and wetland birds. Bird hides are available for your viewing pleasure! The Contra Trail is a wonderful way to explore this remarkable national treasure and enjoy a wealth of exclusive Active Ramsgate offers and discounts in the process. Avocet 10 | explore kent explore kent | 11 Vive La Difference! Ramsgate harbour with all its royal history and naval named Nice Things, in the Custom House - a charming connections could never be described as anything little shop that boasts a truly impressive selection other than very British. Until you look a little closer that of ceramics, glass, jewellery and textiles. It is this is and discover more than a hint of the continent in the wonderful mix of businesses and styles that help to town’s delicious choice of restaurants, pavement cafés make Ramsgate such a special town with so much to and styles. offer everybody. Cafes like the stylish Miles Bar overlooking the harbour, wonderful pubs like the The Queens Head, and aptly Chip Chip Hooray! If you fancy sampling what are now officially the properly... There is no secret to it but loving what best chips in Britain, pop into Peter’s Fish Factory you do and doing it well.” The chips are all cooked in in Harbour Parade. Peter Curtis, the owner, says his vegetable oil and are made from Markies potatoes, secret to bagging Britain’s Choice Chip Award for 2012 grown in Sandwich - three tons of them every week was deceptively simple: “It is all about cooking them in Summer! 12 | explore kent explore kent | 13 " 1 " 2 5 3 4 PC Royal Harbour 0 0.5 1 Km 0 Miles ± 0 0.25 0.5 4.6 miles (7.4km) One-way Park loop 1.5 miles (2.4km) Bus Stop Telephone " Information PC Toilets Parking English Heritage Information Nature reserve Country Park Golf course Picnic site Camping/caravan site " Railway station Sports centre © Crown Copyright and database right 2013. Ordnance Survey 100019238 14 | explore kent explore kent | 15 ‘open parkland’ feel. There’s also a sculpture by David Barnes called ‘Hands and Molecules’ that overlooks Pegwell Bay (in the direction of the old Pfizer complex at Sandwich). A little further on and you arrive at the Boating Pool Café with its Step by step guide unmistakable circular boating pool, café and free children’s play park. Public toilets are also available. Walk overview: 1 Set off past the Royal pub, cross the road at York Street and keep walking until you reach Leopold 3 It is worth noting that the end of the Promenade Location: Harbour Parade, Ramsgate, CT11 Street (beyond the Travelodge hotel). Now look is now approximately 350m away where the 8LN and Pegwell Bay Country Park, CT12 5JB for a black signpost directing you to Westcliff path turns ninety degrees and emerges, some Distance: 6.1 miles (9.8km) one-way Arcade, nestled below the Royal Templar Yacht 200m on, at Pegwell Road.