Walks And Walking – The AA Magazine Autumn Walks

Walks And Walking – The AA Magazine Autumn Walks

Autumn is nearly upon us, and with the delicious morning air laced with the scent of damp leaves comes the inescapable urge to tramp through a forest carpeted with them. The AA Magazine has pinpointed its favourite six Autumn Walks and woods to go walking in, so check out their list here – from Faskally Forest in Scotland down to Bedgebury in Kent – and see if you agree. Why not get in touch, too, with your own Fall favourites?

The AA Magazine Autumn Walks

No matter how old I get I still find myself picking up fat acorns and shiny new horse chestnuts on woodland tramps: the schoolboy thrill of them never dwindles. (If you bring some home, put chestnuts into spidery corners of your house – they deter the eight-legged ones…) And if you’re in something of a contemplative mood why not commit Gerald Manley Hopkins’ sad but beautiful poem Spring and Fall to memory and recite it to yourself as you walk?

Margaret, are you grieving
Over Goldengrove unleaving?
Leaves, like the things of man, you
With your fresh thoughts care for, can you?
Ah! as the heart grows older
It will come to such sights colder
By and by, nor spare a sigh
Though worlds of wanwood leafmeal lie;
And yet you will weep and know why.
Now no matter, child, the name:
Sorrow’s springs are the same.
Nor mouth had, no nor mind, expressed
What héart héard of, ghóst guéssed:
It is the blight man was born for,
It is Margaret you mourn for.

For more walks please visit our walking routes page.

Walks And Walking – Kent Walks Dover To Folkestone Walking Route

Walks And Walking – Kent Walks Dover To Folkestone Walking Route

I have been working in Sandgate, Folkestone, for the last few months and have been itching to get out for a walk in the area. Every day my train enters the Garden of England and as I look up at the North Downs I can hear them calling me! This weekend I decided to leave work on Friday and get the train to Dover Priory, then walk back to Folkestone along the coastal path. On Saturday I plotted out a 10 mile walk to visit the White Horse Folkestone and Caesar’s Camp up on the North Downs, which I’ll post as my next walking route.

As I had plenty of time I had a bit of a meandaer at the beginning of this Kent walk trying to find some good views of the Kent coast but you can just get straight in to the coastal path by heading down to the cliffs, turn right and then keep walking until you reach the Martello Towers at Folkestone.

Walks And Walking – Kent Walks Dover To Folkestone Walking Route Map

My walk started at Dover Priory Railway Station where I exited to the main road turning right and crossing the road up to turn left in to Clarendon Road where I walked up taking a left up the lane to a pathway that climbed up to North Military Road over to a gate where I continued to climb up through woodlands to the top of the hill. I then walked right along the track to rejoin North Military Road where I walked left up the road to the next set of signposts taking me left in to more woodland and an area known as Western Heights, with a fairly decent view of Dover Castle and docks.

Walks And Walking – Kent Walks Dover to Folkestone Walking Route – Looking Back To Dover

I then turned right down steps following the path as I continued my walk turning right uphill in to the woodland turning right to then rejoin North Military Road again through a small car park. It was here that I just missed my next pathway so after a short walk down the road I turned back up North Miltary Road to the signpost by the Dover Immigration Removal Centre where I joined the North Downs Way signposts.

Walks And Walking – Kent Walks Dover to Folkestone Walking Route – The North Downs Way Capel Le Ferne

Keeping to the North Downs Way signposts I then continued my walk until I turned left to briefly join Kings Rope Walk keeping ahead to cross over the A20 using the underpass to the next signpost for the North Downs Way Capel le Ferne.

I then climbed up to Shakespeare Cliff following this pathway across Samphire Hoe through The National Trust Round Down to Abbot’s Cliff following the signposts for the North Downs Way until I reached the white house. The lane was leading me down to the road so I thought I’d walk around the house to try and join a path on the cliffs but I couldn’t get down there so I walked back down to the B2011 road and turned left. With the caravan park on my right hand side I then walked down a path to a stile and back to the coastal path around another caravan park and views down the cliffs to the sea.

Walks And Walking – Kent Walks Dover To Folkestone Walking Route – Cliffs Near Folkestone

Walks And Walking – Kent Walks Dover to Folkestone Walking Route – Martello Towers Folkestone

Continuing to follow the North Downs Way I then joined Old Dover Road to the Cliff Top Cafe and after a while walked right and then left along the pathway to the Battle of Britain Memorial where I had a quick look around before continuing my walk along the North Downs Way to Capel le Ferne where I eventually turned right to join Dover Hill by the Valiant Sailor pub. I then left the North Downs Way to walk down the hill turning left at the next track in to woodlands which lead me to Dover Road where I walked left down to Harbour Way and Radnor Bridge Road where I then walked down to the beach turning right along the Marine Parade passing the Cliff Lift to the Lower Leas Coastal Park. I then walked back up the zig-zag path to the road where I then walked right to find my bed for the evening, The Southcliffe Hotel, after an exhausting 10 miles and 3.5 hours.

Walks And Walking – Kent Walks Dover to Folkestone Walking Route – Southcliffe Hotel Folkestone

Walks And Walking – East Sussex Walks 1066 Country Walk Walking Route

Walks And Walking – East Sussex  Walks – 1066 Country Walk Walking Route.

We were staying in Combe Haven near St Leonards in East Sussex and, as always, I had just about negotiated a walk whilst we were down there. Perhaps the most famous East Sussex walking route is the 1066 Country Walk which starts in Pevensey and ends in Rye. The total distance is 30 miles of long distance path so I decided to break it down in to two walking routes; Pevensey to Battle then Battle to Rye, making it roughly 15 miles each walk.

Walks And Walking – East Sussex Walks – Kent Walks – 1066 Country Walk – Walking Route

For the first stage of this 1066 Country Walk walking route I got a lift from Combe Haven to St Leonards Warrior Square railway station and then got the train to Pevensey Westham railway station. This was my first walking route without a paper OS map and I was at the mercy of ViewRanger following the route purely on my Samsung Galaxy Smartphone. Fortunately this stage of the walk is extremely easy to navigate with plenty of 1066 Country Walk signposts for me to follow so I was only really using ViewRanger to see what was coming up next on the walking route.

Walks And Walking – East Sussex Walks – Kent Walks – 1066 Country Walk – Walking Route – ViewRanger on my Samsung Galaxy Smartphone

With this walking route being so easy my mind quickly wandered in to the psychology of walking and what I do to keep me moving, plan and pace out a walk whilst I am doing it. The weather was miserable, really low dense cloud with a really humid feel. Within a short while I was sweating and only had a long sleeve t-shirt on and my The North Face Apex Elixir Jacket on despite the recent spate of cold and rainy weather.

I found the first two hours a real struggle whereas normally the first hour is settling in to the walking route and the second hour is finding my pace. After two hours I normally hit a bit of a wall, especially if the walking route turns out to be a bit dull, and then after that I stop noticing the time until I get to 5 hours when I start to tire and then by six hours I am seriously wilting. However, if it is a really good walk I hardly ever notice the time and just thrive in enjoying the landscape, fresh air and views.

Walks And Walking – East Sussex Walks – Kent Walks – 1066 Country Walk – Walking Route – Rape Fields

For the second stage of this walking route I got a lift to Battle, restarting the walk where I left off, walking to Rye where I got the train back to St Leonards Warrior Square and a lift back to Combe Haven. The weather was mainly drizzle before really heavy rain set in midway during the walk and after getting my walking trousers trashed with mud on the first stage I decided on gaiters for this stage of the 1066 Country Walk.

With the weather being so drab I was only cheered by the lambs bounding around the fields and on the riverbanks with the omnipresent bluebells. With the weather being so wet I was also keen to find out just how waterproof my new Scarpa walking boots were going to be without the reassurance of being Gore-tex lined. Over each day I splashed around through sodden hills, flooded fields, thick saturated grass and drenched rape fields and they came out with flying colours maintaining their water resistance and being dry inside.

The 1066 Country Walk is too long to do a detailed step by step walking route so I have expanded the ViewRanger maps and have sketched out the general directions.

Stage One – Pevensey To Battle – 17 Miles – 5 Hours 45 Minutes

From Pevensey and Westham railway station walk right and then walk right up the High Street B2191 walking left before the church to a footpath crossing the A27 walking left at the river to Rickney crossing over Rickney Lane following the river walking left to a lane and then crossing Maskelhye Road walking right down Wartling Road. Walk left along the edge of Wartling Wood walking right on to the road walking left at the junction of Boreham Lane walking right on the A271 Boreham Street walking left along Boreham Hill to the footpath signpost crossing the stream walking left to the lane at Pain’s Wood walking right along Henley’s Hill. Walk left then right to Ponts Green crossing over and walking right to Peens Wood to the A271 between Cowland Wood crossing down the lane to The Green B2204 walking left to Castlefield Road walking right through Hoathybank Wood to Upper Lake Road A2100 and Battle Abbey and Battlefields car park and the midway signpost for the 1066 Country Walk at Battle.

Walks And Walking – East Sussex Walks 1066 Country Walk Walking Route Map 1

Stage Two – Battle To Rye – 16 Miles – 5 Hours 50 Minutes

From Battle village outside Battle Abbey and Battlefields on the 1066 Country Walk turn right walking down Lower lake A2100 walking right on to Marley Lane walking right through Great Wood crossing over Kent Street walking left and then right crossing Wheel Lane through Horseman’s Wood. At Cottage Lane cross the main road A28 walking left to Fourteen Acre Lane walking left to North Lane and then left and right to Broad Street walking left and then right through Icklesham crossing the A259 walking left on Workhouse Lane to Wickham Rock Lane to Winchelsea. Walk left to Monk’s Walk on to Hiham Green walking left to Robert’s Hill crossing over the footbridge and then walking right, right again and then left to Station Road and Winchelsea Lane walking right at Dumb Woman’s Lane keeping straight ahead to Udimore Road and the Windmill at Rye.

All of the photographs from this 1066 Country Walk walking route are on the Walks And Walking Google+ page and you can see them here 1066 Country Walk Photographs

Walks And Walking – East Sussex Walks 1066 Country Walk Walking Route Map 2

Walks and Walking – Walking from Broadstairs to Ramsgate

Walks and Walking: Walking from Broadstairs to Ramsgate, 2 Miles Easy Walking in Kent.

This isn’t the most wildly exciting of Kent walks, especially as it is also my first blog post, but it is a walk nonetheless! It is however, a very windy walk, so whilst you can keep your walking boots at home for this one, I recommend a windproof jacket…. and shield your eyes from the sand that blows in your face!! That’s the natural variety of walking in the UK.

It is a very simple coastal walk along the sea wall from Broadstairs, through the King George VI Memorial Park and then along the sea wall to Ramsgate so you really don’t need any sort of map for this walk.

Broadstairs is a coastal town on the Isle of Thanet, East Kent, and is situated between Margate and Ramsgate. The town’s crest motto is “Stella Maris” which means “Star of the Sea”. The name, which coincidentally was the name of a house I lived in on the Isle of Wight (small world), was derived from a former flight of chalk steps in the chalk cliff, which led from the sands up to the 11^th Century shrine of St Mary on the cliff top.

Once in Ramsgate we had Fish and Chips at Peters Fish Factory.

Ramsgate is a seaside town and was very popular in the 19^th century as a member of the Cinque Ports confederation. It has one of the largest marinas on the English South Coast and the port has provided cross channel ferries for many years. In February 2011 there was some redevelopment work along the sea wall with art provided by the local residence, I thought the best one was this: