insideKENT Magazine Issue 62 - May 2017 | Page 92

DAYSOUT
THE NORTH DOWNS WAY cont.
Dinner & rest in Chilham: The Woolpack Inn welcomes walkers with home-cooked, locally sourced food and lovely rooms in the chocolate box village of Chilham.
A further 7.2-mile stretch from Chilham to Canterbury sees you continuing to follow those pilgrim’ s footsteps through a Kentish orchard before revealing another view of Canterbury Cathedral. You’ ll pass St Dunstan’ s church, a final stopping place where pilgrims would pray before reaching Canterbury.
Dinner & rest in Canterbury: Canterbury Cathedral Lodge is an appropriate and lovely place to eat and stay as it is within the precincts of Canterbury Cathedral, which has been welcoming pilgrims for thousands of years.
Leaving behind the magnificent city of Canterbury, you’ ll continue onwards to Shepherdswell, following the Elham Valley Way. This route is dotted with small villages and peaceful farming landscape. The once grand St Augustine’ s Abbey is nearby, the past burial place for Kings of Kent.
The final stretch takes you from Shepherdswell to Dover through undulating countryside with glimpses of the sea. You’ ll join the White Cliffs Country Trail taking you across the famous
White Cliffs of Dover and a final descent to the end point.
Dinner and stay: Dover Marina Hotel is the place to stay if you want a room with a view to celebrate the end of your walk. With a small spa and rooms with spectacular views of the English Channel it’ s time to treat yourself at this lovely seaside hotel.
So go on, really Explore Kent and take on the epic North Downs Way National Trail. Enjoyed by royalty, saints and pilgrims and inspiring the world’ s greatest authors and playwrights you’ d be mad to miss out!
LOCATION: FARNHAM, GU9 8AD DISTANCE: 153 MILES( 246.23 KM) LINEAR
TIME: 12 DAYS ALLOWS A COMFORTABLE 13 MILES PER DAY WALKING
OS EXPLORER MAPS: 137, 138, 145, 146, 147, 148, 149, 150
TERRAIN: RELATIVELY LEVEL TERRAIN. THE SECTION FROM GUILDFORD TO REIGATE WITH ST MARTHA’ S, ALBURY DOWN, WHITE DOWN, BOX HILL AND COLLEY HILL IS MORE CHALLENGING.
PUBLIC TRANSPORT: FOR PUBLIC TRANSPORT DIRECTIONS TO FARNHAM FROM YOUR HOME ADDRESS, PLEASE VISIT KENTCONNECTED. ORG. THERE ARE ALSO
RAILWAY STATIONS AT SEVERAL TOWNS AND VILLAGES ON THE ROUTE.
PARKING: THERE IS A PAY AND DISPLAY CAR PARK AT FARNHAM RAILWAY STATION
REFRESHMENTS & FACILITIES: MOST TOWNS AND LARGER VILLAGES HAVE A PUB
EXPLORE MORE
To find out about taking on the North Downs Way check out their website www. nationaltrail. co. uk / north-downs-way.
For other walks in Kent please visit the Explore Kent website www. explorekent. org. Follow @ explorekent on Twitter and Facebook and share your experiences with us!
For more inspiration on places to walk, visit, eat and stay in Kent visit www. visitkent. co. uk.
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