Hamstreet, Kent / Royal Military Canal - Cycling Routes

[Transcript from original web page]

This web page may be freely copied for use on cycle rides. To view two videos of the towpath on YouTube search for 'Royal Military Canal by bike.'

The Royal Military Canal runs for 28 miles from Cliff End (near Hastings) to Seabrook (near Folkestone). This peaceful waterway was built as a line of defence against a feared invasion by Napoleon, and the bends roughly every third of a mile were intended to serve as lookout points along the ‘straights’. After Hadrian's Wall and Offa's Dyke it is the third longest defensive structure in the UK. A footpath runs the entire length of the canal, but this page shows how cycleable sections between Hamstreet and Seabrook can be used.

Also included are links from Hamstreet to the national cycle network to reach the nearby towns of Ashford and Tenterden, as well as circular recreational routes exploring woodland byways and Romney Marsh. To begin the routes from Hamstreet, head for the crossroads, 300 yards south of the railway station. Note that the section of canal path between Ruckinge and Hamstreet can have unavoidable puddles if wet, and the byway/bridleway routes can be muddy.

Canal eastbound: From Hamstreet to Hythe (12/13m) and Folkestone (18/19m)

Our route commences at the crossroads by The Duke's Head and heads south through the High Street to exit the village along Marsh Road. We join the canal after the bridge by the garden centre. Turning left, you will find a 1.5 mile hard-surfaced trail to Ruckinge.

The second half is designated as ‘footpath’ so our route turns right onto a grassy byway just before a pumping station. (If you wish to continue beside the canal to Ruckinge - the slightly shorter option - you may have to lift your bike over a fence/gate.The land-owner is tolerant if you show respect, and the author advises walking with your bike. Upon reaching the bridge, turn left onto the lane, then right onto the B2067 to pass the Blue Anchor pub. After a mile of undulations, turn right in Bilsington by the White Horse to descend the hill, cross the canal and continue onto the Marsh at the point marked ***).

On the byway route heading south, you will encounter three right-angle bends – left, right and left again. Please close and fasten all gates. You will eventually reach Lord's Farm, where it becomes a driveway. When you reach the lane, continue across it onto the lane to Bilsington, which eventually rejoins the canal. Note, the monumental obelisk to a local landowner, Sir William Richard Cosway, who died in a coaching accident. At the T-junction by the road-bridge, turn right.

*** Our lane heads back out onto the Marsh for around a mile. Take the first left turn. This lane will pass Honeywood Farm and you will reach a T-junction at the end - turn right.

A few hundred yards later you will reach a T-junction with the Newchurch road - turn left. Shortly after this is a staggered junction - the building on the corner was once Bonnington’s pub. 

Turn left and then right onto Lower Wall Road, which runs along the bottom of the greensand hills (Noel Coward's former home can viewed upon the escarpment). Take the left turn towards the hills after a couple of miles (Aldergate Lane). After bridging the canal, turn right onto the gravel trail. As you ride, you may see the wild animals of Port Lympne Zoo Park to your left. A little further along, the hills are occupied by Lympne Castle and the remains of the Roman ‘Stutfall’ Castle further down the slope. Lympne was indeed a port in this era.

The trail continues across the lane when you reach West Hythe village, and further on there is a ‘listening ear’ dish upon the hillside, designed to detect incoming enemy aircraft from across The English Channel in the days before RADAR. Upon reaching Scanlons Bridge Road at Hythe (nearest railway station = Sandling), the canal path swaps to the south bank. The path crosses Dymchurch Road and Stade Street and upon reaching Twiss Road the cycle path returns to the north bank. A couple of miles later, the path brings us out onto the A259 at Seabrook - the end of the canal. Turn right and use the sea-wall/national cycle route 2 via Sandgate to reach Folkestone, and find the railway station if returning by train.

Canal westbound: From Folkestone to Hythe (6m) and Hamstreet (18/19m)

The Royal Military Canal begins at Seabrook, which can be reached via the sea-wall/national cycle route 2 from Folkestone harbour, via Sandgate.

Join the A259 when the sea-wall comes away from the main road near a petrol station. Pass the petrol station on your left and look for the beginning of the canal path 300 yards later on your left hand side (it is just after a grassy area on the left). Follow this the trail for two miles until it reaches Twiss Road, beyond which the route switches to the south bank.

The path crosses Stade Street and Dymchurch Road. After crossing Scanlon's Bridge Road by the light railway station, it swaps back to the north bank, beginning as a narrow roadway. The road eventally becomes a gravel path, and as you leave the town, note the ‘listening ear’ dish upon the hillside, designed to detect incoming enemy aircraft from across The English Channel in the days before RADAR. 

The trail continues across the road at West Hythe village. As you ride on, look right to view Lympne Castle and the remains of the Roman ‘Stutfall’ Castle further down the slope. A little further on you may glimpse the wild animals of Port Lympne Zoo Park.

Sadly the bike-friendly part of the towpath ends at Aldergate Lane Bridge. We turn left to go over across and along Aldergate Lane until reaching a T-junction. Turn right onto Lower Wall Road and follow this for two miles. At the end, there is a staggered junction. Turn left and then right towards Newchurch - the building on the corner was once Bonnington’s pub.

Take the next turning right and turn left shortly afterwards onto the lane passing Honeywood Farm. At the end of this lane turn right towards Bilsington. Note, the monumental obelisk to a local landowner, Sir William Richard Cosway, who died in a coaching accident. At the canal bridge one has a choice. (If you feel able to lift your bike over a gate/fence, continue ahead up the hill and turn left onto the B2067 at Bilsington crossroads, by the White Horse pub. After a mile of undulations you will reach Ruckinge. Turn left after the Blue Anchor pub and then right onto the canal path immediately after the bridge. The first 3/4 mile is designated 'footpath.' The landowner is tolerant towards cyclists if they show respect, although it may be best to walk with your bike until a byway joins from the left, after you pass the brick pumping station. Continue ahead to the end of the trail at Hamstreet bridge, where our route continues at the point marked ***). 

Our slightly longer 'official' route turns left onto Tar Pot Lane at Bilsington canal bridge and we are reunited briefly with the canal bank before the lane heads back out into the Marsh. At the end of the lane, continue ahead onto the byway. This becomes a grass track shortly after passing Lord's Farm. As the route progresses, you will encounter three right-angle bends – right, left and right again at the junction of byways. Please close and fasten all gates.

Upon reaching the canal bank, turn left and make the most of the canal-side trail to Hamstreet bridge***, where we turn right to pass the garden centre and head into the village. Hamstreet was once featured in map form on a series of stamps to commemorate 200 years of the Ordnance Survey, who began their first countrywide survey near the village. Continue ahead at the crossroads by The Duke's Head for the railway station.

Extending the route: This guide does not cover the western half of the canal due to it using busier, faster paced roads. However, completists may wish to continue using the B2067 (Hamstreet-Kenardington), Appledore Road/Kenardington Road, The Street (Appledore) and Military Road which runs beside the canal from Appledore to Rye. There is a also a grassy bridleway beside the River Brede (which multiplexes with the canal) from Harbour Road, Rye to Sea Road, Winchelsea.

Link to Tenterden (11m) - byway & national cycle route 18

Hamstreet to Tenterden: From Hamstreet crossroads, take the B2067 towards Tenterden. You will pass beneath two bridges and climb gently for a mile. Take the right turn onto Malthouse Lane which climbs some more and enters Orlestone Forest. The Weald of Kent was once completely covered with thick woodland of this kind. A mile later, we reach the T-junction with Birchett Lane. Turn left and then right a few hundred yards later, onto the hard-surfaced trail heading northwest.

Be warned, this route can be quite muddy in winter. After a mile, there are two ninety-degree bends. A quarter of a mile later, a byway exits left; do not take this - continue ahead. Shortly after this another trail exits right – again continue straight ahead. 

You will eventually emerge to open farmland and meet Shadoxhurst Road, where we take a right turn.

At the next T-junction, turn left and follow the blue 'cycle route 18' signs - across two crossroads on Plurenden Rd, left at the next T-junction onto Harbourne Lane, right at the next junction onto Swain Rd, then left onto Ox Lane at the top of the hill, and left again onto the A28 at the Fat Ox.

Tenterden to Hamstreet: Head towards Ashford on the A28, turning right at the Fax Ox pub. Turn right at the end of Ox Lane onto Swain Road and follow the blue cycleway signs. After descending through trees, bear left at the T-junction and turn right at the end of Harbourne Lane. Continue ahead passing Redbrook Street crossroads and over the crossroads with Bethersden Road. 

At the end of the lane turn right onto local cycle route 11, turning left onto the byway very soon after. Follow this byway into the woods and onward when a trail joins from the left and also when another byway exits right. At the end of the byway, turn left onto Birchett Lane and then right at the T-junction a few hundred yards later onto Malthouse Lane. You will eventually descend to a T-junction with the B2067. Turn left to descend for a mile to Hamstreet crossroads.

Ashford circular route (19 miles) or one way (9 miles) - bridleway, cycle routes and byway

This route can be used for a one way trip to Ashford (train back) or as a complete circuit. If starting from Ashford, head south under the brick subway beneath the railway station and turn right to begin with Part 2. Note, the wooded sections can be muddy.

Part 1: Head towards Hythe along the one-way street from Hamstreet crossroads and take the second left turn onto Bourne Lane (by the World War II pillbox). At the end of the lane, bear right, through the gate into Hamstreet Woods. Our bridleway bears immediately left, and around a hundred yards later it forks right. Stay on the wide surfaced path for a mile to the top of the woods. Go through the gate at the end, and shortly afterwards turn left at the T-junction with Gill Lane byway. 

Continue ahead where the Saxon Shore Way exits right along a farm track. 300 yards later you will reach a road junction; turn right. At the next junction turn left to head northward. You will reach a crossroads at the end of this lane. Continue ahead onto Brisley Lane and follow this all the way to the end.

Turn left to head northward, and at Bliby crossroads around 400 yards later, turn left again towards Kingsnorth.

At the T-junction a mile ahead, bear left over the railway and A2070 bridge. Follow the road round to the right as it becomes Violet Way. Then look for the Violet Way 'cul de sac' turning on the left and pick up the path from this, taking care to give way to pedestrians. Eventually another surfaced path will branch off to the left - take this path.

Continue ahead near Furley Park school, and at the end of the path is a metal gate. Turn right onto the next path and follow this across Reed Crescent (via the traffic island to the left as the route joins the road) and Bluebell Road, so that you are now riding the cycle route beside Sheepfold Lane. This is all part of the Park Farm Estate.

After crossing Roman Road, use the crossing over Sheepfold Lane and follow the path out to the A2070 between fences. Cross this road and follow the cycle route past the roundabout, beneath the road bridge and on across meadows beside the railway line, until reaching the end.

Turn left here and follow the natural course of the cycle path past the bus stops, over the zebra crossing and along the left-hand-side of the tented designer shopping outlet. At the end, cross Newtown Road and continue ahead towards the international railway station. (For the town centre turn right to pass beneath the brick subway - mind your heads - and turn left afterwards, following the signs beyond.)

Part 2: To ride to Hamstreet, you can either retrace the route of Part 1, or for a slightly longer ride back follow the road onward towards the international station. Bear left with the road, picking up the cycleway beside it, passing beneath a dual carriageway bridge and to the right of a multi-storey car-park. Cross Beaver Road and continue ahead on the cycleway. At Victoria Park, continue ahead, passing the fountain and follow the cycleway to Brookfield Road. Turn right and then follow the cycleway on your left, passing Singleton Lake. Upon reaching Bucksford Lane, turn left. Continue ahead at the staggered junction and climb Singleton Hill, onward and upward at the roundabout.

Turn left at the top of the hill and then right to descend to the hamlet of Chilmington. Turn left at the end of the road and then right onto Chart Road. At the end of this lane turn left to emerge by the Kings Head pub in Shadoxhurst. Turn right here and continue ahead out of the village towards Woodchurch. Continue ahead when national cycle route 18 exits right towards Tenterden, and look for the byway on your left.

Follow this byway into the woods and on ahead as a trail joins from the left and also when another byway exits right. At the end of the byway, turn left onto Birchett Lane and then right at the T-junction a few hundred yards later onto Malthouse Lane. You will eventually descend to a T-junction with the B2067. Turn left to descend for a mile to Hamstreet crossroads.

Quick 'four seasons' route to Ashford (6.5 miles) 

This is a quicker route to Ashford for cyclists who are more experienced with traffic. It uses the old road to Ashford which heads north from the crossroads under the railway bridge. Follow this road for around four miles, up the long hill, along the straight, ahead at Bromley Green Crossroads and past the entrance to Ashford Town's 'Homelands' football ground. Turn right at the next crossroads (signed 'Mersham') onto Steeds Lane. Take the next turning left onto Bond Lane. At the end of this road, turn left and then turn right onto the gravel path near where the road enters a 30 limit.

Follow this across Reed Crescent (via the traffic island to the left as the route joins the road) and Bluebell Road, so that you are now riding the cycle route beside Sheepfold Lane. This is all part of the Park Farm Estate.

After crossing Roman Road, use the crossing over Sheepfold Lane and follow the path out to the A2070 between fences. Cross this road and follow the cycle route past the roundabout, beneath the road bridge and on across meadows beside the railway line, until reaching the end.

Turn left here and follow the natural course of the cycle path past the bus stops, over the zebra crossing and along the left-hand-side of the tented designer shopping outlet. At the end, cross Newtown Road and continue ahead towards the international railway station. (For the town centre turn right to pass beneath the brick subway - mind your heads - and turn left afterwards, following the signs beyond.) To return to Hamstreet, merely retrace this route.

Ruckinge circular route (5 miles) - bridleway and byways

Head towards Hythe along the one-way street from Hamstreet crossroads and take the second left turn onto Bourne Lane (by the World War II pillbox). At the end of the lane, bear right, through the gate into Hamstreet Woods. Our bridleway bears immediately left, and around a hundred yards later it forks right. Stay on the wide surfaced path for a mile to the top of the woods. Go through the gate at the end, and shortly afterwards turn left at the T-junction with Gill Lane byway. 

Continue ahead where the Saxon Shore Way exits right along a farm track. 300 yards later you will reach a road junction; turn right. At the next junction continue straight ahead onto the byway and follow it all the way into the woods, around a sharp right-hand bend and down to the B2067, where we turn right to Ruckinge, passing the Blue Anchor pub which was once frequented by smugglers. 

The B2067 continues to Hamstreet, but the canal path is an off-road alternative, although you may have to lift your bike over a gate. For this, turn left at the T-junction, and then right onto the canal path immediately after the bridge. The first 3/4 mile is designated 'footpath.' The landowner is tolerant towards cyclists if they show respect, although it may be best to walk with your bike until a byway joins from the left after you pass the brick pumping station. Continue ahead to the end of the trail at Hamstreet bridge (by the garden centre) and turn right to return to the village centre.

Shadoxhurst circular route (11 miles) - byways 

Follow the Tenterden Link to the end of the woodland byway, turning right onto Shadoxhurst Road and continue ahead to Shadoxhurst. Turn right at the junction as you enter the village (the King's Head pub is 100 yards straight ahead here). Follow this lane past Shadoxhurst church, and after a sharp right-hand bend look for the byway on your left. 

Follow this byway through woodlands, eventually emerging onto Hornash Lane, where we turn right. Take great care crossing the old Ashford to Hamstreet Road at the end of the lane and continue ahead onto Bromley Green Road. Continue ahead at the next crossroads onto Poundhurst Road, which bridges the railway and A2070.. 

1/4 mile after bridging the A2070 and railway line, the lane bears sharply left; continue ahead at this point, onto Gill Lane. This will eventually become a track. Bear right to follow the bridleway down to a gate and onward through Hamstreet Woods nature reserve. Stay on the wide surfaced trail, and at the other end exit the woods to follow Bourne Lane into the village. Turn left at the end onto the one-way street (by the World War II pill-box), then right at the end onto Cock Lane, and right again into The Street.  

Snargate circular route (9 miles) or Fairfield (13 miles) - lanes 

For a pleasant route using lanes that is almost entirely flat, head south from Hamstreet village along Marsh Road (signed 'New Romney'), crossing the canal bridge, until reaching the A2070 at Johnson's Corner. Johnson was a heroic pilot who lost his life crash-landing his plane here after allowing his crew to parachute to safety. Take great care turning left onto the A2070 and then right immediately onto Ham Mill Lane, which bears right as it heads southwards. This is a pleasant winding lane. Follow it ahead over the crossroads after two miles, passing farms, and continue ahead all the way to the end of the lane. You will emerge onto the B2080 near Snargate Church opposite the Red Lion pub - a unique alehouse serving beer straight from the barrel, with a decor that has been virtually untouched in the last century (closed Mondays).

Turn right to ride westward along the B2080 towards Tenterden and take the second turning right (Arrowhead Lane - signed 'Warehorne'). (If you wish to make a 4-mile round trip to see St Thomas a Becket church at Fairfield, which is located in the middle of a field, take the first turning left off of the B2080 onto Snargate Lane instead. You will cross a level crossing and at the end of the lane, turn right for the final mile to the church along Brack Lane. It is 'footpath only' across the fields to the church. Return by retracing your route to the B2080, then turn left and then right 1/4 mile later onto Arrowhead Lane).

Follow the lane northward ahead at all junctions for two miles, crossing the canal and railway line and then climbing to the scattered community of Warehorne. You will pass St Matthew's Church and the sixteenth century Woolpack Inn. 1/3 mile beyond this you will reach Leacon crossroads. Turn right for a one-mile gentle cruise downhill on the B2067 back to Hamstreet.