The Brampton Valley Way & Northamptonshire - a Cycling Perambulation

I've got another cycling narrative for you, and this time we're off to exotic Northampton. Having undertaken this trip in mid-September, the weekend in question seemed like the last chance to undertake a short camping adventure in 2017.

I alighted from my train in England's second biggest town without 'city' status after Reading, although locals will still tell you that the epithet 'largest' belongs to Northampton. Heading north along suburban roads, I spied a corner shop. However, with none of those 'animal fat' fivers and tenners in my pocket, my options were a 50p charge for using a card or a cash machine that charged £1.85. Considering I only wanted a can of soft drink, I ditched my own advice to support the little man and headed for Asda instead. The shame!

I then took a path behind some houses and industrial units out to a road, bridged the railway and picked up the Brampton Valley Way, -an old track-bed I'd cycled this time last year and wanted to revisit. According to Wikipedia, the railway line closed relatively late in 1981 – I guess we can't blame Dr. Beeching for this one.

There are lots of little viaducts over fields on the route and a couple of miles where the path runs beside a preserved section of the line. The scenery of gentle rolling hills is 'pleasant in an unspectacular way,' to apply William Cobbett's quotation about my own local area in Kent to a different county. However, I soon had to shelter beneath my tarpaulin on a bank during a shower. My blind optimism about the weather had failed me. After the weekend I would know once and for all whether to trust the forecast and if a high of 14 degrees and a low of 7 degrees is tolerable for my basic kind of camping.

Although I'd ridden through them last year, the two tunnels of 400m+ were still a bit scary, with no lighting as you head towards that distant arch of light at the other end. However both paled into insignificance compared to the pitch-black Netherton Tunnel on the Birmingham Canal network which I cycled last year – at 1.7 miles, this really got the pulse racing. I did pass one other cyclist as I rode through, so perhaps I'm not the only one who relishes a ride where you see absolutely nothing!

While I was telling you about that, we've passed into Leicestershire and arrived at Market Harborough (roughly twenty miles north from my starting point), I headed for Wetherspoons. I enjoyed this pub much more at 5pm, than last year when I got there mid-evening and found it to be packed to capacity. I sat in a booth, charged my phone, dried my tarpaulin and wrote up my notes on the journey so far. As time progressed the voices around me got louder and the language grew more colourful. Time to go!

I picked up a lane eastward which was like a switchback ride with all its undulations. The views were pleasant as dusk fell, and I rode a brief semi-circle through the small town of Desborough. Now heading south, the next town I reached was Rothwell, where I got a delicious kebab and some supplies in a shop. A woman was having an argument with herself as I ate sitting on a wall. I suppose it's one way to make sure you always win in a debate! The town was certainly lively for a place of its size and I had a wander around the square, pausing outside the church to listen to a brass band inside.

It was dark as I rode the lane towards Kettering (north side). After passing a huge industrial building that reflected the streetlights around it, looking like a streak of sunset in the sky from a distance, I took a gravel path which curved into the woods, and found a place to camp. I was a little worried as the cold ground was sapping my heat by 10pm and the temperature was to drop another four degrees. Wearing my coat in the sleeping bag solved this, although the drips from the trees weren't particularly welcome.

The following day I got up at about 7.45 and rode into Kettering. There was a handy cycle path by the road nearly all the way to the centre, which on an Sunday morning was as silent as one of those tunnels. Lacking imagination, I headed for McDonalds for breakfast. Beyond, my ride presented me with a long climb up from crossing the River Ise to the little town of Barton Latimer.

My route back to Northampton mostly consisted of one long, relatively flat lane, which would put many Kent B-roads to shame in its directness. The ride to Little Harrowden and past Sywell Airfield was stunningly quiet apart from the odd passing cyclist, but once I hit the edge of Northampton this all changed. The five-mile, gradually descending suburban road to the centre reminded me of the A5 going into London.

Sadly, my reliance on big chains continued as I headed for another Wetherspoons for lunch. This one was called The Cordwainer (which means shoemaker) and I sat upstairs and tucked into an avocado bagel and salad. An old man had joked about being a gentleman for not pushing in front of me at the bar. Obviously the requirements for being a gentleman these days are less stringent than of yore! The lack of a queuing system is a common problem with these large pubs (I've walked out my local branch before). The bar steward usually asks 'Who's next?' and about a dozen people reply. The largest one then invariably gets served first.

There were no such problems in Northampton on a Sunday lunchtime, and after a couple of pints I merrily wended my way to the station and put the lid on my camping trips for 2017. There are plenty more to read about in my book, 'Stair Rods and Stars.' The digital editions of most my books are now free, so if you've enjoyed this narrative, why not have a look on Kindle, iBooks, etc. and go 'the full cycle?'

The New Forest & Bournemouth - a Cycling Perambulation

The journey from Kent to the New Forest by train is something of an epic, although remarkably cheap if you travel along the South Coast via Brighton and Southampton. I alighted at Brockenhurst, with the feeling that astronauts must get after travelling to the moon and first setting foot on the lunar landscape as I headed south along a B-road. My aim was to cycle a former railway track-bed to Ringwood, but a sign said 'Residents Only' (or words to that effect) at the point where it left the road. So I decided to ride a big square to get onto the route further west, encountering my first New Forest ponies under a bridge. I then recapped the eastern end of the track-bed and it turned out that perhaps the sign had been aimed at vehicles rather than bikes, for I passed many other cyclists oblivious to this prohibition.

Resuming a westward course, after a few miles I reached the remnants of a station where an elderly couple warned me so that I didn't ride over an adder. The old man remarked that it looked beautiful, but having never been a huge fan of snakes I politely voiced a counter-opinion! We watched it slither away into the long grass, and breathing a sigh of relief, I continued. Yet, within a few minutes of resuming my ride, I nearly rode over another one. The snake coiled upon itself in defence and I vowed to get well out of this area before thinking about camping. Later, when I crossed a lane, the way it curved up the hillside reminded me of the shape of the snake, but I found this much more attractive (sorry, nature lovers!).

At the end of the track, I turned right towards the village of Burley and took a short cut up Honey Lane (a pleasant name for a muddy track). About six ponies were coming the other way, like a family out for an afternoon stroll. After more lanes and a short resurgence of the track-bed, I headed into Ringwood. A hiker asked me for the very specific amount of £1.50. Thinking he might be homeless I took pity, but afterwards felt that I might have been conned. It's always so tricky to know what is the right thing to do in these situations.

To the south of the town, the railway route continues westward, now named the Castleman Way (or Castleman Corkscrew due to its circuitous route to take in as many towns as possible between Brockenhurst and Poole). It bridged a few rivers and was a straight, lightly forested route, at times running as two trails side by side.

I decided to stop at a pub in the village of West Moors. Relaxing with a pint, I took in the vibes of the radio station which was playing non-stop rock classics. The bar staff said they receive mixed opinions from their customers but thanked me for my complimentary feedback (guitarist's pun intended). I enjoyed a healthy salmon dinner before moving on.

The route beyond deviated from the old rail route, using various woodland tracks, eventually steering me onto the main road into Wimborne Minster. At Leigh Common, I headed into the woods in search of a camping spot. There was a trail on a wooden platform over wetlands – the longest of its kind that I've seen. I eventually made my bed beside a fence. Some young men in fields nearby seemed to be getting drunk, and when they went quiet, some noisy teenage girls started shrieking with merriment. Naturally, I kept as inconspicuous as possible until my eyelids grew heavy and the revelry subsided.

It amazed me that the footpath behind the fence was busy even before it got light. After some dozing, I packed everything away and rode into Wimborne Minster, choosing a Polish cafe for a traditional English breakfast. I had a look inside the minster before taking a course southward from the town, accidentally frequenting the ladies' - twice! The funny look I got the second time was what gave the game away.

Rejoining the track-bed, which now began a long descent towards Poole, tiredness began to encroach, so I stopped for a rest in a wooded glade near where the path bridges the mighty A35. I used my rucksack as a pillow and actually dozed, dreaming in sounds only (strange things happen when asleep in the woods!).

After the bridge there were some estate roads (these look the same in every town) and soon after I got a bit lost, finding my way through Upton Park, to a path which ran along the top of Poole Harbour. The harbour is often claimed to be the second largest natural harbour in the world after Sydney. This upper part is also a nature reserve (read 'covered with algae'). When I reached Poole 'Old Town,' I decided to explore. The Lower High Street was very quaint, but further up were all the usual stores (like those suburbs – the same in every town – except in my home town where far too many shops are displaying 'To Let' signs to befit the 'boom town' epithet often bestowed upon it). I returned to a pub in the quaint part and took in the vibes of the beer garden, after watching an elderly couple drink up rapidly and leave having been blasted with rave music from the juke box inside. I knew it was a mistake when they came in and sat right beneath the speaker.

The next part of the ride along Poole Harbour was the day's high point, with views to Brownsea Island (site of Baden-Powell's first scout camp) and the Purbeck Hills across the water and a pleasant green ever to my left on the landward side. However, disappointment followed at the end of Shore Road – I wanted to ride the sea-wall to Bournemouth but bikes aren't allowed on the esplanade in July and August. An RNLI collector ventured, 'You're probably wondering why we are here?' I replied, 'To be honest I'm wondering if I can bike along this sea-wall!' His response was informative, so I put some coins in the bucket before pounding eastwards along the leafy cliff-top roads instead, gently curving, with a suspension footbridge over one of the 'chines.'

I breezed through Bournemouth and on to Boscombe, where I saw the first signs of High Street decline on this trip. I imagine that Internet shopping is to blame for the traditional High Street's struggles along with the perpetual recession and the continued policy of lower tax for businesses locating out of town. I also saw a 'Doctor Who' style police box at the start of the pedestrian area. Maybe such a TARDIS could whizz me back to a time when our High Streets were buzzing!

The rest of the ride took me through interminable suburbs as far as some woodland near the village of Hurn. Here I made the pivotal decision to go home. The threat of rain for most of the next day was one reason, but I was also nearing the New Forest again; as the afternoon progressed I would soon need to find a camping spot and there is a ban on wild camping across the whole of the New Forest (and who would want to with all those snakes?). So another adventure drew to a close. There are plenty more to read about in my book, 'Stair Rods and Stars.' The digital editions of most my books are now free, so if you've enjoyed this narrative, why not have a look on Kindle, iBooks, etc. and go 'the full cycle?'

Hamstreet, Kent - Saxon Shore Walking Routes

[NEW EASY-TO-FOLLOW CIRCULAR WALKS. Last updated June 2025]

The information on this page may be freely copied for use on walks.

New Book on Hamstreet OUT NOW

The village of Hamstreet is surrounded by public woodland including Hamstreet Woods, an area of special scientific interest renowned for the presence of wild service trees and nightingales. 

The routes in this guide explore the contrasting elements of the local area, including Romney Marsh and the banks of the Royal Military Canal. 

Hamstreet is a great base for walkers because of its railway station, coffee shops in both the High Street and garden centre, fish and chip shop, Indian restaurant, shops and the Duke's Head pub (lunchtime dining). Note: locations in capitals are reference points that appear in different walks; wordings in italics are optional alternatives.

Warehorne Loop (3 miles) - Saxon Shore Way and Canal Path

Head towards Tenterden along the B2067 from the village crossroads. Use the road crossing beneath the arched railway bridge and continue to the road bridge (on the right-hand side there is a path parallel to the road along Waylett Crescent and back down to the B2067). After passing beneath the A2070 bridge, climb the steps on your left. A short distance along this stony path, there is a stile to your right. Climb over and follow the Saxon Shore Way in a straight line towards the church tower across the fields. Passing through a number of swing-gates, the route descends into a dip and climbs again to reach a stile surrounded by bushes at the top right corner of the final field. Cross the stile and follow the driveway ahead, turning right when you reach the lane.

On your right you will see the sixteenth century WOOLPACK INN, which is connected to the church of St Matthew by an underground tunnel. This was built and used for smuggling, a common activity in this area in centuries past.

Take the path, left, via the churchyard and walk around the west side of the building. If you imagine a straight line right through the church bearing slightly left, this is roughly the route of the footpath down to the lane via the bushes to the left of the house at the bottom. When you emerge back onto the lane, bear right to cross the level crossing and continue down to Warehorne Canal Bridge. The Royal Military Canal was built as a line of defence against a feared invasion from Napoleon. A footpath follows its banks for the full 28 miles from Cliff End (near Hastings) to Seabrook (near Folkestone). 

To return to Hamstreet, cross the stile on your left immediately before WAREHORNE CANAL BRIDGE and head eastward along the bank of the canal. You will pass a World War II pillbox and upon reaching the A2070 (Hamstreet Bypass), cross the canal bridge and the road to continue eastward along the south bank of the canal. You will eventually reach another road bridge by Hamstreet Garden Centre. Turn left to walk along the grass verge beside the road, northward into the village. Just after passing Mountain Farm on your right, there is a footpath on your left, which runs parallel to the road behind the hedge as you enter the village – a quiet alternative across a field and Pound Leas recreation ground to the car park in The Street, beyond which you will pass the Victorian 'Church of the Good Shepherd' (former chapel).

Kenardington Loop (5½ miles) - Saxon Shore Way and Canal Path

Use the previous route to get to Warehorne, but continue along the lane past the church and WOOLPACK INN. Take the drive to a farm on the left, and almost immediately take the Saxon Shore Way through the swing-gate on the right, across the field. As you descend across the middle of the sloping second field, head for the right-hand side of the row of trees at the bottom. Pass through the swing-gate and head southwest, diagonally across the field towards Kenardington church, lining yourself up with the three bridges that cross the dykes. At this low point, it is easy to realise why the Saxon Shore Way is so-called, for these fields would have been covered by water many centuries ago.

It is a gentle climb to St Mary’s Church, which occupies the site of a Saxon camp that was stormed by the Danes in the ninth century. After passing the church the Saxon Shore Way turns left into the field. Follow the right-hand field-edge until you reach a lane. Turn left onto this lane and follow it downhill. There is a T-junction at the bottom of the hill; bear left here.

When you reach the Royal Military Canal, turn left just before the bridge to follow the Canal Path. As you head back towards Warehorne you will notice the church on the hill ahead. The path is bridged by the railway line and eventually reaches a lane. Bear right and then cross the stile on your left immediately before WAREHORNE CANAL BRIDGE to continue eastward along the bank of the canal for the end of the 'Warehorne loop' to return to Hamstreet.

Hamstreet Village Circumnavigation (2½ miles) - mixed terrain paths

From the crossroads head south through the High Street, passing the Cosy Kettle cafe on your left. When you are nearing the village sign (pause to read the plaque), look for a passageway on your left. Take this footpath around the back of the houses and cross Cock Lane, continuing straight ahead along the edge of the playing field and across the loop of Fairfield Terrace housing estate. The path continues directly onward up the driveway and into the field, right over the top of Cotton Hill and down the other side. Don’t forget to enjoy the views both ways at the summit.

The path goes through the gate to the right of the farmhouse at the bottom of the hill and then turns diagonally left to emerge onto the B2067 via a stile beneath a tree. Turn left to head back towards the village along the road, climbing the hill, taking great care. Just beyond the brow of the hill, you will notice a track-way on your right, signed ‘Orlestone Rise’. Wander up this track and at the end on your left you will find the entrance to Hamstreet Woods.

Follow the path (known as School Ride) into the woods, descending steeply. The path crosses Main Ride and descends some more, gradually curving right to end at a T-junction with ‘Stickles Path’; turn left to descend and cross the bridge, exiting the woods onto Bourne Lane. Pass through the swing-gate to your right and then another swing-gate immediately left. The path now heads along the left-hand field-edge. You will pass through a housing development and then climb a slope to the station. Use the steps or lift to cross the footbridge and walk down the car park on the opposite side of the station.

Turn right onto the opposite pavement along Ashford Road and then left up a steep gravel track. Where the track bends sharply to the right follow the surfaced path ahead, eventually descending across the field. Take the left-hand fork where the path splits at the bottom, and upon reaching Warehorne Road, turn left to follow the B2067 back to the village centre. Use the crossing beneath the railway bridge to change sides and follow the pavement back to the crossroads.

(For a quiet detour there is a footpath between fences on the right-hand side which is channelled around some ninety-degree bends and crosses a footbridge. It can sometimes be quite brambly and when you eventually reach a driveway, turn right and follow this back out to the main street. Turn left to return to the main village crossroads.)

Ruckinge Loop (6 miles) - surfaced sections of Saxon Shore Way and Canal Path

A variation on this route was featured in the 'Top 50 best summer walks in Britain' in the Independent newspaper.

Head towards Hythe along the one-way street from the village crossroads and take the second turning left onto Bourne Lane. At the end of the lane, bear right, through the gate into Hamstreet Woods. 

As you enter the woods the Saxon Shore Way bridges a stream and bears sharp left. Then after around a hundred yards it forks right. Stay on the wide surfaced trail which runs right through the middle of the woods, gradually climbing for around a mile until it reaches a GATE AT THE TOP OF THE WOODS. Go through the gate and continue up to the T-junction with Gill Lane byway. 

Bear left and climb out of the woods along the byway. The Saxon Shore Way then exits right along a farm track, while we continue ahead on Gill Lane (Greensand Way). 300 yards later you will reach a junction; turn right, taking great care as this lane is narrow and bounded by hedges.

Several hundred yards later, you will reach another junction with a gravel-surfaced byway leading straight ahead eastward. Follow this all the way into the woods, around the sharp right-hand bend and on for around a mile descending to meet the B2067 near Herne Farm.

Turn right, walking westward along the road for a quarter of a mile to Ruckinge village. This is a historic settlement because of its smuggling connections; it is believed that the notorious Ransley brothers were hanged at Penenden Heath, Maidstone and buried in Ruckinge churchyard (St Mary Magdalene). 

Our route turns left at the T-junction after passing the former Blue Anchor pub to pass the former chapel. (Feel free to continue along the B2067 for an optional detour to visit the parish church of St Mary Magdalene. If you enter the churchyard, look for the footpath on the left-hand side of the church and follow this roughly due southeast down to the lane.)

Cross the bridge on the lane over the Royal Military Canal. It is now just a simple matter of turning right to follow the canal path back to Hamstreet. When you reach Hamstreet Bridge around a mile and a half later, turn right, and follow the road past the garden centre back into the village. Just after passing Mountain Farm on your right, there is a footpath on your left, which runs parallel to the road behind the hedge as you enter the village – a quiet alternative across a field and Pound Leas recreation ground to the car park in The Street, beyond which you will pass the Victorian 'Church of the Good Shepherd' (former chapel).

(If you wish to try an alternative route into Hamstreet Woods, head south from Hamstreet Crossroads and turn left down the alleyway opposite the church. Follow this over the little bridge, past the bowling green and straight over the road (B2067) to pass the duck-pond and climb through Carters Wood housing estate. Turn left when you reach a T-junction of estate roads, and when the road reaches a dead end, turn left through the narrow entrance into the woods. This path curves to the right and soon becomes wider and dead-straight (Main Ride). Follow this all the way to the end where it meets the surfaced Gill Farm Track. Turn right to continue up to the GATE AT THE TOP OF THE WOODS and on as instructed above.)

Orlestone Loop (2 miles) - mixed terrain paths

Head towards Hythe along the one-way street from the village crossroads and take the second turning left onto Bourne Lane. At the end of the lane, pass through the swing-gate and continue straight ahead. Heading north along the left-hand edge of the field, you will soon reach the railway embankment, climb this and cross the line carefully. This Ashford to Hastings line is one of only two remaining diesel lines in the provincial South-East.

Descend the embankment to a modern housing development. Follow the surfaced path roughly due north along the edge of the estate. Beyond this, the path climbs along the edge of a field and passes underneath the bypass, opened in 1994.  After the underpass the path curves to the right and then left to continue along the left-hand side of the next field. Continue as you pass a house and tennis courts on your left. Next you will pass a pond behind St Mary's Church where the path bears slightly left to continue across the field.

You will soon reach a CROSSROADS OF FOOTPATHS. Turn sharp left at the post to take the path which is slightly diagonal across the field to reach the lane. Our walk continues straight across, but those wishing to explore the church can detour left at this point. This hamlet, centred around St Mary’s church was once the centre of population. When the flat-lands of Romney Marsh were drained, the population decamped to the more southerly location of Hamstreet, then known merely as ‘Ham’. It was the coming of the railway in 1851 that ultimately led to the growth of this village.

 (If you fancy a bramble-free surfaced route back, turn right onto the lane heading away from St Mary's Church. This eventually meets the old Ashford Road where a left turn can be taken back to Hamstreet along the pavement - approx ¾ mile.)

Beyond the lane, our footpath crosses a lawn and passes to the left of a pond to descend across the next field to the old Ashford Road - beware, the stiles out to the road can be brambly. Turn left and return to the village centre down the hill on the pavement, passing the school and railway station.

Packing Wood Loop (4 miles) - mostly unsurfaced paths

Follow the route of the ‘Orlestone Loop’ as the CROSSROADS OF FOOTPATHS just after passing behind Orlestone Church. For this route, continue straight ahead northward, briefly passing through woodland and emerging into a large field with the edge of the wood to your right. Continue ahead along the field edge. The path soon bears diagonally right (roughly due northeast) across the field out to Capel Road where you turn right.

Walk along the road until you see a small public footpath on your right (note this is around 300 yards beyond the wide gravel entrance to the woods). This path leads into Packing Wood, which was estranged from the rest of Hamstreet Woods when the bypass sliced through the middle in 1994.

Upon reaching a wide grassy trail, turn right to follow this through the woods for half a mile. At a staggered junction of paths bear right onto a grassy public footpath and then right again a hundred yards later to head back into the trees. Continue on this public footpath for the next half a mile, out of the woods and on across the field, back to a familiar CROSSROADS OF FOOTPATHS, where you will be able to continue onward and slightly left to the lane at Orlestone to complete the ‘Orlestone loop’ back to Hamstreet.

Hamstreet, Kent - Saxon Shore Cycling Routes

[NEW EASY-TO-FOLLOW RIDES. Last updated June 2025]

New Book on Hamstreet OUT NOW

The village of Hamstreet is situated on the ancient Saxon Shoreline in Kent, now separated from the sea by Romney Marsh. The wooded hills around the village contrast with the Royal Military Canal, a 28-mile defensive structure built in response to a feared attack by Napoleon. 

Hamstreet is a great base for cyclists because of its railway station, coffee shops in both the High Street and garden centre, fish and chip shop, Indian restaurant, shops and the Duke's Head pub (lunchtime dining). The routes here include circular routes for all abilities and quiet routes to local Kent towns. Note: locations in capitals are reference points that appear in different routes; wordings in italics are optional extras.

Quick 'four seasons' route to Ashford (7½ miles) - former main road and suburban cycle paths

This is a quick route to Ashford for cyclists who are reasonably comfortable with traffic. It uses the old road to Ashford which heads north from the crossroads in Hamstreet 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 United’s 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 onto the road and then turn right onto the gravel path near where the road enters a 30 limit.

Follow this path across grassland down to Reed Crescent. Cross via the traffic island as the route meets the road and continue. At the end of this short section of path cross Bluebell Road, and continue ahead so that you are now riding the cycle route beside Sheepfold Lane (there is a park to the left). 

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

Turn left here and follow the natural course of this cycle path past the bus stops, over the zebra crossing at Kimberley Way and bearing left to run along the outside of the tented designer shopping outlet (with the A2042 dual carriageway on your left-hand side). At the end of this section, 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 immediately afterwards, following the signs beyond.

Leisure route to Ashford (9 miles) - woodland bridleway, former main road and suburban cycle paths

This route has been recommended to Sustrans by this site's author as an 'official' link between Hamstreet and Ashford.

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. The bridleway (Saxon Shore Way) bears immediately left, and around a hundred yards later it forks right. Stay on the 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; continue ahead, northward, on Poundhurst Road. This lane bridges the A2070 and the railway. At the crossroads, continue ahead onto Bromley Green Road. Follow this through the long, scattered settlement until reaching a crossroads with Ashford Road. Take great care turning right. Follow this former main road past the entrance to Ashford United’s FOOTBALL GROUND and use the 'four seasons' route above from this point.

Ruckinge circular route (6 miles) - surfaced woodland trails (possible mud in winter)

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. The bridleway (Saxon Shore Way) bears immediately left, and around a hundred yards later it forks right. Stay on the 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 then down to the B2067. Turn right to Ruckinge (you will pass the former Blue Anchor pub just before the T-junction). 

Turn left at the T-junction, and then right onto the canal path immediately after crossing 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. You may have to lift your bike over a gate although the path is usually unobstructed. 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) - lanes and surfaced woodland trails (possible mud in winter)

From Hamstreet crossroads, take the B2067 towards Tenterden. You will pass beneath two bridges and climb gently for a mile past vineyards. 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 after a few hundred yards turn right 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 (left then right). Continue straight ahead at all subsequent junctions. You will eventually emerge to open farmland and meet SHADOXHURST ROAD. Turn right here and ride for around a mile to Shadoxhurst. Turn right onto Church Lane 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. Again, mud is likely in winter. You will eventually emerge onto Hornash Lane, where our route turns 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 the A2070.

1/3 mile after the bridge the lane bears sharply left; continue straight ahead (southward) at this point, onto Gill Lane. This will eventually become a track descending gently into woodland. Bear right to follow the bridleway (Saxon Shore Way) down to a gate and onward through Hamstreet Woods nature reserve. Stay on the surfaced trail right through the woods, 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 (8½ miles) or Fairfield (12½ miles) - flat Romney Marsh 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 turn right immediately onto Ham Mill Lane, which bears right, away from the A2070 as it heads southwards. After a couple of miles continue ahead at the crossroads (where Snargate is signed in two directions). The lane passes through a farm and winds its way to 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 onto ARROWHEAD LANE (signed 'Warehorne'). Follow the lane northward, ahead at all junctions for two miles, eventually crossing the canal and the 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 here for a one-mile gentle cruise downhill on the B2067 back to Hamstreet.

(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, turn right onto the B2080 at the RED LION pub but take the first turning left off of this road 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 so you will need to secure your bike and walk. Return by retracing your route to the B2080. Turn left when you reach this road, and then right 1/4 mile later onto ARROWHEAD LANE).

Canal route to Hythe (13½ miles) and Seabrook Outfall (15½ miles) - flat ride on towpath and lanes

Head south from Hamstreet village along Marsh Road (signed 'New Romney'), crossing the canal bridge. Turn left immediately onto the canal towpath, a gravel byway. The second half of the towpath to Ruckinge 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 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 Ruckinge Bridge, turn right onto the lane and then left onto TAR POT LANE at the junction a mile later).

From near the PUMPING STATION take the byway route heading south. Bear sharp left after crossing a small bridge and then follow the route around the right angle bends to the right and then left. The final section to Lords Farm camping site is along the edge of a grassy field. Continue past Lords Farm, where the route becomes a driveway. When you reach a lane, continue across it onto TAR POT LANE, heading east and then northward to Bilsington. The lane eventually rejoins the canal albeit briefly. Note, the monumental obelisk on the hill is dedicated to a local landowner, Sir William Richard Cosway, who died in a coaching accident. At the T-junction by the Bilsington Bridge, turn right onto Newchurch Road.

This lane heads back out onto Romney Marsh for around a mile. Take the first left turn onto Honey Wood Lane. At the end of this lane you will reach a T-junction with Frogmore Lane - turn right.

A few hundred yards later you will reach a T-junction with the road from Newchurch - 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 Ridge of hills. After a few miles turn left towards the hills along Aldergate Lane. After bridging the canal, turn right onto the gravel trail which runs beside it all the way to Hythe. 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.

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 (the A259) at Hythe (nearest railway station = Sandling), turn right onto the path to cross the bridge and then cross the road using the crossing. The canal path continues ahead along the south bank. The path crosses Dymchurch Road (the A259) and Stade Street a couple of hundred yards later. Continue ahead over speed bumps until reaching Twiss Road, where the cycle path returns to the north bank. 

This final section of the path runs for a mile and a half until reaching  the A259 at Seabrook - the end of the canal. 

(Turning right and picking up the sea wall is the best traffic-free option if you wish to continue to Folkestone where there are two railway stations.)