Hill Wimp
Fair weathered,fair minded but easily persuaded.
So what's not to like ?
For those of you that don't know and haven't been bored witless by my beach witterings and pictures i am lucky to live in a lovely part of the country on the South Coast in a town called Deal. Forget candy floss, cockles and whelks, think more types of beer and old pubs than you can imagine in staggering distance, lovely lanes and the NCR 1 right along the seafront.
Plan - an open ride either for a day on Saturday 9th July 2016 or a weekend in East Kent. Cycling from the historic city of Canterbury to the medieval town of Sandwich. Route to come later but @HertzvanRental has promised it will be flattish to Sandwich and i can promise you faithfully if you travel onto Deal it's pancake land
Travel - accessible via HS1 from London St Pancras or Ashford International to Canterbury West and no cycle reservations needed.There is a direct train from London at 09:09 for a 10ish start
Food - A picnic can be consumed on the riverbank or you can eat in the numerous hostelries in this small medieval town. There is also a pretty good fish and chip shop and a kebab shop though i doubt if we will manage to drag @potsy this far South.
According to CAMRA ( the real ale bods ) there are 11 pubs serving real ale in the town and the town is the size of Trumpton. Most of the pubs will have several guest ales on during the festival too.
Overnighter - For those that may wish to test the many ales on offer they can stay over night in a nearby campsite ( http://www.sandwich-leisurepark.co.uk/ or B&B http://www.visitsandwich.co.uk/index.htm.
If people want they can have a short leg stretch the following day along the Ancient Highway through Sandwich Bay and the golf courses and along the seafront to Deal and pick up the HS1 back North from there.
The ride will be a gentle one, i'm in recovery and others have mentioned they would like a casual view of the sights en route. Those that wish to blatt to the beer and morris dancers (
@hopless500 used to be one 
) can set the drinks up for later arrivals.It's a staggering distance of roughly 20 miles.
UPDATE 20/6/16
Ok there are two routes to choose from depending on weather and people's feelings on the day. The first is just over 29 miles and takes us from Canterbury West station through the country lanes to Deal and then along the beachfront, through the championship golf courses and along the Ancient highway to Sandwich of just over 17 miles again through the lanes but not via Deal and the beach.
1. http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/1120451629
2. http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/1120466722
The plan is to meet outside Canterbury West Station entrance ( London bound side ), decide on which route and from there experience the gentle Kentish lanes to Sandwich then food and ale with plenty of music and entertainment. We do have to negotiate a small part of the city to get out into the lanes.
@hopless500, her other half and myself will be getting the train to Canterbury via Sandwich. It arrives in Sandwich at 09:41 @deptfordmarmoset if that still suits you?.
A few more photos of the the coastal part of the route and the timetable for the Folk and Ale Festival for those that are staying to enjoy it after the ride.
http://sandwichevents.org.uk/folkandalefestival/programme-2016/
UPDATE 6/6/16
Weather report is good at 19 degrees and dry with a SW breeze.
The train from Deal to Canterbury West departs at 9.34, calls at Sandwich at 9.40 and arrives in Canterbury West at 1024 due to a short change at Ramsgate.
For those who need parking in Sandwich the small station car park is free but if it is full driving away from Sandwich towards Deal over the train gates is St Barts Road first on the right hand side. Parking is unrestricted there and Fordwich Place and is a 5 minute walk back into the centre.
The Ride
We leave Canterbury West on a nice flat and quiet route through to Fordwich, Englands smallest town. From Fordwich we climb up Well Hill to Stodmarsh. This is the worst bit of the ride but if you need to get off and push then so be it. Once at the top we head out through the lanes towards Grove Ferry where we will turn right towards the pretty little village of Preston. At the A257 we cross straight over to the village of Ash. Straight through the village to St Marys Church at Wodensborough and dropping down
Foxborough hill before turning left towards the A256. Here we cross straight over towards Worth and back onto lovely quiet country lanes through the villages of Ham and Finglesham. This then brings us out on the cycle path along side the Sandwich Road, past Bettshanger Cycle Park and into Deal. From here we have about 3 miles of normal small town traffic to get to the seafront where we will turn left and cycle along the NCR1 joining up with the Ancient Highway through the golf courses and Sandwich Bay into the lovely medieval town of Sandwich itself.I will send a PM out with my mobile number to those who i know are coming. If you don't hear from me and intend to come please let me know so we don't leave without you.
Meeting place will be outside the front of Canterbury West Station at 10.30.
Looking forward to seeing you
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