London to Dover route advice

[jonny jeez]

Actually, more Bromley to Dover please.

Wondering if I should ride into town and along the Thames,( A-La Fridays ride to whitstable). Pretty flat and pretty simple.
Or drag along the faster A20 and head more out to Maidstone , then over Bluebell hill towards the A2...somehow.
Or lastley, cut right through all the country lanes, via Longfiled, Rochester, Sittingbourne, Faverhsam etc.

Each option has its benefits but I kind of need a direct and fairly fast route.

Anyone have any experience?

J

 

[ianrauk]

@Flying Dodo knows a couple of good routes.

 

[ianrauk]

Might be worth looking up NCN 1 route.....that should get you there. It's on the Sustrans website

There are far better routes. (which is the norm when comparing to Sustrans routes)

 

[Sharky]

Actually, more Bromley to Dover please.

Wondering if I should ride into town and along the Thames,( A-La Fridays ride to whitstable). Pretty flat and pretty simple.
Or drag along the faster A20 and head more out to Maidstone , then over Bluebell hill towards the A2...somehow.
Or lastley, cut right through all the country lanes, via Longfiled, Rochester, Sittingbourne, Faverhsam etc.

Each option has its benefits but I kind of need a direct and fairly fast route.

Anyone have any experience?

J

As a resident of Longfield (not Longfiled), I know some bits you could take, but the boring A20 will be straighter and quicker.

Get to Swanley, then head towards Hextable, turning right before you get there towards Sutton At Hone.
Turn right (at the Ship), towards Farningham. First left down into South Darenth, over the Darenth and turn left, then the long climb and eventually comes out at Green Street Green (not the Orpington one).

Turn right and through Longfield and all the way to Meopham. Turn left, then right towards Cobham.
When you get to Cobham memorial, turn right and descent toward Cuxton.

At Cuxton, turn left and climb up to the motorway bridge. Take the footpath/bridal path on the right and ride parallel to the M20, but on the service road which runs parallel to the M20. Once over the bridge, turn right and then left.

This takes you on the section that they use in the Castle Ride and also they used for the Tour when it cane to Kent.

From here, more or less keep going straight and it will eventually come to the "Dirty Habbit". (Need to check the map a little ) and then you can drop down back to the A20.

This gets you fairly close to Leeds Castle and the A20 from this point is not to bad travelling east wards. It is the popular Q25/22 (Harrietsham) course out towards Charing. Not to familiar with the roads beyond this point.

It's all a bit lumpy, but this route is a very pleasant one.

Good luck

Keith

 

[Flying Dodo]

I'd avoid the A20..........

The easiest way is to follow the FNRttC route as far as Faversham, and then drop down towards Chartham, then Bridge, Shepherdswell, Whitfield and then a fast descent into Dover. Route shown here.

 

[Trickedem]

if you have some time on your hands, this is a nice quiet route from Strood to Dover.
http://www.strava.com/activities/62715116

 

[mmmmartin]

One hesitates to say this, but have you thought of taking the train? If you want to get out of London quickly, you can't beat it. Nice to spend quality time on nice roads rather than the horrid A2.......

 

[StuartG]

One hesitates to say this, but have you thought of taking the train? If you want to get out of London quickly, you can't beat it. Nice to spend quality time on nice roads rather than the horrid A2.......

Mmmmmartin - big chunks of Bromley are already in some of the finest countryside Kent has to offer. Keston, Downe, Tatsfield ... The run out eastwards on or parallel to the Pilgrim way and across the Darenth valley at Shoreham is beautiful if lumpy as Sharky suggests. Depends whether the OP wants speed, is carrying a load or just likes country pubs ... but agree avoid A20.

 

[Dogtrousers]

+1 to the loveliness (and lumpiness) of the country E of Bromley.

You could go via Swanley-ish and over the M2 Medway bridge maybe. I've walked over that several times - but never ridden.

Edit: Duh. I've just read the thread in full and this is pretty much what @Sharky suggests - except he supplies lots of detail.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

FNRttC to Whitty then wing it. If I was bimbling I'd crab and winkle to Canterbury and then lane it north of the A2

 

[jonny jeez]

Thanks all. @Sharky i was with you up untill the meopham area, your bit after Rochester sounds good, ill check it out.
@StuartG I'm a chislehurst chap myself and regularly do the north downs bit...very good riding, as you suggest. I originally was planning on heading that way, via limpsfiled, lingfield and east grinstead but then have to cut so far north it sees daft, speed is an issue and so the A20 seems to be calling. But as @mmmmartin suggests, there is always the possibility of avoiding the dull bit and starting fresh on french roads.

Appreciate all the suggestions, plenty of food for thought.

 

[StuartG]

Thanks all. @Sharky But as @mmmmartin suggests, there is always the possibility of avoiding the dull bit and starting fresh on french roads.

Dunno if it has to be Dover but from where you are the easiest, shortest and most beautiful way to France is t'other way - via Newhaven. Well except for Newhaven itself but Dieppe makes up for that. Sure beats Calais and thereabouts.

 

[Sharky]

Thanks all. @Sharky i was with you up untill the meopham area, your bit after Rochester sounds good, ill check it out.
@StuartG I'm a chislehurst chap myself and regularly do the north downs bit...very good riding, as you suggest. I originally was planning on heading that way, via limpsfiled, lingfield and east grinstead but then have to cut so far north it sees daft, speed is an issue and so the A20 seems to be calling. But as @mmmmartin suggests, there is always the possibility of avoiding the dull bit and starting fresh on french roads.

Appreciate all the suggestions, plenty of food for thought.

Have a look at the northern bit of the Castle Ride
http://www.action.org.uk/castle_ride_100/routes
From the service road of the m2 bridge to Hollingbourne. Make sure you turn right at Hollingborne. If you turn left it's not what you would call lumpy, but more like climbing mt Everest.

Good luck with the ride,

Keith

 

[MissTillyFlop]

Actually, more Bromley to Dover please.

Wondering if I should ride into town and along the Thames,( A-La Fridays ride to whitstable). Pretty flat and pretty simple.
Or drag along the faster A20 and head more out to Maidstone , then over Bluebell hill towards the A2...somehow.
Or lastley, cut right through all the country lanes, via Longfiled, Rochester, Sittingbourne, Faverhsam etc.

Each option has its benefits but I kind of need a direct and fairly fast route.

Anyone have any experience?

J

I usually do a variation on heading out through Down, then past pratt's bottom (titter) and that way.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/115414282

As you may have noticed, I got a bit lost there, so you might want to leave that bit out.

 

[ianrauk]

I usually do a variation on heading out through Down, then past pratt's bottom (titter) and that way.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/115414282

As you may have noticed, I got a bit lost there, so you might want to leave that bit out.

hahaha that's a great loop. Cracking descent back down to the A21