Posts tagged Coast
Cycling The Thames Estuary: Thames Barrier to Margate

The Thames Barrier, London

This was a trip that had been at the back of my mind for 30 years. Back in the summer of 1994 I cycled the length of the Thames from the source near Kemble in Gloucestershire to the Thames Barrier near Woolwich, London. The last day was a long one and we ended up at the Barrier after dark. At the time we had considered the adventure to be complete. A few years later I started to plan a second part: from the Barrier east along the Thames Estuary to Margate.

Over the intervening years I got more excited about other trips. I also either lost contact with a few of the old Thames Path gang or they got preoccupied with having babies. Early in 2024 the stars aligned and the Estuary adventure popped up to the top of my cycling backlog.

The route to Margate mostly follows NCN Route 1 with a bit of the Route 15 Viking Way at the end. It also runs parallel to the main rail line between London and Margate making trip logistics fairly simple. We did it over a weekend, staying both the Friday and Saturday night at the Chatham/Gillingham Victory Pier Premier Inn.

Day 1: Thames Barrier to Chatham

Start: Charlton Railway Station, London, SE7 7QG, United Kingdom
Finish: Premier Inn Chatham/Gillingham (Victory Pier) hotel, Blake Avenue, Gillingham, ME7 1GB, United Kingdom
Distance: 62.8 km (39 miles)
Elevation change: + 408m / -409m (Net +1m)
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched (walk): Thames Path, Capital Ring, Jubilee Greenway, Green Chain Walk, London Loop. Cray River Way, Hoo Peninsula Path, Weald Way, Thames and Medway Canal Towpath, Saxon Shore Way, England Coast Path, Strood Community Trail,
Other routes touched (cycle): NCN 1, 125, 179, Q14
Pubs / Cafes on route: At Woolwich Arsenal (4km in), Erith (15km in), Dartford (25km in), Gravesend (39 km in), Rochester (57km in), Chatham (59km in)
Maps:
- Greenwich & Gravesend Map | East End, Docklands, Bromley, Sidcup & Thurrock | Ordnance Survey | OS Explorer Map 162
- Gravesend & Rochester Map | Hoo Peninsula | Ordnance Survey | OS Explorer Map 163
Links: Charlton, Thames Barrier, Woolwich Arsenal, Erith, Dartford, Gravesend, Thames and Medway Canal, Rochester, Chatham, Gillingham

 

Like all Saturdays the day started with a parkrun, this time at Great Lines Heritage park, just over a mile from from the hotel. From there we headed to Chatham Station to get the train to Charlton. The Thames Barrier is a 1.4km ride from Charlton Station.

Navigation is straightforward, keeping to the NCN Route 1 all the way to Chatham. The first 20km hugs the riverside passing a mix of pleasant gentrified areas like Woolwich Arsenal and ugly industrial parts. After Erith the Route 1 cuts south away from the river to Dartford avoiding the entrance to the Queen Elizabeth Bridge. We had planned a coffee and cake stop in Dartford but nothing inspired us so we carried on. By the time we reached Gravesend we were really hungry and, as pubs were open by then, were optimistic about finding food. We found Gravesend equally inspiring so didn’t stop there either.

After Gravesend the scenery becomes much more pleasant. With the Route 1 following the disused Thames and Medway Canal. Watch out for the obelisk that marks the half-way point between the cities of London and Rochester. The Route 1 leaves the canal at Lower Higham which, conveniently for us, also has a train station. Brian was having problems with his wheel after several punctures and we’d run out of options to fix it at the road-side. Here we decided that Brian would head to Chatham by train and I would finish the first day on my own.

As it turned out Brian missed one of the best parts of the first day. The final section included quiet countryside and a descent down to Rochester. Had we kept together we would have stopped in Rochester for food ahead of the final few miles. I decided that I was on a mission to beat Brian’s train journey back to Chatham so I wasn’t hanging around. A 20 minute wait for the train meant that I was back at the hotel before Brian arrived at Halfords in Chatham. With a newly fixed wheel and fresh supplies of inner-tubes we were now ready for Day 2.

Day 2: Chatham to Margate

Start: Premier Inn Chatham/Gillingham (Victory Pier) hotel, Blake Avenue, Gillingham, ME7 1GB, United Kingdom
Finish: Margate Lighthouse, Harbour Arm, Margate, CT9 1AP
Distance: 87 km (54 miles)
Elevation change: + 514m / -513m (Net -1m)
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched (walk): Saxon Shore Way, England Coast Path, Swale Heritage Trail, Invicta Way, Wantsum Walk,
Other routes touched (cycle): NCN 1, 174, 15: Viking Coastal Trail
Pubs / Cafes on route: At Sittingbourne (22km in), Faversham (40km in), Whitstable (59km in), Herne Bay (66km in), Westgate-on-Sea (83km in) and Margate.
- We stopped at Cafe Guild in Faverham (40 km in) and The Ship Inn, Herne Bay (66km in)
Maps:
- Gravesend & Rochester Map | Hoo Peninsula | Ordnance Survey | OS Explorer Map 163
- Sittingbourne & Faversham Map | Isle of Sheppey | Ordnance Survey | OS Explorer Map 149
- Canterbury & Isle of Thanet Map | Herne Bay, Deal & Whitstable | Ordnance Survey | OS Explorer Map 150
Links: Sittingbourne, Faversham, Crab & Winkle Way, Whitstable, Herne Bay, Reculver, Westgate-on-Sea, Margate, Margate Lighthouse

 

Shortly after leaving the Chatham/Gillingham area, the Route 1 passes through Riverside Country Park. It was very popular with dog walkers early that Sunday morning so it was a good chance to take it slow as we warmed up for the day. After the Country Park the route cuts away from the estuary from Rainham to Sittingbourne.

Sittingbourne was our original plan for a breakfast stop but we were similarly uninspired by food options as we were on day 1. By the time we arrived in Faversham with 40km down we were starving. It was worth the wait though as Faversham is a very nice old Kent market town with several good cafes.

After Faversham the route heads back towards the coast then takes a detour up the steepest hill of the route to bypass Whitstable Town Centre. After a well-earned descent we reached the Crab & Winkle Way, a disused railway that once connected Whitstable to Canterbury. This was the point where we left the NCN 1, which follows the old railway line to the south. Instead we followed the Crab & Winkle Way north to join the Route 15 Viking Way at the Whistable coast.

The last 28km along the Viking Way from Whitstable to Margate was my favourite section of the whole route. This section keeps to the coast along flat boulevards passing seaside towns and the remains of Reculver Towers. We had made good time so we stopped for a while at a pub in Herne Bay to gaze across the estuary and contemplate future adventures.

Our 2-day adventure finished at Margate Lighthouse, an obvious place to mark the end of the Estuary adventure. We really enjoyed the trip and, baring the wheel & puncture issues at the end of day one, found it pretty easy going. I still didn’t get the sense of completion though. Yes, we had cycled the estuary to complete the Thames Path, but we had now left the southern section of the NCN Route 1 uncompleted. Within a couple of days I was already planning the next 2 day adventure to complete both the NCN Route 1 from Whitstable to Dover and the rest of the Viking Way.

 

The Full 2-Day Route

The Millennium Mileposts

Dotting the UK's National Cycle Network are over 1,000 unique markers known as the Millennium Mileposts. Unveiled in 2000, these cast-iron sculptures are more than just waymarkers. Designed by four artists, one from each nation of the UK, they celebrate the diversity of the cycling routes. These artistic mileposts come in various shapes and can be found in both bustling towns and scenic landscapes, adding a touch of artistic charm to a cycling adventure. Here’s the 14 Mileposts that I spotted on the 2 day estuary adventure.

Richard gowerCycle, NCN, Coast, Canal, Railway, Disused Railway, Thames, London, Kent, National Trails, England Comments
Isla de Lobos, Fuerteventura

Punta Martiño Lighthouse on the northern tip of the island

The Canary Islands are a regular choice for us to spend our end-of-winter holidays. They’re always warm in February and, at 4 hours flight time, they’re about as far as we want to travel for a one week trip.

Our goal for these trips is always resting over adventure and I’ve learned not to get over-excited about ticking off everything on the islands. We’ve missed most of the highest points either due to weather or length of walk. Due to this we’ve managed to successfully miss the highest points on Tenerife, Lanzarote and La Gomera. We did manage to get to the Gran Canaria summit although that’s only the highest accessible point very close to the actual high point.

So, on our week in Fuerteventura I had written off the high point even before we left the UK. Pico de la Zarza is not a very difficult hike but it was too long and too hot for our relaxing break. I added it to the list of the other Canary High Points to cover later on a different type of trip at at a different time of year.

My need for high point bagging ended up being satisfied by a trip to a small island just off the north coast of Fuerteventura. Isla de Lobos is a 5k / 15 minute ferry ride from Corralejo harbour. It has well-marked hiking trails totaling 10k and an out-and-back ascent of Montaña La Caldera.

We took the 12:30 foot ferry run by Naviera Nortour. By the time all the tourists had stopped their faffing on and off the boat it was 13:00 before we started the hike. This gave us a full 3 hours on the island before needing to be back at 16:00 for the 16:15 return ferry.

We had read on other blogs that the 10k circuit takes 2 and a quarter hours to complete. That would be a very fast pace, especially if including the high point. We walked at a steady pace, stopped for lunch 15 minutes at the lighthouse and took the full 3 hours.

We took the anticlockwise route having seen a recommendation in another blog post that this would be the less popular route. Everyone with us that day must have read the same post as most people were going the same was as us.

A few minutes later east of the ferry pier is El Puertito where there’s a pretty bay and a restaurant. We passed through it quickly as it was already crowded. From there we took a side route from the main path that takes in Las Lagunitas.

The paths around the island are well maintained and mostly flat. When you get to the lighthouse be prepared for a short climb up the hill. You’re now roughly half way into the walk and a good place for photos and a rest.

After the lighthouse return to the base and take the right hand path, now on GR131. After 3.5 km you’ll reach the spur to climb the hill to the high point. If you don’t fancy it you can carry straight on back to the ferry pier.

The weather had changed for the second half of our walk and we had some light rain on the approach. As we started ascending the rain stopped and some heavy wind started. Timea got to around 100m of elevation and decided that was enough for her as she didn’t want to be blown off back to the mainland.

I continued the remaining 10 mins to the summit to reach the Trig Pillar, get a few photos and tried not to be blown off. Even that day there were great views to both Fuerteventura and Lanzarote but I didn’t hang around for long to admire them.

From the path junction to the Montaña it’s another 20 minutes walk back to the ferry pier.

With a new island and a high point bagged I was now happy to head back to the hotel to relax for the rest of the trip.

The Hike

Start / Finish: Lobos Island Ferry Pier
Distance: 9.9 km (6.1 miles)
Elevation Change: +/- 128m
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other Routes Touched (walk): GR131 Camino Natural de Fuerteventura
Cafe / pub on route: Chiringuito Lobos Antoñito El Farero, 600m from the Ferry Pier
Guidebook: Walking on Lanzarote and Fuerteventura (Cicerone)
Links: Fuerteventura, Corralejo, Lobos Island

Montaña La Caldera

Also known as: Caldera de Lobos
Significance: Highest point on Isla de Lobos
Elevation: 127m (although listed as 124m on Peakbagger)
Date “climbed”: February 23rd 2024
Coordinates: 28° 45' 6'' N, 13° 49' 49'' W
Links: Peakbagger

Isla de Lobos from above

Richard gowerTrek, Island High Points, Trig Pillar, Coast, Canary Islands, SpainComment
Brean Down, Somerset

Looking back to the mainland from the Brean Down Trig Pillar

Start & Finish: National Trust Brean Down Car Park, 2 Brean Down Road, Brean, Burnham-on-Sea TA8 2RS
Distance: 3 km (1.9 miles)
Elevation change: +/- 84m
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched (walk): England Coast Path
Other routes touched (cycle): N/A
OS Trig Pillar: TP1608 - Brean Down
Pubs / Cafes on route: Cafe at Brean Down National Trust, at start and end.
Map: Weston-super-Mare & Bleadon Hill Map | Burnham-on-Sea & Clevedon | Ordnance Survey | OS Explorer Active Map 153
Links: Brean Down, Brean Down National Trust, Hillbagging, Brean Down Fort

We visited the Brean Down Trig Pillar near the end of a short break in the Mendips between Christmas and New Year. The weather was terrible but we managed to bag a few high points and visit a few of the sea-side towns in the area. We arrived at the Brean Down National Trust car-park just as a downpour was starting. It cleared up quickly and we saw on the weather app that we had a dry spot of around 30 minutes before the rain came again. We took a risk to see if we could get to the Trig Pillar before the rain came back.

The path to the Trig Pillar starts at the National Trust cafe and ascends steeply to the top of the ridge up some stone steps. At the top of the steps take a left to follow the well-marked path that leads to the end of the peninsula. There’s a great views from 3 sides and we were treated to a vivid double rainbow to the north as a rainstorm passed by and over Weston-Super-Mare.

At the Trig Pillar I was keen to continue the walk to the end of the peninsula to visit the old fort. Timi sensibly called me back as our dry weather window was rapidly closing and we could see the storm clouds coming toward us. We retraced our steps back to the National Trust cafe just as the rain started again.

Richard gowerTrek, Trig Pillar, Coast, Mendips, National Trust, Somerset, EnglandComment
Cycling The Semaphore Line: Portsmouth to London

HMS Warrior at the Portmouth Historic Dockyard

The idea for this trip came from a short walk that I did a few years ago in Surrey called Discover Downside. Half way through the walk we came across the Chatley Heath Semphore Tower, the best preserved of a series of towers that formed a line between London and Portsmouth in the 1800s. As I was reading the information board a new adventure started forming. I didn’t have to say anything I could almost hear my wife’s eyes rolling and wondering “what’s he up to now?”.

As described on the Chatley Heath information board: “In 1792, Frenchman Claude Chappe invented the Semaphore using moveable arms on a T-shaped mast. The British Initially stuck with their existing shutter or ball signalling systems even though they were less effective. In 1814 the Admiralty prematurely decommissioned their existing signalling stations. After Napoleon’s escape from Elba and the Battle of Waterloo in 1815, the governament decided to reinstate a signal line from London to Portsmouth Dockyard. They chose to use the semaphore system invested by Sir Home Riggs Popham, as the most advanced of the day.”

“The Chatley Heath Tower was the fifth station in the 75 mile long line, which started on the roof of the Admiraly in Whitehall. It was to have been the junction for a further line to Plymouth, but this was never completed. […] The invention of the electric telegraph in 1839 meant the end for the mechanical semaphore. New telegraph lines were laid alongside the railways and messages travelled instantly down the wires. In 1847 the semaphore line was decommissioned and the mast dismantled.”

Over the next year the back-of-my-mind potential trip became a fully-planned weekend cycle trip for spring 2023. It turned out to be a weekend adventure with a Friday evening drive down to Portsmouth, a long Saturday ride to Godalming and a shorter section on the Sunday before heading back home. The original plan was to take the bikes down to Portsmouth by train but some organizational faffing meant that we left it too late to book and there we no bike spaces available. Instead we did a one-way van rental which was slightly more expensive than the trains would have been but got us there more quickly with less hassle.

The choice of doing the trip from Portsmouth to London rather than the other way around was mostly based on getting in a new (for me) parkrun at Southsea on the Saturday morning. Arriving in London on Sunday afternoon also gave us a shorter journey home.

I need to credit the excellent account of walking the Semaphore Line in the Jont.org.uk blog. This blog was invaluable in the planning process and provides more detail on the stations and route between them than I have covered here. In my post below I’ve covered some key details of the semaphore stations it’s not intended to be a turn-by-turn route guide. I’ll be happy to share my GPX files for the 2 days in return for a virtual coffee.

Day 1: Portsmouth to Godalming

Start: Semaphore Building, HMNB Portsmouth, Victory Gate, HM Naval Base, Portsmouth, PO1 3LJ
Finish: A3100 Meadrow (road), Godalming, GU7 3HS
Distance: 88 km (55 miles)
Elevation change: + 1,301m / -1265m (Net +36m)
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched (walk): Solent Way, The Shipwright’s Way, Langstone Harbour Waterfront Route, Wayfarers Way, Sussex Border Path, Monarch’s Way, Octagon Way, South Downs Way, The Serpent Trail, New Lipchis Way, Grayswood Walk, Greensand Way, The Fox Way
Other routes touched (cycle): NCN 2, 22, 222, Surrey Cycleway

 

Semaphore Station 1: Portsmouth Historic Dockyard

Condition: The Semaphore Building was destroyed by fire in 1913, but it was rebuilt in 1930.
Distance into route: 0 km
Address: Semaphore Building, HMNB Portsmouth, Victory Gate, HM Naval Base, Portsmouth, PO1 3LJ
Coordinates: 50°47'60"N 1°6'36"W
Grid Reference: SU 62826 00415
Elevation: 1m
Map: Meon Valley Map | Portsmouth, Gosport & Fareham | Ordnance Survey | OS Explorer Map OL3
Links: Jont Blog Post, Portsmouth, Portsmouth Historic Dockyard

To get close to the Semaphore Building you need to pay to enter the Historic Dockyard. It’s well worth visiting but I had been before a few years ago and didn’t need to go back. The tower is tall though and can be easily seen from outside of the Historic Dockyard.

 

Semaphore Station 2: The Square Tower

Condition: Well maintained and now used for hosting functions such as weddings, christenings and funerals.
Distance into route: 1.7 km
Address: Broad St, Old Portsmouth, Portsmouth PO1 2ND
Coordinates: 50°47'22.0"N 1°06'23.0"W
Grid Reference: SZ 63076 99244
Elevation: 2m
Map: Meon Valley Map | Portsmouth, Gosport & Fareham | Ordnance Survey | OS Explorer Map OL3
Links: Jont Blog Post, The Square Tower, Old Portsmouth

There seems to be some ambiguity about whether this was the first/last semaphore tower in the chain vs the one at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard. For the purposes of this trip there was no need to decide as it’s easy to visit both.

 

Semaphore Station 3: Lumps Fort

Condition: Demolished after World War 1, now a Japanese Rose Garden and a Model Village
Distance into route: 5.0 km
Address: Japanse Garden, Southsea, Portsmouth, Southsea PO4 9RU
Coordinates: 50°46'52.0"N 1°04'04.6"W
Grid Reference: SZ 65807 98359
Elevation: 5m
Map: Meon Valley Map | Portsmouth, Gosport & Fareham | Ordnance Survey | OS Explorer Map OL3
Links: Jont Blog Post, Lumps Fort, Southsea

 

Semaphore Station 4: Camp Down

Condition: Demolished, now a waste transfer facility.
Distance into route: 18.1 km
Address: L&S Waste Management Limited, Portsdown Hill Road, Farlington, Redoubt PO6 1BW
Coordinates: 50°51'13.0"N 1°01'34.0"W
Grid Reference: SU 68648 06449
Elevation: 60m
Map: Meon Valley Map | Portsmouth, Gosport & Fareham | Ordnance Survey | OS Explorer Map OL3
Links: Jont Blog Post, Camp Down, Portsdown Hill


 

Semaphore Station 5: Compton Down

Condition: Building now a private house without a tower.
Distance into route: 33.9 km
Address: Telegraph House, Telegraph Hill, Compton, Chichester, PO18 9QL
Coordinates: 50°55'40.0"N 0°53'12.0"W
Grid Reference: SU 78332 14861
Elevation: 161m
Map: Chichester Map | South Harting & Selsey | Ordnance Survey | OS Explorer Map OL08
Links: Jont Blog Post, Compton Down, Compton



 

Semaphore Station 6: Beacon Hill

Condition: Intact, now a private house visible from the lane.
Distance into route: 43.4 km
Address: Telegraph House, North Marden, Chichester, PO18 9JX
Coordinates: 50°57'03.0"N 0°50'55.0"W
Grid Reference: SU 80980 17445
Elevation: 190m
Map: Chichester Map | South Harting & Selsey | Ordnance Survey | OS Explorer Map OL08
Links: Jont Blog Post, Beacon Hill, West Sussex







 

Semaphore Station 7: Older Hill (Holder Hill)

Condition: Building possibly still remains but within private property.
Distance into route: 57.5 km
Address: Pine Hill House, Telegraph Hill, Midhurst, GU29 0BN
Coordinates: 51°01'50.0"N 0°45'34.0"W
Grid Reference: SU 87081 26429
Elevation: 203m
Map: Haslemere & Petersfield Map | Midhurst & Selborne | Ordnance Survey | OS Explorer Map OL33
Links: Jont Blog Post, Woolbedding





 

Semaphore Station 8: Haste Hill

Condition: Demolished. Property became the Royal Naval Signals School then Whitwell Hatch Hotel and now private apartments.
Distance into route: 69.1 km
Address: Whitwell Hatch, Scotland Lane, Haslemere, GU27 3AW
Coordinates: 51°04'51.0"N 0°42'17.0"W
Grid Reference: SU 90828 32065
Elevation: 206m
Map: Haslemere & Petersfield Map | Midhurst & Selborne | Ordnance Survey | OS Explorer Map OL33
Links: Jont Blog Post, Haste Hill

 

Semaphore Station 9: Bannicle Hill

Condition: Demolished, likely replaced by Hill House.
Distance into route: 77 km
Address: The Hill House, Church Lane, Witley, Godalming
Coordinates: 51°08'12.0"N 0°39'36.0"W
Grid Reference: SU 93847 38347
Elevation: 147m
Map: Haslemere & Petersfield Map | Midhurst & Selborne | Ordnance Survey | OS Explorer Map OL33
Links: Jont Blog Post, Witley

Day 2: Godalming to The Admiralty, London

Start: A3100 Meadrow (road), Godalming, GU7 3HS
Finish: Admiralty House, Whitehall, London, SW1A 2AY
Distance: 62.3 km (38.7 miles)
Elevation change: + 435m / -458m (Net -23m)
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched (walk): Wey-South Path, The Scholar’s Trail, North Downs Way, The Fox Way, Hogsmill Valley Walk, Thames Down Link, Beverley Brook Walk, Thames Path, Jubilee Walkway
Other routes touched (cycle): NCN 2, 223, 4, Surrey Cycleway, C30, C3




 

Semaphore Station 10: Pewley Hill

Condition: Restored and now a listed building and a private house.
Distance into route (Day 2): 7 km / Full Route: 95 km
Address: Semaphore House, Pewley Hill, Guildford, GU1 3SN
Coordinates: 51°13'59.0"N 0°33'57.0"W
Grid Reference: TQ 00231 49197
Elevation: 112m
Map: Guildford & Farnham Map | Godalming & Farnborough | Ordnance Survey | OS Explorer Map 145
Links: Jont Blog Post, Pewley Hill, Semaphore House (Historic England), Semaphore House (British Listed Buildings)

 

Semaphore Station 11: Chatley Heath

Condition: Restored and now managed by the Landmark Trust.
Distance into route (Day 2): 22.6 km / Full Route: 110.6 km
Address: Pointers Road, Cobham, KT11 1PQ
Coordinates: 51°18'55.0"N 0°26'18.0"W
Grid Reference: TQ 08941 58501
Elevation: 55m
Map: Guildford & Farnham Map | Godalming & Farnborough | Ordnance Survey | OS Explorer Map 145
Links: Jont Blog Post, Chatley Heath, The Semaphore Tower (Landmark Trust),

 

Semaphore Station 12: Coopers Hill

Condition: Restored, now a private house.
Distance into route (Day 2): 35.5 km / Full Route: 124.3 km
Address: Semaphore House, Esher, KT10 0DX
Coordinates: 51°22'11.0"N 0°20'17.0"W
Grid Reference: TQ 15793 64726
Elevation: 49m
Map: London South Map | Westminster, Greenwich, Croydon, Esher & Twickenham | Ordnance Survey | OS Explorer Map 161
Links: Jont Blog Post, Claygate, Esher

 

Semaphore Station 13: Coombe Warren

Condition: Demolished, replaced by a large private house called Telegraph Cottage.
Distance into route (Day 2): 45 km / Full Route: 133.8 km
Address: Telegraph Cottage, Warren Road, Kingston upon Thames, KT2 7LF
Coordinates: 51°25'15.0"N 0°16'05.0"W
Grid Reference: TQ 20523 70523
Elevation: 53m
Map: London South Map | Westminster, Greenwich, Croydon, Esher & Twickenham | Ordnance Survey | OS Explorer Map 161
Links: Jont Blog Post, Coombe, Kingston upon Thames

 

Semaphore Station 14: Putney Heath

Condition: Demolished, presumably replaced by the Telegraph Pub
Distance into route (Day 2): 50 km / Full Route: 138.8 km
Address: The Telegraph, Putney Heath, London SW15 3TU
Coordinates: 51°26'55.0"N 0°13'34.0"W
Grid Reference: TQ 23359 73661
Elevation: 53m
Map: London South Map | Westminster, Greenwich, Croydon, Esher & Twickenham | Ordnance Survey | OS Explorer Map 161
Links: Jont Blog Post, The Telegrpaph Pub,

 

Semaphore Station 15: Chelsea

Condition: Tower no longer there / presumed site of this tower.
Distance into route (Day 2): 57.8 km / Full Route: 146.6 km
Address: Royal Hospital Chelsea, Royal Hospital Road, London SW3 4SR
Coordinates: 51°29'16.0"N 0°09'31.0"W
Grid Reference: TQ 27938 78142
Elevation: 6m
Map: London South Map | Westminster, Greenwich, Croydon, Esher & Twickenham | Ordnance Survey | OS Explorer Map 161
Links: Jont Blog Post, Royal Hospital Chelsea,

An alternative location of this telegraph station is the Duke of York's Headquarters, now the Saatchi Gallery. We dodged traffic on a very busy Sunday to visit both.

 

Semaphore Station 16: The Admiralty

Condition: Admiralty buildings still intact and in use by various government departments.
Distance into route (Day 2): 62.3 km / Full Route: 151.1 km
Address: Old Admiralty Building, London, SW1A 2AY
Coordinates: 51°30'22.0"N 0°07'43.0"W
Grid Reference: TQ 29979 80241
Elevation: 5m
Map: London South Map | Westminster, Greenwich, Croydon, Esher & Twickenham | Ordnance Survey | OS Explorer Map 161
Links: Jont Blog Post, Admiralty buildings, Horseguards Parade, Whitehall

A good learning from us if you’re planning to end your ride at The Admiralty is to not do it just as the London Marathon is finishing. It was only a few days before our trip that I discovered the dates clashed. The London Marathon uses Horseguards Parade as a post-race meeting spot for family and friends so it’s really busy. We still managed to get to our finish spot though after a bit of navigation around blocked off streets.

The Full 2-Day Route

Elevations of each Semaphore Station in metres

Day 2 cycling route elevation map

Day 2 cycling route elevation map

Richard gowerCycle, NCN, Coast, South Downs, National Park, Surrey Hills AONB, London, Hampshire, Surrey, EnglandComment
Brighton Marathon

When: April 2nd 2023
Where: Brighton and Hove
Course: Road route from Preston Park to Hove Lawns, along the sea-front and some residential areas.
Start: Preston Park, Preston Road, Brighton and Hove, Brighton, BN1 6SD
Finish: Hove beach, Adelaide Crescent, Brighton and Hove, BN3 2JJ
Distance: 42.2 km (26.2 miles)
Elevation change: +285m / -385m. Net: -20m
Other routes touched (walk): Monarch’s Way, Mid Sussex Link, Newhaven-Brighton Clifftop Path
Other routes touched (cycle): NCN 2, 20
Finish time: 4:59
Links: Brighton Marathon, Brighton, Hove, Preston Park

This was my first Marathon distance in 7 years and the first road Marathon since for 12 years. I much prefer trail Ultras now but I still felt that I hadn’t had my fill of the Marathon distance. I was also weirdly not happy with having done 4 Marathons and wanted a rounder number. When my friend Mark messaged me a month before to say that Brighton had released some extra tickets, I didn’t have to think too much about it.

The only thing that I had to think a bit more about was my predicted finish time when was I completing the entry form. My previous road Marathons were 4:41, 4:27 and 4:51, with the tougher trail Beachy Head Marathon at 5:36. Given that several years had passed and not having enough time to train and rest, I knew that I would be slower. I wanted to get in within 5 hours so I put down 4:59 on the entry form. Mark did the same and we were entered into the Pink Wave.

During the race the first third felt good. The chilly start was just right for me and I kept just ahead of my planned pace all the way. For the second third Mark went off ahead but not too far and I could see him whenever there was a turnaround on an out-and-back section. I was still just ahead of the 4:30 pacers and feeling good that I might finish at around 4:40, averaging my previous road Marathon times.

By 16 miles I was starting to feel the heat. There were a lot of water stations and I poured a lot of water over my head to cool me down but I was definitely feeling it. At 17 miles the route took a small loop around Brunswick Square with a slight incline and I “hit the wall”. I wasn’t able to run up the hill so did a fast walk. This broke my pace and I found it difficult to getting running again. The next 6 miles were tough as the route went through residential sections of Hove away from the coast. I tried some run/walk sections but got cramp whenever I tried to run, so I stayed at a determined fast walk. In the meantime, the 4:40 and 4:45 have both overtaken me by the time the route returned to the sea-front.

With 2km to go I could see the 5 hour pacer getting closer and closer over my shoulder. I found some new energy and motivation and was able to get back up to a run. I crossed the finish line at 4:59:23, just 37 seconds within the 5 hour mark. My friend Mark had an amazing 1st Marathon, finishing over half an hour head of me and beating my Marathon PB by 2 minutes.

I loved the day despite the tough last 9 miles. It did confirm, though, that I trail Ultras are more my thing. Maybe I’ll do another Marathon in the future but it will need to be an epic one.

Richard gowerRun, Marathon, Coast, Sussex, EnglandComment
Walking the Akrotiri Monastery Katholiko Trail, Crete

Descending to the monastery

Start & Finish: Gouverneto Monastery, Chania 731 00, Greece
Distance: 2.8 km (1.7 miles)
Elevation change: +/- 164m
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched (walk): Katholiko-Stavros
Links: Akrotiri, Agia Triada Monastery, Gouverneto Monastery, Arkoudiotissa Cave

The Akrotiri Peninsular, not to be confused with the one in Cyprus, sticks out of the north coast of Crete to the east of Chania. We took a day trip at the end of our holiday to drive round the edge and visit the beaches. The monasteries in the mountains to the north are worth a visit as is the short but steep walk to the Katholiko ruins. The Katholiko was opened in the 11th century and abandoned in the 16th century due to pirate raids.

To get to the walk, drive to the Holy Trinity (Agia Triada) Tzagaroli Monastery. This is an interesting place to stop and visit the church and museum. From here follow the road for 4.2 km to the car park next to the Gouverneto Monastery. This monastery was closed when we got there so we did the walk to the Katholiko first.

There’s a very obvious path from the monastery down to the ruins. After 1km you’ll reach the Arkoudospilio Cave, also known as the Bear Cave. The name comes from the large bear-shaped stalagmite that is ready to drink water. The legend is that the Virgin Mary turned the bear that was stealing the water of the monks living nearby into stone.

After another 400m you’ll reach the ruins of the Katholiko Monastery. There’s another trail that we considered walking that joins from town of Stavros to the west. Another option is to descend further along the trail to the beach. Both options were tempting but it was a very hot day so an out-and-back from the Monastery to the Katholiko was enough for us.

The Gouverneto Monastery was just opening by the time we got back there at 17:00. We were just in time to observe the service in the church. If you visit note that you can’t enter wearing shorts but you can borrow a skirt at the entrance to cover your legs.

Richard gowerTrek, Mountain, Coast, Crete, GreeceComment
Walking the Samaria Gorge, Crete

Near the Trailhead.

Start: Samaria Gorge Trailhead, Μονοπ. Φαράγγι Σαμαριάς, 730 11, Greece
Finish: Ferry dock, Agia Roumeli, Hora Sfakion 730 11, Greece
Distance: 16 km (10 miles)
Elevation change: +442m / -1,657m. Net -1,215m
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched (walk): Papoures Trail
Links: Samaria Gorge, Lefka Ori (White Mountains), Agia Roumeli, Sougia

If you’re a fan of hiking and the outdoors in general then Samaria Gorge is a must-do for a trip to Crete. Wife and I had planned to do it together but she was sick for the first half of our holiday. We decided that I should do it alone while she recovered. This turned out to be the right plan as you really need to be on top form to do the trip.

The trailhead is an hour from Chania, the nearest large town. Unless you stay near the start overnight you’ve got at least 2 hours of driving time to get there and back. The gorge walk is a point-to-point from the entrance at 1,230m elevation down to Agia Roumeli on the coast. There’s no road access to the town so you need to get a ferry to Sougia and a bus back to the start. From leaving my hotel (90 mins from the trailhead), I was back 13 hours later.

It’s definitely worth it though. The whole of the gorge walk was stunning with photo opportunities at every turn. The first section, a steep descent through pine forest, reminded me of parts of the Inca Trail. The path is narrow and can be difficult to overtake other hikers at times so it’s good to go when it’s quiet. I was there in early October, just out of peak season. My first hour, starting at 10:00, only had a handful of other hikers on it. It got busier when I caught up with a bus party who had spread out a little formed a convoy along the path.

There’s several water and toilet spots along the route. You’ll need to take enough food and your own toilet paper if you don’t want to risk the supplies on the route. At around 7 km in you’ll reach the old village of Samaria which is a great place to stop for a while and have lunch before the final sections.

I found the path to be quieter after the old village. This was probably as I was on a brisker pace than most and only took a short stop for lunch. This second half is less steep and has a different, more barren environment. There were also more people coming in the opposite direction, presumably doing an out-and-back between the coast and the village.

The final few kilometres are a highlight as the route criss crosses the flowing river across rickety wooden bridges. The walls of the gorge close in funnelling you through some tighter, more dramatic sections.

At the end of the walk you’ll find another booth where you give them half of your entry ticket. This is so that they can tally the numbers to check that no one is left in the gorge at the end of the day. There’s a couple of cafes immediately outside the National Park boundary but, unless you’re starving, it’s better to get to the town for food.

From the end of the trail it’s an extra 2.5 km to the coast. There’s a private shuttle bus operating the last 2 km for 2 euros each. As ready for a rest as I was I wasn’t tempted by the bus. I’d completed a 15km gorge walk so I wasn’t going to take a bus for a flat 2 km.

The main option to return to the start is to get a ferry to a Sougia then the bus to the trailhead. Ferries were fairly infrequent when I was there so I had to wait 3 hours for the 17:30 boat. Although the town is small and seems to exist only for the ferries, I was glad of the time for a long, slow lunch and a rest at the end of the walk.

You’ll need to buy your ticket ahead of getting on board but there’s a few options to do so. You can book online, as I did, and get an email confirmation. Alternatively you can buy them at the trailhead cafe or at the ticket office on town’s main street. Don’t expect to buy them on the boat though, as one couple found out when they were left behind by the last ferry of the day.

You can buy your bus tickets either at the trailhead or Agia Roumeli ticket offices or at a small booth in Sougia. Personally I wouldn’t risk leaving it until Sougia so I bought mine at the trailhead. The bus operation is very efficient with several of them waiting near the ferry terminal, departing shortly after the boats arrived.

The ferry takes 50 mins for the larger car and passenger ferry or 25 minutes for the smaller passenger only ferry. The bus takes 50 minutes to return to the trailhead and drops off next to the main car park. Although you can park for free at the side of the road leading up to the trailhead, the car park is safer and saves you another walk at the end of the day back to your car.

If you don’t have a car there’s several options to go with an organised tour. The options were around 40 euro per person as a part of a large bus tour or in in the hundreds per group for a private tour. If you do have a car then getting to the trailhead yourself is by far the cheapest and most convenient option.

My costs for the trip, excluding hire car costs and petrol were:

  • Parking: 5 euro

  • Gorge entrance fee: 5 euro

  • Ferry ticket: 13 euro

  • Bus ticket: 4.80 euro

  • Total 27:80 euro

Red = The Samaria Gorge Walk, Blue = ferry route to Sougia, Green = Bus route back to the Trailhead

Richard gowerTrek, Mountain, Coast, Crete, GreeceComment
Cycling The Archipelago Trail, Finland

Peterzens Boathouse

A boys’ trip to Finland has been an annual summer event for us since 2003. We’re a group of 40-somethings made up of two Finns, two Germans and two Brits. We met when we all worked in IT in the same company and kept meeting up once a year ever since. Most years we end up in Finland, hosted by Juho and Juha. Sometimes we go somewhere else and sometimes not all the group can make it. Due to Covid and a 2019 trip to Berlin it had been 4 years since our previous Finland trip so we were keen to be back. For this trip we opted for a cycling adventure rather than our usual sauna and beer weekend.

We chose the Archipelago Trail, a ~220 km circular route from Turku, a city in the south-west of the country. We took the train from Helsinki to Turku and a bus back, both of which were just over 2 hours. There’s a few options for bike hire in Turku but we chose Carfield, a 5 minute walk from the train station. Staff are friendly but inefficient so allow 30 minutes to get your bikes sorted out even if you have booked in advance.

Day 1 - Turku to Korppoo

Start: Carfield Bike Rental - Polkupyörävuokraus, Läntinen Pitkäkatu 20, 20100 Turku
Finish: Hjalmars´ Restaurant and Pub, Kauppamiehentie 1, 21710 Korpo
Distance: 80.6 km (50 miles)
- On roads: 78.2 km (48.5 miles)
- via ferry: 2.4 km (1.5 miles)
Elevation change: + 943m / -964m (Net -21m)
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched (walk): Sattmarkin Luontopolku, St. Olav’s Way
Other routes touched (cycle): EV10
Pubs / Cafes on route: Sattmark Kaffe & Safka (33 km in), Köpmans Café & Restaurant, Nagu (57 km in),
Links: Archipelago Trail, St. Olav’s Way, Turku, Kaarina, Nagu, Korppoo, Fin Ferries

We took a clockwise direction following the EV10 out of Turku to Kaarina, then south on the 180. At 11km we were off the mainland and over the bridge to the first island of the archipelago. Although there’s some busy roads on this first section the cycle path is separate from the road, safe and well maintained. Once on the islands the cycle path undulates more than the roads as they navigate up and around rockier sections.

The weather wasn’t kind to us and it rained for most of the first day. We were very happy to stop for lunch at Sattmark Cafe, 33 km into the trip. I can highly recommend the fish and chips which looked small when they arrived at the table but seemed to go on forever. The cake selection looked amazing but the fish had filled me up so dessert would have to come later. For us this was 24 km later in the larger town of Nagu where Köpmans Café & Restaurant is a good and popular choice.

The first car ferry of the trip is shortly before Nagu at the 42 km point. There’s 9 ferries in total for this route, all free of charge except for 1. Shorter crossings have small chain ferries that come and go as needed. Longer crossings have larger ferries with indoor areas for passengers. Check the timetables for the larger ferries as missing one can give you a very long wait. We nearly missed one on day 2 which would have meant a 2 hour wait for the next one.

The separate cycle path ends at the first ferry and you’ll now be joining the cars on the main road. Roads on the islands are quiet though. The larger ferries also have the effect of bunching up the traffic. Bikes always leave the ferries behind the cars, so you’ll have a long stretch of cycling before the cars from the next ferry catch you up.

Our accommodation for Day 1 was in Hjalmars´ Restaurant and Pub in Korppoo. We had a large en-suite room with 4 single beds which was perfect for our group. They also had a secure room in the basement to lock the bikes up overnight. Food was great too and you should try their special strawberry dessert. It’s perfect if you don’t like to have too many strawberries in your strawberry dessert.

Day 2 - Korppoo to Kustavi

Start: Hjalmars´ Restaurant and Pub, Kauppamiehentie 1, 21710 Korpo
Finish: Peterzens Boathouse, Parattulan rantatie 16, 23360 Kustavi
Distance: 65.2 km (40.5 miles)
- On roads: 37.3km (23.2 miles)
- via ferry: 27.9 km (17.3 miles)
Elevation change: + 260 / -264m (Net -4m)
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched (walk): St. Olav’s Way
Other routes touched (cycle): National Cycling Route 32
Pubs / Cafes on route: Cafe on the Mossala-Houtskari ferry (35 km in), Cafe Alppila, Iniö (57 km in)
Links: Archipelago Trail, St. Olav’s Way, Korppoo, Kustavi, Fin Ferries

Day 2 was a shorter day, both in total distance and in cycling time. This is the heart of the archipelago with more islands, more ferries and longer distances between them. Around 40% of the total distance for this day is via ferry. We set off from the hotel to retrace the last 3km from the previous day to the Korppoo ferry. Thankfully the rain had stopped but it was still chilly so we made good use of the covered areas of the ferries.

Much of this day was what we imagined the trip to be: remote, rural with quiet roads. Cafes were fewer and farther between so we took the opportunities as they came up. The Munkkis (Finnish donuts) on the Mossala-Houtskari ferry were amazing and almost worth the flight to Finland just to find them.

Evening accommodation for this day was at Peterzen’s Boathouse, a marina on the southern end of Kustavi’s main Island. We made the most of arriving early in the afternoon to try the fish buffet, mini-golf and table-tennis. The boathouse has a selection of wooden cabins next to the marina which are perfect for cyclists. They’re on the cozy side so I’m glad we went for 2 cabins for the 4 of us.

Day 3 - Kustavi to Turku

Start: Peterzens Boathouse, Parattulan rantatie 16, 23360 Kustavi
Finish: Carfield Bike Rental - Polkupyörävuokraus, Läntinen Pitkäkatu 20, 20100 Turku
Distance: 75.7 km (47 miles)
- On roads: 69.5km (43 miles)
- via ferry: 6.2 km (3.8 miles)
Elevation change: + 496m / -471m (Net +25m)
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched (walk): Kuhankuonon Retkeilyreitistö
Other routes touched (cycle): EV10, National Cycling Route 29, 32
Pubs / Cafes on route: Livonsaaren Osuuskauppa (36km in), Restaurant Snickari, Naantali (58 km in)
Links: Archipelago Trail, St. Olav’s Way, Kustavi, Peterzens Boathouse, Taivassalo, Merimasku, Naantali, Turku, Fin Ferries

The weather had significantly improved for day 3 with no rain, no wind, a clear sky and a nice cycling temperature. After an early breakfast on the cabin terrace we set off on for the 1 hour / 20km ride to the next ferry. This was an important one to catch as the next one wouldn’t have been until late in the afternoon. Between us and 2 other cyclists we had a large car ferry to ourselves for the 45 minute crossing.

Although there was a restaurant near the ferry port on the next island we arrived too early so we continued for another 6km for a coffee stop. From here it was another 2 hours to cycle to Naantali for our lunch stop. This was the largest town of the trip so far and worth spending a bit more time in. Naantali is one of the oldest towns in Finland and the old wooden buildings on Mannerheiminkatu street are worth exploring. The town is also home to Moonminworld on an island just off the marina. We were concerned that we would get mistaken for the bald round creatures so decided not to go in.

The final stretch from Naantali back to Turku is 1 hour / ~17km. The cycle route returns to a separate protected path away from the increasingly busy roads to Turku.

The route can be completed between 2 to 5 days but I was glad that we went for the 3 day option. 2 days would have been a bit of a mission and too fast to enjoy the slow pace of the Archipelago. Even on the 3 day option we got to our overnight stops by mid-afternoon and I’m not sure what we would have done with the extra time. For fewer or more days it would be better to take either the Small Archipelago Trail (120km connecting Nagu and Naantali) or a longer trip via some of the outer islands to the west.

A huge thanks to Juho for being chief planner and local fixer for the trip. We’d have ended up somewhere in a field in Sweden without him.

Some other notes on the trip:

  • Turku train station has large luggage lockers if you have more stuff than you want to carry on your bike. At time of writing it was 3 Euro per day for up to 4 days.

  • The cafes and accommodation listed below are the ones that we went to. There’s other options but these were all good and well spaced apart. Book in advance for accommodation as there’s not too many choices.

Richard gowerCycle, Coast, FinlandComment
Walking The England Coast Path: Shoreham to Rottingdean

View from Brighton Marina to the undercliff path with Rottingdean Windmill in the distance.

Start: Shoreham-by-Sea Railway Station, BN43 5WX, Sussex
Finish: The Windmill Bus Stop, Marine Drive, Rottingdean, BN2 7GZ
Distance: 19.3 km (12 miles)
Elevation change: +132m /-117m. Net -15m
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched (walk): England Coast Path, Monarch’s Way, Mid Sussex Link, Undercliff Walk, Newhaven Brighton Clifftop Path
Other routes touched (cycle): Downs Link, NCN 2, 223
Pubs / Cafes on route: Many along the route. Notable ones that we used are Port Kitchen at Shoreham Port (4.2k in), White Cloud Coffee Company (13k in), The White Horse Hotel Rottingdean (18k in)
Map: Brighton & Hove Map | Lewes & Burgess Hill | Ordnance Survey | OS Explorer Map OL11
Links: Shoreham-by-Sea, Hove, Brighton, Brighton Marina, Rottingdean, Rottingdean Windmill

In our latest short section of the England Coast Path we chose the 19km stretch between Shoreham-by-Sea and Rottingdean. My main interest was to connect 2 previous trips: the end of the Downs Link that I had previously completed by bike and as an Ultra, and the Rottingdean to Peacehaven section that I had done ahead of the Prime Meridian cycle trip.

We were staying in Brighton for the week and actually split this into 2 days. The Coaster bus service runs parallel to the whole route so it’s easy to divide into smaller combinations. You can also take the train from Brighton to Shoreham. I planned the start of this trip from Shoreham train station so it’s a little shorter if you start from either the Downs Link end-point next to the River Adur or the bus stop on Shoreham High Street.

Navigation is very easy as you’ll be following the closest path to the sea. Much of it is signposted with either England Coast Path or (to Brighton) Monarch’s Way signs. After Brighton Pier the cliffs start to rise which gives you the option of either following the cliff-top path or the undercliff path. We always chose the undercliff path or whatever path was closest to the sea to give us a quieter, more interesting walk.

The scenery gets more pleasant the further east you travel. After Shoreham High Street you follow the busy A259 past industrial units and out-of-town stores for 2km until Shoreham Port. At the port, the path leaves the road, crosses the Adur and joins the Basin Road South. This is a good place to stop for a coffee and cake at either the Port Kitchen or Carats Café Bar to celebrate passing the grim part. Although Basin Road is still industrial, you’re now off the busy main road and next to the sea.

At the far eastern end of Basin Road you’ll arrive at Hove joining the promenade and a proper sea-side feel. Here you’ll have a lot of options for food and drink or to divert into Brighton town. After Brighton Pier keep to Madeira Drive, the lower / undercliff road and cut through Brighton Marina. After the Marina you’ll get to the undercliff path, a very quiet 2.5km stretch to Rottingdean. This is a good place to stop for a rest at the White Horse Hotel and get the bus back. Alternatively, as we did you could walk up to the Windmill on top of Beacon Hill for a great view. The view is especially good in the evening with the sun setting behind the windmill. From here, walk back down the hill to the A259 to the bus stop.

Richard gowerTrek, Coast, England, SussexComment
Otterton Coastal Circular Walk

View south / west from High Peak across the East Devon AONB. Ladram Bay on the left.

Start & Finish: Fore Street, Otterton, Budleigh Salterton, EX9 7JF
Distance: 12.1 km (7.5 miles)
Elevation change: +/- 186m
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched (walk): English Coastal Path, Otter Valley Walk
Other routes touched (cycle): NCN 2
Pubs / Cafes on route: Cafe at Ladram Bay Holiday Park, Otterton Mill
OS Trig Pillar: TP3799 - High Peak
Map: Exmouth & Sidmouth Map | Honiton | Ordnance Survey | OS Explorer Map 115
Links: Otterton, High Peak, Ladram Bay, Ladram Bay Holiday Park, East Devon AONB, Dorset and East Devon Coast UNESCO

Following our short but stunning Budleigh Salterton walk the day before we took on a longer walk on the next section of the coast to the east. This one starts inland in the small village of Otterton where you’ll find plenty of free on-street parking. From Fore Street (the main street through the village), walk in an easterly direction and take a right onto Bell Street. Continue up the hill as it becomes Ladram Road then Barr’s Lane. Just over 1 km from the village you’ll pass the main entrance to Ladram Bay Holiday Park where the road ends and the route becomes a narrower path. Continue up the path until Just over 2.5km from Otterton where you’ll find a footpath fingerpost sign pointing to Sidmouth (1.5m) and to the coastal path and Ladram Bay (0.75m). Follow the path towards Ladram Bay.

After 300m you can take a left hand path to climb the steep hill to the OS Trig Pillar at the top of High Peak. Here you get great views in all directions: Sidmouth to the north, Budleigh Salterton to the south and the East Devon AONB as you look inland. Carefully descend back to the Coastal Path from the Trig Pillar. Take a left oto the Coastal Path and follow it in a southerly direction down to Ladram Bay Holiday Park. The cliff top café is a good place to stop for a rest as it’s the only place to get food and drink before you return to Otterton.

From Ladram Bay continue along the Coastal Path until you reach the River Otter just before Budleigh Salterton. Take a right and follow the path on the eastern side of the river until you reach the bridge on South Farm Road. Cross the bridge and take a right to follow the Otter Valley Walk path on the western side of the river. Continue until you reach Fore Street and the road bridge taking you back into Otterton. Before you reach Fore Street take look across the fields to the west where you’ll see a house on it’s own across the field next to a large tree. This was the old East Budleigh railway station, now converted into a private home. You can still see the platform edge and canopy.

Otterton Mill, just over the bridge on Fore Street is a good place to stop for something to eat before you finish the walk. Go inside to see the old workings of the mill near the shop.

Richard gowerTrek, Trig Pillar, Coast, UNESCO, Devon, EnglandComment
Budleigh Salterton and West Down Beacon Circular Walk

View to High Peak, Ladram Bay and Budleigh Salterton from West Down Beacon

Start & Finish: Lime Kiln Car Park, 1 Granary Lane, Budleigh Salterton, EX9 6JD
Distance: 6.4 km (4 miles)
Elevation change: +/- 117m
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched (walk): English Coastal Path, Otter Valley Walk,
Other routes touched (cycle): None
Pubs / Cafes on route: Lots in Budleigh Salterton town centre
OS Trig Pillar: TP6804 - West Down Beacon
Map: Exmouth & Sidmouth Map | Honiton | Ordnance Survey | OS Explorer Map 115
Links: Budleigh Salterton, East Devon AONB, Dorset and East Devon Coast UNESCO

This is a stunning short walk along the coastal path past Budleigh Salterton up to the West Down Beacon Trig Pillar. Start from the town’s main car park next to the beach on Granary Lane and follow the coastal path in a westerly direction. After 1km the path will climb steeply up to the top of the cliffs. Continue until approximately 3km from the car park where you’ll meet a footpath finger sign pointing to Knowle (1m). You’re now at the top of the hill where you’ll find the OS Trig Pillar in a small clearing just in from the sign. Here you get great views along the cost in both directions. To the west is Exmouth and the river Exe that leads inland to Exeter.

Leave the coastal path and follow the footpath through the golf course to Knowle for ~1km until you reach Littleham Church Path. Take a right onto this path and follow it down to Exmouth Road. Take a right onto Exmouth Road and follow it in an easterly direction as it becomes West Hill and Budleigh Salterton High Street. Here you’ll find a lot of cafes and restaurants for a rest before completing the walk back at Lime Kiln Car Park.

Richard gowerTrek, Trig Pillar, Coast, UNESCO, Devon, EnglandComment
Walking The Old Postman's Route, Mallorca

View to the northern coast from the descent to Banyalbufar

Start: Sant Pere d'Esporles, Carrer de sa Rectoria, 1A, 07190 Esporles
Finish: Santa Maria de Banyalbufar, Plaça de la Vila, 2A, 07191 Banyalbufar
Distance: 7.6 km (4.7 miles)
Elevation change: + 273m / - 358m. Net -85m
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched (walk): GR 221 Ruta de Pedra en Sec
Pubs / Cafes on route: Several at start and end in Esporles and Banyalbufar. Cafeteria de La Granja d’Esporles at 1.5km (just off route)
Links: Esporles, La Granja, Banyalbufar, Old Postman’s Route: Mallorca Hiking / Estilo Palma Magazine, GR 221 Ruta de Pedra en Sec

The Old Postman’s Route is a popular section of the GR221 walking trail in the Tramuntana mountains. It runs from Banyalbufar on the coast to Esporles in the interior and follows the mail route between the 2 towns. We chose to do the Esporles to Banyalbufar direction to end at the coast.

I found the Old Postman’s Route when searching for a short interesting hike to do as a part of a non-walking holiday in Mallorca. I usually prioritise finding a walk to an island high point, but Mallorca’s one is a military zone with few walking options. Instead I found this short route in the Tramuntana Mountains that turned out to the the highlight of our trip.

We had a rental car for the week and drove to the end point at Banyalbufar hoping to take a taxi to the start at Esporles. It turned out that there were no taxis in town but there’s a bus from Palma the connects both towns. This is also a good option if you don’t have a car. The bus isn’t very frequent but fortunately it was picking up from Banyalbufar shortly after we arrived.

The start point of the trail is a short walk along the main street from the bus stop in Esporles. You’ll pass several cafes on the street, all of which were packed out with an unusual combination of cyclists and dog walkers. When you get to the church of Santa Maria de Banyalbufar you’re at the start of the trail.

This is actually part of a much longer trail along the Tramuntana Mountains called the Dry Stone Route (GR 221 Ruta de Pedra en Sec). If the short Postman’s Route section is representative, then it will be a very impressive trail and definitely one that I’d love to return for other sections.

Once on the Postman’s Route, you’ll find it very well sign-posted and difficult to lose your way. It’s rocky and steep in sections but not overly challenging for regular walkers. Your main consideration should be taking enough water as there’s no cafes after La Granja.

The route is stunning and on a clear day you get glimpses of the mountains and the seas in breaks in the tree line. Once on the descent to Banyalbufar you get great views of the town and coastline.

The route finishes at Banyalbufar Town Hall next to the Church of Santa Maria de Banyalbufar and, appropriately, the town’s post office. For an extra sense of completion you can continue for another 10 minutes to reach the sea.

Richard gowerTrek, Mountain, Coast, UNESCO, Mallorca, SpainComment
The South Downs Rivers

Here’s a Tube-style map of the rivers of the South Downs National Park. Let me know if you spot any mistakes and I’ll donate £1 per correction to one of my causes. If you would like a printable PDF version, please Buy Me a Coffee and send me your e-mail via the Contact page. All copies for personal, not commercial use.

Note: the map shows rivers that start, end or pass through the South Downs National Park. There are some rivers that are not included as their source is south of the Park even though they flow into the English Channel or join another river on this map.

Other Posts for the South Downs

Tube-Style Maps

Richard gowerCanal, Coast, South Downs, National Park, Sussex, Hampshire, EnglandComment
The Great Trails of Scotland

The Great Trails are 29 long distance walking routes established by Scotland Natural Heritage. The Great Trails website is the best place for further information on each. I’ve experienced a few of them on various adventures although it’s only the Great Glen Way that I’ve (kind of) completed so far. That was by bike and followed a path either on or close to the trail.

The above map is a collaboration between Michael Jones and myself based on research and an original design by Michael. Let me know via the Contact form if you spot any errors and I’ll donate £1 to one of my causes for any error corrected.

BLOG POSTS FEATURING THE GREAT TRAILS

MORE INFORMATION ON THE GREAT TRAILS

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Richard gowerTrek, Coast, Canal, Great Trails, ScotlandComment
The National Trails of England & Wales

The National Trails are 16 long distance walking routes administered by Natural England and Natural Resources Wales. The National Trails website is the best place for further information on each. I’ve experiences a few of them on various adventures although it’s only the Ridgeway and South Downs Way that I’ve fully completed so far.

The above map is a collaboration between Michael Jones and myself based on research and an original design by Michael. Let me know via the Contact form if you spot any errors and I’ll donate £1 to one of my causes for any error corrected.

Note that the England Coast Path is still in development. Currently open sections are shown in the map above.

The England Coast Path will be around 4,500km long when it is complete.

More Information on The National Trails

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Richard gowerTrek, Coast, National Trails, England, WalesComment
Santa Maria Cycle Tour, Sal Island, Cabo Verde

Start & Finish: Electrica Electric Bikes, Pier Street, Santa Maria, Cabo Verde
Distance: 20 km (12.4miles)
Elevation change: +/- 142m
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched: None
Cafes on route: Many in Santa Maria Centre, plus Cafe at Mitu & Djo Kite Surf School Kitebeach (9km in) and Ponta Preta Cafe or Bo Beach Bar (16km in)
Map: Free leaflet with a map available at Electrica Bikes. See image
Links: Cabo Verde, Sal, Santa Maria, Ponta da Fragata

The Electric Bike tour is a highlight of a stay in Santa Maria on Sal Island in Cabo Verde. You can either take a half-day guided tour or rent the bikes for a full or half day. We opted for the half day rental without the guided tour and roughly followed the map on the leaflet provided at the bike shop. The half day is enough unless you want to explore the north of the island.

Navigation via the small map on the leaflet was fairly straightforward. Roads and tracks are not well signed so we took a couple of wrong-turns before finding our route again. The GPX file linked above is a good option if you want to be more confident that you’re on the right track.

From Electrica Electric Bikes on Pier Street head toward the beach then take the street on the left closest to the ocean. Follow this in a easterly direction, taking the first street on the left and then the first on the right to join Rua 15 Agosto. When you reach the Angulu Beach bar on the right you’ll have left the paved streets and will now be on sandy dirt track. Here’s a good point to turn on the electric assist if you’ve not done so already.

From here continue along the track closest to the sea for ~3 km km until you reach the edge of the Nature Reserve. Along the way you can stop to see the Shell Cemetary, Ponte Leme Rock Pier and a decaying memorial stone on Praia de Igrejinha. The Costa da Fragata Nature Reserve is the furthest point you can go by bike. Follow the track away from the beach to the north easterly point of the town, re entering it one of the parallel roads running to the north-west. These roads are not named on the map so unless you’re using a GPS, keep to the most northerly residential road.

Continue down the road for approx 700m and take a right onto the road that lead you out of town in a northerly direction to the kite beach. Stop along the way for some great photos of the salt beds. The café at the kite beach is a good place to stop for a coffee and a rest. It took us around an hour and a quarter to get to this point.

When leaving the kite beach café, take a right onto the road, continue past another café then take a smaller track on the left. Follow this for 1.7 km, past the sewerage works until you meet the main north/south highway at a roundabout. Despite being the main island road it’s not very busy and we were able to safely cross it during a very large gap in traffic. Take the 2nd exit and follow the main track as it curves in a south-westerly direction to Cabocan

The track to Cabocan follows flat sandy ground that’s empty apart from stones marking out future roads and hotel developments. Join the main north/south road, then take a track down the north side of the Melia Dunas Beach Resort to a promenade by the beach. Continue heading south until you reach the end of the promenade. The leaflet from the bike company made it look like they continued along the beach but it was very sandy so we took the track on the south side of the Melia Tortuga Beach resort to rejoin the main road. From here we continued south until the end of the developments and took a track across the sand to Ponta Preta.

Ponta Preta is another good place to stop as there’s 2 bars on the beach. We stopped for lunch at the bar called Ponta Preta. This is another popular kite and windsurfing spot. Don’t stay too long though as you’ll need 30 minutes to get back to the bike shop from here.

When leaving Ponta Preta take the track south as it curves around the turtle hatchery beach. Head for the far corner of the closest resort to the beach and take the promenade as far as you can. When you run out of promenade head toward the main road that runs behind the big resorts. On the north-west side of the Hilton you can take a side road to the main beach promenade. Take a left on the promenade and follow it back to Pier Road and the bike shop where you started.

We made full use of our 4 hour / half day rental, retuning the bikes within 2 minutes of our allotted time. This included a short break at the kite beach for a coffee and 30 minutes for lunch on Ponta Preta. It was a great first experience for us of riding electric bikes. I won’t be giving up my mountain bike anytime soon, but this one was fit for purpose for the trip. It would have been doable on a normal mountain bike with a light frame too but this was a far more relaxing way to get through the sand and rocks to see the main sights of the southern end of the island.

Richard gowerCycle, Coast, Cabo Verde, AfricaComment
Salinas de Pedra de Lume Crater Walk, Sal Island, Cabo Verde

Start & Finish: Visitor Centre, Salinas de Pedra de Lume
Distance: 4.3 km (1.9 miles)
Elevation change: +/- 35m
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched: None
Cafes on route: Cafe at the Visitor Centre
Links: Cabo Verde, Sal, Pedra de Lume, Pedra de Lume Salt Mine

Visiting the Salinas (Salt Mine) at Pedra de Lume is a highlight of any day-trip around Sal Island in Cabo Verde. Most visitors to the island will be staying in or around Santa Maria and island day-trip excursions are easily found. We wanted a more private tour so we hired an English speaking taxi driver for the day for 60 Euros. For 2 people that’s not much more than the cost of joining a group tour. The roads to the Salt Mine are very poor and I wouldn’t recommend driving there yourself.

The Salt Mines are in the Pedra de Lume crater which is an extinct volcano. The salt evaporation ponds were built over a natural salt lake that formed through infiltration of water from the sea. The floor of the crater is below the sea level and is the lowest point in Cape Verde.

On the approach road to the Salinas you’ll pass Pedra de Lume village on the coast. There’s not been active salt extraction since the 1990s but you can still see the decaying buildings and equipment. The boat graveyard has the remains of the vessels that exported the salt out of the island. From the coast you can trace the route of the salt to the crater via the line of towers that carried the salt via cables.

There’s a small car park on the outside of the crater where you can access the interior via a tunnel. On the other side, at a lower level, is the Visitor Centre. Here you can find a café, shop, toilets and showers. Many groups visit to float in the salt pools. I was in 2 minds about doing it and probably would have if I hadn’t already has the salt floating experience in the Dead Sea in Israel. It was cold and windy when we were there so we opted for a circular walk of the crater instead.

The crater is around 900 m in radius and there’s a walking path of approx 3km around the salt flats on the base. From the Visitor Centre it’s best to start in an anti-clockwise direction. This north-easterly side has the clearest path and best signage. Although the path on the first half is very clear, the benches have seen better days. Some are intact, others somewhat dilapidated, and there’s information boards without information. When you get to the half-way point, just beyond the track from the Visitor Centre that bisects the salt flats, the perimeter path is much less clear. You can’t get lost though, just look out for the next bench (or remains of) and stay close to the outer edge of the ponds until your return to the start.

After the circuit we also walked half-way along the central path to get a closer look at the salt-flats. Our total walk in the crater, including the out and back from the car-park was around 5km.

 

Salinas de Pedra de Lume

Pedra de Lume Village

Other stops on the Sal Island Day Trip:

Richard gowerTrek, Coast, Cabo Verde, AfricaComment
Downs Link Ultra Marathon
Crossing The Old Shoreham Toll Bridge on the last mile

Crossing The Old Shoreham Toll Bridge on the last mile

When: October 10th 2021
Start: Church of St Martha-on-the-Hill, Halfpenny Lane, Guildford, GU4 8PZ
Finish: 3rd Shoreham Sea Scouts, Shoreham-by-Sea, BN43 5LT
Distance: 61.3 km (38.1 miles)
Elevation change: +456m / -622m (Net -166m)
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched (walk): North Downs Way, Tillingbourne At Work (SCC), Wey South Path, The Fox Way, Greensand Way, Sussex Border Path, West Sussex Literary Trail, South Downs Way
Other routes touched (cycle): NCN 22, 223
Maps:
- OS Explorer Map (145) Guildford and Farnham
- OS Explorer OL34 Crawley & Horsham
- OS Explorer OL11 Brighton and Hove
Finish time: 8 hours 32 minutes
Links: Downs Link (Wikipedia), The Cranleigh Line, The Steyning Line, St Martha’s Hill, Surrey Hills AONB, Wey and Arun Canal, South Downs National Park

This was a return to familiar territory for Mark and I. We’d cycled the Downs Link in July and passed by St Martha’s church on the Hardest of Snails 10k shortly after. Running the whole of the 38 mile trail was an altogether bigger challenge. This was also Mark’s first Ultra and my first running one with a friend.

I had worked out a plan to get us through it at a steady pace with 30 minutes contingency for the 10 hour cut-off. I have a consistent pace for Ultras, but not knowing how Mark would get on I didn’t know whether we would be able to stick together or not.

The first 6.4k to the old railway path is steep and hilly. With a lot of runners packed tightly into narrow paths you have to go at the speed of the group. This was a comfortable pace for a short race but faster than I had planned for this. I couldn’t see Mark at all in this first section and was worried that I was getting a long way ahead. I needn’t have worried as he arrived at the first Aid Station 30 seconds behind me.

This was the pattern for the first half of the race. I was slightly ahead on each section and we met up at the Aid Stations. Somewhere between Henfield and Steyning we’d both slowed to a fast walk and kept together to the end. By the finish point at Shoreham-by-Sea we were a hour ahead of our planned time and well within the official cut-off.

This is billed as a great Ultra for first timers and I’d argue that it’s a great one all round. After the first 6.4k it’s mostly flat and on good ground. There’s a few long straight stretches that got a bit boring but made up for by the remains of the old stations along the way. See my post on the cycle trip for more about these.

Running and crossing the finishing line with a friend made it special for me. Well done Mark on joining the Ultra club and huge thanks for Mark’s family for supporting us along the way.

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Richard gowerRun, Ultramarathon, Canal, Railway, Disused Railway, Coast, South Downs, Surrey Hills AONB, National Park, National Trust, Surrey, Sussex, EnglandComment
Cycling The Downs Link
Old carriage at West Grinstead Station

Old carriage at West Grinstead Station

Start: St. Martha’s Hill Guildford Lane Car Park, Guildford Lane, Albury, Guildford, GU5 9BQ
Finish: Shoreham-by-Sea Station, Station Approach, Shoreham-by-Sea, BN43 5WX
Distance: 61 km (38 miles)
Elevation change: +344m / -457m (Net -113m)
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched (walk): North Downs Way, Tillingbourne At Work (SCC), Wey South Path, The Fox Way, Greensand Way, Sussex Border Path, West Sussex Literary Trail, South Downs Way
Other routes touched (cycle): NCN 22, 223
Other routes touched (run): Downs Link Ultra
Pubs / Cafes on route: Wild & Green Kitchen (Cranleigh), The Little Teahouse (Southwater), The Old Railway (Henfield) …and others
Maps:
- OS Explorer Map (145) Guildford and Farnham
- OS Explorer OL34 Crawley & Horsham
- OS Explorer OL11 Brighton and Hove
Links: Downs Link (Wikipedia), The Cranleigh Line, The Steyning Line, St Martha’s Hill, Surrey Hills AONB, Wey and Arun Canal, South Downs National Park

The Downs Link is a ~59k trail linking the North Downs Way at St. Martha’s Hill and the South Downs Way near Shoreham-by-Sea. Having recently completed the similarly sounding Thames Down Link, this was an obvious next trip. The first 6k is a hilly route through countryside around Blackheath and Chilworth. Once it connects to the Wey and Arun Canal it follows the route of the disused Cranleigh and Steyning Lines.

There’s no practical public transport connection between the start and the end (maybe they should build a train line to connect them?) … so we did a 2-car shuffle. Our total route was a bit longer than the actual Downs Link as we started from the Guildford Lane Car Park and finished at Shoreham-by-Sea station.

Navigation is very easy, especially once you’re on the old rail line. There were a couple of path junctions on the first 6k that we may have missed if we’d not had a GPX route to guide us.

There’s remains of the former stations along the route, some better preserved than others. West Grinstead is a particular highlight as there’s a British Rail Mark 1 coach on site, now used as an information centre. Others, like Partridge Green and Bramber have been completely demolished with no remaining evidence.

Don’t miss stopping at Rudgwick Bridge over the River Arun. The previous gradient up to Rudgwick Station was too steep for trains so the embankments were raised and an iron bridge was built on top of the brick arch. There’s a viewpoint just off the path where you can see the two layers. The logo on the Down Link signs along the route are based on this bridge.

If you’re an OS Trig Pillar bagger, you can find TP1686 - Broomhall Copse 5 minutes off the path at the intersection with the Sussex Border path.

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Downs Link Disused Stations

Pictures above: top row, left to right:

Pictures above: bottom row, left to right:

  • Southwater: Wikipedia. Replica sign only, road now covers site of original station.

  • West Grinstead: Wikipedia. Station building and cottages now in private hands. Platform remains with a British Rail Mark 1 coach on display.

  • Partridge Green: Wikipedia. Station buildings have been removed and replaced by housing and the Star Road Industrial Estate

  • Henfield: Wikipedia. Station demolished. Only evidence is Beechings and Station Road sign where station used to be.

  • Steyning: Wikipedia. Station demolished but old warehouse building remains, now converted into townhouses.

  • Bramber: Wikipedia. Station demolished and replaced by a roundabout (photo). No other evidence.

More Disused Railway Posts

Richard gowerCycle, NCN, Canal, Railway, Disused Railway, Coast, South Downs, National Park, Surrey Hills AONB, National Trust, Surrey, Sussex, EnglandComment
Cycling The Prime Meridian
View to the north from the Greenwich Observatory: National Maritime Museum and Isle of Dogs in the background

View to the north from the Greenwich Observatory: National Maritime Museum and Isle of Dogs in the background

The Prime Meridian, also known as the Greenwich Meridian, is the line of longitude defined as 0°. It’s the line that divides East and West. It’s also a line that I asked myself one Christmas: “can that be cycled"?”. The answer is “no” as it’s a dead-straight line with buildings inconveniently built along it's path. You can cycle quite close to it though, so that’s what we did.

If you want to walk it, there’s a well-signed path called the Greenwich Meridian Trail. The Trail is also very well described in a series of 4 books by Graham and Hilda Heap. The cycle route that I designed stays as close to the Prime Meridian as possible but avoiding footpaths and opting for quieter country roads over busy main roads. Even if you’re cycling I highly recommend the Greenwich Meridian Trail books as they’re a great guide to the interesting things to see along the way.

Our cycle trip was 8 days in total, averaging 77k (48 miles) per day. That’s a gentler pace than our previous long distance trips such as LEJOG or Titanic Ireland. Although we could have gone further each day we opted for more coffee and cake stops. We also split it into 3 separate trips rather than a single end-to-end. This ended up taking us exactly a year to complete as Covid Lockdowns interrupted our plans and we had to fit the trips in where we could.

We based the start and end of each section based on access to train lines. Fortunately there’s good train connections along the route without significant diversions. The start at Peacehaven is close to Newhaven Station, although Brighton Station, 6.5 miles away, gives better connections to the North. For the end of Day 2 we wanted to get through London and Waltham Abbey is a natural stopping point. There’s a station nearby at Waltham Cross, or more north/south connections 12 miles west at Potters Bar.

For section 2, covering Days 3 and 4 we covered Waltham Abbey to Peterborough. This takes you quite a way off the Meridian but has a lot of north/south rail connections including to Potters Bar and Hull. Picking up from Peterborough on Day 5 for section 3, we cut diagonally north-east to rejoin the Meridian at Fleet. There’s not much to miss in the section between March and Fleet and the route takes in the main Meridian markers.

By the end of Day 6 the Meridian reaches the coast at Cleethorpes. From here the challenge is crossing the Humber Estuary to pick up the Meridian where it rejoins land at Sunk Island. The Greenwich Meridian Trail ends at Cleethorpes and a bus is the most practical means of picking up the route at Patringham on the northern side. For our cycle route we took a long diversion west to cross the Humber Bridge and return on the northern side via Hull. This gives you an unbroken cycle trip, but means that all of day 7 and half of day 8 are off the Meridian. It’s worth it for the crossing of the Humber Bridge and the Hull to Winestead Rail Trail.

The final point of the Prime Meridian at Sand Le Mere is quite different to the start at Peacehaven. There’s no monument to mark the end of your trip … at least not any more. This is one of the most eroded parts of the English coast and the previous marker is long gone. Instead we found a large lump of concrete that was more or less in the right position and decided it was the end point. From here it’s 28k ride back to Hull where you can get the train back home.

See the individual blog posts for each section for photos, maps and stats covering each day.

Links to each section:

The Complete Route

Two maps of the Prime Meridian. Above: Cycle route, each colour representing a different day of the trip. Right: tube-style map showing the cycle route, 0 degrees longitude and the Greenwich Meridian Trail

Two maps of the Prime Meridian. Above: Cycle route, each colour representing a different day of the trip. Right: tube-style map showing the cycle route, 0 degrees longitude and the Greenwich Meridian Trail

Richard gowerCycle, NCN, Coast, Thames, Railway, Disused Railway, Canal, South Downs, National Park, Surrey Hills AONB, Sussex, Surrey, London, Hertfordshire, Essex, Cambridgeshire, Huntingdonshire, Lincolnshire, Yorkshire, EnglandComment