My favourite walking station(s)… Canterbury

map of East Kent highlighting Canterbury railway stations

Two stations, Canterbury West & Canterbury East

In the second of our series on favourite walking stations, Ben Edmonds recommends Canterbury.  Ben is a small business consultant and lives in Kent.

Canterbury has a lot going for it when it comes to walking via a station any time of year. With two stations in a heavily pedestrianised town centre with lots of amenities, it sits directly on one section of the North Downs Way and has a wide variety of circular or station-to-station walks. 

dry parched field in rolling countryside with blue sky

Seven years ago we moved to Broadstairs in East Kent from London with our daughter who was one at the time. Since then we’ve settled in and explored the area and three years ago we got Penny, our Irish Terrier. Thanet has great beaches and coastlines, but it lacks trees and rivers and variety. As such I find myself gravitating to Canterbury and its surrounding areas as that’s our direct train (30 mins). From London, there are trains from St. Pancras and Stratford (~1 hour), or Victoria (~1.5 hours) and Bromley South (1.25 hours) with one an hour from each. 

If you choose to end your walk in Canterbury, there are a number of pubs and restaurants within a short distance to the station. The Goods Shed directly next to the station stands out with its indoor food hall, restaurant and cocktail bar.  

The sprawling nature of Blean Woods has a mix of wide hard-packed paths (some suitable for cycling, buggies or wheelchairs) and winding single-track means you can often find yourself peacefully alone amongst the bluebells. Or even chance upon some of the recently re-introduced Bison.

However, in my view the best thing going for Canterbury when it comes to walking by rail though is the number of options for station-to-station routes. Here is a list of but a few:
– Any of these can work in either direction depending on where you fancy starting or finishing.
– All these stations tend to be hourly trains taking 45 minutes to 1.5 hours to London Victoria or St Pancras

 

Whitstable

– Route: Slow Ways 9540
– 7 miles along the Crab & Winkle Way through Blean Woods
– Good path the entire way with some of it along a disused railway bed

a wide path through wooden in autumnlush green woodland with blue sky in spring

 

Faversham

– Route: Slow Ways 844
– 12 miles along footpaths through a variety of fields, woodland, orchards and river


tracker tracks in a field of green cerealsIrish Terrier dog in a woodland with bluebell flowers


Minster

– 15 miles along the Great Stour river through the wetlands and nature reserve of Westbere


grassy bank of a river in a flat landscape



Dover

– Route: ramblingman.org.uk…

– 20 miles, North Downs Way, north loop

– A number of stations along the way mean this can be made shorter with a plan or a change of plan.


Footpath and bridleway signs in the countrysideWooden walkers sign for North Downs Way



Do you have a favourite station for walking?  Why not send your nomination to mail@railwalks.co.uk.

Location: Canterbury, UK

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