10 minute read
Introduction
Cantii Way
Taking its name from the Celtic tribe which inhabited the area during the Iron Age, the Cantii Way combines quirky coastal towns and dramatic chalk cliffs with the rolling hills of the Kent Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The 234km circular route uses traffic-free cycle paths, bridleways and quiet roads, and is ideal for touring and hybrid bikes. It’s perfect for a leisurely trip with lots to discover along the way – from remnants of military defences to vibrant art trails and eco-friendly farms. The ‘garden of England’ is also a haven for food and drink connoisseurs, with a wealth of local produce to sample, fresh seafood, vineyards galore and the pointed white tops of hop-drying oast houses peeking through the trees. Make the most of it by stopping off at our accredited Cycle Friendly Places to rest and refresh along your journey. See them on a map at experience.cyclinguk.org/kent Parts of the trail use the North Downs Way riders’ route, which Cycling UK first proposed in 2018 and is now working with the Kent Downs AONB to develop as an official alternative route for the North Downs Way National Trail through Kent. The overlap between the two trails provides various options to extend or shorten your journey, and come back for more another time.
Format of this guide
We have divided this route into seven short sections, split at locations that make natural breaks along the way, and where there are options for alternative or additional circular rides.
1 Wye to Canterbury 22km 271m climb 2 Canterbury to Herne Bay 26km 225m climb 3a Herne Bay to Cliffsend – inland 19km 167m climb 3b Herne Bay to Cliffsend – coastal 34km 389m climb 4 Cliffsend to Dover 31km 244m climb 5 Dover to Hythe 24km 393m climb 6 Hythe to Rye 52km 209m climb 7 Rye to Wye 44km 267m climb – Additional Rye loop 16km 81m climb To help you plan your trip, we’ve suggested possible two or three-night itineraries at the back of the guide. You’ll also find a cumulative mileage chart to each town and village along the route, including the useful facilities available at each one. Download the GPX route file at cyclinguk.org/cantii-way
Navigation
Although the Cantii Way route is not signposted, most of this ride is easily navigated, either following the coastline or signed local or National Cycle Network (NCN) routes. Where this is not the case, the route follows straightforward trails, minimising head scratching and gazing at screens or maps along the way, so you’ll have maximum time to cruise and enjoy the scenery. Ordnance Survey maps are recommended, although this simple route is easily followed on OpenStreetMap or Google Maps.
Terrain
Most of the route is on tarmac or concrete surfaces. There are also a number of gravel, grass and dirt trails along the way. Low-profile tyres are recommended, but in poor conditions we would recommend a little more tread, especially if using narrow tyres; or you may wish to use road alternatives to the dirt trails.
Whichever bike and tyres you are using, take care when riding off-road in the wet, as the grass and dirt trails can become slippery and sometimes tenaciously sticky. This is a predominantly flat ride, with only a few hills, meaning progress should be steady. However, be aware that the wind direction could affect your progress, either hitting you with a strong headwind or giving you the advantage of a healthy tailwind.
Recommended bike and kit
Although largely traffic-free, the route mostly uses firm, hard tracks that are ideal for a sturdy touring, hybrid or gravel bike. A hardtail mountain bike (MTB) could be useful for riding the off-road sections but would benefit from being fitted with low-profile tyres to keep drag to a minimum. Electric bikes: This route is ideal for electric bikes (e-bikes). Although there are few big hills, the added assistance along flat, straight sections (especially into a headwind) is an efficient and helpful use of the battery. There are also plenty of locations, such as at refreshment stops, where you could potentially recharge the battery during the day, if required. Pannier racks or bikepacking bags are a good way to transport your cargo, as there are many facilities along the route, as well as excellent rail connections, and it is possible to ride the route safely and easily unsupported and with minimal baggage. Although you would be unlucky to suffer punctures along this route, bike shops are not always easy or quick to come by, so be prepared. The route mostly uses firm, hard tracks that are ideal for a sturdy touring, hybrid or gravel bike.
Top tips for a great ride
• Ride responsibly, showing respect for other trail users and the environment.
Remember – Be Nice, Say Hi! • Watch the weather forecast (including wind direction and strength) and plan accordingly • A bell on the bike is useful along the busy promenade sections • Don’t pack too much • Make the most of the seafront shacks and cafés • Leave no trace Don’t rush: ride slowly/walk in the busy seafront areas or take an alternative route here.
Nature
Kent is one of the most wildlife-rich counties in Britain thanks to its varied geology, location, history, latitude and proximity to mainland Europe. With important wildlife habitats such as estuaries, chalk cliffs, woodlands and chalk downland, Kent encompasses some of the South East’s most iconic landscapes, such as the shingle headland of Dungeness and the White Cliffs of Dover. Kent is home to numerous endangered species, stunning animals and fascinating habitats, from fungi and wildflowers to bees and birds. With more than 60 nature reserves helping wildlife thrive and protect numerous internationally important sites that are home to rare species such as orchids, the future looks promising. The region is especially abundant in birdlife, with the diverse coastal landscape of flat marshland and coastal cliffs providing essential feeding grounds for migrant birds. The area is a paradise for twitchers as a huge variety of species are attracted to the region, such as dark-bellied brent geese, which arrive in autumn from Siberia, and the avocet which can often be seen in the summer. Inland, crop fields and meadows provide a rich variety of plants and insect life, where bees and butterflies flourish on flowering grasslands, while woodlands fill with bluebells in the spring and are transformed into a beautiful array of golds and browns in the autumn months. Swallows and swifts can regularly be spotted flitting about the sky, with swifts spending most of their life, eating, drinking and even sleeping in flight. Meanwhile, nightjars hunker down, well camouflaged on the ground, and can go almost unnoticed but for their telltale ‘churring’ at dusk, in the months of April and May when they come to visit our shores.
Dover Castle
History
The county of Kent is widely known as the ‘Garden of England’ because of its abundance of traditional orchards of apples, cherries and hops. The name is said to have been first coined by King Henry VIII after enjoying a particularly delicious bowl of Kentish cherries. Today, Kent’s agricultural heritage has moved into the twenty-first century with the likes of the high-tech Thanet Earth, Britain’s leading glasshouse complex, which produces millions of vegetables a year, including around 400 million tomatoes. Traditional orchards were planted throughout the Kent Downs because of its warm climate and well-drained soils, but in more recent times, because its soil is similar to that in the Champagne region of France, it is now at the forefront of the emerging English wine scene. Wine isn’t the only beverage produced there: it’s fun to spot the rounded oasts, with their high conical roofs, which once dried hops as part of the brewing process. Although most oast houses have now been converted into residential dwellings, Kent still has a number of breweries, some of which welcome visitors, making a pleasant distraction along your journey. Kent and the southern coastline, with its close proximity to Europe, has traditionally played an important role and stronghold in the defence of the country. The area is steeped in history, and dotted with numerous forts, castles and other defensive structures. The name Kent derives from the Cantii, the ancient Celtic tribe who inhabited south-east England from the Thames to the south coast. The Romans called the county Cantium, and Julius Caesar, who visited Britain twice, first landed at Deal in 55 BC. His fleet was defeated on his first visit, but he returned in 54 BC with cavalry and won a significant battle at Canterbury. Under Emperor Claudius, the Romans stayed for almost four centuries.
The Cantii Way combines quirky coastal towns and dramatic chalk cliffs with the rolling hills of the Kent Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
Chapel Down Vineyard
Ramsgate Tunnel
After the Romans withdrew, the Germanic people came and brought the Old English language to Britain. In the fifth century, East Kent became one of the kingdoms of the Jutes, and in the early medieval times the inhabitants became known as Cantwara, or Kentish people, with Canterbury being their capital. Kent is traditionally divided into East Kent and West Kent, which dates back to at least Anglo-Saxon times. Those born east of Kent’s largest river, the Medway, are still known to this day as ‘Men of Kent’ (or Maids of Kent), and those to the west, known as ‘Kentish Men’ (or Kentish Maids). More recent conflicts have also left their mark on the area, with much of the Battle of Britain in the Second World War fought in the skies over Kent. The town of Ramsgate had more than 500 bombs dropped on it in one day on 24 August 1940, and built huge underground tunnels to provide shelter for around 60,000 people; a thousand people even made the shelters their permanent residence. And the white chalk clifftops are still home to the innovative sound mirrors, for picking up the sound of approaching enemy aircraft, and gun placements for super-sized guns that would exchange fire across the English Channel to France. construction of the 50km Channel Tunnel, which was opened in 1994 to connect our island with mainland Europe. The idea for a cross-Channel tunnel had been considered for hundreds of years and as part of its excavation, a new nature reserve was created. Samphire Hoe, between Dover and Folkestone, is a 30-hectare site reclaimed from the sea using spoil from the tunnel workings. Home to various wildlife and plants, it attracts more than 100,000 visitors every year. Coastal towns such as Whitstable, Margate and Broadstairs may have enjoyed their heyday in the 1950s and 60s, but a cultural-led regeneration has instilled new vigour into these charming seaside resorts, with arty boutiques, cafés, seafood shacks and much more. With easy access, thanks to a network of trains and numerous cycle routes, Kent is a great destination to explore by bike. You can even cycle to Canterbury all the way from central London, largely car-free beside the Thames, along the NCN cycle route 1. Embrace a leisurely pace of travel and an inquisitive mindset, and you’ll certainly leave satisfied.
Wye train station
