Sunday, 25 January 2004

Coastwalk

Margate → Whitstable

[Reculver church]

Distance: 16.5 miles
Ascent: 210 metres
Duration: 5 hours 15 minutes

Go west
« Sandwich | Faversham »

St Mary's Church in Reculver is a useful landmark on this walk. It's about half-way between Margate and Whitstable, and its two prominent towers are visible almost all the way. And no surprise too: a stone inside the ruined church explains that the after original towers collapsed in a storm, they were rebuilt so they could continue to function as a navigational aid in 1810.

In contrast to the east/north/west of yesterday's semicircular walk, today's walk was much more straightforward: a direct march to the west. I'm finally heading towards Gravesend where I crossed The Thames in June 2000.

[Kites on the beach]

And by covering such a distance, the changes are more pronounced. The white cliffs grey then turn yellow as chalk gives way to sandstone. Conversely, the beaches give up their fine sand for shingle; gaudy pubs morph into tea rooms; flocks of birds are replaced by clusters of kites.

Much of the walk is along promenades, but the highlight is the five mile stretch between Birchington and Bishopstone (passing Reculver), a length of coastline the expansion of the seaside towns has yet to reach.

Posted by pab at 23:21