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The Sportsman at Cliffsend
Pegwell Bay and Ebbsfleet Ramble
The Details
OS Map: | Explorer 150 |
Length/time: | 3.5 miles/2 hours |
Difficulty/Terrain: | This walk involves a fair amount of footpath walking. The paths through the reserves are easy to follow. The crossfield paths are sometimes ploughed over and the path by the railway may be overgrown at certain times of year. The walk up Ebbsfleet Lane, a busy short cut, should be taken with care. |
Transport and parking: | Buses from Ramsgate to Sandwich stop nearby; parking at the pub or off-road opposite |
Character of the area: | This is a walk of excellent views. Pegwell Bay is very impressive and excellent for birds. The inland walking touches on Minster Marshes, still a quiet and secluded place, and St.Augustine's Cross. Although not the exact site of his landing, it is worth a moment to pause and read the background information. |
Look out for: | Birds on Pegwell Bay, Views across Minster Marshes, St. Augustine's Cross |
The Walk
From The Sportsman, carefully cross the busy road. Walk towards the sea over a narrow, unpaved car park, to reach a cycle track on the coastal edge. Turn right along this to pass a garage on the right. Keep forward parallel to the road on the right. Halfway between the garage and bushes ahead, drop down to a narrow path on the left and keep on in the same direction as before.
Stay on this path for some way. Always keep left following the coastline. Ignore paths going off right into the car park and picnic areas of the Pegwell Bay Nature Reserve.
Eventually reach the bottom end of the reserve. Here the path swings inland. In about 50 metres drop down to a kissing gate in the fence on the left.
Go through into the Stonelees Nature Reserve. Once again bear left at path junctions and keep close to the coastal edge although staying in the reserve itself. There are several paths in this reserve. Basically keep going forward with the sea over on the left.
Eventually a tall wire fence is reached marking the end of the reserve. Turn right here, inland. Again there are several paths. Basically walk along parallel with the wire fence on the left. Stay on obvious paths, bearing left at any junctions. Keep heading towards the cooling towers of the old power station and traffic noise. Eventually reach a metal kissing gate leading out onto a main road.
Bear left a few paces to a pedestrian crossing at traffic lights. Cross over to an area of open green by Ebbsfleet House.
Go over the green and on up Ebbsfleet Lane away from the main road. This road is very busy and great care must be taken as there is no pavement. For most of the distance there is a grass verge but this switches from one side of the road to another. If vehicles approach stop walking and get as far as possible from the edge of the road.Pass the entrance to Weatherlees Water Treatment works on the left then pass cottages at the entrance to Ebbsfleet Farm, also on the left. Immediately past the cottages turn left off the road on a footpath going diagonally right across a large field.
At the far side reach a junction of gravel tracks by a reservoir with fishing facilities. Turn sharp right here through a gateway with a metal fieldgate, by a dilapidated stile, onto a farm track called Brook Lane. Keep along here for some way with a ditch and field on the right.
At the end cross a stile by a field gate to a junction with another track with a railway beyond. Turn right here to soon reach a road by a railway crossing on the left.
Cross straight over the road and drop down stone steps to a grassy footpath enclosed between the railway on the left and a high bank on the right. Follow this path for a good distance then on across an open space - sometimes boggy- to emerge onto a road by the entrance to a golf club.
Turn right along this country road with care for some way. Soon pass St. Augustine's Cross. Continue on. On reaching a road on the left turning into an estate, cross and go up it a short way. Almost immediately turn right on a path going through trees and emerging onto a small village green in front of the Village Hall and Post Office.
On reaching the road in front of the hall, turn right to a road junction. Carefully cross to go forward, away from the village green, downhill, again without pavements. At the very bottom reach a junction with a main road. Turn right a few paces to return to The Sportsman public house.
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