The walk/hike

Walk or hike? You decide. 

First off, here is a link to the route.

The first section takes you from the Folkestone West train station to the start of the Royal Military Canal (RMC). Folkestone is very hilly so although this hike is due to be a very flat hike, for the first mile you will encounter some short but steep downhill sections. Once you get to the promenade the hike is flat.

As you can see by the image below (elevation at the bottom) there is not a lot of down hill but if you are in a wheel chair this is a problem. The only real parts of this first half of the canal that are wheelchair friendly are the parts near Dymchurch. More parts are accessible if the ground is not sodden.

The map above shows the route as outlined in the RMC website  and is the easiest 
route to get to the promenade. You pass through the well kept gardens of the 
Sage offices which is a nice pre-cursor to the hike ahead.

On the day I decided to do this hike I arrived at the promenade and it was a cloudy day with moderate to very strong wind.

The outlook is not good!

Extremely strong winds had the effect of sand-blasting my face. It was ruddy within 10 minutes. Cobwebs blown away I pushed on and soon found my way on to the start of the RMC. There is a garage here where you can stock up on tasty bites for your journey! 

The paths are a little boggy this time of year. There re sections that are very well maintained and even wheelchair friendly (smooth flat tarmac) but over all you will definitely need a good pair of trail shoes or at the very least an old pair of trainers you no longer want to use as runners.

Not only did the rain come but the snow and sleet did too. I was not expecting this at all. I expected light to moderate showers  interspersed with sunshine. I was now cold and very very wet. Even the statues had water drops on their noses.

Regardless I pushed on. The trail is the easiest I have been on and you can't go wrong, primarily due to the fact the RMC is either on your left or right depending on whether you choose to walk the north side or the south side of the RMC.

Just after 4 miles from Folkestone West station you arrive in Dymchurch where, if the mood takes you and you have time (and it is running!) you can experience the Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch railway. It is a quarter size railway in full working order and even transports the kids to school during the term times. http://www.rhdr.org.uk/

As you can tell by the name of the canal, there is great military significance and to celebrate another army intelligence inspired tool there is an acoustic mirror that you can try out (if you have someone with you!) along the banks of the canal just as you leave Dymchurch. This is here due to the Hythe Sound Mirror installation just north of it's location. Another attraction should you have time.

Moving on and the canal is much like any other except you will see no narrow boats here. It was never designed to harbour boats and was never altered to accommodate them either. You will see that it has been kept in good repair and you'll also see a plethora of wildlife. You may even see wildebeest and antelope if you look closely! No, I'm not mad, you will pass the grounds of Port Lympne Zoo. Again, an attraction that should not be missed. The conservation work carried out here is World renown.

By the time I had walked 11 miles or so, I felt done! The long straights and relentless wind were taking their toll. If you do this walk I would suggest that you try to walk it when there have been a few dry days in a row as some parts are extremely boggy and precarious.

When you leave the canal just south of Hamstreet (see link to the route at the top of page) and head north, you will find a nice pub called The Dukes Head (http://dukeshead-hamstreet.co.uk/) which serves up wholesome food and ale. A perfect end to a long wander in the Kent countryside.