Catch the 9.34 train from Charing Cross (9.37 Waterloo East, 9.43 London Bridge) to Sandling, arriving 11.14
OR
Catch the 10.04 Southeastern High Speed train from St Pancras International to Ashford International, changing there to the above train, (arrive 10.42, depart 11.02). Note that the high speed train gives an even bigger time advantage on the way back: see Trains back below
Buy a day return to Folkestone (with high speed supplement if relevant)
This walk was unashamedly created as a summer swimming walk. The idea is to give you a decent length morning, with some nice upping and downing in fine scenery, a castle or vineyard or two, etc etc, and then bring you down to pretty Sandgate for lunch (cafes, pubs, tea kiosk: all sorts). The short afternoon then provides pleasant sea swimming opportunities.
You can swim at Sandgate, whose seafront has a rather Mediterranean air in the sunshine, but there can be quite strong lateral currents here: that is to say the current is going one way or other parallel to the shore, and you find yourself making too much progress one way and none at all the other.
A better choice, which also allows your lunch to settle, is to walk the mere mile or so along the promenade to the Mermaid Beach of Folkestone, whose scalloped shape provides calm waters and very pleasant swimming in nice scenery. High tide is at 9.49 today and low tide at 5pm, so by the time you get there it will be getting towards the lower end, when there is plenty of shallow water and a sandy bottom near the shore, with plenty enough water depth further out for those that want to be a bit bolder.
There is a cafe overlooking the Mermaid Beach, and also a new tea kiosk in the Leas Park, near the foot of the Zigzag Path.
To finish your walk, you can stroll along the seafront to the Harbour Arm, the now revamped former cross-channel port of Folkestone, where there all sorts of food kiosks and places to have drinks. There is also an Antony Gormley statue hidden away somewhere, and in general Folkestone has lots of art installations if you want to explore them. Or for a shorter way to the station, climb the charming Zigzag Path.
Trains back are at 05 past to Charing Cross (1 hr 46m or 1hr 38 to London Bridge) or 58 past to St Pancras (56 minutes)
3 comments:
My bad, but I have been spoilt in the past, just wondered if there will be a third walk posted for this Saturday. Many thanks.
I think the usual walk poster may be away but I can post a 3rd walk.
Ah, summer swimming walks: the walk poster’s dilemma. You can’t put them up unless the forecast is fine, and if the forecast is fine, the trains are rammed. But I was the only one it affected really. I got to St Pancras over an hour early and was panicked into getting the 9am train. This had people standing on it 10 minutes before it left the station. But the 4 or 5 who got the 10.04 train all got a seat because it was double length (smart thinking by Southeastern). And most walkers got the Charing Cross/London Bridge train, which was busy but not madly so.
I filled in the extra hour at Sandling by nature watching on the old railway line. Then when the appointed train arrived 15 got off, so n=16 in all.
Off we set in w=pleasantly-hot-sun. No great incidents on the morning walk. The climb up onto the ridge after Saltwood was a bit overgrown, but only with bracken, which will die back in the winter. We navigated the awkward road section without problems, though some went AWOL onto the golf course here and found some other way back onto the walk route. At least one walker had planned to combine this walk with some elements of the Folkestone to Dover walk: we presume he did this.
I had expected to eat first and then swim, but the sight of the sparkling sea at Sandgate was too much, and my stomach had to wait its turn. Two of us in the advance party swam in front of the Ship Inn. The sea was gorgeous: clean and refreshing. Unusually there was no current and I went out further than I usually do here. The beach was not particularly busy.
We then went to the Ship and found its lovely sun deck overlooking the sea surprisingly empty. One could order food at the bar and life was very pleasant. We were joined by some drinkers and one more luncher and learned that a number of the group had swum further along the beach, on first arriving at the coast.
After lunch we ambled along to Folkestone and the Mermaid Beach, where we met most of the rest of the group, some in the cafe, two on the beach. At least seven of us swam here, the low tide conditions being good for those who like to keep in their depth. Four of us swam right across the bay and round the capped pole, a very satisfying expedition, with interesting currents around the pole.
It was now 5pm and there was discussion about whether to go straight to the station or to go to the Harbour Arm. Most went for the latter, but from here on in we lost the odd person here and there who went for a train. Eight of us ended up at the bar at the very end of the Harbour Arm, where we had a very nice drink with mouthwatering views of the bay.
Five of us then visited the Gormley statue and went in search of food. The others wanted fish and chips, but as I had unthinkingly had this for lunch, I opted for a (very tasty) burrito from one of the Harbour Arm food stalls. The others ended up having some trouble getting their chips, the waiting times in several places proving too long, but in the end succeeded. It looked as if we might miss the 19.58 high speed train, but by dint of a little jogging we made it. It was busy, but amazingly four of us got seats together (the other had got to the station a bit earlier) and we had a nice chatty ride back to London.
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