05 November 2025

Short Break, Kent

There was an AAC walk in Kent on Saturday, and I was playing at a remembrance service parade in Cuckfield on Sunday, so we chose to extend the trip to spend a few days in Canterbury.
The aim was to travel across on Wednesday, and spend a few days exploring that end of Kent before catching a train to join the walk at Chilham on Saturday, and come home via Cuckfield on Sunday.

There was one big problem - English Heritage had chosen this week to close down for the winter and only open their properties at the weekend, so that cut out a number of opportunities (especially Dover castle). However we still found some things to do.

I had booked a slot at the Canterbury Camping and Caravan club site - just a grass plot without electric. Luckily they found us a fairly flat position however it was hidden in the trees (I guess it was the driest grass spot on the site). I thin in future I will cut the losses and go for one with electric if only to ease the charging anxiety!
The campsite was just to the east of the city near the golf course. It was typical CCC site - well spaced and laid out, but very heavy on the rules.

On the way across we stopped at Knole park house and gardens (at least National Trust places were still open), and had a walk around the grounds after lookign into the public access part of the big house. The walk diary is linked below

That night we looked for a local hostelry for sustenance, however there was nothing near so a walk down to the city was called for and we had a nice meal in the first place we came to - a Chinese. All the way back fireworks were going off - however this reoccurred every night we were there.

Thursday would have been a visit to Dover, however we changed for a discovery stroll around Canterbury, and a meal in the van.

Friday we found that Reculver towers was open so used that as the start of a walk along the coast towards the isle of Thanet followed by a late lunch in the King Ethelbert pub, before returning to the campsite via a long drive aroudn this end of the peninsular to Ramsgate via Sandwich so that we could top up the leisure batteries - I wanted to see how the batteries performed off grid - however as we had a pitch in the shade we did not get any solar assistance.

Saturday was the AAC walk from Chilham to Wye via the north downs. I walked down to the train station (Canterbury West) with Sue, who then took a tour of the cathedral and St. Augustine's abbey, as well as lots of retail therapy. After the main walk I caught the train back to Canterbury and walked back to the campsite.

Sunday we returned home via the Remembrance service in Cuckfield.

Links will be updated once the entries have been written.