Blog ≫ 2022 ≫ That was your longest walk on Strava
Huge day off walk yesterday, from here to Dover. We went along the North Downs Way a little bit, following footpaths from Sandgate, through Folkestone, into Dover. Some pictures along the way. Brief photo op at Sunny Sands beach on the way. No-one believes me Folkestone has a mermaid too. Remember you can click the images if you'd like to see the full sized colour version.
Still looking quite grey, the weather was a shame, but it wasn't too cold and it didn't rain. Trying to get a picture of the big FOLKESTONE sign on the Harbour Arm for Andy. He saw it on The Hotel Inspector on TV this week, they were doing a thing on Westward Ho hotel / guesthouse on the Leas. This is not a good picture of it.
Up above Folkestone Warren, see the train track below us heading into Dover. On a clear day you could see France in most of these shots, but no sign today.
Looking back across Folkestone, we're at about the highest point of our walk now.
The spitfire replicas up at the Battle Of Britain memorial.
Looking back at Folkestone again, a bit further on now, the Harbour Arm is just a line.
I have not been up to this sound mirror before, only the others going Hythe way. This one was actually used I think the ones at Hythe are just for show. That is not me, that is my co-walker Sean in the picture, it was his idea to do this route.
Past loads of bunkers along the route too. If you want some recycling, these things are full of discarded bottles and cans. Good sport for a party maybe.
Inside one of the bunkers. Still no sign of France.
Bunker from the outside with some Operation Stack in the background. Brexit!
This was good, we passed the remains of a Knights Templar church from 900 years ago.
The remains of a small early 12th-century church built by the Knights Templar. The order of the Knights Templar was founded in Jerusalem in 1118 to protect pilgrims visiting the Holy Land after the First Crusade. The Order spread rapidly throughout Europe, with its work supported by the many estates donated by wealthy benefactors. In 1128 the order reached England, with this site becoming one of its earliest properties.
Templar churches usually have a circular nave, as here, in imitation of the church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. Indications are that this site was abandoned before 1185. The remains were rediscovered by military engineers fortifying Western Heights in the early 19th century.
I did not find the holy grail there.
And the finish line of the North Downs way. OK, we did not walk much of the North Downs way, which runs from Surrey to here.
We had a couple of pints in The Hoptimist, then had a walk back through Dover to the real finish line for us, Breakwater Brewery, where we had a couple more pints and a pizza. And then a taxi home, at a very reasonable hour.
