27 June 2022: White Cliffs Walking Festiavl 2022
Programme Published
The programme for this year's White Cliffs Walking
Festival is now available. For more information,
please visit the
Festival website.
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 25
January 2022: White Cliffs Walking Festival 2022
Announced
This year's White Cliffs Walking Festival will take
place from 25 to 30 August.
Welcome to this beautiful and historic area of Kent
recently identified by Lonely Planet as 4th on the list
of the world's best regions to visit in 2022.
The White Cliffs walking festival aims to showcase
the many varied scenic delights, historical and natural
through a variety of walks suitable for all ages and
abilities. Everyone welcome. Walks are mostly free.
Donations are appreciated.
Visit the website at
whitecliffswalkingfestival.org.uk for more
information.
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12 January 2022: New Section of England Coast Path
Opened in Kent
The 46 mile stretch of the England Coast Path between
Woolwich and Grain was opened on 12 January despite
cancellation of the planned ceremony in Woolwich due to
Covid restrictions. Read more on the
Ramblers' national site.
The opening of the Ramsgate to Whitstable section has
been long delayed by difficulties establishing the route
along the edge of Kingsgate golf course. The
reason the Whitstable to Iwade section is not yet open
is not clear. The Sheppey and Iwade
to Grain sections are held up pending a decision by the
Secretary of State on objections to the line of the
route by landowners.
The Coast Path came about thanks to campaigning by
the Ramblers and the work of many volunteers such as our
own Coastal Access Officer, Ian Wild. Kent
Ramblers has produced
a guide to the Camber to Ramsgate section of the
path and is working on guides to the rest.
The map below shows the newly opened stretch.
Click on the map for a larger version and click again to
magnify further.
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 15 December 2021: New Annual Review Published
Our 2021 Annual Review is being printed and should reach members between Christmas and
the New Year.
The Annual Review is also available to download here:
Higher
resolution version (72 MB)
Lower
resolution version (13 MB)
If you receive a paper copy but would prefer just the
on-line version next year, please email your membership
number and postcode to
nopaper@kentramblers.org.uk.
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26 September 2021: Wealdway40 Celebrations at
Tonbridge Castle
 The
Wealdway 40th anniversary celebrations reached their
climax when walkers gathered at Tonbridge Castle to hear
speakers including the Mayor of Tonbridge & Malling
before setting off on three separate walks incorporating
parts of the Wealdway. Full details of the event
can be found at
http://www.kentramblers.org.uk/wealdway40 and a
gallery of photographs from some of the 26 walks
organised as part of the celebration at
http://www.kentramblers.org.uk/wealdway40/gallery.
Photograph © Scott Wishart
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 25
August 2021: Wealdway40 Celebrations Commence
The programme of 25 walks to celebrate the 40th
anniversary of the opening of the Wealdway began today
with a walk from Mereworth. The walk was organised
by Tonbridge & Malling Ramblers. Click
here for more
details including a full list of the walks still to
come.
Photograph © Fiona Paterson
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 16
June 2021: White Cliffs Walking Festival
The festival, organised by the local White Cliffs
Ramblers group, is now in its 7th year and is one of the
top walking events of the year in the UK. In 2019
we attracted over 1250 delighted walkers visiting this
historical area from the far-flung corners of the UK and
abroad.
Centred on the historic towns of Dover, Deal,
Sandwich and Folkestone, this festival features 34 walks
ranging in length from 2 to 30 miles. Whatever
your walking ability or interest, we offer walks that
will tempt you to discover our beautiful coast and
nearby countryside. Immerse yourself walking among
Dover’s fascinating military fortifications or take in
the delightful coastal views. Most walks are free,
though a voluntary contribution would be appreciated
please. A few of our special guided walks cost a
very modest amount to cover the costs of specialist
speakers.
The Festival will take place from Thursday 26 August
to Tuesday 31 August 2021.
Visit us or contact the festival through our website
www.whitecliffswalkingfestival.org.uk. Booking
in advance is essential, a maximum of 20 on each walk.
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 5
May 2021: International Recognition for the Ramblers!
The French television channel France 2 contacted Kent
Ramblers to request an interview as part of a short
report for the evening news. The report was
highlighting the UK’s success in reducing the effects of
the pandemic and how normal life is now resuming.
As well as recordings in a care home and in a
vaccination centre, they wanted footage of a midweek
ramble in which an older tranche of the population was
involved.
As a former teacher of languages,
Colin Philpott of our Maidstone Group was happy to
discuss the arrangements with the French journalist and
suggested they come the next day to White Horse Country
Park, near Maidstone.
So, on Wednesday 5th May
two journalists joined Maidstone Group for the first
hour of their ramble along the North Downs. They spoke
to three of the Maidstone group and showed group shots
of the 25 participants enjoying the beautiful scenery.
The report is due to be broadcast on national TV
news next week.
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 19-25
April 2021: Canterbury Walking Week
Canterbury Ramblers and the Canterbury Rings team are
planning a new event, Canterbury Walking Week, to take
place in April. Full details are on the
Canterbury Rings
website.
Photograph: North Downs Way near Wye Crown
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12 February 2021: CPRE Sussex Festival of Spring
Countryside Talks ….
"Looking for lockdown entertainment? From the comfort
of your armchair, hear from inspirational people who
love nature, the countryside and the Sussex landscape
and help raise vital funds for a beautiful and thriving
Sussex countryside that enriches all our lives!
We have Sir Charles Burrell – rewilding pioneer, Prof
Dave Goulson – author and campaigner for Bumblebees and
all small creatures, our brilliant local crime novelist
– William Shaw and local Sussex historian and landscape
expert Dr Geoffrey Mead who will bring his enthusiasm
and knowledge to bear on all things Sussex.
Find out
more and book your tickets at:
https://www.cpresussex.org.uk/news/cpre-sussex-festival-of-spring/."
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24 December 2020: New Annual Review Published
Our 2020 Annual Review has been printed and is in the
post, so it should reach members between Christmas and
the New Year.
The Annual Review is also available to download here:
Higher
resolution version (38 MB)
Lower
resolution version (16 MB)
If you receive a paper copy but would prefer just the
on-line version next year, please email your membership
number and postcode to
nopaper@kentramblers.org.uk.
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 19
December 2020: Group Walks Suspended Again
Following a brief period when we were able to run led
walks again, the latest restrictions on meeting and
movement have forced us to suspend our programme again.
We currently have no idea when we might be able resume
this activity. You can still walk locally on your
own, with members of your household or with one person
from another household, provided that safe distancing is
exercised. There are many good walks on our
walking routes page
and we remain happy to supply the items listed on our
publications page.
Our Groups look forward to restarting led walks as soon
as they are permitted to do so.
Photograph shows Lower Halstow on the
Saxon Shore
Way.
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 10
September 2020: Lost Ways Update
Kent Rambers' Lost Ways project aims to identify
public rights of way that were omitted from the
definitive map when it was created in the 1950s and
1960s and apply to have them added before the 1 January
2026 deadline. For the past three years one of our
Vice Chairmen, Neville Machin, has been leading the
project. Neville has now handed over this
responsibility to Colin Sefton who can be contacted on
lostways@kentramblers.org.uk.
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 1 September 2020: High Weald Walking Festival
The High Weald Walking Festival was a highlight of
Autumn 2019 but this year the organising team felt that
it would be impractical to offer led walks while
complying with guidelines for meeting in groups and
ensuring everyone's safety from infection. Instead
the team has put together a "virtual" festival of fifty
self-led walking routes, available for the month of
September only. Please visit the
Festival web
site for more details.
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 19
August 2020: New Walking Guide Published
Kent Ramblers has today published a new walking guide
to the Tunbridge Wells Circular Walk. The 80 page
guide also includes a Tunbridge Wells Town Trail and six
Walks Through Time from Cranbrook. The guide
adopts the same style as our two previous guides with
full colour 1:25,000 mapping created especially for the
book using up to date Ordnance Survey data.
Although the cover price is £7.50, we are currently
offering the guide for £6.75 including P&P. For
more details please see our
publications page.
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28 May 2020: White Cliffs Walking Festival Cancelled
 Sadly
we have had to cancel this year's festival because of
the continuing restrictions on personal contact and
proximity due to the Covid-19 outbreak. We thank
everyone for their support and hard work and look
forward to seeing you at the 2021 festival.
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26 December 2019: Kent Ramblers' 2019 Annual Review
Published
The Annual Review is now available on-line.
There are two versions so that those with slow internet
connections can choose a smaller file but with poorer
quality images than the larger, higher resolution
version:
2019
Annual Review Hi Res (52MB)
2019
Annual Review Low Res (12MB)
Nearly 40 members have chosen to forego a paper copy
of the Annual Review and have on-line access only.
All other members should by now have received a copy in
the post.
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14 September 2019: Opening of the High Weald Walking
Festival
The Festival, organised by Sussex Ramblers, runs from
14 to 22 September, offering a choice of 46 walks over
nine days. Every walk has a theme. There are
easy walks, leisurely walks and moderate walks.
All offer lovely scenery and most are in the High Weald
Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Outstanding it
certainly is.
There are more details here:
https://www.highwealdwalks.org/
Kent Ramblers will be at the launch at the Hub at
Quarry Farm in Bodiam – we hope to see you there.
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 22
August 2019: Opening of White Cliffs Walking Festival
Ramblers' Chair Kate Ashbrook today opened the sixth
annual White Cliffs Walking Festival. Immediately
after the brief ceremony at the bandstand on the sea
front at Deal the walkers departed on one of the three
walks scheduled to start from Deal that morning.
The festival runs until 28 August and more details can
be found at
www.whitecliffswalkingfestival.org.uk.
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 2
July 2019: Grand Opening of the Kearsney Loop
Ramblers's volunteers, Dover District Council
staff and military personnel gathered at Bushy Ruff
Country Park today for the opening of a new walking
route whose creation has been made possible by new
access arrangements across land owned by the Ministry of
Defence. The permissive path provides the missing
link in a 2.6 mile circular walk that previously
involved walking along a very busy road with no verge or
footway. To encourage more people to enjoy the
walk, volunteers from Ramblers' White Cliffs Group have,
with the support of the MOD's Defence Infrastructure
Organisation and Dover District Council, installed
gates, steps, posts and waymarks throughout the route
except for a short section within Bush Ruff
and adjoining Russell Gardens.
 Starting
close to Kearsney Abbey Gardens, the new route offers an
excellent opportunity for those amongst the many
visitors for whom a walk in the park is just a little
too tame to enjoy a health boosting extension offering
fine views up the Alkham Valley. With good train
and bus links and with an enlarged car park currently
under construction, the walk is readily available to a
large number of people in the Dover and Folkestone area.
Kent Ramblers has produced a leaflet to promote the
walk and describe the route and its points of interest.
You can dowload it here:
Kearsney
Loop Leaflet (7 MB download)
As well as being a part of the Kearsney Loop, the new
access arrangements create opportunities for longer
walks in this delightful part of Kent where the North
Downs approach the sea at the White Cliffs.
The pictures show today's opening ceremony and one of
the new posts bearing a waymark with the specially
designed Kearsney Loop logo.
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 The Canterbury Pilgrims Festival 12-15th June:
Celebrate Canterbury's Pilgrimage history and
traditions; there will be guided walks, talks and a
delicious feast.
Booking required per activity - don't miss out!
Find out more and book
http://www.bit.ly/CanterburyPilgrimsFestival
The programme can be
downloaded here.
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31 March 2019: White Cliffs Walking Festival
Planning
is well under way for this year's White Cliffs Walking
Festival and last week the organising team issued a media
release anticipating the pleasures in store for those
who take part. The full release is available
here.
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3 May 2019: Annual Footpath Meeting
The annual workshop for all those interested in
footpath matters in Kent will be held on 3 May 2019, as
usual in Lenham Community Centre. All are welcome
– you don't need to be a current volunteer although we
will be delighted if the meeting inspires you to offer
your time to help protect the county's paths.
Advance booking is essential: there are more details
here.
BOOKING ESSENTIAL BOOKING
ESSENTIAL
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1 January 2019: 2018 Annual Review Published
The 2018 Kent Ramblers Annual Review has been
published and posted to all our members. If you
are a member and have not received your copy then please
get in touch at
info@kentramblers.org.uk.
You can also view our Annual Review on this site.
The high resolution version is a huge download (over 180
MB) so we have provided a low resolution version too
(around 18 MB). You can view the versions using
the links below:
Annual
Review 2018 High Resolution
Annual
Review 2018 Low Resolution
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