Expedition North Downs Way - 'Men for all Seasons': October 2012

Expedition North Downs Way - 'Men For All Seasons' - Final Leg

Friday 28 - Sunday 30 September 2012

Lenham to Dover

About a year after the idea to walk the North Downs Way was created, our first expedition was completed. It took three, one-and-a-half day journeys and a final three day leg to complete our journey across Surrey and Kent.

Summary:
This Final Leg of our expedition led us along the famous chalk ridge of Kent, the way to the finish line at Dover. Day One saw us journey 15 miles from our start point at Lenham, to our first farm near Hastingleigh. We then journeyed on for the next farm which was the shorter distance of only 11 miles so that we could arrive early the following morning at Dover, after having a swim in the Channel and watching the sun rise.

Day 1:

After setting off at 1100hrs we found ourselves walking along fairly flat fields and under the Lenham Downs. We soon came across the Lenham Memorial – a 61m tall chalk cross cut into the ridge - which commemorates the war dead of the two World Wars. We set ourselves a time limit to reach Charing - within the first hour, so that we kept in good time. After passing above the village, where Venture & Invicta Motorcycles were built in the early 1900s, we found ourselves on a track which passed over the top of the ruins of the Archbishop’s Palace, a place where Henry VIII stayed on his journey to 'the field of the cloth of gold’ in France

A short way along the track we stopped and ate our breakfast and lunch, looking through a gap in the trees over the Weald of Kent. We passed through Eastwell Park, where during the Second World War tank manoeuvres took place. It is rumoured that their activities led the roof of St. Mary’s Church to fall in and thus the church ran to ruin. The last of the Plantagenants, Richard IV, is said to have been buried in the churchyard.

The Wye Crown visible a few miles away

English on the Wye crown

As we walked we passed the point at which
you can choose to go to dover via
Caterbury still along the north downs way

We soon came to the village of Boughton Lees and over a number of fields to the larger village of Wye, where the famous Wye Crown is cut into the Downs above the village. In 1902 the Crown was made by students of Wye Agriculture College, to celebrate the coronation of King Edward VII. In the year 2000 the College was merged with Imperial College, London and became Imperial College, Wye. This ended the College’s 653 year history. Whilst standing on the bridge leading into Wye, we were reminded of the village of Yalding where we passed through on our second trial walk. We passed over the top of Wye Crown and along the top of the Downs over brilliant views of the south of England and the approaching rain. We then came to the Wye Nature Reserve and after a small section of woodland we were chased by the carpet of wind and rain, brought from the South, as we approached the farm where we were to set up camp. We rushed to put on our waterproofs but unfortunately not quickly enough, and so had to continue with wet trousers under our waterproof clothing. Undeterred, we continued to the farm with rain following all the way.

We set up camp and decided to eat our rations cold, to allow us an earlier night and less washing up!

Day 2:

Rising at 0600hrs we packed up and were on our way by 0700hrs. In good weather we headed to reach our next farm, only 11 miles away, North of Folkestone. We knew this would be a less challenging day as the distance was shorter than Day One and we had more time.

Our first, comfirmed, sighting of the
sea was on this hill in the morning

This day was very easy. We had improved in fitness and we were able to stop a mile away from the farm sitting on the highest point that the eye could see, with views of Folkestone, Dungeness Power Station and on the horizon, France.

During our travels on Day 2 we passed numerous interesting views including the view at Hempton Farm, and the village of Postling.

We encountered many steep hills in the
morning

Walking in the morning was not too challenging. Starting on top of the ridge meant that we could see the sea for the first time, a very welcome sight. However, having started off the day with no water we were forced to call at a pub to ask for refills of our hydration packs, a gift which was much appreciated. We continued on for a few miles before stopping at a pre-planned viewpoint for our breakfast.

For a few hours we continued on along the ridge until we stopped for a snack and came within eye level of a light aircraft, as it was flying over the ridge. The pilot waved as he came very close to us

After our encounter with the aeroplane and a short snack stop, we headed off. Still on track, we walked through a few fields that were used for training soldiers - there was no sign of military activity but we did watch some men ferreting, whilst we ate our lunch.

The dipping and swerving footpaths

In the afternoon we walked South of Etchinghill and through a path rising and swathing through the hills of the North Downs, stopping at numerous photo opportunities. The scenery on this day was the best of the whole expedition. Weather was very good too - not too warm with clear skies and very good visibility - we could see France by this point

The view of Folkestone from where we
sat

We walked on, dipping and diving along the footpath until we came to a disused quarry, about a mile away from the farm. At 1515hrs we were too early and so climbed to the top of the pit and sat there, overlooking Folkestone, until the time was right to leave. We were at the highest point that we could see, with brilliant views of France and sitting directly above the Channel Train Terminal – a mass network of tracks, overhead cables, with trains carrying freight lorries and coaches.

When time was appropriate, ie 1645hrs we set off to make the final mile to our final farm in our final leg of our first expedition. A couple of celebratory pot noodles, which Mumford had carried with him, was greatly enjoyed that evening as we sat looking at the lit up coastline of France. Day 3:

On the final day we rose at 0400hrs and packed up and left a 0500hrs on the dot; our objectives for today were few but hugely important and challenging. We were to swim in the Channel and make it to Dover by 1000hrs.

We set off in near complete darkness, with only the light of the full moon to guide us. Folkestone was lit up as we walked North of it on the ridge.

A few miles on we came to a hill called Caesar's Camp. A site which was once excavated and, despite the name, it was found to be a Norman earth and timber fort. On this hill we came across a herd of cattle in the darkness. Scared by our big kit bags they ran off. Mumford joked, “they’re mustering around the corner for a charge at us.” Then to our horror they came back over the hill, charging towards us! We ran around a corner, out of their sight and took cover amongst some trees half way down a very steep hill, until we knew where to escape to.

In the darkness on the hill is where the
cows chased us. folkestone is lit up

In order to go for a swim we had to take a vey big diversion which was very costly to our time, so we ran a lot of the way. We had to walk a long way off the track and then parallel to it as the path was on top of the cliff - but at the bottom of the cliffs was where we were walking to find a spot to swim. We were very lucky; before we started swimming we saw the sun begin to rise, in the clear day, over the Channel. A surprise sight for both of us. We had a quick dunking/swim in the surpisingly warm water and back-tracked on ourselves to get back onto the cliffs

Battle of Britain Memorial

Early radar

Once we were on the path again we soon came to the Battle of Britain War Memorial dedicated to ‘the few’. Erected in 1993 it is situated in ‘hell fire corner’ the place between Dover and Folkestone where a large amount of the battle of Britain was fought.

Rushing to get to Dover we passed an old “early warning acoustic mirror” from 1920s. This was used for plotting aircraft movements, an early creation of radar used in WW2.

We entered Dover in time, but then had difficulty in finding the finish line as there were misleading signs pointing us in different directions, and the only reason found our way was by chance. English's father was the first person we saw and then as we walked around the corner we saw both of our families, with a sign and flags, standing at the line. There were also a few well-wishers who were passing by as we crossed the line.

After many photos we went for a celebratory breakfast at a local café - we had not eaten before then, so that the much-anticipated breakfast would be more enjoyable. It was.

Crossing the line at Dover marked the end of our first expedition, the North Downs Way, and the start of many expeditions more to come.