The Saxon Shore Way

Last month I walked 53 miles of the Saxon Shore Way (SSW) from Hastings to Dover. I completed this section in four days, spread over a span of one week to avoid the worst weather. My original plan was to continue farther on the 160 mile SSW to either Sandwich or Herne Bay, but due to increasingly poor weather I terminated my walk in Dover.

To the modern walker this portion of the Saxon Shore Way appears a bit of a misnomer. For much of the walk from Hastings to Dover the path is inland; often the English Channel is not even visible. Following the coast as it existed in Saxon times, i.e. before Duke William came ashore in 1066, the Saxon Shore Way gives one an idea of the changing landscape over the past centuries.

Day 1: Hastings to Rye, 12.5 miles

More precisely, I started by walking out my door in Rocklands and finished by walking the 1.5 miles from Hastings train station back home. In between I tried to capture some of the beautifully diverse scenery.

Hastings Old town, where the Saxon Shore Way officially begins (or ends, depending on one’s direction).

Looking back on the Fire Hills, Hastings Country Park, in the morning light. I left home at 7 AM, as soon as I could see the path.

Fairlight Cove village, a pleasant coastal bedroom community

Descending to the Pett Levels. After this point, Cliff End, the terrain changed from the rugged topography of Hastings Country Park to a much gentler landscape.

Swans along the Royal Military Canal on Pett Levels. The RMC runs for 28 miles, following the old cliff line bordering Romney Marsh. It was constructed as a defense against the French during the Napoleonic wars.

The first Saxon Shore Way sign I spotted, at the entrance to the Camber Nature Reserve. Signage markedly improved once I reached the county of Kent.

The ruins of Camber Castle, built by Henry VIII to help protect the Sussex coast from the French.

Day 2: Rye to Ham Street, 12.5 miles

On Day 2 I resumed my walk by driving to Rye, where I left my car. At the end, I took the train back from the village of Ham Street to retrieve my car.

A gate at the entrance to the Ancient Town of Rye, part of the Cinque Ports confederation

The rolling hills and farm near Iden Village

Ferry Inn, Stone in Oxney. Sadly, it wasn’t lunch time yet as this would have made a great stop.

A renovated Oast House near Appledore. An oast is a kiln house, typically for drying hops.

An Appledore public defibrillator, a brilliant re-purposing of an old phone booth

Gusbourne vineyards near Appledore. They have about 150 acres under vine, which as a walker was a great change from crossing muddy fields.

Day 3: Ham Street to Etchinghill, 15.5 miles

After a three day hiatus, I resumed the Saxon Shore Way, driving to Rye and continuing by train to the village of Ham Street where I had left off.

The lovely Ham Street Woods, just a few minutes’ walk from the station

Priory Wood mushrooms. My flower search became more problematic this late in the season, but the rains definitely brought out the fungal fruiting bodies.

St Martins Church, Aldington. The fall colors are beginning to emerge.

Royal Military Canal view near Honeypot Cottage

Site of Portus Lemanis (now Lympne) Roman Fort. Perhaps in a few decades the shoreline will once again extend to here!

Lympne Castle, not open to the public but available for private functions. The graveyard is part of the adjacent church.

The Tolsford Hill Ordnance Survey Benchmark. That clump of trees is shown on my map as *Brockman’s Bushes*. This was my high point for the day, at about 600 ft above sea level.

After the walk up Tolsford Hill, the final climb this day, I was a half hour from Etchinghill. Rather than return to Hastings, I chose to stay there to save the hassle of catching a bus to then get a train back to my car in Rye and then having to repeat the process the next day. I enjoyed a good meal at The Gatekeeper pub and a restful sleep before continuing on to Dover the following morning.

Day 4: Etchinghill to Dover, 12.5 miles

North Downs Way stone marker. For my final stage from Etchinghill, the Saxon Shore Way coincided with the more well known North Downs Way.

Tunnel entrance, Folkestone. On January 1 it will be ground zero for Brexit, featuring miles of trucks backed up for Customs to cross the Channel into France.

An unknown purple flower. I was unable to identify it as a wildflower; perhaps it’s a garden flower that escaped.

Topography from the North Downs approaching Dover

A WW2 pillbox along the cliffs. There are many gun emplacements and observation post remnants along these cliffs.

A stainless steel sculpture of a Stuka dive bomber at the Battle of Britain memorial

Coastal view back to the west, highlighting Folkestone Warren, the undercliffs seen here

A platter-sized mushroom along the cliffs

The train from Dover back to Rye was far longer than my quick train journeys of 10-25 minutes up to this point, as it required a change at Ashford. Even so, I reached Rocklands by late afternoon, completing this portion of the Saxon Shore Way.

On the last day of October, I was scheduled to fly to Lanzarote, where my plan was to spend the winter walking in the warm sun and swimming in the ocean. Alas, British Airways would not let me board the plane as Spain had closed its borders to ALL US citizens – irrespective of their point of departure – the previous day! After about 45 minutes of discussion with the counter agent, I caught the next flight to Gibraltar, where I managed to find a condo available for two weeks. So here I am, enjoying the not-so-warm sun and swimming in the condo’s lap pool.

So where to from here? The options are extremely short as the world is closing down once more. England is in lock-down until at least early December. In any case the weather in winter is incompatible with my lifestyle. Stay tuned.

In a week or so I will post a short blog from Gibraltar focusing on the climb up the Mediterranean Steps to the top of the rock. Until then, enjoy nature as much as you can,

The Vagabond Hiker

The Saxon Shore Way

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