Minsan two

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Walked from Sandwich to Minster on a grey Sunday and then back again from Cliffsend from Minster on a wet weekday afternoon. I was testing this route plus MinRam 1 and SanRam 2, the 3 routes overlap so much it is very simple to test them all together. You can get buses from one place to the next and Cliffsend where the three meet, trains too but Ramsgate station is about a mile from the end point and there are no/very few trains between Minster and Thanet Parkway (at Cliffsend).

From Sandwich to Cliffsend it often follows the England Coast Path (ECP), with good signage and well tended paths. I particularly enjoyed the section alongside Pegwell Bay which isn't on MinSan 1. If you want to make the best of that for seeing birds, either side of high tide would be best as the mudflats are so extensive at low tide.

To get to the meeting point in Sandwich from the station I followed a pleasant pathway along a small river right to the centre, but Sandwich is an extremely pretty town so keeping to the roads might be good too.

The first 1/3 of the route proper does include some large busy roads but this was broken up. First by a walk along the embankment at Monks Wall Nature Reserve (wet meadows, the River Stour, reedbeds, small lakes and huge flocks of lapwings whirling overhead). The next road section is a little set back from the road, followed by a less pleasant section right beside it. Looking at the variety of wildflower species already in bloom in early February was a good distraction, and there were some large groups of orchids but just leaves in Feb, so I couldn't tell which species but there are several rarer and quite spectacular ones growing nearby so who knows. The theoretical section of England Coastal Path along the bank of the Stour (used in SanRam 1) would be a great alternative to the roadside pavement, but there are no signs that it will ever actually be opened.

Shortly after a turn onto a quieter road the path went off-road again on a bike path beside Stonelees Nature Reserve, which is shorter than staying on the ECP here. I dipped into the reserve anyway, past the grazing ponies and out to the south-eastern tip as I wanted to see the seals sleeping on the sandbanks (tide was pretty low), plus a hunting marsh harrier. You might need binoculars to pick out the seals. Pegwell Bay Country Park (PBCP) is just beyond Stonelees, with even more views across the bay (plus many more birds in the reedbeds, mudflats and lakes).

When you reach Cliffsend the route turns away from the coast through the village, passing a stone cross with celtic style carvings and then along a footpath and farm tracks to Minster. This was very straightforward and peaceful but less inspiring.

There are kissing gates in Monks Wall Nature Reserve where no dogs are allowed. Dogs need to be on a lead in Stonelees if you take the diversion. Footpaths there and farm tracks towards Minster were a little uneven and muddy but otherwise surfaces were very good.

Lots of places to eat in Sandwich and a pub in Minster. Fast food chains and groceries beside the large roads near Sandwich, 3 cafes beween the turn off from those roads and the turn into Cliffsend village, plus public toilets at the PBCP cafe.

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