Sanram two

Slow Way not verified yet. Verify Sanram here.

In general this is a great route. I gave it 4 stars because of the long walk beside a dual carriageway, but I don’t think that there is any viable alternative to this.
The route starts from the centre of the Sandwich and takes a pleasant route through passages to the river Stour which it crosses joining cycle route 15 for the first of several joint stretches. The route takes a left turn off the cycle way to go to and through a pleasant nature reserve and along the Monks Wall . It then rejoins the cycle route. I have cycled the next part several times, and I would prefer to be on a bike here. On the plus side, you see more walking, and there are copious wild flowers for most of the stretch. The route borders the A256 , first separated from it and then on the pavement. The thought of the reward of Pegwell Bay makes this stretch bearable. Just before Pegwell Bay, the route passes a service station with a small shop and a coffee machine, and also a Subway. The route goes with the cycle way into Pegwell Bay but soon leaves it by turning right towards the sea . Pegwell Bay is a delight . There are public toilets and a cafe just off the route. The route rejoins the cycle way , first on a path, then a pavement uphill to the Viking ship. The route turns right, leaving the cycle route in front of another cafe, on a grassy strip above the ship. This is an interesting cliff top stretch which eventually leads to a walk along a pavement , then a right turn back to the cliff top. It’s then a straight walk along a broad open space along the cliff top , to eventually descend along a pavement to the marina.

Starting from Sandwich I tested this route alongside MinRam 1 and MinSan 2, the routes overlap so much it was simple to test them all together by doubling back along the short spur to Minster. You could do this using buses which join the 3 places plus Cliffsend where they meet, but if you'd rather use trains note that Ramsgate station is about a mile from the Ramsgate Slow Ways point and there are no/very few trains between Minster and Thanet Parkway (at Cliffsend).

Of the Minster-Sandwich-Ramsgate overlapping routes this one includes all my favourite parts. It is an easy walk and very direct given that you cannot actually walk across Pegwell Bay. Most of it follows the England Coast Path (ECP), with good signage and well tended paths. It was a great route for seeing birds, would be particularly good either side of high tide as the feeding waders would be closer in.

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 was alongside 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, there are even more views across the bay (plus many more birds in the reedbeds, mudflats and lakes). When you reach Cliffsend the path rejoins the road briefly before pulling away on a shared, set-back shared cyclepath which passes a replica Viking Longboat and has views of the derelict hoverport.

Beyond Cliffsend is a path through patches of trees and fields with occasional gaps to see out across the bay. It comes out at the Victorian Pegwell Bay Hotel with a gold domed tower you can see through trees as you approach. Shortly you'll get to a long stretch of public gardens along the cliff tops into Ramsgate which has excellent views. But for a bit of variety I went down a grotto/pathway to the undercliff road which I enjoyed for the close views of feeding oystercatchers and turnstones amongst the rock pools and a fully natural example of "green walls" of vegetation on the chalk cliffs. There are several other paths up or down but the Edwardian lifts nearer Ramsgate don't work. As you approach Ramsgate it was interesting looking down over the working harbour and later the marina. I think it is possible to stay down on the undercliff road which might also be fun.

There are several fast food places and shops alongside the big roads near Sandwich, a cafe near Stonelees, another in the PBCP car park, Njord (nice coffee, friendly welcome) is just over the road at the the north end of PBCP, and there's a kiosk near the Viking Ship. The car park and Viking Ship cafes also have public toilets but neither was open.

Share your views about this route, give it a star rating, indicate whether it should be verified or not.

Include information that will be useful to others considering to walk or wheel it.

You can add up to 15 photos.