Sanram one

Slow Way not verified yet. Verify Sanram here.

As noted by the previous reviewers, the England Coastal Path now follows the main road to Ebbsfleet. It’s not a very relaxing walk, but don’t seem to be many alternatives and there is a decent shared path alongside the road. Once you reach Ebbsfleet it’s a nice walk through Pegwell nature reserve and along the cliff top. Worth noting that Ramsgate train station is a 20 - 30 minute walk away from the marked end of the route.

This is either very inaccurate - up to 400m off course at times, or very inaccessible - a mile is blocked from public use, or both, depending on how you look at it.

The problem is a few miles north of Sandwich, near the junction between Richborough Way and Sandwich Road. The route follows the official English Coastal Path along a path that leaves the road and follows the River Stour. But although I believe it is technically a Public Right of Way, it seems never to have actually been open for public use. Chances of it opening in the next few years seem slim.

So the Slow Way does need a new route. I've borrowed a good bit from MinRam 1 so there's less pavement walking beside busy roads and what's left is broken up and easier to handle. Plus you'll go through the Monks Wall Nature Reserve along mediaeval embankment beside the river, no dogs allowed though.

I've also added a new version of MinSan so that all 3 routes join at Cliffsend. This means that you can review three routes by walking just 17km/11mi of the total 32km/23mi. Well, with a little help from public transport. It's one stop on the train from Minster to Thanet Parkway (brand new station!) or 10 minutes on bus 45 from Ramsgate Harbour to Cliffsend. There are buses from Sandwich too.

The first 2.5 miles of this route, from the bridge at Sandwich to the Ebbsfleet Roundabout, is alongside the main Ramsgate Road through the Great Stonar and Richborough industrial estates. It s not a particularly attractive or pleasant route, but there is no realistic alternative. The route follows the England Coast Path (ECP) throughout, but the published Slow Ways route does not follow the official diversion from Stonar Cut, which continues along the Ramsgate Road and avoids Richborough Port and truck park. There is currently no access along that part of the ECP, so you have to follow the diversion along the road to just beyond the Ebbsfleet Roundabout. From that point the ECP follows a rewarding route through the Stonelees Nature Reserve and Pegwell Bay Country Park (cafe and toilet facilities by the car park at the north end of the park). It then continues to Cliffsend, and along the clifftop path to Pegwell (two pubs). Then along the West Cliff Promenade (toilets) into Ramsgate.
The ECP is well signposted and waymarked along the whole route.
The sections through Stonelees Nature Reserve and along the clifftop between Cliffsend and Pegwell are unmade paths, which are narrow in places and include stiles, steps and kissing gates.

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.