Connect Canterbury with Slow Ways

We’re creating a network of walking routes that connect all of Britain’s towns, cities and national parks

more walks and reviews are needed to fully connect Canterbury to the verified network. Can you give a hike and help?

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Canterbury

Kent


Slow Ways linking Canterbury and Barham, Chartham, Faversham, Herne Bay, Minster, Sandwich, Whitstable

England / Kent / Canterbury

Canterbury’s seven Slow Ways are 75% checked

Drawn: 7/7
reviewed: 7/7
verified: 4/7
and surveyed: 3/7

Help connect Canterbury

Many Slow Ways have several route options. Some will be better than others, or good for different reasons.

Our goal is for each Slow Way to have at least one route that is verified and surveyed. To be verified – and get its snail badge – a route needs at least three positive reviews.

Give a hike and help get a for every one of Canterbury’s Slow Ways.

Walk to Canterbury from further afield

Slow Way Route To do
Canterbury—Barham
Canbar one Survey me Distance 12km/8mi Ascent 112m Descent 76m
Canterbury—Herne Bay
Canher one Enjoy me Distance 13km/8mi Ascent 123m Descent 122m
Canterbury—Minster
Canmin one Enjoy me Distance 22km/14mi Ascent 148m Descent 140m
Canterbury—Sandwich
Cansan one Review me Distance 22km/14mi Ascent 142m Descent 153m
Chartham—Canterbury
Chacan one Enjoy me Distance 6km/4mi Ascent 28m Descent 24m
Faversham—Canterbury
Favcan one

Verify me Distance 19km/12mi Ascent 277m Descent 280m
Whitstable—Canterbury
Whican one Verify me Distance 14km/9mi Ascent 124m Descent 110m
Whitstable—Canterbury
Whican two

Verify me Distance 13km/8mi Ascent 125m Descent 113m
Whitstable—Canterbury
Whican three Review me Distance 13km/8mi Ascent 110m Descent 102m
Whitstable—Canterbury
Whican four Review me Distance 12km/8mi Ascent 143m Descent 129m

Fancy stretching your legs a bit more?

If you’ve polished off all of the routes between Canterbury and its neighbours, how about walking its whole web?

This includes the great ring of routes that join its neighbours to each other!

Collective progress

68% of Canterbury’s seven route options are drawn, reviewed, surveyed and/or verified

10/10

drawn

10/10

reviewed

3/10

surveyed

4/10

verified

17 people have contributed to Canterbury’s Slow Ways

5 people have pledged to walk and review a route

3 people have surveyed a route in Canterbury

147km out of 147km have been walked and reviewed

378km of reviews have been shared in Canterbury

Latest Updates

There's one point in the middle third where, on the OS map it seems that this route veers off the C&W while all the other routes stay, but in reality this route is the C&W, signed and surfaced. Likewise you could have a mid route detour to visit one of the pubs or shop (is there a tearoom?) in Blean using WhiCan 1 or 2 as a guide....

Daisy C

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It's not quite so nice walking on the pavement down from the uni, but you can always stop at Wetherspoons for a quick drink at the bottom!...

HelenM9112

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Whitstable—Canterbury

JAMIE RISNER added Whican four, a new walk from Whitstable to Canterbury

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This was a quick and adventurous route. As other reviewers point out, some of the off-road tracks are pretty unused and not the easiest to follow- it was a lot of fun tramping across meadow and freshly tilled field, but also a little disconcerting. Nonetheless, beautiful! Exiting Canterbury the route could be made a little more efficient or at least a little easier to follow, e.g. by following Headcorn Drive instead of wiggling through all the footpaths. Similarly, in the fields behind Hales Place it's easier to continuing cutting diagonally across the fields rather than head up to the road. This would also be preferable in the autumn/winter months as the top lane can get very muddy. The building works just after the large A-road were sort of annoying, but fairly easy to figure out after a meandering....

ShortLegsLongWalk

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This route is quite straightforward, almost entirely flat and following well trodden/well maintained paths.There was a potential routing issue around Pluck's Gutter, but this may well have been a fault with our navigation skills!...

ShortLegsLongWalk

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However, in the late autumn/winter I have always found this route to be very wet and difficult to traverse in some places (without getting wet feet). Nonetheless, traversable with boots and in all shoe types in spring, summer and early autumn....

ShortLegsLongWalk

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The route is efficient and avoids the road, which will be much more enjoyable than following Whitstable Road which is quite busy....

ShortLegsLongWalk

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This route will get you to Whitstable but for some reason takes an unnecessary deviation. If you are attempting to get to Blean see Whican 1 and if you want a faster route to Whitstable see Whican 3....

ShortLegsLongWalk

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I have walked this route many times, it is fairly quick and very well signposted as it follows National Cycle Route 1. The surfaces are mostly flat and easy to walk on (i.e. compacted gravel or concrete, etc). There are a few dirt paths and in the summer these can be a little narrow due to weeds....

ShortLegsLongWalk

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I have walked this route twice, it works really smoothly, by the second time of walking we didn't need to refer to the map....

ShortLegsLongWalk

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Great walk, taking you through some beautiful areas. Some parts overgrown with nettles so I'd recommend trousers!...

Oli Sturdy

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I did encounter a couple of issues: I walked the route on a November day with lovely weather but found the A299 underpass completely flooded as a result of heavy rain a few days before, and the only option seemed to be walking back out to the A291; I picked up the route again but then it got a bit tricky due to some fairly extensive building at The Fairways blocking off the route but it just took a little extra time to navigate around that....

Mary B

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the route is easy to follow and the section from Canterbury toGrove Ferry is very pretty. The path from plucks gutter along the river side towards Minster is overgrown and you have to push thru a bit. the section thru the nature reserve at Stodmarsh has quite a few gates that are not suitable for bikes...

mary newing

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If the route was to be made prettier then there could be adaptations in the early stages route so that you are taken along the river, but this would be impractical in the autumn/winter months as it can become very boggy at that time....

ShortLegsLongWalk

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Pleasant walk, lots to see along the way such as Bourne Park House and Charlton Park. Quite hilly in places, and many kissing gates, some kept in better condition than others. One near Bourne Park has tangled exposed roots, which may be challenging to those in wheelchairs....

Laure

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Some sheep grids which might impede a wheelchair but this is a surfaced (sand/ gravel and some tarmac stretches near Canterbury and Chartham ) route. It’s popular with runners, cyclists and walkers. Especially recommended early morning when mist often shrouds the water meadows/ marshes and adjacent lakes and river....

[email protected]

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Whitstable—Canterbury

chrisboucher added Whican three, a new walk from Whitstable to Canterbury

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You will also find benches along the route including one with a table with animals carved into it. Following the route to Westgate Gardens in Canterbury brings you out at the bottom of the main pedestrian street with access to numerous cafes and tea rooms in addition to Canterbury Cathedral itself....

Dave Hogben

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- Canterbury Road around Herne Common is a large and busy road! Again, this is a really great route, and a really beautiful way to get to the ocean from Canterbury, needing only a few minor tweaks....

mtormey

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Overall, I really enjoyed the route; it was varied, gorgeous, interesting, and generally navigable and easy to follow. The route generally, but not exclusively, follows the cycleway, so much of the route has really good ground conditions (paved or compacted gravel and wide paths)....

mtormey

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This route follows the Stour Valley Walk and National Cycle Route 18 for almost its entire length (up to Westgate Gardens on the edge of Canterbury City centre), and is well signposted and waymarked. It is almost completely traffic-free, generally on good surfaces, and should be suitable for most users. Flooding may be a problem after heavy rain or when river levels are high....

Andrew

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Good routes, mainly following the River Stour and much of it along the Stour Valley walk. Practically all of the route is off road and the countryside is pleasant. Rail service back to Canterbury from Minster....

[email protected]

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An alternative, less busy, but longer route would be: Canterbury/Patrixbourne/Adisham/footpaths between Wingham and Goodnestone/Summerfield Farm (below Barnsole)/then Black Pond Farm and follow the Cansan1 way....

Bluesview

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Much of it shared with The North Downs Way, National Trail....

Tim Ryan

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Sharing much of its length with the National Cycling Route 1....

Tim Ryan

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Would not recommend taking the footpath between Horselees Road and Dunkirk Road in Boughton under Blean as this was very overgrown with stinging nettles. Will stick to the road next time....

wp

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I think this route is very accessible, it follows part of Route 18 of the National Cycle Network....

chrisboucher

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Canterbury

kcable surveyed Canterbury

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chrisboucher surveyed Canmin one

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chrisboucher surveyed Chacan one

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chrisboucher surveyed Canher one

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A good walk through residential and developing areas; ancient woodland and open undulating farmland. Unfortunately the orchard have been grubbed up. Though the route starts and finishes at rail stations they are not on the same line....

chrisboucher

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Canterbury

Juliet Flynn surveyed Canterbury

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Canterbury

JoanneR87 surveyed Canterbury

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First walk of this route, We started in Canterbury at in Buttermarket, here there are plenty of places to eat/drink, use toilet facilities and you are within easy walking distance of 2 train stations with connections to London, and the bus station. We found the downloaded walk was made up of very straight lines which did not always match the map so had to stop a few times to work out the route....

JoanneR87

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Canterbury—Barham

Slow Ways added Canbar one, a new walk from Canterbury to Barham

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Canterbury—Herne Bay

Slow Ways added Canher one, a new walk from Canterbury to Herne Bay

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Canterbury—Minster

Slow Ways added Canmin one, a new walk from Canterbury to Minster

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Canterbury—Sandwich

Slow Ways added Cansan one, a new walk from Canterbury to Sandwich

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Chartham—Canterbury

Slow Ways added Chacan one, a new walk from Chartham to Canterbury

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Faversham—Canterbury

Slow Ways added Favcan one, a new walk from Faversham to Canterbury

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Whitstable—Canterbury

Slow Ways added Whican one, a new walk from Whitstable to Canterbury

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Whitstable—Canterbury

Slow Ways added Whican two, a new walk from Whitstable to Canterbury

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1

Canterbury, Fri 26 April

Light rain

Canterbury’s Slow Ways starting point

Grid ref

TR1498857840

Lat / Lon

51.27912° / 1.08124°

Easting / Northing

614,988E / 157,840N

Fancy stretching your legs a bit more?

If you’ve polished off all of the routes between Canterbury and its neighbours, how about walking its whole web?

This includes the great ring of routes that join its neighbours to each other!

Facilities

Users have reported that the following facilities can be found within 1km of Canterbury's meeting point

Public toilet

Wheelchair accessible toilet

Supermarket or convenience shop

Restaurant, cafe or pub

Accommodation

Accommodation for under £50 a night

Campsite

Bothy

Free wifi

Mobility scooter hire

Off-road wheelchair hire

Disabled Parking

Train station

Bus stop

Ferry

Official ‘Walkers are Welcome’ town

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