Maidstone to Canterbury
- Start point: Mote Park car park
- Start time: 09:30, Saturday 11th June 2011
- Distance: 32 miles
- Ride leader: Jack Allen and James Gillat (maidstone-ride@bigwheelofkent.org.uk)
Getting to the start point
Mote Park is on the east side of Maidstone and about 1 mile from Maidstone East and Maidstone West railway stations.
If you are travelling by car Mote Park is just to the south of the A20 and can be approached from the town centre along Mote Road into Mote Avenue.
To get to the start point follow the straight road down into the park to the car park by the water’s edge.
The ride
The ride starts at the Mote Park car park in Maidstone and mainly follows quiet country lanes to Canterbury. The route is suitable for all types of bike. The ride is paved apart from a 2 mile section between Chartham and Canterbury which is compacted grit. There is only one significant hill.
The route takes us through three very different landscapes. The first goes through gently rolling Kent countryside and the villages of Langley Heath, Kingswood, Fairbourne Heath and finally crossing the high-speed rail link and M2 motorway to the beautiful village of Lenham.
The second part of the route takes us through the North Kent Downs. From Lenham the route climbs 250 feet to its highest point of 636 feet at Warren Street. The climb is rewarded with lovely views as well as the option of refreshment at the Harrow Pub. The route is then mainly a gentle downhill to the historic village of Chilham (featured in many TV period dramas), passing on the way The Bowl at Stalisfield, skirting the top of Charing Hill and through the village of Shottenden.
For the final section you need to resist the temptations of the pubs and tea rooms in Chilham and head off Canterbury along the River Stour valley. We will cycle through the village of Chartham and along the banks of the River Stour into the heart of Canterbury, approaching Dane John Gardens past Canterbury’s Norman castle.
Getting back to the start point
For the return journey there are two trains an hour running from Canterbury West Station to Ashford where you change train to Maidstone. The journey takes between 46 and 52 minutes.
