Camber Sands / Rye / Dungeness

[sotkayak]

Would be grateful if members here could give advice /post some links on rides preferably off road or cycle tracks ,but not necessarily so from Camber to Dungeness and Camber to Rye . .
Hope to be down there Monday and Tuesday.
Also any comments on the local campsites would be welcome. (not taking any boats ,@@Stephen Piper )

 

[Tim Hall]

@Charlotte Alice Button is down that way, as are, I think are @Fab Foodie and @Hill Wimp Hopefully this message will wake them. I know there's a parallel -to-the-main-drag path on the Camber Sands to Lydd road.

 

[Drago]

Dungeness to Camber isn't a bad cycle ride by road, to be fair. Having arrived at Camber you'll soon want to go back to the wonderful pubs at Dungeness.

About 7 miles inland is the Broadhembury campsite at Kingsnorth. When I'm down seeing the folks I often stay there as a change from Premier Inn drudgery (plus less chance of seeing Lenny Henry). Well kept, reasonably priced, a generally pleasant stop. On the way up stop in at the Royal Oak at Brookland for the most delicious fish and chips you'll clever taste - be prepared for the size of the portions, which is on the generous side of huge.

 

[Lavender Rose]

Yes! Nice routes down there. Thanks for the tag @Tim Hall

I usually start cycle from Ashford to Dungeness. Have lunch at The Pilot and then cycle through Lydd then Jury's Gap, Camber and onto Rye. I love that route!

I would happily meet you at Dungness or even cycle from Ashford

 

[Drago]

The Pilot is my favourite pub on the planet.

 

[sotkayak]

Thanks @Tim Hall for the info and ''notifying the others.I should have only done one @ for @Stephen Piper ! Thanks too ,@Drago for the information. Looks like the Pilot is the destination of choice ,given your glowing endorsement of the place. And Thanks ,too . @Charlotte Alice Button for the route accolade . It would be great meeting up with you. My wife and I will be cycling ,and both very very slow ,as the Harbours of Kent riders in May 2017 can confirm . Maybe we can meet up for lunch at the Pilot on Monday ? ? I shall pm you my mobile so you can liase by text/call on the day. Or Tuesday ? ?

 

[StuAff]

Pilot's an excellent pub. And don't miss Derek Jarman's cottage..

 

[Salty seadog]

The Pilot is a great pub and often frequented.

 

[Stephen Piper]

I just bought a new boat too. As mentioned the Lydd to Rye road has a cycle path along side the 'main road'. You can get some of the way to Dungeness from Lydd via Dengemarsh road and then through the bird reserve bridle path. The power station access road takes you to a path (that skirts the station perimeter) leading to the old light house and the Britannia Inn. I'm afraid Brookland's Royal Oak pub has closed but Jo's cafe does a great bacon baguette and the nearby Woolpak Inn is good too.
Camping in the area is surprisingly scarce, the only nearby camping site I know of is Herons Park at Lydd, which looks pretty good.

 

[Drago]

The Royal Oak has closed? That's bad ju ju indeed

 

[sotkayak]

Thanks @Stephen Piper . @StuAff @Salty seadog . Booked into the big camping site at Camber-never been in one of those ! Looks like Monday to Dungeness and Tuesday to the Pilot . Offline till Wednesday now !

 

[sotkayak]

Well. Quite an epic...Had to leave the bikes at home (carrier fitting on new car problems) Campsite had bike hire -turned out kiddies go carts on site on enquiring at reception, Place on high street had only electric bikes and ''did not know'' of any pedal cycle hire etc, ..., Eventually found these guys -a small kite surfing/Kite buggy and bike hire operation who set us up with two mtb's at short notice and we were on the road by 11 am Tuesday (Good friendly service -no hassle when we texted our eta back would be 2 hours late - https://www.ebike-hire.com/ )
Anyway good ride along the seawall and the cycle path alongside Jury Gap ,then instead of following the N2 cycle signs ,followed the Coastal Path sign around the perimeter of the Lydd Ranges and a tough beach push from the guard tower to Dungeness lighthouse (fortunately an outgoing tide so easier on the beach than the shingle bank),where we went inland areaching the Railway line caff for a damn good coffee and a filling pie -first class ablution facilities there) .
This was well past 3pm -then on the road back -with Linda very brave as totally unused to traffic -until we rejoined the Jury Gap cycle track and back to Camber.
Did not even make the Pilot ,where we had a tentative arrangement (cancelled the previous day when we could not find bikes) to meet with @Charlotte Alice Button .

 

[Stephen Piper]

There used to be a concrete road most of the way from the Dengemarsh lookout tower to the light house but it has been covered by a massive shingle bank, put there to protect the power station. For future reference, if needed, Romney Cycles (in New Romney) hire bikes.

 

[Lavender Rose]

Yes Tuesday was hectic for me, it was a combination of getting the car in for repair and my partner running me around for my errands! I would loved to have met up though.

There's always next time!