Dungeness to Durness

[mmmmartin]

a last minute problem in that the two most direct railway lines from Tunbridge Wells to the start are on bus replacements when I want to travel on Sunday morning.

There is a cunning plan.

 

[Crankarm]

There is a cunning plan.

Which is what exactly?

 

[mcshroom]

I'm not sure yet - @mmmartin is kindly hosting me tomorrow night so I'm sure I'll discover his cunning plan then Otherwise, my plan is the Sevenoaks-Otford manoeuvre.

More worrying, I've just had to switch out the front brakes on my tourer. the spring just snapped on the Tektro RX6's during last minute fettling, so I've had to replace with a set of RX5s I had in a box. I could've done without that this evening! I suppose it's better for it to go now, rather than on the road.

 

[mcshroom]

Half way through day 1 - ice cream break before hitting the North Downs (which seem to do a lot of up despite the name). There's not a cloud in the sky

 

[mcshroom]

End of Day 1. After @mmmmartin went above and beyond and drove me down to Ashford, getting to the start was relatively easy. One normal train, and then one mini steam one out to the coast.

After a false start where I almost went into the nuclear power station by mistake, I set off in the sunshine from the remote shingly weirdness of Dungeness and back into Kent proper.

The sun was shining, but a nice side wind was keeping me cool as I passed through fields of oilseed rape, wheat and dozing sheep.

Eventually the ground rose up a bit as I followed the forested lanes skirting around Ashford and the wind started to calm a bit. At just before half way I stopped for a drink and ice cream at a petrol station, and enjoying the ride.

The second half, however, was more challenging. I was trying to ride the Pilgrim's Way through the Downs, but baked hard after a wet winter, it had become a rutted, potholed mess that I was struggling with. Eventually (after almost being rear ended by a trail biker!) I gave up on the track and climbed up a steep hill onto the road along the ridge which was much better.

The afternoon sun was beating down and it was getting very warm. Eventually I swept down off the Downs towards the Medway towns on the north coast. I opted for the M2 bridge over the estuary, and then rejoined my planned route into the evening sun towards my hotel in Gravesend, where I think the shower I had was the coldest I've ever chosen to set it.

Tomorrow is the ferry to Essex, then up to Cambridge.

https://www.strava.com/activities/1525883442/

 

[Sharky]

Good luck for day 2. Keep an eye out for Pocahontes on the way to the ferry.

 

[mcshroom]

Good luck for day 2. Keep an eye out for Pocahontes on the way to the ferry.

I've had a lot of time to find her. The ferry has broken down so I've been stuck in Gravesend all morning. The replacement should be here around 12 noon, so 75 miles in an afternoon then!

 

[mcshroom]

Now the ferry will be 1330 at the earliest. Trying to work out a contingency as Cambridge is a bit far to be setting off mid afternoon

 

[Pale Rider]

Now the ferry will be 1330 at the earliest. Trying to work out a contingency as Cambridge is a bit far to be setting off mid afternoon

Free vehicle crossing service for bikes at the Dartford Crossing, which would get you the right side of the Thames estuary although no nearer Cambridge.

https://www.gov.uk/dartford-crossing-bike

 

[mjr]

Now the ferry will be 1330 at the earliest. Trying to work out a contingency as Cambridge is a bit far to be setting off mid afternoon

If there is actually a ferry at 1330: then at some point, I think your route north would cross National 1 running E-W. Head west on it to Harlow (40 miles from Tilbury by bike) and then north from there. Whenever you want to stop riding, catch a train on the nearby West Anglia Line to Cambridge. I think they're still fairly long trains and fairly liberal on carrying bikes northbound once you get that far out of London, but on some of them, you may just be standing with the bike in the unused doorways and possibly shuffling side to side at stations.

Otherwise I'd take @Pale Rider's advice and head for Dartford, then it's about 35 miles via Aveley, Upminster, National 136, Navestock, Toot Hill, Moreton and National 1 to Harlow Mill station.

 

[mcshroom]

I've gone for a different option. HS1 into London and then a train from Liverpool St to Elsenham where my route crosses the line.

Annoying I've lost nearly 2/3 of today's ride, but this should allow me to arrive at the hotel at an accptable hour.

 

[Sharky]

I've had a lot of time to find her. The ferry has broken down so I've been stuck in Gravesend all morning. The replacement should be here around 12 noon, so 75 miles in an afternoon then!

Sorry about the ferry and hope you got to Cambridge ok.

Good photo of the statue.
Keith

 

[mcshroom]

Day 2 report. They don't make things easy for you do they?

The day started with hearing some rumblings about the ferry having problems, so I chose to get some breakfast while this was sorted and rolled down to the pier at about 9:45 ready for a ferry just after 10. When I got there no ferry staff were around, so I checked on twitter. The boat was broken and the ferry crew had gone to get the spare. No sailings before 12!

1200 would mean a 75 mile afternoon, but without massive hills that should be just about ok, so I headed into town to wait. Gravesend was having a St George's day parade with bands, flags and even a dragon.

After the parade passed I found a bike shop and got some new gloves & nuun tablets, found Pocahontas and headed back to the pier to findout from a couple of German Cycle tourists (they were riding the North Sea cycle route over months, and had the expedition bikes/luggage to match) that the boat time had slipped twice now to 1300 and then 1330.

I started to get worried. Cambridge seemed a long way off and I wasn't sure if the boat would even turn up.

After considering options including riding to Dartford and trains to Tilbury, another potential boat passenger told me the High Speed trains from Gravesend took bikes, so I worked out a plan using trains in and out of London, meeting the route near Stansted.

Of course this meant riding from St Pancras to Liverpool St stations without any prior planning, which was an experience, including an accidental trip past the Bank of England and navigating using the maps in bus stops, but I made it and caught my train to Elsenham, where my route crossed the railway at the manually operated level crossing, so straight on to Cambridge

The scenery had changed to timber buildings and thatch, but the traffic levels on the B road I was riding were more modern than the scenery. Approaching Cambridge the bikes started multiplying, and along the guided busway it felt like a Dutch rush hour. Cambridge itself passed in a cyclist filled blur and I rode onwards out of town to my B&B.

Today is up to Grantham and I'm looking forward to a day where there's no public transport involved

 

[mjr]

Of course this meant riding from St Pancras to Liverpool St stations without any prior planning, which was an experience, including an accidental trip past the Bank of England and navigating using the maps in bus stops, but I made it and caught my train to Elsenham, where my route crossed the railway at the manually operated level crossing, so straight on to Cambridge

Glad you made it. There are a couple of decent routes between the two and I think one even has OK signposts for most of it ("The City" then just naked bike symbols and then "Liverpool St") but the entries to them from St Pancras are decidedly not obvious (an unsigned crossing of Euston Road from St Pancras into Belgrove Street for the signposted one) and I didn't see your train plan until long after it was irrelevant... as it still is now I guess!

 

[robjh]

Day 2 report. They don't make things easy for you do they?

The day started with hearing some rumblings about the ferry having problems, so I chose to get some breakfast while this was sorted and rolled down to the pier at about 9:45 ready for a ferry just after 10. When I got there no ferry staff were around, so I checked on twitter. The boat was broken and the ferry crew had gone to get the spare. No sailings before 12!

1200 would mean a 75 mile afternoon, but without massive hills that should be just about ok, so I headed into town to wait. Gravesend was having a St George's day parade with bands, flags and even a dragon.

After the parade passed I found a bike shop and got some new gloves & nuun tablets, found Pocahontas and headed back to the pier to findout from a couple of German Cycle tourists (they were riding the North Sea cycle route over months, and had the expedition bikes/luggage to match) that the boat time had slipped twice now to 1300 and then 1330.

I started to get worried. Cambridge seemed a long way off and I wasn't sure if the boat would even turn up.

After considering options including riding to Dartford and trains to Tilbury, another potential boat passenger told me the High Speed trains from Gravesend took bikes, so I worked out a plan using trains in and out of London, meeting the route near Stansted.

Of course this meant riding from St Pancras to Liverpool St stations without any prior planning, which was an experience, including an accidental trip past the Bank of England and navigating using the maps in bus stops, but I made it and caught my train to Elsenham, where my route crossed the railway at the manually operated level crossing, so straight on to Cambridge

The scenery had changed to timber buildings and thatch, but the traffic levels on the B road I was riding were more modern than the scenery. Approaching Cambridge the bikes started multiplying, and along the guided busway it felt like a Dutch rush hour. Cambridge itself passed in a cyclist filled blur and I rode onwards out of town to my B&B.

Today is up to Grantham and I'm looking forward to a day where there's no public transport involved

I see you photographed that quaint throwback that are the manually-operated level crossing gates at Elsenham. Every other crossing on this line has automatic rising barriers, and I would love to know how manual operation has clung on here, on a busy commuter line with at least 6 trains passing each hour.