The Saxon Shoreway
leg 9: Sandling to Ruckinge 14 miles
22 March 2005

Spring has sprung

Another weekday walk, so I didn't get to Sandling until 1140. Headed down the road from the station and found the waymarks half a mile along.

A misty start

The weather was very gloomy - mist and rain - so I'd donned my waterproof trousers in the train, and was now in full waterproof gear. Next to the waymark was the sign for Saltwood village, where the MP Alan Clark used to live in the castle. At the edge of the village was a beautiful Tudor house.

At Saltwood

I then did the most boneheaded and stupid thing I've done for a long time on a walk: I went the wrong way. And to compound the stupidity, I was actually looking at the right bit of the map even as I walked east rather than west. I only realised when found myself back on the road again...so that was nearly two miles and 40 mins wasted. Dunderhead. 

Finally choosing the correct direction, I headed up a slope and past spring flowers.

Back on track past daffodils

Then it was downhill and through Chesterfield Wood. A huge tree had fallen across the path, but it was easy to skirt round.

Footbridge at Chesterfield Wood

Emerging from the wood it was very grey, and the first of many fields on this leg of the walk. 

A lone oak in the gloom

I joined the road and headed up towards Shepway Cross.

The monument at Shepway crossroads

This looked like a very modern construction: the cross was built here in 1923 on the site of the meeting place of the confederation of cique ports. 

Detail of the cross

I could now see back to the sea, although it was still pretty overcast. But it was good to see how much land has come between this coastline and the real one.

The sea on the horizon

I followed the signs towards Lympne castle, which I've never visited before. Lympne is, in very English fashion, actually pronounced 'Lim', and is named after the river Limen, meaning 'elm'. Lympne seems to have picked up an awful lot of redundant consonants over the years.

Peering through the gate

Rounding a corner, I came to the castle. It's privately owned, but I had a good veiw of some of the building through the big gate. The castle was built in the 1080s as home to the archdeacons of Canterbury. It's thought that the Romans might have got here first, though, and there may have been a watch tower here.

Castle outbuildings line the path

The path now took me out along the side of the old cliff-face, past woodland on the right. This was a grand bit of walking, and I could just see the sea out to the left.

Along the old cliffs

I was on the look out for Stutfall castle, and soon I spotted a pile of stone debris.

In the middle of the picture: all that remains

This is all that's left of what was originally the Roman Port Lemanis, and the later Saxon shore fort of Stutfall. In those days, it was next to the sea. Below the castle was the Royal Military Canal, which I'd be joining later in the walk.

Aha...

I soon came across this leg's dangerous sign...but the field was empty. The path now led downhill, via a very muddy path. Then I saw another sign that said: beware bison and antelope. And a few steps later on, I came face to face with the evidence...

An antelope greets me

It took me a few minutes to work out what was going on...then I remembered that this was Port Lympne zoo park. I saw bison on the ridge beside me, and as I passed a gate, another inhabitant strode across.

Typical Kent wildlife

I've never been that close to an ostrich: they are beautiful but fearsome creatures, and I recalled how they have a hefty kick. 

Heading down in the mud

The sun was finally coming out, and I decided that it was time to look out for a lunch stop. I was now beside the canal.

Bankside

This was a lovely bit of walking: the sun now streaming through into the woodland, and a solid path through the trees.

Fine woods

A bit further on, I saw a bleached log right by the canal, so I stopped, peeled off my waterproof jacket and cracked open the lunchbox and thermos.

Eggs, bread, cheese and tomatoes - perfect

It was just past 1430, and I was finally being warmed by the sun. I sat by the canal and enjoyed the rays. The canal goes on for miles: it was built as part of the fortifications against Napoleon, then fortified again during the second world war. For the first time in ages, I was back at sea level again. 

More daffs in the wood

Just after I'd set off after lunch, I came across the only other walker I met all day. She'd come from Ham Street, where I was heading. I told her to look out for the ostrich on the way up, and she said she thought she'd seen a tiger. But she wasn't sure...

It was quite a hike along the next mile as the path got more and more muddy. Finally I turned 'inland' again, past a cottage where a woman was hard at work strimming her garden. 'Watch out, it's boggy up there,' she said, as I turned into the field. Sure was - moments later I could feel cold water hitting my socks.

Up to Honeypot

Now there was a climb of about 90m, but with a wonderful view once I was up on top.

Looking back out seawards

I paused to take my fleece off, as I was pretty hot by now. Then I scrambled through some scrubland to follow the path round the escarpment.

Moss and mud

Now the path came to a clearing by a farm, and I followed it round to a new view: I was now looking out towards Dymchurch. 

Manger and great view

There were lots of sheep keeping an eye on me, and it was easy walking over the closely nipped grass.

Woolly watchers

Next came one of the trickiest parts of the walk: the waymarks seemed to peter out, and even though I was closely following the way on my map, it got confusing following the right path. I found myself trying to match powerlines and fences on the map with what was on the ground.

Looking over to Bolden wood

After one diversion, I picked up the path by following a fenceline down to the edge of a field. Then it was on through Blackthorn Wood.

Wood anemones in bloom

Blackthorn wood

This, like all the other woodland I'd walked through today, was gearing up for a spectacular show of bluebells later in the year.

Clear old cliff from the fields

I skirted round the ground of a prison, then along a minor road before going back into fields again. Here there were a maze of footpaths, and I came unstuck again, hitting the road in the wrong place. Serves me right for not taking a bearing. After a few minutes faffing about, I was back on track, and passed another fine Tudor building.

Tudor house near Bonnington

By now, the light was beginning to fade, and I was worried about the time. I still had a few more miles to go. It was time to go off the road again and into woodland, and I decided to take no chances. So I dug out my compass, took a bearing, and headed off through Park Wood, past what's left of Bilsington Priory, an Augustinian foundation that presumably came off worst during the reformation. Then I took another bearing before heading into Priory Wood. The sunset gleamed through the trees.

Priory Wood

I arrived at a track which led to a road. Here I paused to pull on my fleece again and consider what to do next. I didn't want to risk walking through Hamstreet Wood with the light going (the one bit of gear I hadn't packed was my headtorch) but it was another four miles by road to Ham Street. Nearer was the village of Ruckinge, with a pub marked on the map. Decision made, I walked along the road then saw a footpath leading right into the village. I took a bearing again, and set off along a clear path through a mustard field, which took me right to the pub, and a well earned half pint of Stella. The barmaid furnished me with a taxi phone number, and half an hour later, the Marsh Hopper turned up to drive me to Ashford. I told the taxi driver about the ostrich - he said there were wild ones on Romney Marsh. He didn't appear to be joking.

Phew. That was a long hard leg, not helped by my navigational errors. I think I've got too used to the flat and obvious path early on during the shoreway, and I'm out of practise with tricky fields. Still, I was rewarded with more wonderful views, and there are only two legs to go!

On to leg 10