The Spring Tour came together at short notice, sparked by a forecast of warm, settled weather—though that likely kept numbers down. Still, under bright blue skies and full sunshine, Nick, Vanessa, Brian C, Sue P, David, Mick and Alistair gathered at Canterbury Park & Ride on Thursday morning. With rush-hour traffic kinder than expected, we rolled out just after 10am.
Our route threaded through the heart of historic Canterbury, slipping past the Cathedral before picking up NCN16 towards Dover. At Patrixbourne we joined NCN17, climbing steadily onto the North Downs along a network of quiet, picturesque lanes—almost blissfully free of traffic. A stiff ascent gave way to a fast descent into Elham, where the sight of the Elham Tea Rooms proved too tempting to ignore. It was everything you’d hope for: traditional, welcoming, and serving excellent food.
Back on the bikes, another climb carried us towards Hawkinge and the ridge overlooking the Channel Tunnel far below. From there, we turned east, skirting Folkestone to join NCN2 along the clifftops, tracing the North Downs Way, stopping to view the Battle of Britain Memorial and one of the WW2 Sound mirrors along the way.
A flowing descent took us down to sea level beside the ferry terminal. Dover itself felt transformed since our last visit—refreshed with a landscaped promenade, a groomed beach, and a central square that, with its café terraces and open-air tables, had a distinctly Mediterranean feel.
Rather than tackle the busy A258 past Dover Castle, we opted for a more direct—and far more demanding—lane via the Saxon Shore Way. The climb averaged a punishing 18%. Some powered up; others pushed, legs and lungs working overtime under the weight of loaded bikes. A brief stretch on the main road led us onward to the White Cliffs of Dover viewpoint. Up on the exposed Upper Road, a headwind greeted us, only relenting as we dropped through St Margaret’s to sea level at Kingsdown, then on to Deal.
By 4pm we found a welcome café still open on the seafront—tea, coffee and cake providing essential fuel. Refreshed, we pushed into the wind towards Sandwich, taking time to admire its historic streets before crossing the river and continuing to Pegwell Bay. A quick photo stop by the Viking ship, then the final miles into Ramsgate, arriving around 6pm at our overnight stop, the Travelodge in the town centre. After stowing bikes and freshening up, we headed straight to the Royal Victoria Pavilion—once a nightclub, now the largest Wetherspoons in the country—for a lively and well-earned evening.
The following morning, we picked up the Viking Coastal Trail, hugging cliffs and beaches through Broadstairs, North Foreland and Cliftonville to Margate. With the wind easing and shifting to the southeast, progress was noticeably easier than the day before. The route continued along the coast through Westgate and Minnis Bay, where seasonal cycling restrictions (10am–6pm) were just about avoided as we slipped through ahead of time.
Beyond Minnis Bay, the path runs along the Northern Seawall, with salt marshes stretching out to the Reculver Towers—a haven for seabirds. Here we met Malcolm, a friend from Mick’s cycling club in nearby Herne Bay. After coffee and a catch-up, we followed the Oyster Bay Trail over the hill and back to the coast, passing through Herne Bay, Swalecliffe and Tankerton to Whitstable.
At the bustling harbour in Whitstable, we stopped for lunch at an open-air restaurant. A £150 seafood tower raised a few eyebrows, but we settled happily for simpler fare—seated in the shade, watching David dispatch half a dozen oysters with ease.
The ride through town was slow-going in heavy traffic, but we soon regained the coast at Seasalter before turning inland towards Graveney and following a quiet creekside track into Faversham.
With Bank Holiday traffic in mind, we pressed on—through town and up a stiff climb onto the Downs to Selling, where the village shop provided a timely ice cream stop in the warm sunshine. From there, a swift descent dropped us to the river at Chartham, where we joined the gravel path of the Great Stour Way for the final three miles back to Canterbury and the waiting cars.