Best bits: meeting Maggs, lovely weather
Worst bits: lost my hat
Distance: 22.7 miles
This morning before I could make my breakfast I had to change the gas bottle as it had run out last night. Then it was a quick limp for about half a mile to the train station to get back to Deal. The weather forecast was for sunny weather but it was foggy on this journey! I hoped that it would lift. Just as I started walking along the aptly named Golden Street the sun did indeed come out.
I just ventured onto the coast path when I bumped into group of people carrying rucksacks coming in the opposite direction these were The Ruckin fitness group. They were out for a leisurely stroll and were carrying food that they were going to donate to the food bank. A good start to the day. I took a final look at Deal pier and then was off along the promenade.
I then safely crossed a golf course before coming out at Sandwich. This was a beautiful little place. Very olde worldly. This sign at the toll bridge was fascinating.
Of course I had to look for a sandwich whilst in Sandwich and what better place than the Sandwich Bakery Company.
The River Stour runs through Sandwich and of course is another F-estuary I needed to navigate around.
The next section was pretty boring taking me through an industrial area. There were massive piles of logs ready to be made into biomass. The smell of the wood was quite distinct and filled the air. Almost to counter the industrial nature of the area cherry trees in blossom lined the streets. Unfortunately the next stretch meant walking on the footpath alongside the busy A road which was pretty noisy. It was here that I saw a dead fox by the side of the road. It was completely intact so I’m not sure how it had died.
At last I was back off the road an onto a path in the Pegwell Bay country park and nature reserve. It’s an area of wetland with well defined paths. I was treated to beautiful blue skies and the temperature increased.
I had organised to meet with Maggs (Jess) and Ziggy a friend of friends back in Glasgow. Thanks to my tracker we managed to rendezvous on the path. We paused for a selfie at the Viking ship.
W e popped into Maggs flat for a spot of lunch and to marvel at the view from her window of the twinkling sea.
After refuelling we were off out again. However, I couldn’t find my hat. I must have dropped it somewhere en route.
We passed the Welcome Healing Hands sculpture which is very dramatic and cast a shadow across the grass.
We were then down onto the beach and along the dock road where this fabulous art decor lift shaft stands tall against the blue sky but is unfortunately now disused.
Maggs turned out to be an able tour guide and took me into the sailors church where you could literally smell the age and history of the building.
Next door to the church is the former Ramsgate Home for Smack boys. The smack boys were apprenticed to the fishing smack skippers of Ramsgate.A smack is a type of boat with a vessel in it to keep the catch alive.
The Ramsgate tunnels were used during the war as air raid shelters and are the largest civilian tunnel systems in the UK.
I thought that this image captured the quintessential British seaside experience.
Of course we had to join the queue at Morellis for what is purportedly the best ice cream in the area. This reminded me of Nardinis at Largs the first week of my trek.
With her superior local knowledge, Maggs said that as the tide was out we should be able to walk around the coast on the beach rather than on the road. So that’s what we did. The going was sometimes tough across rocks and detritus from cliff falls and slippery seaweed but we got there. We did contemplate walking through this arch but it was a little too slippery.
Anthony Gormley gets around. Here he is again. The last time I saw him was in December at Fornby when I had a wee dance with him.
We finally arrived in Margate and walked past the famous Dreamland complex before getting the train back to Ramsgate.
After a short limp back to Priscilla I then gave Maggs a lift back to her car via the Viking ship to look for my hat. I was really tired so just ate and went to bed.
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