This is the first of a series of routes that form a tour from Dover to Lands End and back to Dover.
Starting from just outside the ferry port of Dover, this route uses the A20 and M20 to quickly leave Dover and bypass the busy town of Folkestone, within 15 minutes the route has left these arterial roads and you'll be in the English countryside heading for Hythe, one of the five Cinque Ports of southern England, the others being: Hastings, New Romney, Dover and Sandwich. The Cinque Ports first came together in order to render Ship Service to the English Crown in return for valuable privileges during late Saxon or early Norman times; reaching the peak of their power and prestige some 200 to 300 years later. Their naval service was last called upon in 1596, to meet the threat of the Spanish Armada.
As you come into Hythe, you'll run alongside the Royal Military Canal and then cross over it. Stretching for 28 miles from Hythe to Cliff End in East Sussex, The Royal Military Canal was built between 1804 and 1809 as a defence against invasion by Napoleon – although it's guard posts also proved useful in stopping the then flourishing trade in smuggled goods.
This route passes many defensive structures along the coast and the next you'll see is at Dymchurch, just two miles away. Dymchurch Grand Redoubt is a fortification built during the Napoleonic War as part of a large defensive scheme to protect the country from an expected French invasion. The Dymchurch Redoubt was one of three that were constructed at Harwich, Dymchurch and Eastbourne to act as supply depots for the smaller Martello Towers (next on the list), as well as being powerful fortifications in their own right. The redoubt was built between 1798 and 1809 to support a chain of 21 Martello Towers that stretched between Hythe in Kent and Rye in Sussex, and to act as a supply depot for them. Dymchurch Redoubt is circular in form and built of brick with granite and sandstone dressings, measuring 68 metres in diameter and standing 12 metres above the floor of its 9 metre-wide dry moat. Beyond the moat, an earth bank or glacis helped to protect the masonry from artillery fire.
The first of three Martello Towers is next for you to see, Martello Tower 23. A chain of towers based on the original Mortella towers of Corsica were built to defend the south and east coast of England, to guard against possible invasion from France, then under the rule of Emperor Napoleon. A total of 103 Martello towers were built in England between 1804 - 1812.
One mile further on is Martello 24, strangely situated in a High Street between a cafe and butchers shop. Martello 24 is considered to be the best surviving example, being closest to its original condition and it can be seen as it was when occupied by the military in 1806. It has been restored to its original design and layout with almost all of the original tower still in place. Stop for a closer look, it has limited opening times, but a short stop will allow you time for some photos.
The final Martello Tower is number 25 and again it is bizarrely situated, this time in a car park. A newspaper article from April 2021 reads: Martello Tower No.25 is currently in a state of disrepair. But planning permission has already been granted to turn the Grade II listed tower into a holiday home.
Time for a coffee stop now at Romney Marsh Visitor Centre where you can learn more about this unique area. More about the marsh later.
After your coffee break the route travels past New Romney Railway Station, This is one of the eight stations on the RH&DR; line. The Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway uses very narrow gauge tracks of just fifteen inches and the locomotives are about a third of the size of a standard loco. The thirteen and a half mile line runs from the Cinque Port of Hythe via Dymchurch, St. Mary's Bay, New Romney and Romney Sands to Dungeness, close to Dungeness nuclear power station and Dungeness Lighthouse and that is where you head next.
Dungeness lies at the southernmost point of Kent and the area represents the most diverse and extensive example of stable vegetated shingle in Europe.
It has been said that Dungeness is like Marmite, you either love it or hate it, personally, I love it. The landscape certainly divides people – a broad, echoing flatness with the nuclear power stations on one side, the shingle dipping into the sea on the other and railway carriages turned into quaint and strange looking dwellings.
The stark wild beauty and distinctive character of this shingle desert engenders feelings of awe, wonder and curiosity.
Dungeness is a unique environment that has been designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSO) and as a result has captured the imagination of photographers and artists for years. The landscape is so barren that it has become a well known landmark and unlikely tourist spot, attracting one million visitors annually.
There are two lighthouses at Dungeness, the first that you'll see started operation on 20 November 1961. Its construction was prompted by the building of Dungeness nuclear power station, which obscured the light of its predecessor.
The second is Dungeness Old Lighthouse, built on what is one of the biggest shingle peninsulas in the world. The historic Grade II listed building was opened by the Prince of Wales in 1904 and it went on to survive two world wars before being decommissioned in 1960. The constant shifting of the shingle with the tides on the peninsula means the sea is gradually moving further away, a new modern lighthouse replaced it when it was decommissioned, which has allowed it to be opened up to visitors.
It would be wrong of me not to mention the power stations as they dominate this area.
The Dungeness nuclear power stations are a pair of non-operational nuclear power stations. Dungeness A is a legacy Magnox power station consisting of two 250 MWe reactors which were connected to the National Grid in 1965 and reached its end of life in 2006. Dungeness B is an advanced gas-cooled reactor (AGR) power station consisting of two 520 MWe reactors, which began operation in 1983 and 1985 respectively, and have been non-operational since 2018 with defuelling beginning in 2021.
The route leaves the coast now and heads inland across Romney Marsh.
Dubbed “the fifth quarter of the world” in recognition of its uniqueness, Romney Marsh is truly a land apart. Sheep graze green fields separated by a maze of ditches, the horizon punctuated by church towers. Famed for its emptiness, its sweeping skies and sense of solitude it is truly a unique and special place.
Historically the Marsh was a thriving and prosperous place centred on the Cinque Port of New Romney, until the great storm of 1287 landlocked the town. It was the Romney Marsh sheep that provided the area’s continued prosperity, and also the origins of a notorious and rife smuggling industry.
Today the Marsh is a peaceful place mostly devoted to farming, it's quiet and flat lanes offering some excellent riding.
Situated on the marsh in the middle of the countryside is Brenzett Museum, a unique collection of wartime equipment and the remains recovered from aircraft crash sites including memorabilia collected and donated to the museum since it's formation in 1972. Located within the original buildings used as a hostel for the Women's Land Army. The Women's Land Army (WLA) made a significant contribution to boosting Britain's food production during the Second World War by doing much of the farm work. The range of exhibits embrace many aspects of the war. A small but interesting museum, my favourite sort. A small charge of £5 helps keep the museum open.
Quiet country roads take you to the town of Tenterden, known as the ‘Jewel of the Weald’. Tenterden offers the best of all worlds; fascinating history, a wealth of architecture and excellent shopping - all within everyone’s idea of a typical country town and surrounded by Kent’s tranquil countryside. I have suggested a short coffee stop here before traveling on through the Weald.
The Weald is a beautiful scenic area of South East England between the parallel chalk escarpments of the North and the South Downs. It crosses the counties of Kent, Sussex, Surrey and Hampshire.
After crossing the county border from Kent into East Sussex, you have the option to turn left at a road junction to visit Bodiam Castle, just 300m from the junction.
Bodiam Castle is a 14th-century moated castle built in 1385 by Sir Edward Dalyngrigge, a former knight of Edward III, with the permission of Richard II, ostensibly to defend the area against French invasion during the Hundred Years' War. It is one of those iconic castles that you picture as a child, complete with a moat and drawbridge. The entrance fee is £11.
Less than half an hour from the castle is a pub called the Lazy Fox at Mark Cross, it has great food reviews so I have suggested a lunch stop here.
After lunch, the route takes you through more of the delightful countryside that south east England has on offer. A mixture of roads that pass arable farms, woodlands and small villages, some of the narrow roads are fully cloaked by trees affording you welcome shade on a sunny day and all of the roads have been included to show you the real rural countryside.
As you get closer to the route's destination of Brighton, you can stop and admire the views from Ditchling Beacon. The trig point at Ditchling Beacon marks the highest point in East Sussex at 814 feet (249 metres) above sea level, from here the views out across the Weald and the South Downs is spectacular.
I have ended the route at the Mercure Brighton Seafront hotel on Brighton's seafront, but as you can imagine, a city on the coast as large and as vibrant as Brighton has many different types of accommodation to choose from.
Enjoy, the next route takes you across the South Downs National Park and passes Stonehenge.