The North Downs Way

National Trail from Farnham to Dover

By Kev Reynolds

Guidebook to walking the North Downs Way National Trail, a 130 mile (208km) trail between Farnham and Dover, with an optional visit to Canterbury. Following the ancient Pilgrim's Way for much of the way, through pleasant countryside, this is one of the easier National Trails and the walk is described over 11 stages. With 1:25K OS map booklet.

Seasons

The North Downs Way can be walked at any time of the year, but is seen at its best between April and October

Centres

Beginning in Farnham, the North Downs Way passes close-to or through Guildford, Otford, Wrotham, Detling, Charing, Wye, Chilham, Canterbury, Patrixbourne and ends in Dover

Difficulty

Despite some reasonably short steep ascents and descents, the North Downs Way is one of the more gentle of National Trails and is suitable for first-time long distance walkers.

Must See

Passing through the Surrey and Kent Downs Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, the North Downs Way crosses Box Hill, visits Neolithic sites like the Coldrum Stones and Kits Coty House; passes below the remains of Thurnham Castle, visits Canterbury Cathedral, Dover Castle, and across Shakespeare Cliff, one of the White Cliffs of Dover.
ISBN
9781852848613
Availability
Published
Published
7 Jul 2017
Edition
Third
Pages
144
Size
17.20 x 11.60 x .90cm
Weight
310g
Overview

The North Downs Way National Trail is a 130 mile (208km) between the high downland of Farnham and the historic city of Dover on the Kent coast. The route is described in 11 day stages from west to east with an optional detour via Canterbury.

Step-by-step route descriptions are fully illustrated with colour photographs and extracts from OS 1:50,000 mapping for every stage. The guidebook comes with a separate map booklet of 1:25,000 scale OS maps showing the full route of the North Downs Way. Clear step-by-step route descriptions in the guide link together with the map booklet at each stage along the Way, and the compact format is conveniently sized for slipping into a jacket pocket or the top of a rucksack.

The North Downs Way is one of the easier national trails with a modest number of steep (but short) ascents and descents and long sections with no noticeable height gain or loss. Several historic sites including Neolithic burial chambers, Roman roads and Norman churches are passed and much of the route follows The Pilgrims' Way.

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Kev Reynolds Cicerone author REYNOL

Kev Reynolds

Kev Reynolds was a freelance writer, photojournalist and lecturer. A prolific compiler of guidebooks, his first title for Cicerone Press (Walks & Climbs in the Pyrenees) appeared in 1978; he later produced many more titles for the same publisher. A member of the Outdoor Writers' Guild, the Alpine Club and Austrian Alpine Club, his passion for mountains and the countryside inspired a lifetime's activity, and he regularly travelled throughout Britain to share that enthusiasm through his lectures. Sadly, Kev passed away in 2021. He will be remembered fondly by all who knew him and by many more he inspired through his writing and talks.

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