The Viking Trail

 The Viking trail is a cycle route of 32 miles that starts from Sandwich, Kent to Reculver, then back through Minster to Sandwich. It should really be called the Thanet trail because it circles the ancient island of Thanet. During Roman times there was a sea passage between Sandwich and Reculver called the Wantsum channel. So Thanet was completely cut off from the mainland. It's a beautiful ride along the cliffs of north Kent.  I started from Deal,  6 miles away, which is a nice little cycle ride in itself, along the beach to the Ancient Highway, A1 ,which passes , Cinques Ports, Princes, and the Royal St George's golf courses.

A river runs through it

This is the cycle path along the river Stour just before  Sandwich car park.

The Viking trail, A15 , starts at the bridge over the river Stour, see below:

Signposted to Ramsgate, the road goes past the old Pfizer buildings. There is a reasonable cycle track , but I prefer to use the road, it isn't very busy. After a couple of miles there is a roundabout where there is a A15 sign to Ramsgate. Cross the road to the cycle track on the other side. This  is a very good cycle lane adjacent to Ramsgate Road. Unfortunately it  stops at the Stonelees golf course. You can take the cinder track through Pegwell bay country park, but I would not recommend it unless you have chunky tyres. It is not a busy road, most of the traffic uses the A256 by-pass,but you don't have to stay on it long anyway. After a petrol station the cycle lane re-appears, it goes past a replica Viking ship, the Hugin, (photo at the top of this blog ).  It commemorates the landing of Hengist and Horsa , 1500 yrs ago, and it's a delightful setting with views across Pegwell bay. The cycle lane turns away from the main road to chalk hill, through a farmer's field, then it drops down to a side road, Pegwell Road,  that runs adjacent to the cliffs. A little track that is signposted, A15 goes along the cliff top all the way to Ramsgate harbour. 

The track stops at the harbour, but restarts a few hundred yards along the road at the Royal Pavilion. (now a Whetherspoons pub .) The beach is a bit further on. 

It's a lovely sandy beach, for some reason it isn't very popular, maybe because of the port, but it looks clean, there's even some fish in the harbour. ! The path winds up the cliff till it meets the road which takes you to the entrance of King George V1 memorial park. Cars can't go any further, but bikes can cycle through it to Louisa bay.

This is a lovely little bay.

 You can cycle along the esplanade to Broadstairs.

 The track carries on past the old curiosity shop,

then up a narrow lane that runs along stone bay and up a steep hill. This eventually takes you to the north foreland lighthouse.

You can just carry on this road to Joss bay, but the track turns off just before the lighthouse at North foreland avenue ( by Thanet squash club ). This is the cliff path and it's OK for cycling apart from a few hundred yards of cinders where I had to be a bit careful. It comes out at Joss bay car park. Joss bay is very popular, with it's own surf center. 

The road takes you past Kingsgate castle. See below:

 A very imposing building, built on the cliff in 1760, by Lord Holland. It must have cost a lot, but he was the Privy Seal ! . He also built Neptune's Tower, a folly, a bit further on. Then you drop down into Kingsgate bay. Not as attractive as Joss bay, but it has a very distinctive arch in the cliffs, see photo. 

The track turns off the road just after Captain Digby pub. It goes along the cliffs to Botany bay, 

Then all the way along to Foreness point and then at  Cliftonville it drops down to Margate harbour and beach..It can be a bit windy because it is so exposed, but the views are stunning. My photos don't really do it justice.

The other side of the beach you can pick up the coastal trail again.

It is sign posted to Reculver, and it is a really good, flat tarmac path going all the way along Minnis Bay to Reculver.. There are a couple of places where you are not supposed to cycle, presumably because of the beach huts, but its easy to cut up to the road and then drop down again. In some places if the weather is a bit rough the sea encroaches on to it. Reculver church was partially demolished in 1809 because of coastal erosion. The twin towers ( Sisters ) were left as an aid to navigation. To be continued :