Royal Military Canal - Ham Street to Folkestone Harbour

It has been some years since I last led a walk with ODL, so this shall be my first dabble back into it and I thought keeping a canal or the English Channel on one side of me would be a good one to re-start with!

Setting off from Ham Street railway station, we will shortly join the Royal Military Canal and make our way to its eastern end in Seabrook, near Hythe. We will be walking through the fairly remote countryside of the Romney Marsh and once in Hythe will make our way along the seafront path and to our walk's end in Folkestone Harbour. There will be the option to have an end of walk drink at one of the bars or cafes.

The Royal Military Canal was built in the 1800s to provide a defence against possible invasion by Napoleon. In the event of an invasion the option to flood the marsh area to repel the attack had been considered, but that would have meant the loss of valuable pasture land. Instead, a canal was built to act as a barrier and effectively turned this area of Kent and Sussex into a small island. After two years of work, the canal had only progressed six miles, so the army were called in to finish the works. Before the construction had ended, however, the threat of invasion had receded and the canal was never used for its intended purpose. Over the years it was repurposed as a way of transporting materials by barge, but with the development of the railways it fell into disuse and finally closed to commercial traffic in 1909. Its legacy has been to leave a beautiful walk of peace, quiet and greenery just inland from the south Kent and Sussex coast. 

Breaks

We will be walking along a fairly remote canal, so the plan is to have regular short breaks and find a suitable spot to eat a packed lunch. The walk will end at Folkestone Harbour, where those that wish to can head for a well-earned drink at one of the bars or cafes.

New Members

New members are very welcome. Please message me if you have any questions or concerns before the day. Whilst we are a very open and welcoming group, if you wish, we may be able to organise an existing member to buddy up with you before or on the day. 

Dogs

The walk is generally suitable for dogs. We will be walking in an area where there is livestock, so do be prepared to ensure your dog is put onto a lead if necessary. I love dogs, but please do be mindful of those who are not so keen or confident around them.

IMPORTANT! – Participation Statement

You MUST complete a Participation Statement, in addition to booking your event space before attending an OutdoorLads event. You only need to complete this Participation Statement once, not for each event you attend.

Image / photo credits: All images taken by the event leader Anthony Hull who permits them for ODL use.