Broadstairs to Margate

18 July 2012

                                                        Broadstairs Looking North

                                                        Broadstairs Looking South

                                                      North Foreland Lighthouse

                                                                    Joss Bay

                                                                       Kingsgate

                                                              Cliff Near Margate

                                                             Margate from better days

                                                                       Locals

Aother leaderless walk and down on numbers just 4 of us met up at Broadstairs on a very overcast day . With the ever present threat of rain we set off to walk to Margate . Due to the high tide we had forget our plan to walk along the beach and had to walk along the cliff tops. We soon passed Joss Bay and the North Foreland lighthouse . The bay looked inviting and there were a few brave people swimming . Then on pass Kingsgate where we managed to get down onto the beach . This was a more pleasant walk and we soon found a cafe for a quick cuppa . After a very short stop we followed the beach until we got to Margate . The town looks very sad and needs a major facelift so again we only stopped for 5 minutes to have our coffee . With the clouds getting darker by the minute we simply followed the cliff top path back to Broadstairs A very tiring 8 plus miles

Sheerness Canal 4th July

                                                    The Right Place To Start Any Walk

                                                            The Blues Brothers

                                                          A Lot Of Kids Having A Tea Break

                                                           Typical View Of Canal

                                                                Finally At Sea Front

                                     
                                               

                                                    Sheerness in the distance

6 of us , again minus our leader , from various parts of the county met up at Sittingbourne Railway Station and like a load of excited school kids caught the train to Sheerness . There we alighted and on the insistance of GY sought out the nearest cake shop where we stocked up on pasties and sausage rolls . Then on a very cloudy and humid day we set off to struggle finding the footpaths through a lot of local housing estates . Not the most pleasant start to our leaderless walk . Eventually after a few stops to read our map we found the start of the canal and a few local fishermen. The canal was in rather a sad state this lots of rubbish floating in it . After a mile or so this did improve and open out to a better view of the canal . Being old we soon found a place to stop to eat our pasties . Then all struggling in the humid conditions we carried on following the canal eventually reaching the sea wall near Minster. After another rest stop we followed the shore back into Sheerness and the railway station .Here GY treated us to a much appreciated ice cream  About 5 to 6 miles but all hard work due to the heat

Stodmarsh Bird Reserve Nr Canterbury 27 June 2012

                                      

                                            Just one of the hides we stopped at

                                                 River Stour ambling to Canterbury

                                          A short coffee stop while JC explores the bank

                                                       looking for his nuts

With our leader out of action for a few weeks just 5 of us met up at the car park of the bird reserve then followed a rather circular route around the bird reserve . We stopped at a couple of the hides where we were lucky enough to have a view of two  Marsh Harries hunting along a line of trees . Not a lot of birds on the lakes although rather a close view of a nice Great Crested Grebe diving right in front of the hide . Generally a rather overcast but humid day . We eventually found a nice shady spot along side the river Stour where we passed a pleasant 10 minutes with our cups of coffee etc

There were only 5 of us on this outing and roughly 5 to 6 miles walk and