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The Heron Trail
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Upnor Castle

Area Guides: Kent
Activities:

Cycling


Details: The Heron Trail is an attractive 18 mile (29km) circular route on the Hoo Peninsula, bordered by two great rivers, the Thames to the North and the Medway to the South.

Dickens wrote four of his novels including Great Expectations and Tale of two Cities close by and the area was a popular haunt of smugglers. The trail provides a mixture of rural and maritime interests, and spectacular views along the route.

Cliffe Fort built in 1800, as part of the defence organization protecting the Thames, is now home to roosting birds and a diversity of plants. Cooling Castle, now privately owned, was built in 1381 and formerly stood close to the sea until the draining of the marshes marooned it some distance inland. Upnor Castle, built in 1559, is located on the banks of the River Medway and was built as a gun fort on the orders of Queen Elizabeth I to protect her warships while at anchor.

Recommended detours would include the RSPB Northward Hill Reserve, home to around 150 pairs of grey herons, which give their name to the trail. The Riverside Country Park, which is close by on National Route 1, offers unbelievable traffic free cycling for the whole family in addition to eye-catching panorama over coastal marsh, freshwater habitats and grasslands along the Medway estuary.

The parks trails and paths have first-rate surfaces which are suitable for wheel chair users and the less able. The Saxon Shore Way stretches from Gravesend to Hastings, some 160 miles from start to finish and is easily accessible from the Heron Trail for a distraction on foot.

Ordnance Survey Explorer 150, 138 and Landranger 179 cover this area. . Buy your maps here: Maps

Disclaimer: The information on this leisure activity was presented with the best of intentions. Any reported errors will be corrected immediately. People interested in contacting the above leisure activity should confirm for themselves the accuracy of any data presented.



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Another Kent Tourist Guide listing created by Let's Stay Kent.
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