Last summer I headed out to do the two harbours walk from Folkestone to Dover in Kent, partly following the North Downs Way. This beautiful coastal walk follows the chalk cliffs with stunning views across the Channel ending at the famous white cliffs of Dover. We pass the Martello towers, Abbots Cliff Sound Mirror, Battle of Britain War Memorial, Samphire Hoe and Shakespeare Cliff. I have to say this was one of the most picturesque walks I’ve done anywhere in the world.
The pints in a hotel bar with my Dad and sister at the end were decent as well.
This links to the walk I did from Folkestone in 2022 to visit the Hythe Sound Mirrors.
As we start to sense the possibility of Spring, plans for future walks start to take on a new tone of intent. One such plan is to pick up the trail of this enlightening walk exploring a dramatic stretch of the River Medway in Kent from Gillingham to Rainham with the brilliant Professor Kate Spencer. Last summer, we started at Strand Leisure Park, then passed Horrid Hill, Bloors Wharf, Eastcourt Woods and Otterham Creek. Kate is an expert of estuarine environments and in this video we learn about the specific ecosystem of the Medway estuary and its industrial past. This route also follows the Saxon Shore Way. Expect the next instalment some time in Spring.
A freezing cold night in January I found myself ensconced in the Thameside Inn having stumbled upon the ruins of the Bishop of Winchester’s Palace in the narrow lanes near Borough Market. Supping a pint of Adnam’s Ghost Ship from Southwold, I looked across the river at the City lights reflecting in the Thames and the flashing blue lights on the ferry coming in to dock at London Bridge. I must make a video of this short deeply storied strip of the river between London Bridge and Blackfriars Bridge, I resolved as I lined up the second pint.
A couple of weeks later a friend and former colleague messaged me to say that I had to visit Hopton’s Almshouses just behind Tate Modern, a rare secluded gem hidden amongst the rush and tear of Southwark. This is what gave me the final push to go and shoot the Bankside stroll in this video.
The Route: Crossing Blackfriars Bridge we first visit Hopton’s Almhouses built in the 17th Century. Then we pass through Tate Modern and then Cardinal’s Wharf where Sir Christopher Wren stayed during the rebuilding of St Paul’s Cathedral. Next door is Shakespeare’s Globe theatre, a reconstruction of the famous Elizabethan theatre. We pass along Bear Alley the site of a Tudor Bear pit and into Park Street where we find the sites of the Rose Theatre and the original Globe Theatre. Our Bankside amble then passes the notorious Clink Prison and the ruins of the Bishop of Winchester’s Palace before ending at the reconstruction of the Golden Hinde ship famously skippered by Sir Francis Drake on circumnavigations of the globe.
Cracking bit of local non-league football action with Walthamstow FC away at Enfield in the Isthmian League North. Walthamstow have a fascinating and complex history, drawing lineage from Leyton F.C formed in 1868 – with one variant of that club playing at the Hare and Hounds ground on Lea Bridge Road. It’s great to see the club thriving in the upper reaches of the non-league football pyramid.
A trip to Suffolk for the Woodbridge Ambient Music Festival and a celebration of the beautiful River Deben.
A series of coincides alerted me to the Woodbridge Ambient Music Festival taking place from 22nd – 24th September, just at a time when I needed an escape from the city. So I hopped on the train on the Saturday morning and headed up to Suffolk, Sebald in my bag and looking forward to drawing on the magic of the River Deben.
The video includes interviews with local people about the history and importance of the Deben, its links to the nearby Sutton Hoo ship burial. Also a walk along the Deben and through this historic town of Woodbridge with its many old timber-framed buildings. The Woodbridge Ambient Music Festival included performances from Tom Rogerson and friends – Jay Chakravorty & Elegy for Good Dogs live in the Octagon Room at the Methodist Church, ‘Beneath the Surface’ – live outside the Longshed with Clara Charlesworth (flute) and Michelle Brace (visuals), VonTrapMix; Helder Rock; Yggdrasil Music; Mbira Mike; Of the Night Sky. Organised by Jan Pulsford. This will now be an annual fixture in my calendar.
‘From Woodbridge to Orford down to the sea, is a good four hour walk’ – W.G Sebald, The Rings of Saturn p.222 – read in the Kings Head, Woodbridge with a pint of Ghost Ship. Note for a future walk maybe.