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North Downs Way - Folkestone to Charing (★★★★☆)

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Today was my second consecutive day of walking - having walked from Dover to Folkestone on the previous day - and would be the day where I would complete the entirety of the North Downs Way  (including both of the alternate routes between Boughton Lees and Dover). I'm heading out into a misty morning, with a thick bed of low cloud coming up off the sea - and my first task is to head back up Castle Hill (in the north of Folkestone), to join back up with the North Downs Way. Upon reaching the top of the hill, I turn left and start to follow a fairly muddy path that heads past the Channel Tunnel terminal. At this point it is fortunate if you enjoy views of concrete train terminals, with little lorries and cars heading round to board their train - because these views endure for about a mile and a half of walking - after which we turn north, and start to pull away from Folkestone. Channel Tunnel Terminal from the hills Having turned north the view cleans up Although there isn't muc...
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North Downs Way - Dover to Folkestone (★★★★☆)

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Earlier in the year, I had set out on two separate walks along the North Downs Way - heading out in spring to walk one half of the North Downs Way from Rochester to Dover  (over three days), and again in summer to walk the other half from Rochester round to Farnham  (over four days). Between these two walks I had walked the length of the North Downs Way , but I hadn't actually completed the entirety of the trail, because of a split at Boughton Lees - offering up two alternate routes between Boughton Lees and Dover. The route map at Boughton Lees On my previous walk I had opted to turn left at Boughton Lees, to follow the more traditional Pilgrim route north-east to Canterbury, where the trail then turned south-east to finish up in Dover. Now in autumn I was back to complete the alternate route - heading out along the coast from Dover to Folkestone, before cutting up to Boughton Lees, and then on to the train station at Charing. This would essentially be a continuation of my...
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Dales High Way - Skipton to Settle (★★★★★)

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Today the plan is to walk from Skipton to Settle along the Dales High Way - which follows a very similar route to a walk I have already done, along the Pennine Way from  Gargrave to Horton-in-Ribblesdale . The two walks cross each other's path just above Malham Cove - but whilst the Pennine Way route takes a fairly flat path out of Gargrave to Malham (before heading up the steps from the base of Malham Cove) - this route bends much further east (before heading towards Malham Cove via Gordale Scar). Having reached Malham Cove, the Pennine Way route then heads north, up over Fountains Fell and Pen-y-Ghent, to Horton-in-Ribblesdale - whilst the Dales High Way cuts across to Settle, via Attermire Scar. Having really enjoyed that previous walk, I'm excited to be back in the area - and step off the train at Skipton excited to get going. From here I plan a very tiny diversion off the official route of the Dales High Way - heading up past the castle, rather than over the fields....
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