We’re living in a world where plans are no longer concrete and travel is no longer guaranteed, but does it have to mean the end of adventures and exploration?

The other week Henry (my son) and I were due to cycle round the Isle of Wight. It had been planned since the summer and we were eagerly anticipating the ferry over from my home-town of Lymington, and the challenge of circum-navigating the Island visiting many of our favourite places. However, the preceding week, full of dire warnings of rising Covid cases and impending lockdowns, made us question the wisdom of staying with Grandparents and the risk of infection, which led us to postpone the trip.

Covid heralds the rise of Plan B!

Whilst we might have chosen to stay at home, we still wanted to have an adventure, get out in nature and spend much needed time together. I am lucky that Henry and I have a close relationship and it is in part down to bikes and the time it gives us to chat over our feelings and concerns without the intensity of sitting face to face, as well as a chance for laughter and shared experiences. Over the years it’s given us a more equal playing field and a mutual trust as, especially on mountain bikes, there have been times when Henry’s been the expert and has coaxed me through my fears into doing a jump or drop.

I love route planning and often spend hours pondering OS maps, online or paper, discovering new routes and options. It’s amazing how many bridleways and tracks can be linked together to form unseen routes through your local area. I choose an objective and then begin plotting. I often ride to the east, north or south from our home but rarely directly west, so that was my goal for this ride. West of us is Wye Crown – a giant chalk crown on the bluff of the North Kent Downs, looking over the plains towards Rye and Hastings. Created for the King’s Jubilee in 1902 it is somewhere we’ve never visited close up. It was also a good meeting point for my daughter, CeCe and her carer, Ginny, who were going to follow our progress online and meet us up there.

Heading out to the River Stour

Riding from home, we took the track through the farm we live on and out towards the Stour. Crossing under the railway bridge and then over the lines at an unmanned crossing, it is one of my favourite ways to access the river and the City beyond. Within minutes we joined the flow of people enjoying the Great Stour Way along the river and made our way out of town towards Chartham. Maybe it’s just perspective, but there seem to be a greater number of people out and about since Coronavirus arrived, it makes me feel happy to think of residents exploring more of the local area.

A quick wiggle through the quiet village roads of Chartham and we were out on to the Pilgrims Cycle Trail – a fairly new run that goes from Rochester Cathedral to Canterbury Cathedral.  Following the Stour and the railway, it guides you through typically Kentish countryside of hop gardens, fields of sheep and pockets of woodland. Emerging from the woods we paused to take in the bucolic view of a valley and hillsides. It amazed us that, in a matter of miles, we’d arrived in a totally unknown area. Despite the ongoing grumblings from Henry, it was clear that he was enjoying himself and once we joined the lanes leading into Wye, he raced ahead making the most of the chance for speed.

Wye was once an outpost of Imperial College London, but since the University closed it has had to find a new purpose. Not far from the highspeed train to London it has attracted many commuter families and in recent years a thriving free-school has been built. As with The Great Stour Way, the North Downs Way bridlepath up to Wye Crown was heaving with people out enjoying the autumn sun. Climbing steadily from the Stour, you pass through several fields before hitting a steep, technical climb. With Henry in road shoes and cleats, it was an interesting interlude in the ride, but it did the job, depositing us on the top of the ridge just to the east of the Crown. A short pedal further and we found ourselves looking down on the pancake flat land that reached as far as Rye.

Rendez-vous at Wye Crown

Passing our bikes over the gate we spotted G and C on the hillside waiting for us. C had loved following our progress on Google Maps and they’d had their own adventure finding their way over to the Crown. After a quick stop for hugs and photos, Henry and I set off.

The afternoon chill was building and we were aware that we didn’t have a huge amount of time to find our way home. The route led us on to the hamlet of Hastingleigh and then we picked up another bridleway which would take us back towards Canterbury. 

I love bridleways and the fact that when you plan a route on a map, you have little idea what you will actually find; simply the assurance that you are permitted to ride there! After following what looked like an old drovers track we dropped down to a grassy fork around the perimeter of a beautiful farmhouse. We carried on round the house and up a narrow track along the edge of the garden and between paddocks of sheep before coming out on to a series of large open fields.

Bridleway signage is sometimes creative

The traditional signs had long gone but the farmer had kindly replaced them with blue gaffa tape, which gave us the confidence that we were in the right place. Eventually we rejoined the lanes, by which time the light was beginning to go and we were reminded of the autumnal season. Lights on, we quickly decided to shorten the loop and follow the NCN 18 route back to Canterbury. With many of the trees still in full foliage, we entered one of those natural tunnels through a woodland, only to find that night hadn’t fallen prematurely when we emerged the other end.

Pedaling ferociously, not wanting to waste energy on chatting, we were soon in Chartham and retracing our tyre marks along The Great Stour Way before we nipped off left across the marshes to cross the railway line and pedal home. Arriving to a lit fire and Al and CeCe preparing fahitas, we felt elated and nourished by an afternoon of exploring within a 10-mile radius of home.

Thanks to OS Maps and a pair of bikes it’s still possible to have a complete adventure from your front door.