I'm looking to cycle from Ebsfleet to Ramsgate and then back after, maybe staying overnight. Can anyone recommend a good routes or anywhere to avoid en route! I'm coming from Stratford E London and could stay on the train to Ashford and go from their instead if that would
be better?
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Ebsfleet to Ramsgate return route
Re: Ebsfleet to Ramsgate return route
Welcome to the forum.
There are a number of factors to consider before deciding on a route. How far do you want to ride? Are you happy riding on busy roads? How poor a surface will you consider off-road? Do you want to do some sight-seeing?
The routes suggested by cycle.travel are good starting points.
Ebbsfleet to Ramsgate is 65 miles.
Ashford to Ramsgate is 38 miles.
There are a number of factors to consider before deciding on a route. How far do you want to ride? Are you happy riding on busy roads? How poor a surface will you consider off-road? Do you want to do some sight-seeing?
The routes suggested by cycle.travel are good starting points.
Ebbsfleet to Ramsgate is 65 miles.
Ashford to Ramsgate is 38 miles.
High on a cocktail of flossy teacakes and marmalade
Re: Ebsfleet to Ramsgate return route
If you're going from Stratford International I'd consider heading to Gravesend instead of Ebbsfleet - it's easier to get straight out into the countryside on small roads, instead of setting off from what was basically designed as a giant car park surrounded by A-roads.
Your basic choice is to either cross the Medway at Rochester (busy and cyclist-unfriendly, but only for a short section) and then along the minor roads north of the A2, round the coast via Seasalter and Whitstable and Herne Bay. Or alternatively head inland, cross the Medway at or upstream of Maidstone (East Farleigh is a nice crossing point), and then over the North Downs, probably skirting round the east side of Canterbury. This second option is fair bit longer and a lot hillier but gives you far more route options. Either way, try to stay off the A2, especially east of Faversham where the M2 ends - from there to Dover it's basically a motorway in all but name and definitely not for riding on.
Let me know if you'd like something more concrete - I haven't done the exact ride you're looking for but I have various bits and bobs that could be joined up into a route that would suit your needs.
Your basic choice is to either cross the Medway at Rochester (busy and cyclist-unfriendly, but only for a short section) and then along the minor roads north of the A2, round the coast via Seasalter and Whitstable and Herne Bay. Or alternatively head inland, cross the Medway at or upstream of Maidstone (East Farleigh is a nice crossing point), and then over the North Downs, probably skirting round the east side of Canterbury. This second option is fair bit longer and a lot hillier but gives you far more route options. Either way, try to stay off the A2, especially east of Faversham where the M2 ends - from there to Dover it's basically a motorway in all but name and definitely not for riding on.
Let me know if you'd like something more concrete - I haven't done the exact ride you're looking for but I have various bits and bobs that could be joined up into a route that would suit your needs.
Re: Ebsfleet to Ramsgate return route
From Ebbsfleet it is possible to pick up the cycle path that runs parallel to the A2 as far as Strood.
From Gravesend there is CR1 which a lot of tourists use. Very poor surface in parts but a pleasant ride alongside a disused canal again CR1 will take you to Strood.
Then I'm afraid it's navigating the Medway towns. There are bits of cycle path (shared use)as far as Rainham ).
From there go North from the A2 to pick up the reasonably quiet routes to Faversham. If you go via Dunkirk (not on the A2 but North of it ) you can proceed to Upper Harbledown (partly on a not very good cycle path again parallel to the A2 ) eventually you will come to a busy main road which you can use into Canterbury or preferably cross it into Harbledown. I wouldn't avoid Canterbury it has various shared cycle routes and there is a reasonable Bridle way (North Downs Way ) to Patrixbourne.
From there there are reasonably quiet roads ( and or ) cycle paths possibly via Wickhambreaux, Stourmouth, Monkton Minster.
From Gravesend there is CR1 which a lot of tourists use. Very poor surface in parts but a pleasant ride alongside a disused canal again CR1 will take you to Strood.
Then I'm afraid it's navigating the Medway towns. There are bits of cycle path (shared use)as far as Rainham ).
From there go North from the A2 to pick up the reasonably quiet routes to Faversham. If you go via Dunkirk (not on the A2 but North of it ) you can proceed to Upper Harbledown (partly on a not very good cycle path again parallel to the A2 ) eventually you will come to a busy main road which you can use into Canterbury or preferably cross it into Harbledown. I wouldn't avoid Canterbury it has various shared cycle routes and there is a reasonable Bridle way (North Downs Way ) to Patrixbourne.
From there there are reasonably quiet roads ( and or ) cycle paths possibly via Wickhambreaux, Stourmouth, Monkton Minster.
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captain offensive
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Re: Ebsfleet to Ramsgate return route
As some of the others have hinted the first few miles from Ebbsfleet through the Medway towns isn't that pretty and that you might think about some minor changes. My suggestion would indeed be to carry on to Ashford and start/finish there.
From Ashford you can follow route 18 to Canterbury (cycle paths out of Ashford, a few fairly quiet county lanes, a nice little relatively rough track through some woods - perfectly passable on my 32s - and a glorious riverside cyclepath into Canterbury). From there swap over to the Crab and Winkle way to Whitstable - another lovely little ride) and then from there follow the Viking trail all along the coast to Ramsgate. That section will give you the lovely coastal ride you're probably thinking of - but it is by a LONG way the best bit of the north coast route - west of whitstable (certainly west of Sittingbourne) is not very pretty - but Whitstable to Ramsgate via Reculver is great.
For the return you could do the same way though there are some other nice alternatives. Most simple would be to carry on following the coast route around to Sandwich and then follow NCN1 back into Canterbury and then retrace route 18 back to Ashford - though do take a look at cycle.travel and notice the alternative (old) route 18 out of Shalmsford Street. The old route follows roads avoiding the rough track I mentioned above. It starts with a climb up onto the downs but its pretty steady up until you get to The Compass Inn (lovely) at Sole Street and then you have a lovely downhill drop rejoinging the new route 18 a few miles outside of Wye.
Alternatively from Ramsgate you could just follow route 1 all the way around the east coast through Deal towards Dover and/or Folkestone. That might depend on how far/how hilly you want to go. Getting to Dover isn't too bad (a bit of a long steady climb from the coast to St Margarets at Cliff but then easy past the castle into Dover where you could stop or... Dover to Folkestone you can follow NCN2 which has another fair but steady climb out of Dover along with relatively rough track (again - loose surface but not muddy and should be fine on anything other than the narrowest road tyres) but then a nice ride along the cliff tops before dropping into Folkestone.
Both Dover and Folkestone have good train connections back to Ashford/London though you could continue on to Ashford. There are, oddly, no Sustrans routes there but there are a few options. The easiest but longest route is to follow routes 2, 11 and 18 - quite a detour but the flattest route and quite pretty. Alternatively you can wind along the villages north of the M20 though that takes you into the Kent Downs and its pretty much up and down all the way. You can also find a route following the south side of the M20 corridor which is less hilly but a bit more in B roads territory.
Here's how these might look on cycle.travel (let me know if you are interested in the folkestone - ashford leg and I'll send you some strava rides I've done across those areas as a guide):
http://cycle.travel/map/journey/49499 - Ashford - Ramsgate circular via Canterbury
http://cycle.travel/map/journey/49500 - Ashford - Ramsgate - Folkestone
Hope that is of some help
Cheers
C.O.
From Ashford you can follow route 18 to Canterbury (cycle paths out of Ashford, a few fairly quiet county lanes, a nice little relatively rough track through some woods - perfectly passable on my 32s - and a glorious riverside cyclepath into Canterbury). From there swap over to the Crab and Winkle way to Whitstable - another lovely little ride) and then from there follow the Viking trail all along the coast to Ramsgate. That section will give you the lovely coastal ride you're probably thinking of - but it is by a LONG way the best bit of the north coast route - west of whitstable (certainly west of Sittingbourne) is not very pretty - but Whitstable to Ramsgate via Reculver is great.
For the return you could do the same way though there are some other nice alternatives. Most simple would be to carry on following the coast route around to Sandwich and then follow NCN1 back into Canterbury and then retrace route 18 back to Ashford - though do take a look at cycle.travel and notice the alternative (old) route 18 out of Shalmsford Street. The old route follows roads avoiding the rough track I mentioned above. It starts with a climb up onto the downs but its pretty steady up until you get to The Compass Inn (lovely) at Sole Street and then you have a lovely downhill drop rejoinging the new route 18 a few miles outside of Wye.
Alternatively from Ramsgate you could just follow route 1 all the way around the east coast through Deal towards Dover and/or Folkestone. That might depend on how far/how hilly you want to go. Getting to Dover isn't too bad (a bit of a long steady climb from the coast to St Margarets at Cliff but then easy past the castle into Dover where you could stop or... Dover to Folkestone you can follow NCN2 which has another fair but steady climb out of Dover along with relatively rough track (again - loose surface but not muddy and should be fine on anything other than the narrowest road tyres) but then a nice ride along the cliff tops before dropping into Folkestone.
Both Dover and Folkestone have good train connections back to Ashford/London though you could continue on to Ashford. There are, oddly, no Sustrans routes there but there are a few options. The easiest but longest route is to follow routes 2, 11 and 18 - quite a detour but the flattest route and quite pretty. Alternatively you can wind along the villages north of the M20 though that takes you into the Kent Downs and its pretty much up and down all the way. You can also find a route following the south side of the M20 corridor which is less hilly but a bit more in B roads territory.
Here's how these might look on cycle.travel (let me know if you are interested in the folkestone - ashford leg and I'll send you some strava rides I've done across those areas as a guide):
http://cycle.travel/map/journey/49499 - Ashford - Ramsgate circular via Canterbury
http://cycle.travel/map/journey/49500 - Ashford - Ramsgate - Folkestone
Hope that is of some help
Cheers
C.O.
Re: Ebsfleet to Ramsgate return route
captain offensive wrote:As some of the others have hinted the first few miles from Ebbsfleet through the Medway towns isn't that pretty and that you might think about some minor changes. My suggestion would indeed be to carry on to Ashford and start/finish there.
From Ashford you can follow route 18 to Canterbury (cycle paths out of Ashford, a few fairly quiet county lanes, a nice little relatively rough track through some woods - perfectly passable on my 32s - and a glorious riverside cyclepath into Canterbury). From there swap over to the Crab and Winkle way to Whitstable - another lovely little ride) and then from there follow the Viking trail all along the coast to Ramsgate. That section will give you the lovely coastal ride you're probably thinking of - but it is by a LONG way the best bit of the north coast route - west of whitstable (certainly west of Sittingbourne) is not very pretty - but Whitstable to Ramsgate via Reculver is great.
For the return you could do the same way though there are some other nice alternatives. Most simple would be to carry on following the coast route around to Sandwich and then follow NCN1 back into Canterbury and then retrace route 18 back to Ashford - though do take a look at cycle.travel and notice the alternative (old) route 18 out of Shalmsford Street. The old route follows roads avoiding the rough track I mentioned above. It starts with a climb up onto the downs but its pretty steady up until you get to The Compass Inn (lovely) at Sole Street and then you have a lovely downhill drop rejoinging the new route 18 a few miles outside of Wye.
.
Seconded regarding the Viking Trail.Great coastal cycling Whitstable to Sandwich.