Faversham looks a great little town to visit. A medieval market town, today it has lots of interesting independent shops and cafes as well as some picturesque old buildings. Possibly the oldest is this one, complete with helpful plaque…
The other thing Faversham is famous for is the Shepherd Neame brewery. Founded in 1698 it is claimed to be the oldest brewery in England, so they’ve had plenty of practice! They run tours of the brewery for the public but you do need to be over 18 for some reason…
Anyhow, I don’t have time for a tour today so walk on by…
The first part of the walk today is along the east bank of Faversham Creek back up to the Swale. After passing an expensive-looking new riverside housing development I come across Standard Quay, home to yet more artisan-type businesses!
The path passes more fine old architecture…
…before entering a large boatyard…
I’m now out of Faversham and back on a grassy embankment alongside the creek. It takes little time to reach Nagden, a tiny hamlet of a few houses and the last habitation I’m going to see for a while!
Out on the Nagden Marshes there is activity involving diggers and men in hi-vis. I pass a sign that tells me that they are building a solar power farm. Cool…
About twenty minutes later I reach the point where Oare Creek and Faversham Creek meet. Across the water is the Shipwright’s Arms pub that I passed on the last walk. I seem to have walked a long way just to be a couple of hundred yards away from where I was!
Another five minutes or so and I’m at the end of the creek and back on the bank of the Swale…
There now follows a stretch of several miles that takes me to Seasalter on the outskirts of Whitstable. At some point the Swale ends and the sea becomes Whitstable Bay, although I’m not sure exactly where that point is!
A short distance along the way I pass the Castle Coote nature reserve. After so much marsh and mud, this stands out quite dramatically thanks to the pale sand and shingle…
Unfortunately I’ve forgotten to bring food on this walk and I’m starting to feel peckish, so I’ll have to look out for a shop or a cafe. Might be a while though…
About a mile further on I find a small cafe that looks shut but has an ‘open’ sign outside. I go and have a look and not only are they open but they provide an excellent bacon sandwich!
Hunger assuaged, I continue into Seasalter. It’s not clear where the coast path goes here. I walk on the beach and a few yards on there is a prom but it doesn’t seem very friendly. The public right of way clearly passes along the prom but the owners obviously want to try and convince people otherwise…
And in the middle…
Makes you want to find a member of the Granville Cliff Estate Company Ltd and beat ‘em round the head with an OS map! Or is that just me?
Anyway, moving on…
Passing from Seasalter into Whitstable there are loads of beach huts. Double stacked…!
Whitstable seafront has plenty of unusual and expensive beachfront properties…
…and, of course, plenty of evidence of what Whitstable is most famous for - oysters!
I arrive at the harbour where I am finishing for today…
It’s been a good walk, this one, with plenty of variety. Reaching Whitstable feels like from now on its ‘proper’ seaside, and the estuary landscape is finally done!
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