Day 5: Pett to Barham ~55m
“It’s raining again. Still, I am dry inside the tent. All my clothes are still damp. My legs are beginning to feel very weary, It’s a good thing the hills are mostly behind me, as any sign of gradient has been met with very heavy legs. Otherwise, it’s been a day of two halves – weather wise, anyway – and more like I expected from touring, although I have myself to thank for the distances.”
So goes the first paragraph from my notes that day, which, in addition to the damp, have the distinct whiff of self-pity. I do remember it feeling like the lonliest day, something I didn’t mention. I only stopped in Winchelsea in the morning to fuel up whilst the sun was shining, and only passed through very small villages until I came to my quiet campsite in the evening.
It was bright and sunny when I left, however, as I cruised along a wide A-road towards Winchester and Rye, away from the hilly weald of East Sussex. I picked up some cheese, juice, bread, new batteries (and dry matches) in Winchelsea, a sleepy town surrounded by strange church ruins. I plugged my way along the flat straight road to Rye, and soon enough I was following the Military canal, heading North for the first time on my trip.
The cloud closed in as I made my way to the quiet maze of smugglers lanes to nowhere around Romney, and that miserable and familiar English grey sky stayed with me the rest of the day. I noticed the birdsong – I didn’t recognize any of those birds. It was a refreshingly different soundtrack. As it begun to rain once more I stopped under a tree by the church in St Mary in the Marsh and stuffed my face with bread and cheese. It was cold – my hands were freezing again.
The endless flat was beginning to lose its appeal as the first ridge of the North Downs announced a change of scenery from some way off. Up the steep climb of Lympne hill, probably the toughest climb on my trip, with sections over 15%. My breath clouded as I slowly dragged myself and my heavy bike up the slope. I was surprised to have to dig in once more as I paused to scoff a banana as the road crossed the pilgrims way; a track I’d last crossed about 250 miles previously.
I rode slowly through the Elham valley, normally a scenic, relatively flat road through otherwise steep countryside: that day shrouded in mist. I was feeling tired, and so was annoyed to have to backtrack to find a cashpoint. I cooked up some spaghetti for supper and promptly fell asleep.
Day 6: Barham to Herne ~55m
Another day of eating – I have bought/consumed:
- Chunk of Ottinge cheese
- Loaf of Ottinge bread (from just up the hill)
- Pot of Ottinge yoghurt
- Flapjack
- Chocolate cake
- Tea and scone
- Fish and chips
- Bottle of Whitstable IPA
Not bad, then. Ottinge was a dairy close to the campsite.
After another late start, it was thankfully dry as I rolled mostly downhill towards Sandwich and the Kent coast. I rode on some familiar roads – from a 200km audax I’d ridden some 2 years before. A depressing thought; my distances are small in comparison to those long days. The valley was full of flaxen fields contrasting with the grey sky. As I stopped in Sandwich (forgoing the opportunity to see the seals)I saw ‘normal’ cyclists for the first time since leaving Bexhill, just families out for a ride, people doing the shopping.
At Pegwell bay the official ‘bike path’ commenced. I’d had my doubts about this, but ultimately, the Viking Coastal trail which winds it’s way around the eastern knob of Kent from Ramsgate to Whitstable, was definitely one of the highlights of the trip. From that point onwards it was essentially 30 miles of traffic free path through rugged marshland and chalky low cliffs, with the pungent salty air filling my beard. I was fortunate enough to have a tailwind, too.
For long sections it was just me and the sea. Expansive views. I thought about trying to find a ferry to Scandinavia. The lure of fish and chips in Whitstable was stronger, though. I made a plate of the aforementioned disappear and found some beer to lug inland to my campsite. Grey all day. But a good day, with plenty of relaxing stops to warm up, and cheery well-wishes from everyone who served me. I was allowed to keep my bike in the fish and chip joint which made me quite happy.
Oliver & Ottavio 