Whichever route you choose, taking part in The Great Southern Walk is a fantastic way to enjoy some of Kent’s most spectacular countryside.

Our routes have been chosen to highlight particularly interesting features in our local landscape. Both walks run alongside the River Stour, passing picturesque villages, rolling grassland, hills, and marshes, making them perfect for soaking in the scenery. However, Alan Robertson, our chief hiking expert, has shared his list of extra special things to look out for:

15-mile challenge walk

·        Larkey Valley Wood: 107 acres of ancient woodland, which was gifted to the city in 1932. It is now a Site of Special Scientific Interest, due to its impressive range of plant and animal life

·        Julliberrie Downs: featuring the ruins of Julliberrie’s grave, also known as The Giant’s Grave, a Neolithic long barrow dating back to 4000BCE

·        Denge Wood: with impressive beech planting and home to a range of orchids and butterflies, the woods have been in existence since at least 1600CE, if not earlier

5-mile family walk

·        Tonford Manor: the remains of a house fortified in the late 1440s by the treasurer to King Henry VI. You can see a gatehouse built of flint with an impressive stone arch

·        Elham Valley Railway embankment: no longer in use, this route used to take trains to Folkestone, and now is a brilliant vantage point for views over the city

·        Toddler’s Cove: now a popular playground, this used to be the site of Canterbury’s first swimming pool in 1876!

Alongside these sights, you can look out for the flowers and animals of early Autumn. You’ll be able to spot berry bushes in the hedgerow, and the native birds flocking to enjoy them. It’s the time to see nuthatches and jays, as well as wading birds migrating south for the winter.

With all of these wonderful local features to enjoy, The Great Southern Walk is set to be a fantastic day!