Section 1 (Return)
West Hougham To Dover
Walk Details
| Map | Ordnance Survey Explorer 138 (Dover, Folkestone & Hythe) |
|---|---|
| Distance/Time | 4.5 miles (2.5 hours walking) |
| Start | From the junction of roads by the village hall and telephone box; it is possible to park on-road in the village |
| Comment | A long, straightish walk on high land above Dover with excellent views. Easy walking, with some road walking to return to the station. |
Walk Instructions
Pass the village hall and telephone box on the right and continue along the road past the site of the Chequers Inn, a large detached building laying back on the right to be developed as houses. Soon pass a road going off left into houses. Then reach the end of the village, by a road on your left, and the end of a wood, by open fields, on the right.
Here take the stony bridlepath going diagonally left down the rear of a house hung with wood panelling. Keep forward to pass Ledger Cottages. The track becomes grassy and heads for open fields. Keep on past isolated houses on the right and head for power lines. Ignore a path going off left.
Keep on in the same direction past a pond on the right. The bridlepath becomes a footpath but keep straight on, now beneath the power lines, towards trees ahead. Ignore a path going off right by a hedge. After a gentle curve around the woodland edge, the path enters the wood and keeps on by the forest edge for half a mile. Eventually the path emerges and continues on along the field edge above Whites Down with fine views of Dover Castle.
At a locked gate, turn left and immediately right, keeping on in the same direction as before, along a rather overgrown path. Avoid the temptation to turn off through gates on the right. Eventually emerge onto the ridge top by a pylon. Keep ahead under the power lines and, after a short distance, go right through a kissing gate onto the open down. Turn left, still heading towards Dover, and pass through a second swing gate to a grassy path.
After some distance the highest point is reached with more fine views of the town. A wooden gate leads to a gravel track. Do not go through this but keep ahead with the fence on your left until reaching another gate.
This time go through to the gravel track and turn right down it. Pass a school entrance.
The track becomes Noah’s Ark Road. Follow this looking for Goschen Road (4th. right). At the bottom turn left into Astor Avenue. Turn first right off this avenue up North Hill and soon left at the top into Priory Hill. Follow this all the way down to meet the High Street.
Turn right, then soon off right again, into Effingham Crescent bear left down to a T-junction with a main road. Turn right on this (Folkestone Road) to soon reach Dover Priory Station and the start of the section.
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