North Downs Way - Dover to Folkestone (★★★★☆)

Earlier in the year, I had walked the length of the North Downs Way - following the longer route via Canterbury, and opting against the alternate route that takes a more direct path to Dover. Originally I had intended that to be the extent of my walking along the North Downs Way, but I had enjoyed that walk enough to now be heading back - and today I would be walking from Dover to Folkestone, before continuing on to complete the alternate route, walking to Charing (and completing the full extent of the North Downs Way along the way).

Since the previous walk had taken me from Canterbury to Dover, this walk is effectively a continuation of that prior walk - and although I was heading out in November, the weather was unseasonably warm and still very reminiscent of that previous trip.

Starting from the north of England, my first challenge was to make my way down south, and to Dover - but aided by the fast HS1 train running from St Pancreas it is an easy journey, which gets you down to Dover in just over an hour from St Pancreas.

Having arrived in Dover, the place it a bit of a mixed bag. Asking Google AI what Dover is like results in a very charming reply: "Dover is a historic coastal town in Kent, England, known for its dramatic White Cliffs, ancient history, and port status. It offers a mix of scenic views and activities for outdoor enthusiasts, with attractions like Dover Castle and the Secret Wartime Tunnels, alongside a growing food and drink scene."

But offsetting this we have a more direct review from a real individual who in my mind is doing a slightly better job of capturing the reality you encounter: "Dover town itself is dismal, but the history and natural beauty just on the periphery of it are not".

As a town it is slightly odd that it is this way, as the travel time to London is short, and the history is there in plentiful supply - but there is something slightly off about Dover that I can never put my finger on.

But having left the train station, I am not in Dover for long, as the North Downs Way quickly heads west up to Western Heights, where we find Drop Redoubt Fort - which was original built in the very early 1800s, but then extended during the Napoleonic Wars in the 1860s.

From this elevated position, the fort commands good views over the town and port, and looks pretty well designed to deal with any invasion - with the fort being built into the hillside. And from this vantage point you get an overview of Dover - with both the castle and the fort showing off the depth of history behind the town, whilst the town itself lies between the two.

Looking across Dover from Western Heights

Drop Redoubt Fort

The history is in plentiful supply here, with with the remains of a roman lighthouse just about remaining on the top of the fort (although off route from the North Downs Way) - and as we continue on along the North Downs Way we soon hit another site at the ruins of an 11th century Knights Templar Church

Knights Templar Church remains

The shape itself is a little unusual for a church, and the details of what is known about the church are fairly limited - but is a design used by the Templars, and a larger example of this design can be seen in a surviving church at Temple Church in London (near St Paul's Cathedral) :

Temple Church, London

This design is supposed to mimic that of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem - and this very small site is believed to be more of a small road-side shrine, that would most likely be visited by travelers on their way to the Holy Land. Beyond that the details are pretty sparse, but it does provide yet another reminder of the rich history of Dover.

From here, we head back into modernity, and continue on through a small estate of houses, after which we head under the A20 - with Shakespeare Cliff lying directly ahead.

The cliffs themselves are quite dramatic, and although the scene is somewhat muddied but the very modern surroundings of the cliffs (you will see in the next modern-day photo), the underlying beauty is undeniable. Those more modern adornings, do make the cliffs a bit less special than they once would have been, but instead of bemoaning this fact, we can instead focus on what this site would have once looked like:

An 1849 painting of Shakespeare Cliff in prettier times

Whilst the classic image of the White Cliffs of Dover is of the flat fields running up to the sharp chalk cliff edge on the eastern side of Dover, the cliffs here instead rear up into the sky, creating more aggressively shaped - and perhaps more daunting - cliffs. 

And indeed the cliff takes it's name 'Shakespeare Cliff' from it's use in King Lear as a fearsome cliff location : "I’ll look no more, Lest my brain turn and the deficient sight, Topple down headlong".

If you don't like heights the section walking up the cliffs might be the least enjoyable part of this day's walking, for the path initially heads up along the very edge of the cliffs - and during the climb up here I found great interest in what could be seen on the ground and at my feet.

Climbing up Shakespeare Cliffs (just pretend that it is all lovely countryside)

Still, the path here up is solid and concrete - and there is a nice solid fence on the side that has clearly been around for some time, so you needn't worry about any accidental slips and falls. Here you need only worry about the massive drop a few steps to the side of you.

But after a long climb we make it up onto the ridge viewed from below, where we get our best view of the motorway and stunning countryside combination that the North Downs Way is famous for.

Great scenery, plus the A20

With the road following the base of the valley it is easy to hear the cars and trucks as they pass by, but we are set well back from the side of the road, and so it's impact is not that great.

My main worry here had been the onward path. On the map the path runs on the very edge of the cliff boxed in on the right by fences, and on Google Maps the path looks pretty perilous - but in reality the fields are all National Trust land, and there is freedom to walk through the fields rather than along the perilous edge of the cliffs. Here you can be as safe as you wish to be.

The route of the North Downs Way now generally runs on the right of the fence, diverting around any spots where there has been cliff erosion - and there are plenty of gates that provide easy access between the fields or the cliffs.

Continuing on, we get our first views of Sampshire Hoe Country Park - which is a man made plateau below the cliffs (using the material extracted from the Channel Tunnel), which extends out from the base of the cliff. 

From above you can get great views of this plain extending out below, but unfortunately I am too much of a chicken to get close enough to do that, and so you will have to just imagine what it might potentially look like.

Heading out on the safe side of the fence

To the left you can just about see Sampshire Hoe Country Park

There is no route down from here to Samphire Hoe Country Park (other than the impractical option of a running jump - it is difficult to do much exploring if you legs go through your head) - instead the park is accessed from a tunnel that peels off from the A20 and heads under our feet.

Passing over Round Down ticks off the second big hill along this stretch, and after cresting this hill, we pass along the top of the park below, and from here there is little change in the overall feel of the walk until we meet up with a tarmacked cycle route further down the path - and start to head towards Folkstone.

Passing by Sampshire Hoe Country Park just past Round Down

Having joined up with this cycle route, the path heads past Abbot's Cliff Sound Mirror (a big old concrete block that was used to pick up sound waves from enemy aircraft). These mirrors continued to be used up until the mid 1930s, after which radar offered a superior means of warning of an imminent attack.

What remains is not the prettiest object, but is yet another piece of the legacy of war on these cliffs - and there are plenty of similar sites dotted along the way.

After passing the mirror, the path cuts inward to head around a house - before cutting back to the coast, as we start to bend round and get views of Folkestone up ahead.

Looking back towards the house (a second path sits on the coast side of the house)

Looking across the railway (running below) to Folkestone

From here the quality of the path is not quite as good as it had been passing across the fields from Dover - and on a wet and muddy day I would probably suggest a diversion across to the parallel road to avoid an untimely slip.

Here the cliff is clearly eroding towards the houses - and from the cafe to the footpath prior to reaching the Battle of Britain Memorial I did cut inward onto the road to skip a section that looked particularly gnarly and slippery (even with it being fairly dry today). 

But that short inward diversion was quickly made up for by the arrival at the Battle of Britain Memorial, where there are replicas of a Hurricane and a Spitfire - which do look a bit like a cross between real planes and a giant airfix kit.

Spitfire

Hurricane

Upon reaching the far end of the memorial site, the coast path heads south into Folkestone, but the North Downs Way peels off to the west and heads along the ridge that circles Folkestone.

Before heading out for this walk, I had wondered about diverting off the official route and instead passing through Folkestone - as it does look like a town that would be worth exploring. However, on the way down to Dover by train I had passed through Folkestone, and immediately understood why the North Downs Way takes this route - which gives great views out across the whole of Folkestone and beyond.

And so here as the coastal path continues south, we head west tracking along the edge of that ridge, with views both out over Folkestone and out towards the hills that lie ahead.

Folkestone viewed from the ridge

Looking out towards the hills ahead (we will head over the hills on the right)

This section heading round Folkestone is an unexpected delight, and it is remarkable how pointy and aggressive the ridge edges are - with the surroundings being more reminiscent of a mini-Abergavenny than of the typically sweeping hills of the downs. 

This initial stretch heading out from the coast takes us along the length of Creteway Down, after which it is time to cross over the A260, and head over the next set of hills - just as the A20 heads under the hills on it's way to Folkestone.

Whilst it is nice to meet back up with a familiar friend, this road that was by our side as we left Dover does make for an odd walking companion - and does lead to an odd mix of pretty countryside and busy motorway.

Looking back to Creteway Down (left) and Sugarloaf Hill (right) - with cows in front

Sugarloaf Hill (left) and Folkstone (right)

The A(M)20 heading under our feet backed by Folkestone and a rather lovely sunset

This section of the A(M)20 was built as part of the build out of the Channel Tunnel, and it feels remarkable to me that no one objected strongly enough to putting this hulking great motorway here to prevent it's construction.

But having made it over Round Hill (that which the dual carriage way cuts through), we can try to put motorways behind us as much as possible as we head down and then back up, to head over Caesar's Camp.

The name Caesar's Camp gives visions of Roman legions camped on this site having landed in Britain, but this is actually just a very misleading name for the site of a Norman castle :

A visual recreation of Folkestone Castle

Prior to the construction of this castle, there was believed to be an iron age fort here as well - and the value of the location is pretty obvious, as it sits on a very steep ridge with outstanding views over Folkestone.

Looking back across the hill towards Folkestone and the sea beyond

But here our day of walking is set to come to an end - and turning off from the North Downs Way, I head down the hill and back across the M20 (via the roundabouts that provide a route of sorts into Folkestone from the hills).

With this descent complete and with those roundabouts cleared, this leaves me some way outside the core of Folkestone - but there is a Premier Inn just across from the roundabouts, and after a bit of an explore to find some food, I head to this hotel, ready for the next day of walking.

Enjoyment Rating : ⭐⭐⭐⭐ ★ / 5

Disclaimer: This writeup provides a narrative of what to expect rather than a route guide to follow. The route is covered by the 179 OS Landranger map - while there is also a North Downs Way guidebook which includes OS mapping (links redirect to Amazon). The route is in general well way-marked.