Walks you can reach from Canterbury East by train

Highly recommended: Clifftop chalk paths, two significant climbs, level pebble beach coastpath, open sea views and historic town.

Coastal: almost all along the coast.

Dover Castle: A vast medieval fortress overlooking the port and the Channel to France.

Time: 5h30–11h

3 lunch spots: Saint Margarets Bay (3h–6h in) — the Pines Tea Room, or the bay kiosk; plus Walmer Castle and Gardens (3h–6h in)

3 end-of-walk rewards: the Port Arms, the Sir Norman Wisdom, or the Queen Street Tap

Warnings: Mobile may switch networks.

Adapted from: Time Out Country Walks Volume 2.

Similar walks: the Saturday Walkers Club, Walking Post (inc. GPX) and Slow Ways (inc. GPX).

Reverse direction: Railwalks (inc. GPX).

Highly recommended: Coastal cliffs, chalk downland, sea defences, wild landslip area, wartime installations, ridge between valley and sea and town crossing.

Hilly: a third on high ground, rising above the surrounding land.

Coastal: four fifths along the coast.

Woodland: a quarter under tree cover.

Western Heights

Knights Templar Church Ruins

Time: 4h–8h30

1 lunch spot: Camping Café (1h–2h30 in)

2 end-of-walk rewards: the Malvern, or the Priory Hotel

Warnings: Cracked sea defences.

Source: Trains2Green.

Similar walks: the Saturday Walkers Club and Slow Ways (inc. GPX).

Reverse direction: Railwalks (inc. GPX).

Flat marshland, creek embankments, farm fields, quiet country lanes, woodland and tidal waterways.

Time: 4h30

Warnings: Can be muddy.

Walk details: the Saturday Walkers Club (tips, local insights and turn-by-turn directions).

Easy coastal walk, flat terrain, seaside villages and open shoreline.

Coastal: three quarters along the coast.

Time: 3h30–7h30

Walk details: the Saturday Walkers Club (tips, local insights and turn-by-turn directions).

Similar walks: Railwalks (inc. GPX) and Slow Ways (inc. GPX).

Flat orchards and fruit farms, tidal river seawall, coastal creeks, mudflats, salt marshes, drainage ditches, dykes, windswept grazing marshes and historic market town streets.

Time: 5h30

Warnings: Can be muddy.

Walk details: the Saturday Walkers Club (tips, local insights and turn-by-turn directions).

Recommended: A flat estuary walk along the sea defences, following the England Coast Path nearly all the way.

Coastal: nine tenths along the coast.

Time: 6h30–13h30

Lunch: Only one village stop en route.

Walk details: Railwalks.

Similar walk: Slow Ways (inc. GPX).

Recommended: Lovely views out over the marshes. A lovely, varied route through woods, fields, gentle hills, orchards and a river estuary, with small sections of mostly safe road walking. The first half is farmland over very gentle hills; the second follows the Medway estuary on the England Coast Trail, with lovely views over the marshes and mudflats. Quite a lot of tarmac and with some muddy parts and slanted cycle gates. The estuary section is on the England Coast Trail. Optional detour along a causeway to 'Horrid Hill'. Break points at Borden, Newington, Rainham, Riverside Country Park and the Strand leisure area.

Time: 5h30–11h

Lunch: Break points with pubs/shops at Borden, Newington and Rainham; cafes and toilets at Riverside Country Park and the Strand.

Warnings: Steps, stiles and gates throughout, plus slanted cycle gates along the estuary. A field path beyond Newington was not reinstated across crops. Care crossing main roads.

Walk details: Slow Ways.

About 40% off-road on field footpaths, very flat with a few gentle slopes and plus the coastal path on Sheppey and a maze-like path through an orchard. Fields can be soggy or sticky in wet weather but passable; there are kissing gates. Uses the newly opened England Coast Path between Kingsferry Bridge and Rushenden; good views over the Swale from Kingsferry Bridge, where you may see the bridge lift for shipping.

Time: 3h30–7h

Warnings: Follows a busy road for a quarter of the walk. A fair bit of unavoidable road walking on the Isle of Sheppey, some without pavement; a large pool of deep water can block the official England Coast Path entrance north of Rushenden; beware splintered wooden step covers on the coastal section.

Walk details: Slow Ways.

Time: 5h30–11h

Walk details: Slow Ways.

A long walk with about a mile less road walking than the alternative, mostly on quiet lanes and footpaths and climbing to King's Wood with its sculptures. Some field-edge alternatives avoid problem paths. A short 40m stretch of A251 road walking near Boughton Aluph looks uncomfortable. Five sculptures in King's Wood are on the route. Possible break-out points by bus, train or pub at Kennington, Wye, Challock, Badlesmere, Leaveland, Sheldwich or Selling.

Time: 6h30–13h

Lunch: Pubs on the route at Kennington, Boughton Lees and Molash.

Warnings: There are 40 metres of road walking on the A251 near Boughton Aluph that looks a little uncomfortable; regular runners keep off the road using the adjacent field edge instead.

Walk details: Slow Ways.

An unavoidably long route through grazing marsh, freshwater pools, saltwater creeks, orchards and urban green spaces and quiet country lanes. Mostly flat; some sections can be soggy and waterlogged but doable with high boots. Passes through the Swale RAMSAR site with important bird populations; a high density of fruit orchards makes it good for spring blossom; lots of pitstop and public-transport options; you may see the Kingsferry Bridge spans lift.

Time: 7h30–15h

1 lunch spot: the Ship Inn

Warnings: Some parts of the route can be very waterlogged.

Walk details: Slow Ways.

A marginally shorter, more off-road route via Bexon and Bottom Pond. Includes a short and apparently permissive path down the side of an orchard. No shops or scheduled buses on the route. There are no shops or scheduled buses on the route. A tearoom at the Bredgar model railway site was recommended (check opening hours).

Time: 4h30–8h30

Lunch: A tearoom at the Bredgar model railway site is on the route (check opening hours); otherwise no shops or scheduled buses.

Warnings: The permissive orchard-side path between Bloody Mary Lane and Stratton Street may not work out; carry an OS map for nearby alternatives. Lenham station is not near the village-centre start point.

Walk details: Slow Ways.